The Return to Hogwarts

Amosta raised his voice slightly so that everyone in the bar who was eavesdropping could hear him, and he chuckled.

"Because I personally prefer being a scholar and professor to being a politician."

"Of course!"

Old Tom looked at Amosta with admiration.

"Well then, Mr. Blaine, would I have the honor of buying you a drink? You just helped the bar out of a big problem, I should express my gratitude!"

"Thank you for your kind offer, Tom, but I have important business to attend to later, and I'd better not get myself all confused—"

Amosta smiled and said this, then a thoughtful look flashed in his eyes as he gestured towards the spot where the two groups had just been sitting.

"Lately, things like this have been happening a lot, Tom?"

Old Tom clearly had a lot of grievances to vent about, but in front of Amosta, he didn't dare to be too impolite, so he just said with a bitter face,

"I wouldn't say very frequently, maybe once every two or three days?"

"What about the Ministry of Magic?"

Amosta's smile faded, and he calmly asked, "Didn't you seek help from the department? These matters fall under the jurisdiction of the Executive Division. I believe Amelia won't stand idly by."

"Ms. Burns is certainly worthy of respect, but—"

Old Tom sighed.

“A home invasion robbery occurred in Godric Valley last month, in which the perpetrators not only took all the homeowner’s belongings but also brutally murdered the homeowner and his family.”

Two weeks ago, a Muggle family in St. Catchpol also encountered intruders who used the Cruciatus Curse on them (Old Tom shuddered violently), but did not take any valuables.

A strange thing happened in Upper Flagley: in the middle of the night, seven or eight Muggle families were suddenly awakened by the cold, and then they were horrified to find that their houses were gone, leaving only themselves and the beds they were lying on.

Old Tom said with a worried expression,

"There are many more such incidents that you may not have heard of because the Daily Prophet didn't mention a word about them. The Ministry of Magic is covering it up. They've sent people to investigate, but they're too busy with these things to bother with the little conflict that's happening here."

Amelia listened quietly to old Tom's rambling, her expression grave.

Albus Dumbledore repeatedly emphasized in public that the wizard whose name could not even be mentioned had returned, and Amos Tower also consistently stated that the shadow of war was about to loom over the British wizarding world.

Amelia believed them, of course, but it wasn't until she witnessed firsthand those less-than-reputable wizards engaging in illegal transactions in public, and heard what Old Tom had to say, that she truly understood that the British wizarding world was indeed facing serious problems.

Amosta wasn't particularly surprised. After listening to old Tom's complaints, he nodded slightly, thought for a moment, and then raised his voice.

“I understand, Tom. The Leaky Cauldron is in a crucial location, and order must be maintained here. If anything like today happens again, Tom, you can send a letter to Hogwarts. I'll come over for a drink whenever I have a spare moment.”

Old Tom was so moved when he saw Amosta and Amelia off that he almost knelt down before them.

When the winding, seemingly endless cobblestone street appeared before Amelia, the girl, still pondering what had just happened, immediately widened her eyes.

"Welcome to Diagon Alley."

Looking at Amelia's expression, Amosta smiled, and in a daze, he recalled the shock he felt years ago when he followed Severus into Diagon Alley.

The dazzling sunlight shone on Diagon Alley, and the streets were filled with wizards hurrying by. Behind the gleaming shop windows, the shelves were overflowing with a dazzling array of goods that dazzled Amelia!

"Incredible!"

Amelia's eyes struggled to leave the brand-new books on the shelves of Flourish and Blotts, but were immediately drawn to the strange and unusual materials in Giggs' Pharmacy, which sold potion ingredients.

“I’ve read about Diagon Alley in books, but I never imagined it would be so bustling. Oh, New York has never had a place like this before!”

"hehe--"

"It's like leading a newly arrived wizard into the magical world," Amostella said with a smile.

"The American wizarding world is indeed a vibrant wizarding civilization, but its history is relatively short and it cannot be all-encompassing. Diagon Alley is a place that every wizard living in Britain cannot avoid; you can meet almost all your needs here."

Amelia nodded vigorously.

"So what do we do next?"

“Oh, I plan to go to Gringotts first, and then I can accompany you to buy some daily necessities.”

Amosta said.

Gringotts?

Amelia paused, misunderstanding Amostella's meaning, and then her cheeks flushed.

“Oh, I don’t need to. Amosta, you don’t need to spend money on me. I took out all the salary the Magical Congress paid me before I left New York. That’s enough for me to live in London for a while. Besides, since you want me to help Remus first, I think he will definitely pay me my salary.”

"Oh, of course, I believe you can take good care of yourself wherever you are—"

Amosta turned and walked toward the tallest white building in Diagon Alley.

“But I’m not going to Gringotts to get money; I’m carrying all my wealth with me.”

"Then who are you?"

"While in New York, I unexpectedly acquired something that I think might be useful in Gringotts. Of course, this is just my guess, and maybe I'm mistaken—"

Chapter 969 Key

2024-06-10

Amostella led Amelia to a towering, snow-white building that stood above the surrounding shops. Two fairies dressed in scarlet and gold uniforms looked surprised when they saw Amostella through the gleaming bronze doors. Then, they put away the slight arrogance in their eyes that they showed when facing ordinary customers and nimbly jumped down the steps.

"Welcome to Gringotts, Mr. Blaine--"

Along the way, many wizards on the streets who recognized Amosta bowed to him in respect, and Amelia had gotten used to it.

After nodding slightly to the two fairies, Amosta turned his head and said,

“Since you plan to live in London, I suggest you also open a vault in Gringotts.”

After thinking for a moment, Amelia nodded, realizing that it was indeed necessary.

Led by the goblins, they entered Gringotts' grand marble hall. Amelia curiously peered at the goblins sitting behind a long counter; some were weighing coins on bronze scales, others were examining gems with eyepieces, hastily recording their observations in a large ledger. Behind these goblins, the walls were inlaid with many doors leading to different places.

"We have our own wizarding bank over there, but it's not as busy as this one—"

Amelia looked at the long lines forming in front of the counter and said...

"Why didn't you set up a vault at Gringotts, Amosta?"

"As you probably know, when I first entered the wizarding world, I didn't have much wealth. After spending a few years at Hogwarts, I accumulated some gold, but I often used that money to buy potion ingredients or rare spellbooks to improve my magical abilities. In the end, once I had enough gold, my strength was sufficient to protect my wealth, so there was no need for that."

Amostella explained to Amelia, then spoke to the waiting fairies.

“Ms. Amelia Dett needs to open a vault for herself. Let’s go and do that first.”

“This way, Mr. Blaine, Ms. Dett—”

The fairy leading the way bowed slightly.

It led Amosta and Amelia to the fairy in charge of the business, without having to wait in line, since no one was currently processing the opening of the vault.

But after casually glancing at Amosta beside him, the impatience in the eyes of the person at the very front of the next line, who was waiting for the fairy to settle accounts, suddenly vanished, and his body jolted!

Amosta glanced over, raised an eyebrow, and nodded with a slight smile.

"Hello, Mr. Anott."

"Hello, Mr. Blaine--"

Nott immediately straightened his posture, his fists clenched tightly in his sleeves, his eyes darting around, his expression unnatural, and beads of sweat already forming at his temples.

"I never expected to see you here—"

"indeed--"

Amosta smiled calmly.

"Our last meeting was just as unexpected—"

Theodore was Amosta's student in physical education class, but he had no interaction with old Nott at all. The last time the two met, strictly speaking, was at Voldemort's resurrection ceremony.

Old Nott understood Amosta Blaine's implication. His face flushed red, his heart pounded wildly, and he had an urge to run away!

The formidable young man before him was not the same as Dumbledore; he was not rigidly bound by the requirement of evidence before judging him.

"Theodore has always... well, at home, said that one of his most admired professors was—"

The shock turned old Nott's face from red to green, and he stammered for a long time before finally managing to say something.

“Theodore is a very talented young man—” For some reason, Amosta suddenly looked a little melancholy.

"I hope these children won't hate me in the future."

Upon hearing this, old Nott immediately broke out in a cold sweat, and the muscles in his calves twitched.

"You're very funny, Mr. Blaine--"

Old Nott gasped as he spoke.

“You taught him so much real skill and he has always admired you so much, how could he possibly hate you?”

"I hope so—"

Amosta sighed, then ignored old Nott and began instructing Amelia on how to fill out some forms.

His indifferent attitude put old Nott in a dilemma; he couldn't stay there any longer, nor did he dare to turn around and leave directly.

"You need to leave a token, Ms. Dett—"