Hogwarts Raven

Chapter 140 139: Love is the greatest magic

Cornelius Fudge's order carried the authority of the Minister of Magic.

However, the Aurors following him did not dare to stand up and carry out his orders - these Aurors from the Ministry of Magic were basically all graduates of Hogwarts.

Ask them to confiscate the wands of the professors who once taught them?

Who dares to be the first to stand out?

Anyway, these Hogwarts graduates don’t dare.

Of course, they didn't dare, but there was always someone who dared. Seeing that the Aurors all looked embarrassed and were slow to act, an old woman in a pink cardigan in the queue suddenly looked annoyed.

"Didn't you hear Minister Fudge's order?" The old woman's tone was full of seriousness. She walked forward, intending to personally complete the task assigned by Cornelius Fudge.

"Umbridge, I still have to rely on you at the critical moment." Minister of Magic Fudge was already embarrassed, and was somewhat embarrassed by being ignored by his subordinates.

Fortunately, the old woman named Dolores Umbridge held his face in time.

"I will always be loyal to you and the Ministry of Magic. No external forces can influence me!" Umbridge responded flatteringly, and then she was about to confiscate the wands of Professor McGonagall and Grindelwald.

"I think you must have received some false news. Although a professor here was indeed murdered, it definitely has nothing to do with Albus."

Professor McGonagall looked hesitant.

She was considering whether to hand over her wand and cooperate with the investigation.

The head of Gryffindor often puts the overall situation first, and she does not believe that Albus Dumbledore would be involved in any dark magic rituals.

"We will find out whether it's related or not. Magic will not wrongly accuse any good person, but it will not let any bad person go either. I hope you can understand that we are just performing our duties."

The old woman named Umbridge spoke in a righteous tone, but her inner sense of superiority was not concealed. She looked at Professor McGonagall with a squint.

Professor McGonagall was dissatisfied, but she still decided to cooperate. However, Grindelwald standing next to her obviously could not let Umbridge get what she wanted.

"The wand is an indispensable part of a wizard. No one can take my wand away from me." Grindelwald, with the face of "Lockhart", frowned and did not move.

"Are you planning to break the law? I guarantee you won't have a good ending... Your status as a best-selling author doesn't allow you to openly defy the Ministry of Magic."

Umbridge looked at Grindelwald with a gloomy face.

"Do I understand that you are threatening me now?" Grindelwald narrowed his eyes, which became slits, and there was an extremely cold chill in his eyes.

Umbridge felt a chill down her spine. She was a little frightened by Grindelwald's gaze. She felt panic for no reason in her heart, and even her legs began to tremble.

Fear? Angry!
Many emotions surged in Umbridge's heart. He was just a sensational novelist. Why should she feel so timid about him?

She is a promising Ministry of Magic official! The Minister of Magic's most trusted and capable assistant!

"If you resist, don't blame us for being rude." Umbridge's voice was very annoyed. She took out her wand, but it seemed to Grindelwald to be completely harmless.

It would be better to take out a fire poker or a wooden stick dipped in Ole Gei.

"Don't get into conflict with them, Professor Lockhart." Professor McGonagall saw that the atmosphere was not right and immediately wanted to persuade Grindelwald, but Grindelwald seemed not to hear her.

"There is no law that gives them the right to take away a wizard's wand from a wizard who has not been convicted."

"If these officials of the Ministry of Magic insist on exercising their privileges above the law, then their actions will not be in the service of maintaining order in the wizarding world."

"In this situation, no one knows how many laws they are going to break. They are also a threat to young wizards and an uncertain hidden danger. We need to maintain our combat effectiveness. Dumbledore will certainly not blame us for this." Grindelwald spoke softly, and his words were really convincing.

Professor McGonagall, who was about to hand over her wand, took her hand back.

"It has to be the first generation. The logic is so clear and convincing that even Professor McGonagall is shaken." Ian, who was hiding in the corner, witnessed this scene and sighed sincerely.

He wasn't worried about being exposed.

After all, not everyone could see through his Disillusionment Charm. At least when he was hiding in the corner holding Grindelwald's note, Cornelius Fudge and the Aurors he brought with him were unable to notice it at all.

"Has the Ministry of Magic lost its mind? Are they looking for trouble with Dumbledore?" Although Ian had just received Grindelwald's instructions, he did not choose to act immediately.

It was not only because the young wizard was curious about the cause of Professor Quirrell's death, but also because he was somewhat surprised that the Ministry of Magic dared to target Albus Dumbledore so blatantly.

This is definitely a bit abnormal.

Everyone knows that Cornelius Fudge has always wanted to win over Albus Dumbledore, and in many things, even if Albus Dumbledore did something a little out of line, he doesn't want the world to know.

Just like after the previous Gringotts robbery, the Ministry of Magic knew that they had to cover up for Albus Dumbledore and not force Albus Dumbledore to the opposing side.

Now that this operation has come directly to the door, it is obviously impossible to say that there is no fishy thing behind it - it can't be that the Minister of Magic Fudge is so bold that he can't tell the difference between the big and small kings.

"Damn you! Shut your mouth! You are openly challenging the Ministry of Magic! You are openly rebelling!" Umbridge's noisy appearance really looked like a pink toad.

She habitually put the blame on Professor McGonagall and Grindelwald. This trick had always worked in the past, but it was obvious that she had finally met a tough opponent.

“You are the ones who trample the law underfoot.”

Grindelwald's expression was very nonchalant.

"enough!"

Before Umbridge could say anything, the grim-faced Minister of Magic Fudge glared at Grindelwald fiercely, as if he wanted to remember this man who, in his eyes, was just a best-selling author.

"This is an investigation by the Ministry of Magic! All wizards are obliged to cooperate! Don't think that Hogwarts is a lawless place!" Minister of Magic Fudge said in a firm voice.

"Of course I will cooperate with you, but if you give up your respect for the law, then I will also regard your actions as your voluntary abandonment of the law's protection for you."

Grindelwald's voice was not low, but it made the atmosphere in the air seem particularly tense, as if an invisible pressure was spreading silently around.

The Aurors all felt a little short of breath.

Just when Umbridge, with a gloomy expression, was about to stand up and scold Grindelwald for his arrogance.

"Fudge, long time no see."

Albus Dumbledore walked down the stairs. He was wearing his iconic purple robe and his movements seemed slow and sluggish, but those who looked over did not dare to show any contempt in their hearts.

"What is the principal hiding?"

Ian discovered a detail that no one else noticed, that is, Albus Dumbledore's heartbeat was a little fast. Perhaps the headmaster had jogged all the way here.

Was it to deal with these Ministry of Magic officials, or to save them? After all, Grindelwald and the Ministry of Magic almost came to blows just now.

Just as the little wizard was pondering.

"headmaster."

A group of Aurors could not help but lower their heads and dare not look directly at them. Their behavior was seen by the Minister of Magic Fudge, who was dissatisfied in his heart, but this shrewd politician did not dare to show it at all.

"Albus, long time no see."

Fudge had a very fake smile on his face.

"I heard you came to investigate me? Do you think I have something to do with Professor Quirrell's death?" Albus Dumbledore walked down the stairs slowly, looking calmly at Quirrell's body outside Snape's office. He didn't seem surprised or puzzled, but his eyes stayed on Quirrell's smooth buttocks for a moment.

immediately.

He turned his head and looked at the place where Ian was hiding. The old headmaster's eyes were not sharp, but full of meaning. Ian almost immediately understood the meaning in Albus Dumbledore's eyes.

It means the same thing as Grindelwald's note.

"What is this trying to do?"

Even though Ian didn't understand what the two old guys meant, he still turned around and left with a sense of unfulfilled desire, heading to the eighth floor where the principal's office was located.

Behind the little wizard.

A confrontation continues.

"Albus, you know I have always trusted you. After all, you have been of great help to me. However, the Ministry of Magic is not under my control alone."

"Someone who is very powerful and influential among us wizards has reported it to us, so we can only shoulder our responsibilities and conduct an investigation."

Fudge sighed heavily.

Albus Dumbledore did not respond to him, but just looked at him calmly, which made Fudge dare not look Albus Dumbledore in the eye.

He went on to explain his actions.

"Really, I believe you from the bottom of my heart. It is not my original intention to mobilize a large force to come here to investigate."

Fudge sounded quite helpless, but everyone knew he was acting. As an excellent politician, he had already seized power not long after taking office.

If he hadn't thought about it.

He and the group of people he brought would never appear in Hogwarts. As soon as Quirrell's body was found, someone came. The efficiency of the Ministry of Magic has never been so fast.

"A very powerful person? Who is it?"

Snape also walked out of the office at this time. He was slightly relieved when he saw Albus Dumbledore, but the expression on his face was the same as Professor McGonagall's, with a bit of worry.

It wasn't because of the Ministry of Magic's suspicion of Albus Dumbledore, but because they all knew the secret about Quirrell and were worried about the guy who disappeared from Quirrell's body.

"No comment. This is not something you are qualified to know." Umbridge sneered and glanced at Snape, who was a Death Eater, with contempt.

"Umbridge!"

Fudge also spoke in a deep voice at this time, asking Umbridge to retreat behind him. He was still somewhat timid about the appearance of Albus Dumbledore. After all, it was because he knew how terrible Albus Dumbledore was that he wanted to reduce Albus Dumbledore's influence in his heart.

if not.

Fudge was really uneasy - he would voluntarily become a gun for others, of course not only because the other party was powerful, but more because he knew that Albus Dumbledore was a huge tree.

Albus Dumbledore could block the sunlight for him and put him in the position of Minister of Magic, but who could guarantee that Albus Dumbledore would not sacrifice him and promote a new person in the future?

Fudge regarded the position of Minister of Magic as the throne of the wizarding world. Because of this, he worried every day and night. No king would want to have such a kingmaker hanging over his head.

"As a person who has been suspected and reported, don't I have the right to know who reported me?" Albus Dumbledore walked to Grindelwald's side.

He turned around and looked at Fudge and the Aurors he brought with him.
"I promise you, Albus, no one can slander or wrongly accuse you. We will only find out the truth of the matter and stop any rumors that may arise from outside."

"It's not just to give you justice, but also to prevent others from accusing me of being a biased and unjust Minister of Magic. After all, someone has reported me and everyone knows that you and I have a good relationship." Fudge did not respond directly to Albus Dumbledore's question, but expressed sincerely that he also trusted Dumbledore.

He obviously didn't want to name the whistleblower.

"Of course I can understand your difficulties, and we also trust the authority of the Ministry of Magic. But since the action is aimed at me, please don't make it difficult for other professors." Albus Dumbledore expressed his understanding. There was no emotional fluctuation on his face, only sincerity and calmness.

This made Fudge feel relieved.

He is under really great psychological pressure.

"Of course."

Fudge did not mention confiscating the professors' wands, and he did not even want to confiscate Albus Dumbledore's wand. He just wanted to give the Hogwarts professors a warning.

after all.

His authority was rarely respected by the professors in this school, and being able to embarrass these professors in front of the Hogwarts Aurors would also help increase the Aurors' awe of him.

Since it didn't succeed.

forget about it.

There will definitely be opportunities in the future.

"You are responsible for examining the body and finding out the cause of death of this poor murdered man." Fudge began to order his Aurors to perform an autopsy on Quirrell.

The Aurors did not hesitate to follow this order. Before they stepped forward to start the inspection, they respectfully greeted Professor McGonagall and Professor Snape in a low voice.

Very polite.

"If someone says that Dumbledore killed Quirrell, that is absolutely nonsense." Professor McGonagall looked at Albus Dumbledore beside her.

Her words were also a reminder to Albus Dumbledore of what had happened.

only.

The old principal still had a calm expression.

"I believe Fudge and this group of excellent Aurors will find out the truth." Albus Dumbledore responded softly, his eyes looking at Grindelwald.

Grindelwald nodded at him.

"Yes, that's right. You are at least able to understand how difficult it is for us."

Fudge looked relieved.

"There are remnants of dark magic rituals. I think the professor experienced a living sacrifice before his death. As for the purpose..." The Auror who was responsible for carefully examining the traces of magic hesitated to speak.

His words did not surprise the professors. After all, this was a conclusion Snape had already reached.

"What's the purpose? There's no need to worry about anything! We are the Ministry of Magic!" Umbridge couldn't help but jump out and ask loudly. She really wanted to show herself.

"We can only conclude that this is a dark magic ritual that requires a human sacrifice."

The Aurors did not give a definite answer, which disappointed Umbridge a little, but Fudge's eyes flickered and there was excitement hidden in his eyes.

However, Umbridge, who jumped in front of Fudge, did not notice this scene.

"Isn't it to revive someone?"

She still has a loud voice.

Fearless like a fighter.

"Enough! Stop talking nonsense here!" Professor McGonagall had a bad temper to begin with, and after hearing what Umbridge said, she finally got annoyed with stupidity.

"If there really is some dark magic ritual that can resurrect the dead, do you think those Death Eaters who are still on the run and have not been caught by you will be as quiet as they are now?" "Think about it with your troll head that would shake its head!" Snape couldn't help but sneer, and even mentioned the word Death Eater, which was a bit sensitive to him.

It was clear that he hated Umbridge as much as Professor McGonagall did.

"I don't want you to answer me! I want our Aurors to make the judgment!" Umbridge was annoyed, and her eyes were full of anger when she looked at Snape and Professor McGonagall.

"Especially you! How dare you mention Death Eaters?"

She seemed ready to threaten Snape at any moment.

"I think even if there really is a black magic ritual that can resurrect the dead, it doesn't prove why our headmaster would kill a professor and perform this black magic ritual?"

Grindelwald spoke suddenly, still squinting at Umbridge.

"Everyone, calm down and stick to the facts. We are all here to find the truth. Don't make things so tense. Perhaps we should take the professor's body back to the Ministry of Magic for further testing."

Fudge found the right time to step forward and act as a peacemaker.

In fact, he didn't expect that he could really destroy Albus Dumbledore. He just wanted to get some evidence against Albus Dumbledore.

This way.

Only in this way could he prevent certain things he didn't want to see from happening, and only in this way could he have the capital to negotiate when facing Albus Dumbledore and have the trump card to make the most powerful wizard of this century compromise.

"Of course he has a motive!"

Umbridge may be a qualified flatterer, but she is definitely not a truly qualified politician, and she is clearly lacking in the ability to understand the leader's mind.

Fudge's words made this guy think that he needed to step up and play the bad guy.

"Oh?"

Grindelwald drawled.

This made Umbridge even more angry.

"Perhaps Albus Dumbledore can hide his past from others, but the Ministry of Magic can find out that he has tried to find a way to resurrect his dead sister more than once..."

Umbridge hadn't finished her words.

"Bang~"

The magic light came on, and she was blown away and hit the wall directly. Judging from her crazy coughing and spitting blood, she had at least several broken ribs.

"Shut your stinky mouth!"

The person who did it was actually Snape.

His hands were shaking.

After casting the spell, he continued to look at Albus Dumbledore with nervous eyes. Just now, he noticed that under the half-moon frame of Albus Dumbledore, there was a look that made him palpitate. As one of the people who knew Albus Dumbledore best, Snape could only take decisive action to prevent Albus Dumbledore from being unable to hold back.

"Damn it! How dare you attack officials from the Ministry of Magic! Crazy! You are all crazy!" Umbridge, who had climbed up, screamed hysterically.

however.

I thought the boss, Minister of Magic Fudge, would speak for me, but he remained silent. He didn't say a word for me, and he didn't even rebuke Snape for his attack.

How could he not feel the emotions that Snape could feel? He came here to find fault with Albus Dumbledore, not to anger him and then seek death.

"What do you want to do..."

Umbridge found that Albus Dumbledore had stood in front of her without her knowing when, with a pair of eagle-like sharp eyes on his expressionless face.

"You shouldn't ask me what I want to do, but ask yourself, what do you want to do? My respect for the Ministry of Magic is not a capital for you to speak to me in front of me."

"If you don't know what decency is... I think I can teach you myself." Albus Dumbledore picked up Umbridge's wand that had fallen to the ground.

He handed the wand to Umbridge seemingly calmly.

"You were the ones who attacked me first!"

Umbridge sounded angry, but she did not dare to reach out to take her wand, because she had already seen that Albus Dumbledore was also holding a wand in his hand.

At this moment.

Feeling the powerful pressure emerging from the other person's body, Umbridge was afraid that the other person would challenge her to a duel in the name of her family. She finally remembered who the old man standing in front of her was.

Albus Dumbledore is not the timid character that he usually faces, but the most prestigious and powerful wizard in the magical world today.

"Is that right?"

Albus Dumbledore stared at Umbridge.

For an instant.

Umbridge only felt that her mind was involuntarily filled with memories buried deep in her heart, including those dirty things she thought she had forgotten.

"I'll give you a chance to say it again."

As if it was a reminder.

It's also like a warning.

The Aurors lowered their heads, the Minister of Magic remained silent, Professor Lockhart was laughing, and Snape and Professor McGonagall looked at each other with complicated expressions.

The atmosphere at the scene was very subtle.

Umbridge wanted to ask Fudge for help, but Fudge and the Aurors pretended to examine Quirrell's body. There was no response, and she felt a sense of fear of being isolated and helpless.

"No, I bumped into the wall by accident."

at last.

Umbridge couldn't stand the pressure and chose to bow her head - she knew what she had just experienced, and she also knew clearly that everything she had would disappear after her dirty deeds were exposed.

"Well, be more careful next time."

Albus Dumbledore's tone remained gentle.

He stuffed Umbridge's wand back into her hand, turned and walked towards Quirrell's body, leaving Umbridge's back exposed with many flaws and room for a sneak attack at any time.

just.

Umbridge had not been able to muster the courage.

"Have you received any news that someone is trying to use Quirrell's life to perform a resurrection ritual?" Albus Dumbledore squatted in front of Quirrell's body.

"No, no, no, someone is trying to use Quirrell's body to perform some kind of resurrection ritual." Fudge didn't dare to pull away, and quickly revealed everything he could say.

He was an extremely clever politician, and what politicians needed most was observation. For this reason, even if his authority was damaged, he dared not speak a word to help Umbridge.

after all.

He had discovered a terrifying problem: Albus Dumbledore, who had always been careful about his reputation, no longer did so. The implication of this was enough to make him feel an irrepressible sense of uneasiness and fear in his heart.

……

Just as the farce in the basement came to an end.

Ian had already reached the door of the principal's office. The monster statue guarding the gate had never been an obstacle for him. He only needed to lift his foot slightly, and the way into the office would be unobstructed.

"What on earth did they call me here for? Tom was hidden here by them?" Ian turned the key on the wooden door, only to find that in the quiet principal's office, only the phoenix Fox was grooming its feathers.

"Fox, when you are free, can you please go to the Room of Requirement? My phoenix looks like it is about to hatch. I'm sure you have more experience in raising little phoenixes than I do."

Ian took out a handful of precious herbs in an attempt to bribe Fox. However, just as his hand approached Fox, the phoenix suddenly flew up without warning.

Its claws grabbed Ian's robe, and then the man and the beast disappeared into the principal's office. When Ian's vision cleared again, he found himself in an empty room - the floor of the room was covered with broken stones, and there was a half-open door in front.

The flame of the candle burned in the room, allowing Ian to see clearly the broken stones on the ground. They were all lifelike giant wizard chess pieces.

The stone soldiers, the knight with a broken head, and the king whose body could not be found. This scene could not help but bring back some forgotten memories in Ian's heart.

"Holy shit! Are you serious?"

Ian looked back.

The phoenix that brought him here had disappeared, leaving behind only a note with Albus Dumbledore's handwriting on it.

【There will be no danger.】

There was only a short sentence and no other explanation. Ian just felt helpless. He took out his wand and pushed open the door in front of him.

as predicted.

Just as he imagined.

There is a small platform on the other side of the gate. A black flame is burning in front of the platform, and the ground around it is also engraved with many complex and powerful inscriptions.

"Harry Potter is actually me?"

Ian walked to the platform and his eyes fell on the table in front of the fire. There were seven glass bottles on it, and the liquids of different colors inside were clearly visible.

Besides.

The yellowed parchment is also quite eye-catching.

[Danger is ahead, safety is behind]

There are two of us who can help you.

[Drink them, one of them will help you pass to the front, and the other will send you back to your original position]

……

A very classic logical reasoning question.

Ian didn't finish reading it.

Because he took out a bottle of potion from his purse, poured it into his mouth and then buried himself in the flames in front of him. The black flames did not cause any harm to him.

"Can Voldemort function without Quirrell?"

Ian's doubts were answered after he passed through the sea of ​​fire - he saw a mirror that he was very familiar with placed in the center of the room with twelve huge pillars.

The Mirror of Erised.

And in front of the mirror.

A wizard in a black robe and a black hat was standing in front of the mirror. He seemed to sense someone entering, stretched his neck, and then slowly turned around.

"The magic I offered to the god of death allowed me to escape death temporarily, and the rewards I've gained now have kept me away from death completely, allowing me to finally feel the beauty of breathing again!"

The black-robed wizard raised his hand and slowly took off his hood, revealing a hideous face that was as bumpy as cement, without a nose, and resembled a snake's face.

"I admire your courage, and I also admire Dumbledore's boldness... But he certainly didn't expect what an outstanding little wizard like you would face here."

A hoarse voice sounded with resentment.

"Ian Prince, now, in a fair fight, you will truly see a dark lord like me." A dull stone fell from his hand.

Broke into pieces.

Voldemort, who had regained his power, raised his wand.

"Avada..."

Voldemort was about to cast a spell.

The young wizard also held a wand in one hand.

but.

He didn't chant any spells.

Instead, he used his other hand to pull out a dozen bottles and threw them over.

Voldemort was always very vigilant, but although he dodged quickly, he could not stop Ian's firepower, and there were always bottles hitting him one after another.

next moment.

Voldemort's great aunt, uncle, grandfather, and great-grandfather all blossomed in Voldemort.

"Damn! What is this!"

Voldemort felt that his magic power was declining. He was terrified and roared angrily. Green light emerged from his wand and rushed towards Ian.

“It’s the magic of love.”

Ian's wand also lit up green.

Two killing curses.

A violent collision in the air.

at the same time.

In-house on request.

The dark purple eggshell...quietly shattered.

(End of this chapter)