The Return to Hogwarts

“There’s something I think you need to know, Amelia—”

Amosta shifted his gaze from the lake to the hut at the edge of the Forbidden Forest. He saw Hermione, Harry, and Ron leaping across the ground towards Hagrid's hut. He smiled, then looked at Amelia, who was intently listening to what he was about to say.

"You might find what I'm saying absurd or abrupt, but the truth is, the person this country has always feared like a tiger, someone whose name people dare not even utter, will probably be back among us soon—"

The wind continued to howl, but this howling brought a strange 'stillness,' as if the whole world was left with only the monotonous sound of the wind.

“I’m sorry, Amosta, I don’t understand. If you mean—”

It's hard to say whether Amelia's expression at this moment was more bewildered or fearful. In any case, she looked up and stared at Amosta Blaine, who was half a head taller than her, her gaze searching hard on his calm face, as if trying to find some evidence of a lie.

"--If you mean...the mysterious person?"

Amelia's reaction made Amosta sigh inwardly. Although Amelia's reputation for being tough was not as good as Barty Crouch's, her integrity far surpassed it. Such a wizard would not be afraid to fight against evil. However, upon hearing what he said, she seemed completely at a loss.

"It's that person, Amelia—"

Amosta strode along the lakeshore and spoke calmly, while Amelia stumbled slightly before quickly following after him.

“You should know, Amosta, this is very, I mean extremely serious--”

Sweat rolled down Amelia's forehead as she breathed heavily.

“You’re not joking, are you… But wasn’t that man’s magic completely destroyed by Harry Potter? He… Oh, Dumbledore did keep telling people that the Man of Darkness would return one day, but…”

Amelia was speechless; her mind was filled with terrible thoughts of what had happened during the last war—riots, assassinations, massacres, torture, chaos, betrayal, and a pervasive sense of insecurity.

Few in the magical world today are willing to recall those dark years that brought them endless pain, including Amelia, who is unwilling to recall the helplessness of not being able to control her own life and death.

Amosta didn't say anything more, just walked quietly. He knew Amelia probably needed some time to process what had happened.

"Dumbledore and you have reached an agreement on this matter, haven't you?"

After a long silence, Amelia gritted her teeth and said,

"You have indeed obtained substantial evidence?"

“You should know, Amelia, no one jokes about something like this, especially Dumbledore. We’ve found some evidence and signs that confirm this is really going to happen, and it won’t be long, maybe only a few months.”

"If that's the case!"

Amelia became agitated.

"Is it possible—I mean, now that you've discovered the clues, is it possible to stop this from happening? Dumbledore and you, if you join forces, there's no reason why you shouldn't be able to thwart the mysterious man's plan to return?"

Amelia gazed eagerly at the young wizard who was only half her age, hoping for an optimistic answer, even though she already suspected that the reply would be bad.

"Sorry, we can't do that."

As expected, Amosta responded with a regretful tone.

"Or rather, no. There are some complicated reasons that can't be explained openly. Let's not talk about that, Amelia. You surely understand that this matter must be kept absolutely secret. You can't tell anyone. I'm telling you this only so that you can be mentally prepared. After all, the Ministry of Magic is extremely important when fighting against a force that wants to overthrow everything. It must ensure that the Ministry of Magic's functions remain intact at that time—"

After a long and agonizing silence, Amelia looked at Amostella with a complicated expression. She never imagined that she, who had come to Hogwarts just to support Amostella and maintain their friendly 'strategic partnership,' would hear such astonishing things from him.

"So, after the Greyback incident, you chose to support me just for today, right? But why didn't you go to Cornelius? Well, Cornelius isn't suited to lead the Ministry of Magic during wartime, so what about Barty? Did you not go to him because he's not a wizard who wants his decisions interfered with?"

It must be admitted that none of these high-ranking officials who wield great power are simple people.

Amostana's deep, dark gaze flickered, blending into the night. He smiled at Amelia, his tone gentle.

“I am not a strategist, Amelia. I have no desire to control you or the Ministry of Magic.”

I simply hoped that the Ministry of Magic could play a truly positive role after the war began, and that it would be open to diverse opinions and listen to suggestions. But even with such a simple request, Cornelius Fudge and Barty Crouch were unable to accomplish it. As for those below them, they lacked the prestige to even effectively control the Ministry.

I welcome well-intentioned and wise reminders.

Amelia took a deep breath.

"Not revealing the information is definitely not an option, otherwise it will cause panic and interfere with your and Dumbledore's plans. But since you've told me, you must want me to do something, right?"

Chapter 634 Testing

2023-12-05

"Just some suggestions, Amelia--"

Amostella turned and headed towards Hagrid's hut, where Sirius was currently recuperating. He hadn't suffered any major injuries when he was turned into a dragon earlier that day, but He'd been severely injured by Hermione's Eye Curse. Madam Pomfrey clearly didn't have time to care for him, and he himself felt ashamed, so he'd sought refuge with Hagrid.

"Once the public learns that Voldemort (Amelia shuddered violently) has become active again, Fudge will find it difficult to quell public opinion and the panic among the people."

Even if no one confronts him, the overwhelming public opinion will force him to abandon his post. A power struggle is inevitable; pure-blood families and powerful clans entrenched in various industries will seek new political spokespeople. Chaos will ensue, but it must be quelled quickly, otherwise Voldemort will seize the opportunity to exploit the situation. With the Ministry of Magic as a tool, his actions will be much easier—”

A sudden wave of desolation washed over Amelia. The Ministry of Magic, which managed tens of thousands of magical residents, was nothing more than a tool in the eyes of the mysterious figure.

Where is Old Barty?

Amelia stared at Amosta's profile, wondering why, in Amosta's eyes, Barty Crouch never seemed like someone worthy of attention.

Indeed, this colleague, with whom I have worked for most of my life, has some blemishes, but after more than a decade of hard work, his achievements have been recognized by many. The successful hosting of the Three Strongest Competition has added another high-value achievement to his record.

Amelia could foresee that for the next two weeks, the Triwizard Tournament would be the hottest topic in the European magical world, and all the celebrities who planned this large-scale event, besides the champions, would be the talk of the town.

"--Barty has always shown a strong hatred for evil forces, and that incident almost ruined everything for him. If the mysterious man were to create chaos in the wizarding world again, and Cornelius were to step down, old Barty would probably do everything in his power to get the minister's position--"

"And then fight Voldemort to the death?"

Amosta sneered.

"Therefore, I'd rather see Fudge in his position than Batty in power. Your resume is more perfect than Batty's, Amelia. If you're well-prepared, you won't lose to Batty—"

Amosta saw through Amelia's worries and comforted her.

Do you know about the educational machine I gave to the Ministry of Magic?

Amusta's topic shifted so abruptly that Amelia was stunned for a few seconds before her train of thought returned.

“You mean I know it’s a very interesting alchemical tool, and it’s currently in my department. We allow everyone to use it, but most people just treat it as a toy. Rufus, however, ordered his Aurors to use it for a period of time every month.”

"This is not enough—"

This situation was not unexpected for Amos Tower. The work of the Ministry of Magic was already very tedious, and most employees were burdened by paperwork and had no extra energy to improve themselves. Many adult wizards were not as strong as they were when they first graduated from school.

"The Ministry of Magic needs to increase its strength. You can't let a Ministry employee who can't even cast a disarming charm properly fight against those powerful and ruthless Death Eaters. Recruiting more strikers and improving the strength of existing employees, Amelia, these are things that can be done now."

Amosta noticed Amelia's predicament, and he knew the difficulty of both matters. After thinking for a moment,

"--The matter of recruiting more strikers can be put on hold for now. Let's focus on improving the strength of the Ministry of Magic's employees. You could try giving them bonuses. Employees who use the learning machine for a certain amount of time each month and show improvement after assessment can receive an extra bonus. I believe quite a few people would be interested."

"That's a good idea—"

Amelia said thoughtfully,

"As far as I know, some people in the ministry are living in poverty. If this is used as an incentive, I believe it will have a very good effect."

Amos Tower was going to Hagrid's Cottage to check on Sirius Black, and Harry and his friends were currently there, so it wasn't appropriate for Amelia to accompany them. After a few words, Amelia understood that Amos Tower wanted to be alone, and she herself needed to speak with Dumbledore; she needed a definitive answer from Dumbledore regarding such an important matter.

The biting wind of late November was piercing. Amosta glanced at the distant mountains, where thick clouds drifted slowly towards them, a sense of desolation lurking in the shadows.

Suddenly, a glimmer of blue light flashed through the inky, abyss-like Forbidden Forest. Amostella, who was walking towards Hagrid's hut, stopped and looked toward the blue light.

"Professor Moody, is that you?"

Although it was a question, Amosta's tone was very certain.

"Everyone in the castle is celebrating the Tournament with singing and dancing, including you and Dumbledore, but someone has to stay alert, doesn't he, Amosta!"

Moody came out, limping with a cane, and said in a gruff voice.

"We are all very fortunate to have someone at Hogwarts who can always remain clear-headed and rational; it makes us feel much safer—"

Amosta smiled calmly, but his gaze flickered for a moment when he noticed the wet mud on Professor Moody's boots. It seemed that Professor Moody hadn't just wandered around the edge of the Forbidden Forest; he appeared to have ventured deep enough.

“I know perfectly well that with you and Dumbledore around, no one will dare cause trouble inside the castle, so I'll just keep an eye on things from the outside—”

Moody approached Amosta and chuckled.

“Then you’d better be careful, Professor Moody. I heard from Hagrid today that the centaurs in the Forbidden Forest have been acting strangely lately, refusing entry to any magical creatures. Well, although they’ve always had this rule, you’d better avoid them—”

Amosta was just offering a casual reminder, but strangely enough, after hearing his words, although Moody appeared indifferent, the emotional fluctuations he tried to hide were still too obvious in front of Amosta Blaine, whose mental power was nearing its peak.

“I’ll be careful—” Moody said, “provided they don’t attack me!”

Could it be that the centaur's movements are related to her?

Amosta smiled imperceptibly, but made a mental note of it.

"I'm going to visit Hagrid. Would you like to join me for tea? I suspect the temperature in the Forbidden Forest might not be very comfortable at this time."

"I won't go and cause trouble, Amosta, there are too many people in that room right now—"

Moody turned his head, his blue magic eye flashing around the hut a few times, then turned back and hummed a few times.

"I'd better get myself some leftovers before the banquet ends."

The two parted ways, one heading towards Hagrid's hut, the other towards the castle. But before the distance between them could exceed ten meters, Moody suddenly turned around unexpectedly, staring at Amosta's retreating figure with a hint of hesitation in his eyes.

"What's wrong, Professor Moody? Is there something you need help with?"

Amosta, sensing something was amiss, turned around and politely inquired.

“Oh, it’s nothing really—” Moody said in a hoarse voice, “I was just thinking it was amazing, Amosta. I mean, that little gadget you used to show people the Warriors’ performance today, I heard it’s called a surveillance camera, right?”

"Yes, what's the matter?"

Amosta raised an eyebrow.