The Return to Hogwarts

Therefore, without a doubt, both Gettler Grindelwald and Voldemort were extremely evil dark wizards who attempted to forge their own cold thrones through the suffering of the masses, but their madness ultimately failed.

Amosta Blaine is widely recognized in the European wizarding world as the most outstanding young wizard of recent years. With Dumbledore already old, many consider him the most powerful wizard of his time. No young wizard at Hogwarts is not proud to have such a 'legendary wizard' in the school, yet Krum is here talking at length about Professor Blaine's admiration for Grindelwald.

Honestly, if Harry were here, he probably would have already punched him in the face, even though Viktor is a world-famous Quidditch star!

Hermione, however, tried her best to listen calmly. To be honest, she felt some sympathy for Krum, after all, his grandfather had died at Grindelwald's hands—an experience somewhat similar to Harry's. But to link Professor Blaine and Grindelwald together based on a single symbol was far too simplistic a conclusion.

Krum, still consumed by his resentment towards Grindelwald, finally noticed that the girl in front of him looked a little off; her breathing was slightly rapid, and a hint of hostility shone through her clear eyes.

"Oh, sorry!"

Krum snapped out of his daze and quickly explained.

“Brain is a very admirable wizard. I’m not saying he necessarily idolizes Grindelwald, well, at least, he might be studying Grindelwald, but that’s still dangerous, especially for a wizard with such high magical power—”

"That's prejudice, Krum!"

Hermione took a breath and glared angrily at Viktor Krum.

"Perhaps Professor Blaine is simply researching that period of history. The fact that the stack of manuscripts was placed in the restricted section instead of being thrown into the fireplace to be burned shows that, in some cases, it always has value, and studying it does not violate the law!"

“Uh, you’re right, Hermione, I just—”

Krum looked extremely embarrassed. He hadn't expected Hermione to suddenly get angry, and he guessed that because of his loose tongue, his invitation was probably off the table.

"So, would you like to come with me?"

But regardless, Krum still wanted to give it a try.

"I'm sorry, Krum, but I don't think this is quite appropriate—"

Hermione said with a straight face,

"If attending the dance is a warrior's duty, then I will go, but I would prefer to go with my classmates."

Hermione's way of leaving, tossing her hair, was somewhat reminiscent of Fleur Delacour's usual haughty demeanor.

However, after descending a few steps of the corridor, Hermione suddenly stopped and turned to look at Krum.

"One more thing, I don't think Grindelwald has anything that Professor Blaine should admire. I think Professor Blaine is far superior to him, both in magic and in character!"

The corridor in front of the library returned to silence; Hermione was gone for good, leaving only a dejected Krum by the corridor.

Amosta hadn't anticipated ruining what could have been a successful date for the young couple, but unfortunately, he also missed some crucial information from Hermione and Krum's conversation.

He took the stack of manuscripts to the fifth floor and stood in front of Professor Binns' office.

This is probably the least presentable office among all the faculty and staff members, as can be seen from the old, cobweb-covered wooden door in front of you.

Doors are completely useless to Professor Binns; he can pass through walls and carry his lesson plans and the papers submitted by the young wizards.

Amosta had wondered about this while attending Hogwarts, because normal ghosts don't possess the ability to touch physical objects or switch between reality and illusion. Peeves, on the other hand, wasn't a simple ghost and couldn't be compared to them. This question puzzled Amosta for a long time until he returned to Hogwarts and, with his improved eyesight, began to see some clues.

Professor Binns's spirit possesses some special magic. The effect of this magic is that it keeps Professor Binns conscious for a long time, unlike some ghosts who become confused after too long a period of time. It also gives him abilities that ordinary ghosts cannot possess.

"Please come in--"

A long while after Amosta knocked on the door, a somber voice came from behind it.

The office was fairly clean, because every headmaster of Hogwarts that Professor Binns had worked under would never let him grade young wizards' papers amidst a pile of garbage. So, they would regularly help him rearrange the office furnishings, and Professor McGonagall would also help clean up when distributing new timetables and verifying the list of students for the History of Magic Advanced class each year.

The desk was piled high with corrected assignments and lesson plans submitted by young wizards from all grades. The advantage of being a ghost was that you didn't have to sleep, so no faculty member could match Professor Binns' efficiency in handling their duties.

The room was pitch black, with only a sliver of sunlight filtering through the tightly closed curtains and casting a reflection on the floor. When Amosta entered, Professor Binns, with nothing to do, was floating blankly in front of the extinguished fireplace.

"Good afternoon, Professor Binns. I hope I haven't disturbed you—"

Amosta said politely.

Professor Binns, floating in mid-air, slowly turned around, staring intently at Amosta as if he were seeing him for the first time.

"Are you here to hand in that failing paper, Zlenet?"

Professor Binns looked very surprised, which was not surprising, as in his vague recollection it shouldn't be time to issue new timetables or new student lists yet.

“Ahem--” Amosta was not surprised. He coughed twice, clenching his fist. “Actually, I am Amosta Blaine, Professor Binns.”

"Amosta Blaine?"

Professor Binns blinked and said in a breathless, dry voice,

"You share the same name as Amosta Blaine, the black witch who arrested Vitia Creona, who was preparing to launch a terrorist attack, at the 422nd Quidditch World Cup final in September 1994?"

Chapter 669 Winter

2023-12-30

“Is it possible, Professor Binns—” Amosta’s lips twitched, and he said with a wry smile, “that I am Amosta Blaine, the one who arrested Vitia Criona, the Dark Witch, at the 422nd Quidditch World Cup final in August 1994?”

The distorted, wrinkled shadows of flesh on Professor Binns' face trembled as he continued to stare at Amosta, looking both surprised and confused.

Amostella knew the reason; it was probably because some magical history journal had recorded his duel with Vitia this summer and compiled it into historical documents as a landmark event. Only under such circumstances could Professor Binns remember his name so clearly.

As for Professor Binns, most of the people who appear in history books are buried in the ground!

“Alright, I am Zleinette, Professor Binns—”

Amosta sighed, having essentially given up hope of obtaining any crucial information from Professor Binns.

"I've come here to ask you about the contents of this paper, um, it's about the Deathly Hallows. Do you remember it?"

“I told you, Bedou—”

Professor Binns stared blankly at the pattern on the parchment, then suddenly looked up at Amosta and rebuked him in an annoyed tone.

"Historical research should be grounded in reality, relying on credible and reliable historical documents, rather than relying on hearsay and ridiculous rumors, then mixing them together like fabricated stories to mislead others, which would have serious consequences!"

Well---

Amosta stood there for several seconds before realizing that Professor Binns' thoughts had wandered off again.

"However, there are many examples to prove that they are real, Professor—"

Amosta's brow twitched. He flicked his wand, the tip slicing through the dark air, and a black stone, about the size of a thumb and cracked in the middle, appeared before Professor Binns.

"For example, the Resurrection Stone is clearly recorded in the school history; the great Slytherin once possessed it."

Professor Binns' gaze was drawn to the black stone that was floating and spinning in front of him. It remained silent for a long time, and if it weren't for the lingering astonishment on the old face, Amosta would have almost thought that Professor Binns' thoughts had completely crashed.

Then, in a split second, Professor Binns suddenly came back to life, glaring angrily at Amosta.

“Salazar does have a gold ring with this black stone in it, but I’ve never heard him call it the Resurrection Stone. Paynes, being obsessed with these things is pointless. They won’t make you great. I want your thesis to go back to reliable history, or I’ll have it removed from my office. My office can’t hold that many myths anymore!”

A gold ring

Amosta, who had changed his name three times in just a few minutes, shifted his expression. Then, he immediately realized that Peines was the editor of this paper.

“Did you do that, Professor Binns?” Amosta said 'sadly.' “Who did you have remove those papers?”

"Denetney, Pohawk, Ranity, I don't remember, Amosta!"

Professor Binns waved his hand irritably again, ignoring the question, and floated back to the cold fireplace, sternly instructing,

“Your paper on the 1289 International Wizarding Conference is not up to standard, Amosta. If you don’t submit a new one before Christmas, even if you get an ‘E’ in your OWLS, I won’t let you into my advanced class!”

After another half hour of entanglement, Amostella was finally kicked out of his office by Professor Binns, who could no longer tolerate it. The only two things that were comforting during the entire conversation were that Slytherin probably did indeed pass down the Resurrection Stone, and that he had even made it into the shape of a ring.

And Professor Binns briefly uttered his correct name, except that he was thinking of himself as a young wizard.

The Resurrection Stone is one of the three coordinates. If Slytherin and the other three founders were of one mind, then the ring would be more important than his locket. He would certainly have ensured that the Resurrection Stone could be successfully passed down to this era a thousand years later.

In other words, assuming Voldemort successfully obtained the ring left by his great ancestor, would he turn it into a Horcrux?

Given Voldemort's fascination with the relics of the Four Great Kings, this is highly probable. If so, where would Voldemort hide it? Would he entrust it to a trusted Death Eater, like the notebook, or would he hide it in some secret location he visited, like the Ravenclaw tiara accidentally discovered in Amos Tower or the locket in the seaside cave?

It's hard to say. Amosta has no clue about it, but perhaps Dumbledore might have some clues.

"Oh, so you're here, Blaine! I've been looking everywhere for you!"

Amosta was lost in his thoughts when he suddenly heard a hoarse voice behind him. Startled, he realized that he had unknowingly gone down to the wrong floor instead of going back to his office, and was standing in front of a corridor on the second floor, lost in thought.

"Professor Moody?"

Amostah raised an eyebrow in surprise, glanced discreetly at the parchment in Moody's hand, and asked,

"What's matter?"

Two young wizards happened to be passing by on the stairs. After greeting Professor Blaine and Professor Moody, they quickly ran off.

Professor Moody stopped talking. Amosta could tell he didn't want to discuss his matters in front of a crowd, so he beckoned to him.

“Come on, Professor Moody, come to my office and I can offer you a cup of hot tea to warm you up, and maybe dry your soaking wet boots a bit—”

"I'm sorry, Vitia—"

Deep in the Forbidden Forest, in the temple of the centaur tribe.

Elder Horn, the centaur prostrate on the ground, looked apologetically at Vitia Creona, who sat gracefully on a futon. A gentle breeze, carrying the scent of snow, drifted in through the open door, ruffling Vitia's long, flowing emerald-green hair, which accentuated her ethereal beauty.

However, at this moment, a hint of difficulty was revealed in the emerald eyes of the seemingly untouched priestess, and this vivid emotion added a touch of humanity to her.

"After the snowfall, obtaining food in the forest becomes more difficult. The centaurs have stored enough food for us to survive the winter. Of course, we are willing to share, but I'm afraid it still won't be enough to ensure that your followers living in the secret realm will safely get through the winter."

“We are the ones who should apologize, Elder Horn. This is the trouble we have caused you—” Vitia bowed slightly. “It was our oversight, Elder Horn. I will find a way to solve the food problem as soon as possible.”

"But what do you plan to do?"