The Return to Hogwarts

Even Louise had an epiphany when she met Anton Vogel.

Anton Vogel, once a renowned figure in the European magical world, now lay frail in a recliner, watching the group, led by Hein, enter the backyard through the back door and walk towards him. Finally, Amosta stopped a dozen feet away from him.

A gentle breeze blew, and Amosta's soft, lustrous gray hair and Anton Vogel's white beard fluttered in the wind.

A murky yet world-weary gaze, as still as stagnant water, met a sharp yet unyielding look, like a towering peak piercing the sky, or a reef in a raging sea.

Silence

Watching the two wizards calmly facing each other, Kingsley, who had stopped a distance away, felt his heart pound uncontrollably. In a daze, he seemed to see two eras confronting each other, and a magnificent sound surged into his ears!

Louise seemed to want to follow the most basic Muggle etiquette and greet the old man, but a strange atmosphere pervading the place made her feel slightly suffocated and kept her quiet.

"Your eyes remind me of an old friend, Chairman Blaine—"

The silence was finally broken. Vogel leaned back in his recliner, his weathered voice echoing through history, tinged with a touch of nostalgia.

President Blaine?

This is an interesting title; it seems to be the first time anyone has called him this since he was elected vice president of the International Wizarding Federation after expelling Vitia on Quidditch final night in the middle of last year.

"Hopefully it's not Dumbledore, Mr. Vogel—"

Amosta said with a smile.

Chapter 788 Upholding Justice

2024-03-06

"Hmm, Dumbledore?"

Seemingly stirred by Amosta's words, Anton Vogel, who was on the verge of death, coughed violently, the tremors of his body causing one to worry that the ribs of his decaying body might break.

The little elf Hein quickly came to Vogel's side, gently patted Vogel's back, and offered Vogel the herbal tea from the stool on the side.

"Feel sorry--"

Having finally managed to calm his erratic breathing, Vogel looked up and saw that Amosta and his two men were still standing in the courtyard.

"I haven't entertained any guests here for a long time. I've neglected etiquette. Could you, Hein, perhaps bring a few stools from inside and make a pot of tea for our guests?"

"Ah, no need for that—"

Amosta said politely.

He drew his wand and flicked it lightly. Three soft, polished, printed cotton armchairs appeared out of thin air in front of Vogel. Amostah gestured to the somewhat reserved Kingsley and Louise, then sat down first, his long fingers meeting in a polite gesture.

Hein, however, Apparated away to prepare tea for the 'unwelcome guest' at the door.

“Since we’ve mentioned Dumbledore—” Vogel’s voice was slightly hoarse, “how is he doing?”

The fact that the old man, who was already half-buried, would call him "Chairman Blaine" shows that he was not completely unaware of what was happening in the outside world. Dumbledore's every word and action was a focus of attention, and it was easy to find out about him without much effort.

Amosta maintained a polite smile, not pointing this out, and stared directly into those eyes whose life force was waning second by second, yet remained as calm as a master of Occlumency.

"Dumbledore... well, he's still doing the work to which he has dedicated his life—"

Vogel chuckled, and it was hard to say what that smile truly meant.

"A lifetime dedicated. You're right, a wizard like him, he spent most of his life at Hogwarts—"

“Oh, that’s not what I meant, Mr. Vogel—”

Unexpectedly, Amosta shook his head slightly.

"I mean, he is still working tirelessly for the peace and tranquility of the European magical world—"

Peace and tranquility in the magical world?

"He could have done so much more—"

Vogel's graying eyebrows twitched, as if some emotion was about to break through the icy barrier in his eyes, but in the end, he simply shook his head slightly and said softly,

"The power of the International Confederation of Wizards came to an end with Dumbledore's tacit approval—"

"Undeniably, that is indeed the case—"

Amosta nodded slightly.

"But that's not necessarily a bad thing, is it? The excessive concentration of power can easily breed dictatorship and autocracy, thus making it easier for the entire European magical community to fall into dire straits—"

Vogel's eyelids twitched, seemingly not entirely agreeing with Amosta's point of view, but he didn't directly refute it; instead, he chuckled hoarsely.

"No wonder people call you Dumbledore's successor, Chairman Blaine—"

Gazing at Amosta Blaine, who was young yet held a high position but was not slick, Vogel said softly.

Given the current poor educational environment in the magical world, it is remarkable that someone at such a young age possesses such profound magical skills, and seems to have no ambition to change the status quo.

Vogel's eyes, seemingly clouded with ashes, were fixed on what was behind Amosta. Kingsley was not worth his attention, but he lingered on Louise for a few seconds.

Although his eyesight was failing, Vogel could tell at a glance that the young woman Amostah brought was a Muggle. The current vice president and retired former president of the International Wizarding Federation were chatting about things related to the wizarding world in front of a Muggle, violating the Wizarding Secrecy Act. Thinking about it, it was indeed quite interesting.

Hein appeared out of thin air, carrying a tray with a teapot emitting white steam and three simply designed teacups, and thoughtfully prepared tea and snacks for them.

"Oh, thank you--"

Louise accepted the teacup from Hein, who bowed as he offered it to her. A little flustered and flattered, she stood up and bowed to Hein in return. But as she straightened up, she realized that everyone in the courtyard, including Hein who had served her the tea, was staring at her.

"what happened?"

Louise's face flushed red instantly, and she looked at Amosta helplessly.

"I—I did something wrong, oh...sorry, I don't quite understand your rules!"

Louise said apologetically to Hein.

Hein didn't reply, but looked at his master. After receiving the prompt, he put the teapot on the triangular stool, ignored Louise's apology, and Apparated away from the backyard.

“You have done nothing wrong. Please sit down, Louise—”

Amosta said gently.

A moment of silence fell, neither of them speaking first. Amosta gazed for a while at the boundless, breathtaking rapeseed fields, then looked back at the quiet, unnoticed old wooden house before speaking in a casual tone.

"Have you been living here alone since you retired?"

"President Blaine—"

Vogel looked calmly at Amosta. "I believe you came all this way not to inquire about the living conditions of a frail old man, right?"

"What's wrong with this?"

Amosta smiled slightly, showing no embarrassment.

"I've always believed that we should pay more attention to the lives of wizards who have made outstanding contributions to the magical world after retirement, organize regular visits to them, and perhaps invite them to teach the younger generation of wizards so they can understand that today's peace is hard-won."

Amosta said meaningfully.

It can't be said that Vogel's expression was good after hearing this. After all, during his years in office, the European magical world was in turmoil, and he did nothing. In fact, his well-known decisions fueled the spread of war across the land.

"All right--"

Vogel's eyelids drooped, and he remained silent, as if he were asleep. But from his pursed, dark lips, one could tell that this retired president was not so calm.

Seeing that the time was almost right, Amosta also suppressed his smile.

"Mr. Jasna Vogel, does she belong to the Vogel family?"

Vogel seemed truly asleep, his eyelids closed, showing no reaction upon hearing the name. This didn't displease Amosta; instead, Amosta slightly shifted his body, allowing Louise to be better exposed to Vogel.

"This is Miss Louise Andelle, and as you can see, Mr. Vogel—"

Amosta said

"She is a Muggle, and recently, Miss Andel has encountered some misfortune—her brother, also a Muggle, was murdered by a group of evil wizards—"

Amosta paused for a moment, then said calmly,

"The Corpse of Yin"

A corpse?

Louise blinked, her heart heavy. What did this mean? A magical spell to kill Frazier?

Anton Vogel's eyelids twitched slightly, but he still did not open them.

"Based on some clues provided by Miss Andel, we have discovered that her brother's murder was not accidental. The killers are a group of fanatics who want to understand how magic was born. Of course, many wizarding scholars in the magical world are also researching this topic, but there is clear evidence that these fanatics experimented on Muggles—infants, pregnant women. They would also induce intelligent Muggles to serve them, and if these Muggles lost their value, they would kill them directly. Miss Andel's brother was in this situation, and according to our investigation—"

Amosta said calmly.

"Jasna Vogel is one of the core members of this organization—"

A gentle breeze carried away the warmth from the courtyard, and the temperature dropped at a visible rate.

Vogel suddenly opened his eyes, his sharp gaze piercing through the shadows above his aged face and landing on Amosta Blaine's face.

"Are you seeking justice for these Muggles?"

"Do not--"

Amosta said in a cold, hard tone

"I'm just standing up for justice—"