In England, Gloucestershire, within the drawing-room of the ancient Carow family manor.

Amicus Carow was using a magic quill, saturated with ink, to mark up an open newspaper.

Beside him on the living room sofa, along with his sister Alecto Carow, were seven or eight middle-aged wizards with serious expressions, such as Hemertos from the Yaxley family, and Willie from the Bulstrode family...

Without exception, all were wizards from the great ancient pure-blood families of the magical world.

"The Ministry of Magic and Hogwarts have joined forces. Gringotts Wizarding Bank and the Lestrange family were merely the first two unlucky ones to run into the blade. This is an extremely dangerous signal, everyone—"

Amicus Carow circled several keywords on a copy of *The Daily Prophet* from a few months prior.

"Cornelius Fudge, Dolores Umbridge… these greedy, corrupt politicians have long abandoned our camp and become another force. They only care about their own purses and positions. As for Albus Dumbledore, that old man was never one of us. He wishes half the students at Hogwarts were Mudbloods—"

The Lestrange family's misfortune made many pure-blood wizarding families feel a sense of unease.

During Voldemort's most嚣张 period a decade ago, aside from a few pure-blood families who stood with Dumbledore, the vast majority of pure-blood wizarding families in the magical world were more or less involved with the Dark Lord's forces.

"So what can we do? Are you planning to try to run for Minister of Magic?"

Hemertos Yaxley impatiently interrupted, a mocking smirk on his lips.

"Anyway, the Ministry of Magic wouldn't dare go too far unless you actually have some evidence, some outside help. Otherwise, even if Dumbledore moved the Gringotts Wizarding Bank vault into Hogwarts Castle, we wouldn't have any basis to object."

In fact, private gatherings like this were not the first time.

But other than complaining, they couldn't change anything. People like Lucius Malfoy, who were always on the fence, came once and never came back, always using various business reasons as excuses.

If Amicus hadn't confidently claimed to have a major piece of news this time, the number of people present might have been half as many.

"Yes, Amicus, get to the point—"

Willie Bulstrode tapped his pipe on the table, raising an eyebrow.

"You've seen what happened to Peter Pettigrew and the Lestrange family. The consequence of recklessly confronting the Ministry of Magic and Hogwarts is just that. The Dark Lord is missing, and I don't intend to end up with my family assets seized and thrown in jail."

"Mr. Bulstrode, are you aware that a few days ago, Dumbledore, Newt, the British Ministry of Magic… and a large group of top wizards went to the Russian magical world to hunt down the Dark Lord and search for the remaining Death Eaters?"

"I wasn't," Willie Bulstrode said, startled by the news. "I didn't see any related news in *The Daily Prophet*. If it were such a big international news story, we couldn't have missed it entirely."

"That's because the various Ministries of Magic have jointly blocked related reports. They don't want people to know too much."

Alecto Carow raised her head, looked around at the wizards in the drawing-room, and said in a low voice.

"The Dark Lord hasn't disappeared as the Ministry of Magic claims. His footprints have quietly spread from Britain to all over the world. That's why Dumbledore and others have joined forces—compared to a decade ago, the Dark Lord's return will be even more terrifying… Peter Pettigrew and the Russian magical world are just the beginning."

Willie Bulstrode looked at Alecto Carow's face. The woman's eyes were shining with an unsettling fanaticism.

"But what does that prove?"

Mr. Bulstrode frowned and loudly voiced his doubts.

"Since the various Ministries of Magic want to quietly resolve this matter, we should stay away from it! If he's facing a worldwide magical manhunt, no matter how he schemes in the dark, his chances of winning are close to zero. Right?"

"Correct," Amicus Carow agreed, nodding. "Unless the various Ministries of Magic aren't united, or someone is planning to use this as an excuse to unify the magical world—there's more than one person who could become a Dark Lord—and more than one person who craves higher prestige and power. Gentlemen, do you know who the new professors at Hogwarts are this year?"

"Nicolas Flamel, Newt Scamander! Of course—and many other famous wizards! But if you're saying—"

"Can't you see it? Why have these wizards, who have been in seclusion for so many years, suddenly returned? What could possibly tempt these wizards who once reached the pinnacle in their respective fields?! Immortality? And what comes after that?"

For a moment, it was as if the air in the drawing-room had suddenly been sucked out.

Amidst the soft crackling of the flames in the drawing-room fireplace, people's gaze instinctively fell on the newspapers in their hands.

On the front page of today's edition of *The Daily Prophet*, Cornelius Fudge was explaining the new curriculum reforms at Hogwarts to the media with high spirits, looking as excited as when he first took office.

"Some say we're destroying the foundations of society, which I think is utter nonsense. The education at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry has always been the cornerstone of our magical world, but we must never stop innovating because of this…"

"Because without progress, there is stagnation, there is decay. Of course, at the same time, progress for the sake of progress should never be encouraged. Our traditions have been tempered and often do not need clumsy corrections. We must strike a balance between old and new, between permanence and change, between tradition and innovation…"

"…Some old habits will be retained, which is perfectly acceptable, while some habits are outdated and must be discarded. Let us continue to move forward into a new era of enlightenment, efficiency, and reason, resolutely maintaining what should be maintained, perfecting what needs to be perfected, and abandoning what we should prohibit…"

Perhaps to many ordinary wizards, these were just tedious and boring political statements.

But in the eyes of the people present, the meaning and sharpness hidden behind these words were all too clear, and coupled with Amicus Carow's previous words, it gave them a sense of impending pressure.

"Are you saying," Hemertos Yaxley said in a low, hoarse voice, "that the Ministry of Magic and Dumbledore…"

Tock, tock, tock—

"Sorry, sorry, we shouldn't be too late, should we?"

Before Hemertos could finish his sentence, the wooden door outside the drawing-room emitted a rhythmic knock, and then three male wizards in gray turtleneck trench coats appeared before everyone, guided by a house-elf.

The leading stranger politely nodded to the room and smiled, pointing to the emblem on his chest.

"Christopher Rhine, MACUSA, Head of Overseas Liaison Office."

"Americans? Oh?"

Willie Bulstrode narrowed his eyes, looking the uninvited guests up and down with a meaningful expression.

"Dear Mr. Carow, I don't think letting foreigners participate is a smart move—even if the Ministry of Magic and Hogwarts really have some ambitions, that's something the other countries' Ministries of Magic should worry about, right? It's a good thing for us."

"Provided that they haven't betrayed the wizarding class—"

Christopher Rhine's lips curled up, and he replied in a low voice, but there was no smile in his eyes.

"Gentlemen, if Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and the British Ministry of Magic are researching 'The Scourge of Wizards', including its release method and how to immunize and cure it… who do you think it will be used on? And if they launch an attack under the guise of clearing up Voldemort's remnants, who will be the first experimental target?"

With Christopher's voice, the wizards present all shuddered.

"I remember mentioning it to you before, over on our side, we usually refer to that person as 'You-Know-Who', 'The Dark Lord' or 'He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named', if you really came with the intention of cooperating—"

Amicus Carow glared at the American wizard with some annoyance, coldly squeezing the words out from between his teeth.

These damn, arrogant Americans!

He was at least half certain that this guy was doing it on purpose!

"Sorry, you know… our Dark Lord usually refers to someone else, and we usually use names."

Christopher shrugged, spread his hands, briefly explained, and continued.

"Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, the British Ministry of Magic, oh, and Gringotts Wizarding Bank, they are trying to form an alliance that is above everything else in the magical world—Vol… You-Know-Who may be one of the baits and targets they deliberately released in order to legitimately interfere with and influence any land."

"Impossible! The Dark Lord would not work for those politicians and Muggle-loving hypocrites!"

Amicus Carow waved his hand, interrupting somewhat roughly.

"Of course not, but what if it's exploitation…"

Christopher Rhine said, looking at Amicus with a mocking expression, and said softly.

"If 'You-Know-Who' is made a target without them realizing it, can't all the ideas supported and advocated by 'You-Know-Who' be legitimately defined as evil, abandoning what should be prohibited, innovating, and moving forward…"

"Then, being friendly to Muggles, learning Muggle knowledge, and lowering the status of pure-blood wizards is naturally reasonable—"

"That's absurd!"

Willie Bulstrode frowned and retorted loudly.

"The Ministry of Magic and the Hogwarts Board of Governors will never allow such a thing to happen—"

Before he could finish his sentence, the middle-aged wizard suddenly stopped. Willie Bulstrode's mind flashed with a letter from his daughter a few days ago, in which she mentioned that a professor "who can't use magic" was teaching them how to count.

"Oh, really? You should know better than us… The changes at Hogwarts are being discussed by many people even at Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in America."

Christopher Rhine glanced at the suddenly silent Willie Bulstrode and sneered softly.

"Looks like we should have reached a preliminary consensus, right? There have been many fools in the magical world who are fascinated by Muggles, but none of them have ever succeeded. Because as long as they reveal a fatal flaw, the overwhelming accusations and opposition will instantly engulf them, even the most powerful wizards are no exception, and the savior can get the help of the new order…"

"In the MACUSA, successive Ministers of Magic have always been elected under the recognition and guidance of the oldest, most ancient, and prestigious pure-blood wizarding families. I think it's a pity that the British magical world has lost these traditions."

"Gringotts Wizarding Bank has completely fallen, fortunately, there are still embers left in America…"

Christopher Rhine raised his hand, and the two wizards standing behind him stepped forward and took out money bags, the same number as the people in the living room, and placed them on the wooden coffee table in the center of the drawing-room.

"This is a small token of our friendship… Three thousand Galleons, a greeting gift."

"Oh, American Gringotts? Are the goblins over there reliable?"

Hemertos Yaxley reached out, picked up a money bag, and asked thoughtfully.

"If… I want to deposit some pocket money over there, do you have any channels to help us solve it here?"

"Of course, with pleasure."

Christopher Rhine happily nodded and replied, his face full of smiles.

Before visiting these wizards, he had already connected many British wizarding families. He was quite skilled in this process of transferring assets, and as the handler, he had a small commission.

"Okay, then I have one last question."

Just then, a low, slow voice rang out from the corner of the living room sofa.

Everyone subconsciously looked in the direction of the voice, and saw a tall, bald, dark-skinned wizard sitting there, frowning tightly, looking at Christopher Rhine seriously, and asked in a deep voice.

"You just said that You-Know-Who may have been used by the Ministry of Magic and Dumbledore, do you have any evidence? I heard that the MACUSA had a brief encounter with those guys in Russia, do you know the specific situation?"

"Um, may I ask who you are…"

Christopher Rhine looked at Amicus Carow with some confusion.

"Oh, this is Kingsley, Kingsley Shacklebolt, also a member of the Sacred Twenty-Eight. He currently works for Cornelius Fudge, the British Minister of Magic, rest assured, he can be trusted… at least we can ensure that he is definitely not on Albus Dumbledore's side—if you plan to inquire about something, Kingsley is reliable."

"The Shacklebolt family? Of course, I've heard of it, it's a historic and honorable family."

Christopher Rhine's expression softened, and he said with a smile.

"That's right, in fact, I was one of the wizards who fought them before. So I can tell you with certainty that You-Know-Who's power and influence are gradually recovering. Although they were masked, there were many European accents among those 'Death Eaters'. Under normal circumstances, the Ministry of Magic would not allow such a huge and dangerous illegal force to develop into this…"

"So I suspect that there must be some force deliberately condoning them behind them…"

"Such dangerous Dark Wizards would of course not submit to anyone, but there must be some kind of tacit understanding between them, otherwise he would not have avoided his former base and instead shown up and created chaos in so many places in Europe."

The American wizard said with certainty.

"I see, I understand, thank you."

Kingsley Shacklebolt nodded, revealing a simple and honest smile.

…………

Meanwhile, in the distant Hogwarts Castle.

Aileen wrote down the assignments Professor McGonagall had given in her diary, and wrote at the bottom.

"Tom, show me the answers to the Transfiguration homework, if there's a single mistake I'll tear you up and use you as padding in my sanitary napkin…"

"Wait half a minute! Almost done!"

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Goo-ah~ Big chapter!