Inside the parlor of the Caro family's old estate in Gloucestershire, England.

Amicuscarlo was holding a magic quill full of ink, sketching on an open newspaper.

On the edge of the living room couch beside him, in addition to his sister Alectokalo, there were seven or eight middle-aged wizards with serious faces, such as Hemertos from the House of Yaxley and Willy from House Bird......

Without exception, all of them are wizards from the oldest pure-blood families in the wizarding world.

"The Ministry of Magic and Hogwarts have joined forces, and the Gringotts Wizarding Bank and the Lestrange family are just the first two unlucky ghosts that happen to hit the blade, which is an extremely dangerous sign, everyone-"

Amicus Carlo circled a few keywords in the Daily Prophet a few months ago.

Cornelius Fudge, Dolores Umbridge...... These greedy, corrupt politicians have long since turned away from our camp and become a different force, and they only care about their own pockets and status. As for Albus Dumbledore, that old fellow had never been on the same page as us, and he wished that more than half of Hogwarts' students were Mudbloods—"

What happened to the Lestrange family made many pure-blood wizard families feel a little sad about the death of a rabbit and a fox.

In the most arrogant period of Voldemort more than ten years ago, except for a few pure-blood families who stood on Dumbledore's side, most of the pure-blood wizarding families in the wizarding world were more or less involved with the dark forces.

"What can you do, are you going to try to run for Minister of Magic?"

Hemtos Yaxley interrupted impatiently, a hint of banter on his lips.

"Anyway, the Ministry of Magic doesn't dare to go too far, unless you really have any evidence and foreign help, otherwise even if Dumbledore moves the vault of the Gringotts Wizarding Bank to Hogwarts Castle, we don't have any opposition to it. ”

In fact, this is not the first time that such a private gathering has been held.

But they couldn't change anything but complain, and a wall-to-wall like Lucius Malfoy's came once and never came again, and each time they used various business reasons to excuse themselves.

If it weren't for Amycus' vow to say that there was heavy news this time, the number of people present might have been reduced by half.

"yes, Amycus, to the point—"

Willibersted's pipe tapped on the table, his brow twitching.

"You have seen the fate of Peter Pettigrew and the Lestrange family, and the consequences of recklessly confronting the Ministry of Magic and Hogwarts are like that, the Dark Lord is nowhere to be found, and I don't plan to end up in the tragic end of having my house robbed and imprisoned. ”

"Mr. Birdside, you know about a few days ago, Dumbledore, Newt, the British Ministry of Magic...... And a large group of top wizards who traveled to the Russian wizarding world to hunt down the Dark Lord and search for the remnants of the Death Eaters?"

"I don't know," said Willibersted, taken aback when he heard the news, "I don't see any news about it in the Daily Prophet, and if it is such international news, we can't have heard nothing about it." ”

"This is because the Ministries of Magic have blocked the report, and they don't want people to know too much. ”

Alecto Carlo raised his head, looked around at the wizards in the hall, and whispered.

"The Dark Lord did not disappear as the Ministry of Magic said, his footprints have quietly spread from England to the rest of the world, which is why Dumbledore and the others have joined forces - the Dark Lord who has returned will be even more terrifying than he was a decade ago...... Peter Pettigrew and the Russian wizarding world are just the beginning. ”

Williberst looked at Alectocarlo's face, and the woman's eyes flashed with unsettling fanaticism.

"But what does that mean?"

Mr. Persted frowned and voiced his doubts.

"Since the Ministries of Magic in various countries want to solve this matter quietly, then we should stay away from this matter! If that person is facing the pursuit of the whole magical world, no matter how he plans in secret, the chance of winning is close to zero. Isn't it?"

"Yes," Amicuscaro nodded in agreement, "unless the Ministries of Magic are not monolithic, or if someone intends to use this excuse to unify the wizarding world—there is more than one person who is likely to become a Demon King—and there is more than one person who desires greater prestige and power. Ladies and gentlemen, do you know which new professors are coming to Hogwarts this year?"

"Nicolame, Newt Skamander! Of course—and there are quite a few famous wizards!But if you say—"

"Can't you imagine why these wizards who have been in seclusion for so many years have come back, and what else can impress these wizards who have reached the top of their respective fields!

For a moment, it was as if the air in the living room had suddenly been drained in one go.

In the slight crackling of the fireplace in the living room, people's eyes subconsciously fell on the newspaper in their hands.

In the middle of the front page of the Daily Prophet, where I arrived today, Cornelius Fudge was in high spirits explaining to the press the new curriculum reform that Hogwarts was underway, looking like the excitement of a new minister.

"Some people say that we are destroying the foundations of society, but I think it's pure nonsense. Education at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry has always been the cornerstone of our wizarding community, but we must not stop innovating because of this......"

"Because if there is no progress, it will stagnate and it will decay. At the same time, of course, progress for the sake of progress should never be encouraged, and our traditions are tempered and often do not need to be poorly revised. To strike a balance between the old and the new, between permanence and change, between tradition and innovation......"

“...... There are old habits that will be preserved, which is understandable, and there are habits that are obsolete and must be discarded. Let us keep moving forward into a new era of enlightenment, efficiency and reasonableness, resolutely maintaining what should be maintained, perfecting what needs to be perfected, and discarding those ...... that we should prohibit"

Perhaps for many ordinary wizards, these are just boring and boring politicians' speeches.

But in the eyes of the people here, the hidden meaning and edge behind this passage can be said to be too clear, and combined with Amicus Carlo's previous words, it makes people feel a sense of oppression.

"Do you mean," Hermetos Ax said in a low, hoarse voice, "the Ministry of Magic and Dumbledore......"

Tuk, tuk, tuk –

"Sorry, sorry, we shouldn't have been too late."

Before Hemetus could finish speaking, there was a rhythmic knock on the wooden door outside the parlor, and immediately after, three wizards in gray high-necked trench coats appeared in front of everyone, guided by domestic elves.

The strange wizard at the head nodded politely into the living room, smiling and pointing to the badge on his chest.

Christopher Ryan, General Director of the Overseas Liaison Office of the Magical Congress. ”

"Oh Americans"

Willibersted's eyes narrowed, and he looked the uninvited guests up and down meaningfully.

"Dear Mr. Caro, I don't think it's a smart thing to do with foreigners - even if the Ministry of Magic and Hogwarts have any real ambitions, it's a headache for the Ministries of Magic in other countries, right? ”

"Assuming they didn't betray the wizarding class—"

Christopher Ryan replied softly with the corners of his mouth raised, but there was no smile in his eyes.

"Gentlemen, if Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and the British Ministry of Magic are studying the 'Witcher's Death', including how it is unleashed, and how to immunize and cure it...... Who do you think it will be used for, and if it is said that it will attack under the pretext of cleaning up the remnants of Voldemort, who will be the first target of the experiment?"

Accompanied by Christopher's voice, the wizards present shuddered.

"I remember mentioning to you before, on our side, it's common to call that 'mystery man', 'Dark Lord', or 'the man who can't even say his name', if you're really here with the intention of cooperating-"

Amicuscarlo glared at the American wizard with some annoyance, squeezing a cold voice from between his teeth.

These damned, arrogant guys!

He's at least half as sure that this guy must have done it on purpose!

"I'm sorry, you know...... The Dark Lord on our side usually refers to another person, and we usually call it by name. ”

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

"Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, British Ministry of Magic, oh, yes...... and the Gringotts Wizarding Bank, who are trying to form an alliance in the wizarding world to form a power above all else...... The mysterious man may be one of the decoys and targets they deliberately put out so that they can properly interfere and affect any piece of land. ”

"No way! The Dark Lord can't work for politicians, Muggle-loving hypocrites!"

Amicuscaro interrupted with a wave of his hand, a little rough.

"Of course, but what if it's a kind of exploitation......"

Christopher Ryan said, looking at Amicus with a playful expression and whispering.

"If we unconsciously let the 'mystery man' become a target, can we logically define all the ideas supported and advocated by the 'mystery man' as evil, abandon those that should be banned, and innovate and move forward......

"Then, it is naturally reasonable to get close to Muggles, learn Muggle knowledge, and lower the status of pure-blood wizards-"

"It's ridiculous!"

Willibersted frowned and retorted loudly.

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

Before he could finish speaking, the middle-aged wizard suddenly stopped, and Willibersd's mind flashed through his daughter's letter from the previous days, as if a professor who "couldn't do magic" was teaching them how to count.

"Oh, really, you should know better than we do...... At this time, the changes in Hogwarts, even in the United States Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, there are many people now discussing the new curriculum. ”

Christopher Ryan glanced at Willyberst, who was suddenly stuck, and said softly with a sneer.

"Looks like we should have reached a preliminary consensus, there have been quite a few Muggle-obsessed fools in the wizarding world, but they have not succeeded once. Because, as soon as they show their fatal feet, they will be overwhelmed by overwhelming condemnation and opposition in an instant, even the most powerful wizards, and the rescuer can be helped by the new order......"

"In the Magical Congress of the United States, successive Ministers of Magic have always been elected under the approval and guidance of the oldest, longest, and most prestigious pure-blood wizarding families, and I think it is a pity that the British wizarding community has lost these traditions. ”

"Gringotts Wizarding Bank has completely degenerated, but fortunately, there are still remnants of the fire in the Americas......"

Christopher Ryan raised his palms, and the two wizards standing behind him stepped forward, took out the money bags from their bosoms, the same number of people in the living room, and placed them on the wooden coffee table in the center of the living room.

"It's a little bit of heart, as a symbol of our friendship...... Three thousand gold galleons, a greeting gift. ”

"Oh, Gringotts in the Americas, your elves over there, are they reliable?"

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

"If you say...... I'm going to save some pocket money over there, do you have any channels here to help us solve it?"

"Of course, gladly. ”

Christopher Ryan replied with a cheerful nod, a smile on his face.

Before coming here to visit these wizards, he had already helped many British wizarding families to match, and he was quite skilled in this process of transferring assets, and as a handler, he had a small commission.

"Okay, then I have one last question on my side. ”

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

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

"You just said that the mysterious man may have been used by the Ministry of Magic and Dumbledore, do you have any evidence I heard that your American Magical Congress had a brief fight with those guys in Russia, do you know the specific situation?"

"Hmm, may I ask you ......?"

Christopher Ryan glanced at Amicus Carlo with some confusion.

"Oh, this is Kingsley, Kingsley Shackle, also a member of the Holy Twenty-Eight. He now works next to Cornelius Fudge, the British Minister of Magic, and rest assured that he can be trusted...... At the very least, we can be sure that he won't be from Albus Dumbledore's side - if you're going to ask something, Kingsley can be trusted. ”

"The Shackel family, of course, I've heard, it's a family with a long history and a lot of honor. ”

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

"That's right, in fact, I'm one of those wizards who have ever fought against them. So I can tell you with certainty that the power and power of the mystery man is gradually recovering. Although masked, there are many people with European accents among those 'Death Eaters', such a large and dangerous lawless force, under normal circumstances, the Ministry of Magic would not allow them to develop into such a ......"

"So I suspect that there must be some kind of deliberate connivance behind them......"

————

————