The Return to Hogwarts

Or perhaps Delixi did something to gain greater trust from the higher-ups, which is why he was sidelined.

Staring at Amosta Blaine's face, which seemed confident that he would give him the answer he wanted, Rufus's dark yellow pupils gleamed with a sinister light.

"You know why."

Rufus stopped speaking mid-sentence when he saw Amosta Blaine raise his eyebrows slightly.

He hadn't yet returned to Blaine's question, and Blaine was unlikely to kindly offer him any answers.

Unbeknownst to anyone, Aberforth had dealt with the flood and quietly returned to the bar.

He saw the bottle of aged sherry that Amosta had secretly opened on the bar, but he didn't lose his temper. Instead, he stared intently at Rufus Scrimgeour, his equally blue eyes filled with solemnity and astonishment.

Of all the people Blaine met at his bar today, Rufus's appearance was the most unbelievable to him.

With Albus Dumbledore's backing and running his own pub, Aberforth was no ordinary, clueless villager.

His access to information was among the best in the magical world. That was why he was surprised.

Rufus Scrimgeour has always been a mainstay of the Minister of Magic's faction, hasn't he?

Why would he meet with Blaine in private? The hidden meaning behind this is truly chilling!

A strange, heart-pounding atmosphere permeated the damp, cold, dimly lit bar, as if a momentous meeting that would determine the future was taking place there.

Looking at Blaine, who was sitting at the round table in the back of the bar and was undoubtedly in control of the negotiations, Aberforth moved his lips, only to find that they were dry, as if he had just been exposed to the scorching sun.

With gentle movements, he poured the rest of the bottle of wine that Blaine had secretly opened into a glass. The moment his lips touched the slightly cold liquid, Aberforth recalled a conversation he had with Albus last time.

That was at the beginning of last month when Blaine left Hogwarts with a wolf cub and went to New York.

During this period, the Ministry of Magic, led by Fudge, suddenly turned against Albus, not only stripping him of many titles, including Chief Wizard of Wizengamot, but also halting many interviews and academic invitations to him.

Aberforth could see the hint of helplessness in his all-powerful brother's eyes.

"Hmph, it seems the ministry thinks you're easier to deal with, isn't it?"

That late night, Aberforth stood behind the bar, watching Albus sip a glass of whiskey under the flickering light of an oil lamp, and mocked him.

"oh--"

Albus snapped out of his reverie and looked at his younger brother. His clear eyes showed no anger or embarrassment, but rather a sense of relief and gratitude.

"If you mean the ministry decided to target me, not Amosta, Aberforth."

Albus smiled.

"Although my relationship with the department is tense right now, I must say that the department's decision was correct. Connelly has done something stupid by not provoking Amosta as he usually does."

"It's rare to hear you swear."

After a brief silence, Aberforth spoke in a calm tone that was quite different from his usual rude manner.

"hehe--"

Albus, unperturbed, continued to smile.

“People think I’m well-behaved and virtuous, but you know that’s probably not the case, Aberforth. The problem is, these labels, like permanent stickers, do bind me. Amosta, on the other hand, is much freer.”

He took a sip of the scarlet wine, gazing at the sediment floating in the swirling liquid.

"I have always been wary of Amostella, wary of when the hidden violence in his character might get out of control, overwhelm his kindness, and cause more damage to the wizarding world than Voldemort."

But I must admit that his violence gave him more freedom of action. Yes, that's right, Connelly doesn't dare to mess with him, which I sometimes envy.

"That's right--"

The sudden voice startled Aberforth from his reverie. He blinked and realized it was the Auror's office director speaking.

The purple, dark sea that would eventually devour anyone who tried to shake it finally forced Rufus Scrimgeour to submit.

Rufus was pale, and his voice was weaker than ever before.

“I believe he’s back, that’s an undeniable truth.”

The suffocating atmosphere in the bar melted away in an instant!

“A wise decision, Rufus—”

Amostella finally smiled again, looking at Rufus with admiration.

"Then, there's a second question—"

In the dim light, Amostella's eyes gleamed, and within their deep gaze seemed two deadly vortexes, drawing in Rufus's soul.

"Given that Voldemort has returned to the wizarding world, Rufus, what will you do?"

"I can--"

Meeting Amosta Blaine's gaze, Rufus couldn't utter a word he wanted to say to ease the tension. He was breathing heavily, and large beads of sweat dripped down his face.

"Resistance. We must fight to the end; we have no other choice, do we?"

Amusta's cheerful laughter echoed through the dimly lit room.

“Then we are comrades-in-arms, Rufus—”

All the questions and answers are contained in these two questions. When Rufus gave his heartfelt reply, the two no longer needed to talk; everything was understood without words.

"What will happen if I don't give you the answer you want today, Blaine?"

Just before stepping out the door, Rufus turned his slightly flushed face to look at Amostella, who was seeing him off.

Nothing will happen.

As the heavy rain subsided, a hazy sunset appeared on the horizon.

Seeing Rufus's eyes regain their sharp, yellowish gleam, Amosta smiled and emphasized again,

"I'm not the Dark Lord, am I?"

…………

Chapter 1007 Sigh

2024-07-01

Rufus Scrimgeour donned his cloak and strode away, his figure quickly disappearing into the flooded alleyway.

Amosta watched Rufus's back as he walked onto the main road before turning his gaze away.

Scrimgeour was eventually persuaded by him.

Unlike Kakus and Ludo, Amosta did not promise him anything.

Amosta knew very well that if he tried to use power to gain a promise, someone like Rufus would simply turn around and leave.

The reason he dared to invite Rufus out and ultimately persuade him was that the two shared a fundamental common goal.

Of course, this is ultimately a transaction, and the realization of rights is essential.

Turning his head, he saw Aberforth staring intently at him from behind the bar. Amusta smiled.

"Sorry, Aberforth, I've caused you a little trouble. Oh, but you don't have much business, do you?"

"A little trouble?"

Aberforth seemed to want to sneer, but he didn't. His lips twitched, and his bulging chest showed just how furious he was.

"You plotted to overthrow the Ministry of Magic in my bar. Hah, you think that's just a little trouble?!"

The low tone turned into a roar at the end, Aberforth howled.

"I don't care if you want to spend the rest of your life with those evil dark creatures of Azkaban, Blaine, but let me tell you, I have no intention of taking that step. I can't let you get away with this. I'm going to write to the ministry right now and expose you!"

"Overthrow the Ministry of Magic?"

Amosta laughed.

“Oh, a terrible misunderstanding, Aberforth. When did I say I wanted to overthrow the Ministry of Magic? I just wanted to correct some of the fatal errors the Ministry of Magic is currently making.”

"Don't try to fool me with those politicians' words, Blaine!"

Abu Fusi roared fiercely.

“I absolutely do not want to be dragged down to Azkaban to enrich my resume when I’m about to go to my coffin. I’m going to report you, Blaine. Yes, that’s exactly what I’m going to do!”

Amusta chuckled as he donned his coat, waved his wand to clear the table of leftovers.

"Then please go ahead, Aberforth. But I'm afraid I don't have time to linger here with you; I have other appointments to make today. Well then, goodbye—"

Amosta waved to the girl in the portrait on the mantelpiece, whose curious eyes were timidly peering at him, before quickly leaving the Pig's Head Bar.

The ringing of the bell as the door closed echoed through the dimly lit, filthy bar, mingling with Aberforth's heavy breathing.

His deep blue eyes stared darkly at the tightly closed wooden door. Suddenly, in a split second, Aberforth's expression brightened. He rushed to the door and flung it open, only to find the alleyway deserted. This ignited Aberforth's fury completely.

"Damn it, Blaine, you haven't paid yet!"

Amostella neither returned to Hogwarts through the secret passage of Honeydukes Candy Shop nor entered the campus through the school gates.

He climbed over the high slope where the Screaming Shack was located, entered the deep Forbidden Forest from the undulating wilderness, and arrived at the edge of the Forbidden Forest in the form of a shadow.

Far from forgetting the flooded grounds and the little wizards who were about to go for their morning run but were unfortunately blocked by the flood in the hallway, Amostah once again praised himself for his ingenuity.

A heavy rain turned the forbidden forest into a vast expanse of water. The dark forest was devoid of the sounds of insects and birds; instead, the murmur of flowing water could be heard everywhere.