The Return to Hogwarts

"Didn't you ask Headmaster Dumbledore about it?"

“Dumbledore said she knew nothing,” Snape said, staring intently at Amostella’s face. “He told me that only you could answer that question.”

"The account in the Daily Prophet comes from me, and some of it is true. I did try to capture her, and she did slip through my fingers. However, this didn't happen in Albania. As for what our past grievances were, that's a little personal secret of mine, Professor—"

There was only one reason why Professor Snape would pay attention to Vitia Creona, and his next words confirmed Amosta's guess.

"That woman serves the Dark Lord, doesn't she?" Snape pressed on.

"Why would you make such a guess?" Amostella pursed her lips, looking intently into Professor Snape's eyes, but the emotions hidden within those dark eyes remained shrouded in mist, impossible to discern.

"Did Headmaster Dumbledore reveal anything to you?"

Amostra initially thought that Dumbledore had told Snape that Vitia had appeared in Harry's box that night and made a big show of taking Harry away, which led Professor Snape to suspect something. However, judging from Professor Snape's subconscious tugging at his sleeves after hearing his question, that was probably not the case.

"Did the mark react that night?"

Amosta glanced at Snape's arm, then looked away and continued asking.

Snape stiffened for a moment, instinctively wanting to avoid the question. For some reason, he was somewhat reluctant to discuss the Dark Mark on his arm in front of Amostella. However, he ultimately overcame this obstacle, nodding with a very slight smile, his tone turning somber.

"That night, I had just Apparated back to my front door when the mark on my arm reacted violently—the most violent reaction I'd seen in over a decade. I thought the Dark Lord was hiding in my house—"

Recalling the thrill he felt at that moment, Snape's breathing became uneven. He gazed at Amostella's calm face and said...

"After checking the house and finding nothing wrong, I rushed to Hogwarts to report to Dumbledore, but Minerva told me that Dumbledore had just received an invitation from the Minister of Magic. It wasn't until the next day that I learned about what had happened the night before from the newspaper."

Professor Snape's face was ashen.

"Dumbledore didn't want to say much, but the Daily Prophet basically reported on your duel with that woman, and finally, the duel with the wizard you fought—"

Snape's fists, hidden in his sleeves, were clenched tightly. His lips were pressed together, and he seemed to hold his breath.

“I know him, Amosta. In his current state, he would never risk planning such a pointless attack. What is he trying to do?”

Sirius Black, Remus, and Professor Snape were all elites in the British magical world, but they only sensed a slight change in the wind, and their mentality became unbalanced. One can imagine how much suffering they endured under Voldemort.

Dumbledore's reluctance to speak with Snape likely stemmed from his realization that they needed time to process the pressure.

"The witch I played against on the field was the Dark Lord's new henchman. I don't know why they got together, but it certainly wasn't because of the Dark Lord's charisma. The masked wizard who first appeared on the field that night was just someone a fool brought in to cause chaos, and Cleopatra... she wanted to kidnap Harry—"

Snape's face paled slightly; this was news he hadn't known before.

"--Based on some evidence, it can be inferred that the kidnapping of Harry on Quidditch final night was not the work of the Dark Lord himself. Rather, he risked appearing in the public eye simply to rescue his hard-won right-hand man from my grasp--"

When Amostella left the basement, Snape still looked dejected. He probably already anticipated that the Dark Lord was preparing to return to the people by any means necessary, which forced him to confront the past that he had been unwilling to face for more than a decade.

The light drizzle that started in the evening turned into a raging storm after midnight, and the howling wind made Hogwarts feel like it was falling into an abyss, with nothing visible outside.

Dumbledore had changed into his dressing gown and was sitting in the chair behind his desk reading a book. Apart from him, the portraits of the previous headmasters on the wall and Fawkes, who was perched on the golden branch, were all fast asleep.

Dumbledore seemed to have anticipated Amosta's arrival. However, when Amosta threw a stack of materials on his desk, a hint of helplessness appeared on his aged face. After Amosta uttered his first words, Headmaster Dumbledore's expression suddenly shifted from helplessness to astonishment.

"Have you considered making Hogwarts independent, Headmaster Dumbledore?"

Chapter 500 The Necessity of Independence

2023-09-25

The warm and comfortable atmosphere in the round office changed abruptly after Amosta's seemingly unintentional remark, becoming somewhat tense. On the shelf behind Dumbledore's chair, the Sorting Hat, which was working overtime to weave a song for tomorrow night's Sorting Ceremony, stopped swaying its tip, and a crack near the brim opened like a mouth.

Convincing himself of the astonishment on his face, Dumbledore closed the book he was reading. His deep blue eyes, behind his half-moon-framed glasses, cast a profound, unfathomable gaze upon Amostella, but his tone remained remarkably gentle.

"Making Hogwarts independent is an interesting idea, Amosta. When did you first come up with this idea—"

"Don't misunderstand, Headmaster Dumbledore—"

Dumbledore's somber gaze did not make Amostella uneasy; he leaned back comfortably in his chair and smiled slightly.

“I’m not saying that Hogwarts should become the second Ministry of Magic in the British wizarding world, and then compete with the Ministry of Magic led by Cornelius Fudge for power and eventually replace them.”

"Then what do you mean?"

Dumbledore's gaze did not waver.

“The only possibility that Hogwarts is outside the Ministry of Magic’s jurisdiction is that Hogwarts is the Ministry of Magic. It would be foolish not to see that. I mean—” Amosta pointed to the stack of documents on Dumbledore’s desk, her tone very calm, “I do think that having a Board of Governors over Hogwarts is a bit redundant.”

A sudden silence fell. Dumbledore's intensely piercing gaze vanished. He removed his glasses and, like Amosta, leaned back in his chair, gently rubbing his temples.

In his sleep, Fawkes let out an unconscious, melodious chirp. Sirius's great-great-grandfather, Phineas Black, the former headmaster of Hogwarts, secretly opened his eyes, glanced at Amostella with great admiration, and then immediately pretended to be asleep again.

Looking at the composed face across the desk—a face far beyond his years, yet still vibrant and youthful compared to his own—Dumbledore's lips twitched slightly.

"You didn't come up with this idea just to get rid of these tedious application processes, did you, Amosta?"

"To be honest, a large part of the reason is because of this—"

Amosta smiled and said in a light voice.

Dumbledore shook his head.

“I’m glad you don’t intend to turn Hogwarts into a second Ministry of Magic, Amosta, but based on your current understanding, it will still be a radical transformation—”

"I just feel that there's no need for a board of trustees at Hogwarts—"

After the joke ended, Amosta's attitude became serious. He suddenly raised his hand and beckoned with his finger. On one of the shelves full of books on one side of the round office wall, a book that was thicker than any other book twisted its body and floated out automatically to land on the desk.

Hogwarts: A Glimpse into School History

Dumbledore's gaze fell upon it, and then he immediately knew what Amosta wanted to say.

"--When the four great founders first established the school, Hogwarts did not have a board of trustees. In the centuries after the four founders passed away, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry faced difficulties in operation and was once on the verge of bankruptcy."

To ensure the school's continued operation, the then-headmaster decided to accept financial support from some of the most prestigious pure-blood families in the wizarding world. In exchange, Hogwarts would establish a Board of Trustees, whose approval would be required for major decisions regarding the school's daily operations and the appointment of faculty and staff.

Amosta tapped the book's hard cover with his finger and raised an eyebrow.

“At the beginning of last year, Hogwarts was still shrouded in fear brought about by the Slytherin Chamber of Secrets incident. There were even rumors that Hogwarts would close down because of this incident. However, the Board of Governors did not help the school at all. Instead, they became Lucius Malfoy's accomplice and planned to expel you from the school. In fact, this was not a coincidence. In the hundreds of years that the Board of Governors has existed, they have mostly been doing more harm than good to the school.”

"History is a precious treasure—" Dumbledore said with a smile, "but few wizards can see this treasure—"

“I understand what you mean, Principal—”

When discussing this matter, there is one topic that cannot be avoided: money.

Hogwarts does not charge tuition fees, but even if it did, it wouldn't be of any use.

The salaries of the professors teaching at this school, the food and drink of hundreds of junior wizards for a whole year, all the daily supplies for each course, the daily repairs and maintenance of the school, the assistance for poor students, etc., Hogwarts consumes at least tens of thousands of Galleons every year. Without the financial support of a powerful board of trustees, it can be said that this school cannot operate for even a day.

Amosta's plan to abolish the Board of Governors presents him with the first major challenge: how to address the financial deficit that would result from the Board's withdrawal. He needs a way to provide Hogwarts with at least tens of thousands of Galleons annually. This is not a problem that can be solved by personal wealth alone. Either Amosta can persuade the Ministry of Magic to allocate special funds to education each year, or he must create his own industry to provide a continuous source of funding for Hogwarts.

Neither of these two solutions is easy to implement.

"But this is something we must do. I don't know if you've considered this issue, Headmaster. Currently, the main members of the Board of Trustees are all from the Twenty-Eight Pure-Blood Clans, and a considerable number of these people have questionable backgrounds. If we get caught up in a war and they stop supporting Hogwarts, what situation will the school face?"

Dumbledore understood Amosta's desire to abolish the Board of Governors. Given the current situation, once he stepped down as Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Amosta would almost certainly succeed him if he so desired.

As for Amosta, he certainly didn't want to see a board of trustees above him.

However, Dumbledore certainly did not expect that Amosta would think about the problem from such a perspective.

"An unexpected idea, Amosta. Although, based on my understanding of Tom, he shouldn't have come up with such a brilliant idea, but—"

Dumbledore's expression immediately became much more solemn, and he nodded carefully.

"This possibility certainly exists, and if Hogwarts faces this situation and the Ministry of Magic fails to take the necessary responsibility, the school will indeed be in an awkward position."

Dumbledore's deep blue eyes gleamed, indicating that he was seriously considering the question.

"Perhaps I should talk to Connelly and see if I can get it—"

Dumbledore said thoughtfully, but stopped halfway through his sentence, shaking his head slightly.

"Seeking educational funding from the Ministry of Magic is feasible under normal circumstances, but Headmaster, it's not a good idea in the context of war in the wizarding world—"

Amosta said calmly.

"First of all, you can't be sure that Cornelius Fudge will always stand with this school. More importantly, isn't it actually the same group of people who support Hogwarts' daily operations and the Ministry of Magic's revenue?"

Chapter 501 The Possibility of Independence

2023-09-27

Before being expelled from the Board of Governors, the Malfoy family was the most powerful family on the board. At the same time, the Malfoy family's many businesses were the family that paid the most taxes to the Ministry of Magic in the British wizarding world. To make matters worse, Lucius Malfoy was also a 'loyal' Death Eater.

Several seats on the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry Board of Trustees are in this situation, which is precisely what makes Amosta so resentful.

Once the war begins, Hogwarts will be a spiritual banner, and whether that banner can be raised depends on the enemy's will. Of course, Amostella trusts Dumbledore's judgment; Voldemort, who has always taken the restoration of the pure-blood family's glory as his banner, probably doesn't have that vision. But this is a life-or-death struggle, and this potential threat must be eliminated no matter what.

"What's your plan, Amosta?"

Dumbledore knew very well that since Amosta had come to him for support tonight with this issue, he must already have a plan, and when it came to the ability to accumulate wealth, he was certainly no match for Amosta.

"Before getting rid of the burden of the Board of Governors, Hogwarts must have its own businesses—"

Amosta said calmly.

"Before returning to Hogwarts, I spoke with Remus and asked him to help investigate all the essential supplies in the daily lives of ordinary people in the wizarding world, as well as the workshops and actual controllers behind the production of these supplies."

“I understand your thinking, Amosta, but you expect to crush established products in the short term with a product that no one has ever seen before? Oh, perhaps you intend to use your reputation as collateral, but that's probably still very difficult—”

"Dumbledore said, frowning."

Even the bright candlelight couldn't illuminate Amosta's gloomy expression. Faced with Dumbledore's questioning, he hesitated, unsure whether to reveal the entire plan, because if he didn't get Dumbledore's support, the exposed plan would be tantamount to failure.