days at Hogwarts

Chapter 742 Making a choice
"Good evening, gentlemen."

Loren spoke in a cheerful voice and greeted a few people with a smile. He walked his eyes around the wall of the rotunda and easily found a stack of wooden stairs leading to the circular terrace above.

Hermione, who was equally delighted, followed him.

The terrace above was very spacious with a wide view. It was originally reserved for professors and students to watch the Sorting Ceremony. You can see the huge Gordian knot and the details on the tops of several statues. At this time, there were three professors standing on the terrace, Dumbledore, Snape, and Fontana of Ilvermorny.

Pickley and Nancy returned to Ilvermorny. They climbed the wooden stairs slowly and leisurely, looking at the carvings on the handrails on both sides, with a hint of nostalgia in their eyes.

Professor Snape still had that expressionless face, as if everyone present owed him thousands of Galleons.

Dumbledore stared at the huge Gordian Knot below, his deep blue eyes showing an eager look. Loren believed that old man Dumbledore really wanted to go down and give it a try. He would then take a picture and sell it to the newspaper. Soon he would hear the front-page news that the current headmaster of Hogwarts was enrolled in Ilvermorny.

"My last exchange visit to Hogwarts was too hasty. The Goblet of Fire Tournament attracted all my attention. It was a long time before I really understood how great you are..."

Mr. Gilbert Fontana stood on the grounds of his own school with a smile on his face. The familiar environment gave him enough confidence. He kept muttering, "Dear children, are you really not going to consider my invitation?"

Loren hesitated for a moment, then asked seriously, "We have been studying at Hogwarts for six years. Professor, what reason do you have to convince us to transfer suddenly?"

"Ilvermorny has an independent alchemy experiment center. At the same time, we are also exploring No-Maj technology. Look at these electric lights. At least in these aspects, we are definitely ahead of Hogwarts. In addition, if students want to go into politics, the Magical Congress has a separate selection test for the school..."

Loren looked thoughtful and seemed to be really interested. He began to ask for details: "How many years is the school system at Ilvermorny?"

"Same as Hogwarts, seven years."

"How is the tuition calculated?"

“There are scholarships for outstanding students.”

Loren held his chin with his hand, thinking seriously and asking questions from time to time.

"..."

Hermione felt a little helpless, and the people around her had complicated expressions.

At first I thought the two were joking, but why are they getting more and more serious? This must be a joke... right?

"You will hold a summer camp during the holidays and go to Romania to raise dragons?"

"Not only dragons, there are other activities in the magical creatures summer camp."

"Um……"

Loren nodded and turned to look at the old man with a white beard next to him: "Did you hear that, Headmaster? Hogwarts should also increase this kind of activities."

The others were stunned.

Dumbledore nodded in agreement.

Mr. Fontana showed a look of surprise on his face, and then he couldn't help laughing.

……

"After receiving the news from you, we immediately launched an investigation. With the help of the Magic Congress expert group, we sampled and explored all the trees in the surrounding area. We specifically excavated the shallow soil, possible nests on the tree crowns, and tree holes inside the trunks..."

While listening to Professor Fontana describing the course of action at the dining table, we concentrated on enjoying the sumptuous dinner. The dishes were exquisite and delicious, revealing the hospitality of Ilvermorny.

The candlesticks are no longer just decorations; the flickering candlelight sways on the table, adding a touch of softness to the dinner.

There were still those familiar faces sitting around the dining table. It was said that the experts sent by the Magical Congress of the United States had been sent back. They only knew that there was some kind of dark magic item hidden in the Ilvermorny Woods. After finding out the clues, the rest would be left to the school to handle.

By the way, Newt Scamander was invited. This expert on magical creatures left several files in the Magical Congress of the United States of America, and the two sides have become old friends.

Pickley and Nancy had blank expressions and dull eyes. They had suddenly received too much information tonight and their brains were unable to process it all.

Murder to create Horcruxes, Horcruxes to escape death, resurrection from the dead…

The most powerful dark wizard has hidden a living Horcrux in his own school...

The headmaster specifically warned that the news about the Horcruxes must not be disclosed to the Magical Congress...

It’s a mess. My head hurts a bit. I don’t think I will be able to sleep tonight.

"You won't believe me, but we found a lot of prohibited items during this investigation. Some of them even had students' names on them. It's going to be very busy when the next semester starts."

Listening to the news quietly, Loren finished the remaining juice in his glass, and a Pukchi waiter immediately came forward to fill it up.

This rumored distant relative of the goblins is about the same height as a house-elf, only two or three feet tall, short in stature, with thin ears, and a small dress to cover its gray skin. It hides in dimly lit corners and only appears to provide services when guests need it.

Loren nodded to the little guy to express his gratitude.

Waiter Pukchi smiled back, neither servile nor overbearing.

Hermione had been keeping an eye on these waiters, short subhumans who served students and professors at a magic school. It was hard not to remind them of the house-elves at Hogwarts, except that their attitudes were far less humble than the elves, and they did not belittle themselves at all. They were more like ordinary waiters, providing services for payment.

A transaction is a transaction, and a transaction is just a transaction.

Noticing the little witch's gaze, the Pukchi waiter looked up and smiled at her, indicating that she could be contacted at any time if she needed anything.

Hermione looked away, a thoughtful expression on her face.

It seems that Pukki’s relationship with Ilvermorny is just a normal employment relationship. Is it because of the outstanding achievements of Pukki in the founding history of the school?

It also seemed to be related to the strength of the Pukki community itself. These creatures possessed powerful magical abilities and did not have a good reputation outside of Ilvermorny. They did not like contact with humans and liked to play tricks on them, but there was no irreconcilable conflict or clear hostility.

Unlike the lowly house-elves, Pukki's positioning is closer to the goblins of Gringotts. They have independent sovereignty and can talk to wizards on an equal footing and engage in commercial activities.

"The bad news is that the situation is just as we expected. The biggest anomaly in the entire forest is the snake tree. Fortunately, the snake tree is not a Horcrux. We suspect that Voldemort has hidden a living Horcrux inside the trunk of the snake tree."

The news from the head of the table made everyone present concentrate and slow down the speed of chewing their food.

The wizards of Hogwarts sat quietly in their seats, silent.

The principal and the professor remained silent, and the two students also remained silent. Loren lowered his eyes to observe the reflection on the silver metal dinner knife, recalling the scene presented by the Mirror of Erised, and many clues gradually came together.

Everyone thought that Voldemort would make Horcruxes out of the snakewood left by Slytherin. Voldemort took advantage of this and hid the living Horcrux deep in the tree trunk, which was the most dangerous and safest. "Voldemort thought he was very smart. He thought that the tenacious vitality of the snake tree could protect his dirty Horcruxes, and he imagined that Ilvermorny would resolutely protect the snake tree, but he was wrong!" Fontana whispered, his tone calm but resolute, "Ilvermorny cannot be defiled. We are determined enough to remove this stubborn stain, even if it means cutting the skin and flesh, even if... destroying the snake tree."

Young Pickley and Nancy looked at the professor in silence.

……

The guests returned to their rooms to rest.

There are no students staying in Ilvermorny during the summer vacation. There are almost no wild beasts on the top of Mount Greylock, and there is magic around the castle to isolate the sound. If the guests from afar do not feel uncomfortable due to the mountain air pressure, they can probably sleep well.

Although there was still a filthy Horcrux in the woods behind the castle that needed to be dealt with urgently, the two young wizards were exhausted after a day's long journey and needed to rest. Ilvermorny also needed to make adequate preparations...

The night was getting late, but Gilbert Fontana had no desire to sleep.

He turned off the lights in the room, leaving only the desk lamp on, and went out to the balcony in his pajamas, admiring the night view of Ilvermorny on a summer night while recalling what happened during the day.

The Magic Congress needs to reply as soon as possible. After all, they suddenly and urgently called up other people's manpower and sent them back within just half a day. They must be given an explanation.

I cannot reveal the specific cause of the snake tree's illness, nor can I reveal any information about the Horcruxes. I really don't know how to write this reply letter. No matter how I write it, it will be difficult for the members of the Magic Congress to accept it.

Fortunately, we have provided clues about Voldemort and the Death Eaters. With the achievements, we have the confidence and maybe we can get away with it.

But the source of the clues is still difficult to explain.

"Let's just put the blame on Albus..."

Fontana's thoughts came into focus, and his slightly frowned brows immediately relaxed.

"Dong dong."

There was a knock on the door, light but obvious, followed by Pukki William's voice, low and steady: "Professor, the two new guests have turned off the lights and gone to bed."

“Don’t bother them.”

"Ok."

"..."

The sound outside the door gradually faded away. Fontana unconsciously stroked the balcony railing with his fingers, and the faces of two little wizards emerged in his mind: "Loren Morgan... Hermione Granger..."

When they participated in the Goblet of Fire at Hogwarts two years ago, they were described by their professors as model students with excellent grades.

He was there when Professor McGonagall organized the special training and had seen the strength of the two with his own eyes, but he always felt that Harry Potter was the warrior worthy of attention.

During this period, Dumbledore and Headmaster Snape always mentioned Loren Morgan inadvertently, and Fontana vaguely felt that there seemed to be something hidden in Loren.

This feeling was confirmed last night, when several students worked together to find clues to the Horcruxes. But from Dumbledore's tone, it was clear that Loren was the main one.

How come such an outstanding student is not from Ilvermorny?
……

In Wiltshire, in a manor owned by an unknown businessman.

Draco woke up from a nightmare.

Perhaps it was because his daily routine had been too disrupted since he took over the Malfoy family accounts during the holidays, and even his nightmares were intermittent, as if mottled photos from decades ago were flashing before his eyes. Now he could only recall sporadic fragments and some quickly passing faces.

The first clip was three years ago, on the night of the Quidditch World Cup final filled with smoke, screams, and frenzied crowds. The Dark Mark hung high in the sky, and not far from their family's exquisite Peacock Palace tent, Aunt Bellatrix was spying in the shadows. This spying continued to this day, with a pair of scarlet vertical pupils next to her.

The second clip was a year ago. He seemed to be back in the dim courtroom at the bottom of the Ministry of Magic. His mother was imprisoned in the courtroom with heavy chains. Her once exquisite and beautiful makeup disappeared, leaving only paleness and weakness. He sat in the court and watched, watching those contemptuous eyes fall on his mother, allowing them to intimidate and slander, frame her, and extort the Malfoy family's wealth...

The third clip is now. The father, who is forced to go into exile with Voldemort and has no idea where to live, is huddled in a dark corner. He communicates with him through the communicator, and then turns to face Voldemort's snake eyes, and then a chilling green light flashes.

The head of the Malfoy family, wearing a coat, sat at the desk, took a deep breath, and looked at the gold galleons next to the parchment account book. On it was a message sent by his father a few minutes ago: "Don't ask where I am. Take good care of your mother."

The metallic letters proved that the scene just now was just a dream, and Draco felt that he was gradually emerging from the bottom of the black lake.

He rubbed his brows to relax his tense heartstrings, then looked up at the clock on the wall, feeling dazed. It felt like he had only taken a five-minute nap, but two hours had already passed.

Just as he was about to continue to settle the accounts, he heard footsteps coming from the corridor outside the room, followed by several light knocks on the door: "Draco? Draco, are you resting?"

"Mom, I'll go to bed after I finish this last page."

"Would you like to have something to eat? I'll ask the house elves to make it now. Those lowly creatures have become lazy lately and haven't even cleaned up the stains on the carpet!"

Draco frowned: "No need."

"Okay, go to bed early."

Hearing the footsteps fading away, Draco breathed a sigh of relief. Even if he was her biological son, he had to admit that a small part of the charges in the Inquisition might not be fabricated.

He picked up the quill and looked down at the parchment. The numbers and letters became hideous, even more obscure and difficult to understand than the expanded spells in the advanced class textbooks. The pen could not write any further.

Unable to concentrate on his work, Draco did not continue trying. He had just woken up and did not want to rest. He immediately picked up the gold Galleon communicator again and pressed the button unconsciously, wanting to talk to someone.

Without disturbing his father or choosing those so-called allies, Draco took out another copper Knut and sent a message to that person for some inexplicable reason.

Many messages have accumulated behind Loren Morgan's name, but there have been basically no replies.

He did not feel despised. Instead, he felt comfortable with this way of getting along because of the perfect distance.

Unexpectedly, this time the message received a reply.

It was not that kind of meaningless consolation, but a series of information about living Horcruxes, about Ilvermorny, and about Voldemort.

"..."

Draco silently recited the contents above, lowered his head and took out another gold Galleon communicator, flipped to the message from his father, and after a long silence, he began to press the buttons, as if he was talking to his father, or as if he was talking to himself:

"It is no longer feasible to hedge your bets. The Malfoy family must make a choice."

(End of this chapter)