More than a month has passed since the end of the Easter holidays.

At the same time, it has been almost a long time since Professor Horace Slughorn, the head of Slytherin House and the teacher of Hogwarts Potions class, died mysteriously.

No one knows exactly what happened...... According to the official reason, he died by accidentally taking poison.

However, Slughorn, as a potions expert, was fine not long ago, but suddenly died of accidental poisoning?

Naturally, the students didn't agree with this, but there was nothing they could do about it......

Horace Slughorn was a lonely old man with no wife, no children, and no surviving family members, and no one to speak up for him...... He had quite a few protégés, and he had a good relationship with many pure-blood wizard families, but after his death, those people didn't speak up for him......

In fact, it is also possible that it was spoken, but no one knows.

In fact, since the Easter holidays, many, many things have happened around them, not just Slughorn's death -

Elaine Shafiq, a Slytherin first-year, was taken out of school by the Aurors without giving any reason...... Daily Prophet was temporarily suspended, and the students were deprived of the only source of information from the outside world...... Hogsmeade's opening to students, which was supposed to be open at the end of May, was also canceled......

The castle and campus of Hogwarts seem to have been forcibly separated from the outside world......

Now, they can say that they don't know anything about the outside!

"Something big must be up there!" said Neville Longbottom, whispering as he was with his friend.

Neville's father, Mr. Frank Longbottom, also left Hogwarts near the end of the Easter holidays, reportedly undergoing some "censorship", along with several of his Auror friends...... Neville said it had been a long time since he had heard from him. The new Aurors were completely unfamiliar and looked extremely cold......

Final exams are fast approaching, and in previous years, Hogwarts is a very stressful time, with students scrambling to revise or prepare......

But this year the situation is different, everyone is preoccupied, and they obviously don't have the heart to review.

Even Hermione Granger, too......

"God knows what will happen outside when summer vacation comes?" she said.

"It's also possible that we won't have summer vacation at all this year. Neville said sarcastically, "Just like the holiday to Hogsmeade, it's been canceled!"

"By the way, what about Matthew?" Hermione asked in a whisper, "I've always felt that something wasn't quite right with him lately......

"I don't know...... Today is Sunday...... Maybe go to the library to review......" Neville shook his head.

......

Matthew Wakefield wasn't in the library, but in the Potions classroom.

At this moment, he was the only one in the Potions classroom.

Even on Sundays, even if the final exams are approaching, people are reluctant to come to this remote classroom to study. In particular, the owner of this classroom has just passed away.

In front of Matthew, there was only a crumpled letter and a withered flower.

Matthew's mood was not affected as much as his two friends.

It may also have something to do with the fact that he knows a little more about the ins and outs of this matter than the two of them.

This is thanks to this letter he found in the crack of the stone—

In a sense, this can no longer be said to be "faith".

When Matthew read it a few times a month ago, the contents of the letter had completely disappeared.

And the above content, Matthew has long been "memorized"......

The letter was signed by "Horace Slughorn".

Therefore, it is understandable that Flor did not suddenly initiate a guide to herself until noon that day......

It was Professor Slughorn who cast a concealment spell on the petals of the Flor flower placed next to the envelope, and under the effect of the concealment charm, the rhizome of the Flor flower could not sense its petals, so it had no effect, and it was not until noon that day, with the death of Professor Slughorn, that the concealment charm became invalid, and he was able to discover its guidance......

Matthew now thinks back to meeting Professor Slughorn soon after secretly picking Flor flowers in the garden that day.

At that time, I was glad that the "stealing" was not discovered by the dean......

In fact, he saw them all......

Not only did he see it, but he also picked up a few petals from the ground that had inadvertently fallen off when Matthew was picking them after Matthew left on his front feet.

If left untreated, these petals quickly decay and then turn to dust.

But Professor Slughorn handled them carefully to keep them fresh...... Let them be a tool for "ventilating" Matthew after his death!

Thinking of this, Matthew suddenly felt a little sad.

......

On the crumpled white paper, it is difficult to find the handwriting that once was.

But when Matthew saw it again, the content above seemed vivid:

"Dear Matthew,

I must have been dead by the time you read this letter, so I desperately hope that you had better never see it.

Of course, don't be sad if that unfortunate scene happens...... I've lived in this world for ninety-seven years (though I'm confident that I'm well-maintained and don't look that old), and I've lived long enough, and it's time to meet my old friends who have left this world!

Honestly, Matthew, I see a little bit of my youthful shadow in you—

Ambitious, shrewd, sleek, and calm...... Honestly, you meet the most perfect qualities of a Slytherin student, except perhaps by blood...... The Sorting Hat can't go wrong in some extreme cases, just as it would send you, a Muggle-born, to Slytherin House......

Of course, you have a talent that I can't match (for your age), and I have to admit it.

Even the smoothest person should have the most basic persistence in his heart, and I have always believed in this......

I hope you can follow the same path, I originally planned to spend another five years or so slowly cultivating you, but unfortunately time waits for no one......

Gellert Grindelwald was a madman...... If that's not the right word, then use "paranoia......

He gave his own life, as well as countless lives, for his plan...... He's been on his path for a long, long time, and there's no turning back for him (I'm afraid you've already seen Grindelwald's true face, so I don't need to say more).

So we have to stop him!

As far as I'm concerned, my maternal grandmother was a Muggle...... She had been dead for many, many years, but I remember very well how gentle she was when I was very young, when I was with her...... Because of her, I've never hated Muggles, let alone Muggle-born wizards......

Muggles are no different from us, except that they don't know magic...... The roots between the Muggle world and the wizarding world are also very deep, like my maternal grandmother, Minerva's father, and your parents......

Muggles, they are our relatives, our kind.

Wizards don't have any need to enslave Muggles, we have the best servant, and that's magic!

Everything is nothing more than Grindelwald's paranoia.

Let's get down to business, Matthew.

To be honest, I am writing this letter because I am well aware that our hope of success in this operation is very, very slim...... Even with Hogwarts' power, we wouldn't be Grindelwald's opponents.

His strength is too strong, so powerful that it is suffocating, so strong that people can't see his back.

Pandora's box is about to be opened, and it's clear that his final plan is about to begin......

Nothing we have done has done to slow him down...... If you want to describe despair, I'm afraid this is it......

The only thing we can do is to leave the last ray of hope in the box.

The truth of that hope is a book...... A book capable of beating Gellert Grindelwald!

I'm afraid you're surprised, Matthew...... Because through the few questions you took the initiative to ask me, there is a high probability that the book is in your hands......

What a coincidence!

The book wasn't some mystical side magic item, the mystical side magic on it was faint and superficial, as I told you back then.

The reason for this appearance is that I need my student Tom Riddle (who attacked you that day) to help me bring it from abroad...... I deceived Tom because Tom had some knack for smuggling after he was released from Azkaban...... It's not easy to get contraband from abroad to the UK!

Before Tom's vassal, Lucius Malfoy, took the books, our men had already arrived at the Blotted Bookstore, ready to steal them......

But something bizarre happened, and the book was missing!

Later, out of the blue, you found me...... I'm just starting to wonder if you got the book!

Or that book, choose you!

So, don't worry about Tom...... Tom did sense the book on you, and he did attack you twice in Hogsmeade, but both times you were protected by the Order of the Phoenix......

The first time, a member of the Order of the Phoenix has been following you closely, and if Tom is going to attack you, even if she reveals her identity, she will protect you......

And the second time, Tom's whereabouts in Hogsmeade from beginning to end are under our control.

Moving on to the point, that book chose you!

Honestly, that's a good thing......

When hope chooses the owner, people can see the light.

We were all so excited!

But you're too young, and I don't want you to get too obsessed with her, and I don't want you to tell anyone else about it......

So I "intimidated" you in a terrible tone......

I would have liked you to grow up slowly before I slowly told you the truth...... And I can't get too close to you, there are too many Grindelwald minions inside Hogwarts, and the slightest mistake will show your feet......

It's a pity...... Time waits for no one......

Grindelwald easily defeated an ancient invader who had broken into Hogwarts, his self-confidence grew, and his minions were ready to move across Europe......

We all know very well that day is coming, so from now on we also have to risk starting a series of actions......

These actions are but very slim attempts.

Their real purpose is nothing more than to make sure that the book is really in your hands...... At the same time, the demise of the Order of the Phoenix will make Grindelwald lose his vigilance against the interior of Hogwarts, making you a little safer......

That's all we can do.

Don't worry about James, Siris, and Minerva, even if they do, Grindelwald has never been a cruel person, they're just locked up in Azkaban at best......

But I'm different, because I'm the only one who knows the truth about it.

If I survive, I will continue to do my best to nurture you......

But if there is an accident that exposes me, then I can only choose death......

My Occlumency technique was indeed excellent, and I did have the antidote to the elixir that I had with me, and I had all memories of that book erased...... But in the face of Grindelwald's mighty power, I was still trembling......

If he wanted to, he could have learned the truth from me in countless ways.

The only way is to die...... He can't learn the truth from the dead!

I'm gone, Matthew, and the Order of the Phoenix is in disintegration......

If you really want to deal with Grindelwald, you can only rely on you......

Of course, if you choose to give up, I will understand...... Our opponents are so terrible, so terrible that even I lose courage many times.

There is no need to be afraid of that book, she is actually a very kind soul inside...... Since she has chosen you, she will only protect you, not hurt you.

If you decide to deal with Grindelwald, head to Hogsmeade's Hoghead pub and find the waitress who will teach you how to do it......

If you decide to give up, then make a pot of decoction with dried nettles, live roots, bad blood grass, and leeches, and soak the book in it for two and a half hours, and the soul inside will naturally be destroyed...... You can also return to your peaceful life.

So, make your choice, Matthew......

You and I are the only people who know about this, and now that I'm dead, you're the only one.

No matter what choice you make, no one will blame you.

Thou faithful,

Horace Slughorn"