The Return to Hogwarts

A loud, muffled thud suddenly came from below the arena—not just one sound, but a series of thuds. Harry could even feel the floor beneath his feet trembling.

"What's going on? Why haven't these people calmed down yet?"

Charlie jumped off the stool, his brow furrowed, and said.

Chapter 470 Dagger Encounter

2023-09-10

The commotion at the bottom seemed to ignite a pile of dry tinder, spreading rapidly. More and more fans joined the unrest, and the Veela brought by Bulgaria was fanning the flames. The Ministry of Magic's security personnel rushed into the wave, but they were quickly silenced without making a splash.

Bulgarian supporters were furious about losing the game.

Harry could understand that reason, but he just couldn't figure out how the explosion had happened.

The people in the private box dared not go out now; who knew if they would be trampled into mincemeat by the enraged audience? One by one, they stood up from their chairs, went to the railing, and craned their necks to see what was going on!

"There's a group of people dressed in black robes!" Harry suddenly exclaimed as he looked around with his binoculars. "They're casting spells at the crowd!"

"let me see!"

Sirius Black snatched the binoculars from Harry's hands without a word, the frames digging deep into his eye sockets. After a moment, he put down the binoculars, solemnly nodded to Mr. Weasley, and...

"Harry is right, there are people in black cloaks all over the arena, they're causing chaos!"

The Bulgarian Minister of Magic immediately turned his attention to Fudge, hoping for an explanation.

"Hoo, hoo-"

Fudge wiped the beads of sweat from his forehead. He looked flustered, but still tried his best to smile to reassure the people in the private room.

"Wow, this exciting match is captivating, isn't it?"

All eyes were on Fudge, whose face was pale and whose fat cheeks were trembling.

"In my opinion, it's probably some extreme fan group that's unwilling to accept losing the game. Oh, let me think, should we send someone down to find out what's going on? Who's willing to volunteer, Lu? Oh, great, Arthur, I almost forgot you were here too. See, aren't you?"

“Papa!” Ginny cried out anxiously, grabbing Mr. Weasley’s robe to stop him from leaving.

"I have to go, Ginny!"

Mr. Weasley's expression was stern. "If someone is really creating chaos, then I have to stop them. It's my responsibility!"

"I want to go too, Dad!"

Percy spoke up suddenly, pleased that the Minister of Magic was looking at him with gratitude. He puffed out his chest proudly and said, "I bet Mr. Crouch is already down there directing the evacuation. I have to lead by example and not leave him to face the chaos alone!"

Mr. Weasley stared at his son's young, fearless face, hesitated for a moment, but finally nodded.

“Okay, Percy, you can come with me, but don’t overdo it, and also—”

Mr. Weasley's focused gaze fell on Sirius's face.

Sirius had originally planned to go down and check the situation himself, but since Fudge had given Arthur the order, someone did need to look after the underage children. So, he reluctantly nodded.

"Don't worry, I will take good care of them."

Mr. Weasley and Percy rushed out of the box like the wind, while the rest waited anxiously. Fudge managed an awkward smile to reassure everyone, but no one paid him any attention.

In the dimly lit private room, the air was as heavy as lead and mercury, and everyone maintained a stifling silence.

However, the commotion below did not subside; instead, it intensified.

The air was filled with the booming sounds of explosions, as if someone was setting off firecrackers in the Quidditch stadium. Shouts and cries of alarm came from all directions!

Ron clutched his money bag, staring blankly at the door of the private room, the spot where his father and Percy had just rushed out, seemingly still unable to comprehend what was happening.

"Harry!"

Hermione grabbed Harry's sleeve and called out. Harry turned around and saw a pair of bewildered eyes.

"It was Malfoy who did it!"

Harry said through gritted teeth, glancing at Sirius Black, who was still observing the situation.

"It must be Lucius Malfoy. He created the chaos, so to avoid being implicated, he took his family and escaped beforehand!"

"There's no point in dwelling on this now, Harry!" Sirius said sternly.

"That should be confirmed after the riots are calmed down, Harry. If the riots spread here, none of you should be reckless. Remember to stay behind me. This isn't Hogwarts outside, understand?"

"What's going on, Harry?" Hermione asked urgently. "Why do you think it's Malfoy?"

So Harry recounted in detail how he discovered the Malfoys had left the scene midway through the event, and Ron jumped up as if he had been resurrected. "It must be them!"

Ron exclaimed, "That family are wizards at heart! I'm going to tell Dad what you're saying, and let him... Oh, the Minister of Magic is here, Harry, do you think we're—"

"No evidence, Ron!"

The commotion below the arena was no longer just frightening explosions and screams; it seemed that the Ministry of Magic had already clashed with the troublemakers, and the chilling colored light was incredibly dazzling!

Hermione's frail body trembled slightly; the sounds coming from below tormented her nerves, making her heart clench. Hermione did indeed find the Lucius Malfoys suspicious, but she still dissuaded Ron from his suggestion.

“Unless you can find some evidence, Ron, I don’t see the possibility that the Minister for Magic would believe the speculation of a mere junior wizard. Especially, oh my god, wizards from all over the world are here, I can’t imagine what they’ll think of us—”

Mr. Weasley had been gone for a while, but no news had come back. The fear of the unknown was the most tormenting thing. Fudge, under immense pressure, comforted those gathered around him, but the handkerchief he used to wipe his sweat was already soaked through.

"Ludo, do you think you should go down there too and ask Rufus to send some men over?"

The escalating riots below filled Fudge with apprehension. He looked at Ludo Bagman, who was huddled in the doorway, and said tremblingly.

This suggestion was highly praised by most people. These people of status used Fudge's orders to pressure Ludo to quickly call the Auror's office director and his capable subordinates to guard them. Before Ludo could speak, a figure suddenly darted up from the corridor leading to the private room and appeared in everyone's sight.

It's Remus!

He was covered in sweat, his pupils were contracted to the extreme, and his face, which had been pale from living in St. Mungo's for half a year, was now even paler. He held a wand in his hand, and most of his brand-new robes were charred. It looked like he had just been in a fight!

"Remus Lupin, it's you—"

Remus was breathless; before he could speak, Fudge cried out in panic.

"What's going on? You... how did you get here? I mean, you're not allowed to... to—"

Remus had no time to pay attention to Fudge's stammering words. The moment his anger caught up, he roared at Sirius, who was shielding Harry and the others.

"Get Harry out of here! Sirius, he's a Death Eater!"

Time seemed to freeze for ten seconds. During those ten seconds, no one in the box made a sound, including Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge and his guests, Sirius Black and Harry behind him, Twinkle, and celebrities from all walks of life in the wizarding world.

Fear is building up, brewing, and then it will erupt!

The terrified screams that erupted in the private room at that moment were like a dam that had been filled with water suddenly opening its floodgates and bursting open!

The sounds of wailing, chairs falling over, and wizards groaning in pain as they scrambled toward the box door were deafening. At that moment, even Fudge's title as Minister of Magic was useless; he was shoved back by the fleeing wizards, knocking over Sparkle and its chair!

Remus tried to rush into the box, but he was quickly swallowed up by the wizards who were desperately trying to escape, and soon disappeared from sight.

"Everyone, take out your wands and follow me out! If anyone casts a spell on you, whoever it is, use your best magic to take them down!"

Sirius Black, radiating a fiery aura, had somehow produced his wand and was roaring as he prepared to lead the children out of danger, but then—

Boom!

The wall on the other side of the box suddenly exploded, and many wizards were thrown back by the blast wave, crashing into the ceiling and other walls of the box with a thud. When the dust settled, three terrorists dressed in black cloaks and surrounded by ominous, smoke-like black magic appeared before Sirius and Harry!

Chapter 471 Fierce Power

2023-09-10

The fear of death hung over the wizards in the box like a veil, sending chills down the spines of most of them.

The three wizards, dressed in black cloaks, stood leisurely in front of the breach in the wall they had blasted open, staring at the 'big shots' inside the box who were trembling with fear. Although the number of people on both sides was vastly different, they did not sense any tension from the wizards, as if they were just facing a group of pigs to be slaughtered.

"Humph--"

Unable to distinguish the three dark wizards appearing before the crowd by their appearances, but the one on the right was clearly smaller in stature, she glanced at Cornelius Fudge, who was struggling among the crowd after being thrown back by the blast wave, and whispered contemptuously.

"The Ministry of Magic, huh, is getting more and more outrageous!"

"who are you?"

Behind Sirius were Harry, Hermione, Ron, and the Weasleys' underage children. Bill and Charlie stood guard on the flanks, wands in hand, alert and on high alert. The cold sweat on their foreheads revealed the immense pressure they were under.

Sirius Black, however, had calmed down. His gray eyes gleamed with a sharp light, like the alpha wolf guarding its territory.

Remus had been swept away by the crowd. These pampered 'gentlemen' in the box were usually praised for their 'high magical power,' but when it came to the actual match, they were so scared that they forgot which pocket they had their wands in. Right now, no one but him could protect Harry and his group of children.

It was necessary to figure out the identities of the three men in black robes in front of him, Sirius asked tentatively.

"Let me guess, Malfoy, Dolokhov, and the Caro siblings, aren't you all old friends? Why don't you pull down your cloaks and let me see your faces?"

"impossible!"

Fudge did indeed display some of the stature of the Minister of Magic; he and the Bulgarian Minister of Magic both drew their wands and stood on a pile of ruins, pointing them at the three dark wizards. Upon hearing Sirius's guess, Fudge's face flushed red as if he had been insulted.

"The three people you mentioned are all imprisoned in Azkaban, Sirius. There's absolutely no way they could have escaped!"

“I’m not as confident as you are, Minister!” Sirius retorted irritably.

The battle broke out suddenly, without any warning. This made Harry, who was being protected by Sirius, realize that a real life-or-death duel was completely different from what they had seen in Lockhart's dueling class—it was more despicable and more dangerous!

Of the three dark wizards who broke in, the smallest one, the one who looked like a woman, suddenly pointed her wand at the ceiling. With a flash of intense light, the steel beams and roof supporting the building collapsed instantly, and a huge amount of building materials poured down like rain. Fudge and the Bulgarian Minister of Magic were buried without even casting a spell.

"Lie down!"