From Hogwarts to Sturhaven

They were mostly peddlers hoping to sell magical creature merchandise. Hogwarts' orders were considered a major business in the British magical world; even a small amount of profit was enough to make the small business owners in Diagon Alley very wealthy.

Another group consists of wizarding families that Lucius Malfoy had rarely interacted with since escaping his predicament in Azkaban, including some less radical pure-blood holy families and some newly emerging, powerful wizarding families.

Lucius Malfoy stood by the window, admiring the white peacocks in the manor, and took a leisurely sip of red wine.

He was extremely satisfied with his family's current situation. Although he couldn't wipe out all the Mudbloods in the wizarding world without the Dark Lord, at least he wasn't imprisoned with the Death Eaters in Azkaban. Moreover, the Malfoy family was thriving, and perhaps he could lead this ancient family to new heights.

“Good taste, Lucius.”

Lucius was startled and quickly turned around.

A tall young man sat by the fireplace, casually pouring himself a glass of red wine: "Red wine made by house-elves?"

"Who are you?" Lucius put down his wine glass and said cautiously, "I don't recall ever offending you..."

“I can give you a heads-up.” Ivy smiled mischievously, a green light flashing in her free hand.

Lucius suddenly felt a burning pain coming from his left arm. The pain was so intense that he couldn't help but kneel down, pressing his forearm and breaking out in a cold sweat.

But the physical pain was far less intense than the fear in his heart. He was like a drowning man, squeezing out a few words through gritted teeth: "Spare me... Lord Dark Lord..."

The burning pain in his left arm had subsided, but Lucius did not get up from the ground. He didn't even dare to lift his head, just staring at the floor as if a novel were being carved there.

“Get up, my friend,” Ivy said loudly. “This is just a warning. Voldemort hasn’t returned yet, but if he does, your fate will be far worse than this.”

Lucius looked up; his long, platinum blonde hair was no longer so smooth, revealing his disheveled state.

“I don’t understand…” Lucius released his left arm and reached for the wand tucked into his shirt.

A black-covered diary was tossed in front of him, spinning around. Lucius recognized it; after all, it was something Voldemort had given him. He only knew it was a remarkable dark magic item that could open the Chamber of Secrets at Hogwarts.

He had clearly handed him over to his son's classmate, that brilliant first-year wizard... who was also the Malfoy family's new partner, Ivy Doom.

According to his son Draco, this Ivy Doom was a Slytherin from over a hundred years ago who was turned into a child due to unknown magical influences.

“Doom… Lord.” Lucius released his wand and lowered his head once more. He had thought he had found an ally, never imagining this person would be another Dark Lord. “For Draco’s sake…”

“Hahaha…” Ivy laughed. “I’ve already told you, Lucius. This is a piece of advice, not a display of power.”

Lucius remained silent, a tactic that worked well for the impatient Dark Lord, who believed everyone else was a fool. He figured the Death Eaters would explain themselves if they kept quiet.

"Voldemort didn't tell you what that diary was, did he?" Ivy directed the sofa to move behind Lucius, and then pressed him in with an invisible sorcerer's hand.

Lucius knew he had to answer the question; his experience told him that ignoring any of the Dark Lord's questions could have serious consequences.

Lucius was in a dilemma regarding how to address Voldemort. He certainly couldn't call Voldemort "Dark Lord" in front of Lord Doom, but he also didn't have the courage to call Voldemort by his full name.

So Lucius chose the compromise: "The mysterious man only told me it was a weapon, a dark magic tool that could open the Chamber of Secrets. He wanted me to find a way to put it in Hogwarts..."

Lucius immediately realized he had misspoke: "Of course, you're a powerful wizard, so the dark magic items he creates certainly won't be a problem for you..."

“The mysterious man… Hmph.” Ivy snorted coldly, her smile devoid of any warmth. “Let me tell you, Lucius.”

"Do you guys still remember what you called yourselves?"

“Death Eaters…” Lucius’s voice sounded like a dream.

“That’s right, that diary is part of his soul, the secret to his immortality, the trick to his lingering existence.” Ivy’s smile faded. “Think about it, Lucius, what will happen to you all if he comes back from the Black Forest of Albania?”

"What I really want to tell you is that I killed Voldemort three times this year."

Chapter 161 Lucius's Allegiance

Lucius slid off the chair like a boneless mollusk, collapsed to the floor, gasped for breath, then got up and grabbed Ivy's trouser leg.

“I’ll give anything!” Lucius said urgently, “If only you would spare my family of three…”

Lucius Malfoy always considered himself a nobleman among wizards, and he blatantly discriminated against those of Muggle origin. Ivy thought he was a man of great integrity. It seems that wizards, like Muggles, once they kneel down, their knees can never stand up again.

Ivy used her mage's hand to lift him up again and press him back into the chair.

“We’re friends, Lucius.” Ivy poured him a glass of red wine. “I won’t take anything from you; you can keep them yourself.”

“Voldemort is a threat to us all.” Ivy swirled the wine in her glass, the rich, deep red liquid rotating around the rim like a blooming rose. “I’m just offering you a chance to rebel, a possibility to break free from the past.”

Lucius shuddered as he took a large gulp of red wine and nodded silently. It seemed that Voldemort's terrifying style had undoubtedly left a deep impression on him.

“I appreciate your kindness, Lucius,” Ivy laughed. “Draco took good care of me at school, and you recommended me to big clients like Devlin Whitehorn. Besides, didn’t we work together to change Hogwarts? Many wizarding families are very interested in that, aren’t they?”

“I’m not like Voldemort. I have no interest in changing the world according to my own will. What interests me is magic itself.” Ivy tapped the wine glass in her hand with her fingernail, and with the clinking sound, colorful streams of light created a magnificent scene in the air.

A magnificent floating castle, fire dragons and winged horses dancing in the air, a huge waterfall hanging upside down from the sky... countless scenes that only existed in fantasy were brought to life by Ivy's magic.

“I am merely a scholar, eager to explore the deepest and most fascinating magic.” Ivy’s voice pierced through the illusion and entered Lucius’s mind. “But if anyone interferes with my research, they’d better watch out… You wouldn’t want to know what I did to Voldemort…”

Lucius shuddered violently, and the magical illusion in the air vanished like bubbles. He finished the last of his red wine and said, his face flushed, "The Malfoy family will always be your ally!"

“Very good, excellent, Lucius.” Ivy smiled with satisfaction. “I’m glad to see that we’ve reached an agreement. I was originally going to give you a little gift to remove the little mark Voldemort left on your arm. But then I thought it might still be of some use, so let’s leave it there harmlessly for now.”

“Your will, Lord Doom,” Lucius said respectfully, bowing his head. “What should I do next?”

“Just continue what you’re doing, deepen the relationship with pure-blood wizarding families, and start accepting half-blood wizarding families, and even Muggle-borns.” Ivy answered his question without much thought. Lucius was now completely loyal to him, but people’s hearts were still unsettled, so it wasn’t appropriate to assign him any high-risk tasks. He just needed to stay in his position on the Hogwarts Board of Governors and make the most of his strengths.

“I know about the Malfoy family’s past, so this shouldn’t be difficult for you, right?” Ivy stared into Lucius’s eyes, who humbly lowered his gaze.

The Malfoy family initially established their estate in Wiltshire, England, through a grant from the Muggle king. They then used their wealth and power to infiltrate Muggle high society, gradually acquiring surrounding lands and accumulating unimaginable wealth. It can be said that before the Statute of Secrecy, the Malfoy family was the wizarding family most closely connected to Muggles. They understood all the petty intrigues and machinations of Muggle high society, fully imitating and preserving them, which later became a major basis for their self-proclaimed pure-blood aristocracy.

“The Malfoy family has always been committed to maintaining Hogwarts’ independent status, making it an academic research and educational institution free from interference from the Ministry of Magic.” Lucius’s voice was full of responsibility, as if he were truly a caring gentleman concerned about education. “The Hogwarts Board of Governors will ensure that this ancient school treats every young wizard equally, regardless of which house they come from, especially those…”

“Those high-achieving young wizards,” Ivy interjected.

Fair and reasonable upward mobility is a necessary condition for the continued existence of any society or organization. Ivy believes that Hogwarts should continue to exist, regardless of the reasons.

Especially considering his potential to establish Hogwarts University in the future. Wizarding magic holds great potential, and Ivy believes the world should provide a place for wizards who want to continue on the path of magic to exchange ideas and learn from each other. Only through debate can profound insights emerge; the collision and fusion of new perspectives are crucial.

Although it's too early to say for sure, it doesn't stop Ivy from treating it as a casual move.

Lucius Malfoy has a knack for deciphering his superiors' motives, and coupled with the Malfoy family's characteristic opportunism, he would be a valuable asset. At least, those wizards with firm convictions wouldn't be able to change their minds and assume a role so easily based on just one conversation, unlike him.

Seeing Ivy nod in satisfaction, Lucius secretly breathed a sigh of relief. What Voldemort wanted was simple: to escape death and to mold the world into the way he desired it.

But Lucius knew he couldn't understand the young man sitting opposite him. There was no doubt that Ivy Doom was powerful, but he wasn't as aggressive as Voldemort, nor as weak as Dumbledore; he always seemed to have a plan, a solution.

Lucius couldn't believe that such a person would call himself a scholar and have no interest in changing the way the world works according to his own will, especially since he was still a first-year student and had already started thinking about how to change Hogwarts, which hadn't changed for a thousand years.

But Lucius knew what he had to do. Before Voldemort's sudden fall from power, Lucius had been one of the Death Eaters' best; otherwise, Voldemort wouldn't have entrusted him with one of the Horcruxes. He knew exactly what his master wanted and could offer appropriate advice. Although Ivy's actions were still unclear, Lucius was confident he could do what he had been told. It was simply a matter of deepening the ties between his family and the wizarding family, something the Malfoy family had been doing for the past ten centuries.

Chapter 162 Looking Ahead to the New School Year

“By the way, Lucius.” Ivy called out to the Malfoy patriarch who was about to leave, and tossed him a document. “This is the patent document for the Pneumatic Charm and the equity transfer statement for the Nimbus Corporation sent by Devlin Whitehorn. From now on, you will be in charge of managing this business for me.”

“Thank you for your trust, Lord Doom.” Lucius paused for a moment, then immediately bowed deeply.

Although Devlin Whitehorn was the founder and largest shareholder of Lightwheel Inc., after multiple rounds of financing to expand production capacity, his remaining shares were no longer considered absolute control. The combined shares held by Ivy and the Malfoy family were enough to overturn Devlin Whitehorn's position as the largest shareholder.

This is a case of offering a sweet treat before getting anything done. The Malfoy family plays a very important role in Ivy's plan, so they absolutely cannot afford to fail.

Lucius's wife, Narcissa Malfoy, was a daughter of the Black family before marrying into the Malfoy family. Her two older sisters are Andromeda Tonks and Bellatrix Lestrange.

One of them was a loyal follower of Voldemort. Unwilling to accept the fact that the Dark Lord had fallen, she conspired with her husband Rodolphus Lestrange and Barty Crouch Jr. to capture the Longbottoms, who were Aurors, and used the Cruciatus Curse to leave them with indelible damage.

The other was expelled from her family for marrying a Muggle-born wizard. Their daughter, Nymphadora Tonks, has now graduated from Hogwarts, and Ivy vividly remembers her impressive fireball spell. If I remember correctly, she is currently undergoing Auror training at the Ministry of Magic, hoping to become a key member of Dumbledore's Order of the Phoenix in the future.

The three daughters of the Black family each chose their own path in life, but fatefully stumbled into the power struggles between centrists, reformers, and radicals. It must be said that fate played a cruel joke on the Black family. If we include Regulus Black, who sacrificed his life to switch Voldemort's Horcruxes, Sirius Black, who served 12 years in Azkaban, and the love-hate relationships among these cousins, then the story of this ancient family could easily fill seven seasons of an HBO family drama.

The kinship ties following Narcissa Malfoy were like a vast net, and Ivy believed this net could yield him considerable gains. At the very least, the Hufflepuff Cup hidden in the Lestrange family vault was already considered by Ivy to be his for the taking.

With just an excuse to visit her sister, Ivy could use Narcissa Malfoy to meet Voldemort's old lover, who was imprisoned in Azkaban. In this way, the secret hidden in her mind would no longer be a secret, and the Golden Cup would be within her grasp.

But Azkaban was also a place where countless things were intertwined, and Ivy felt that going there only to find clues about the Golden Cup was a waste. How to deal with the Death Eaters imprisoned there, and Harry Potter's godfather, was the part Ivy should be pondering most.

However, it's still early. In any case, the main event of the 1992-1993 school year, the locked room mystery, has already been resolved by Ivy. He has a whole year to plan his actions.

Competing with Dumbledore for Voldemort's Horcruxes was only one part of the story; what was more important was Ivy's overall plan for her future career.

Ivy made a list and found that she still didn't have much free time during her second year at Hogwarts.

Second Academic Year To-Do List

1. Raising dragons: Nobeta will enter a period of rapid growth this year, so it can no longer be kept underground.

2. Find a time to relocate the basilisk hidden in the Chamber of Secrets, and reveal part of this to Dumbledore and the Ministry of Magic, so as to clear Hagrid of suspicion as the heir to the Chamber of Secrets.

3. Continue copying the restricted section of the Hogwarts library.

4. To prepare for the OWLs exam, considering that I have chosen the easiest courses as much as possible, it shouldn't be too difficult.

5. Train Cassandra, who is the world's second D&D professional and the best test subject to figure out the relationship between the sorcerer and the overlord.

6. Consider how to arrange Sirius Black, Peter Pettigrew (the rat), and the Death Eaters in Azkaban. This will be a great gift for Voldemort's return. Sirius is related to Slytherin's locket, while Bellatrix in Azkaban is related to the Chalice of Horcrux. Be careful. You might even be able to get one or two legendary items from Voldemort's Horcruxes, or a skill or two, or at the very least, experience points.

7. Unlocking the Ravenclaw Crown's legendary ritual: As a legendary item, my use of it is still too rudimentary; its potential is far more than just a +4 Intelligence crown.

8. If Nicolas Flamel dies in this year, his funeral arrangements will be taken care of; his estate and alchemical books will keep him busy for quite some time.

P.S.: If he's not dead, then we'll have to wait until next year.

9. Add a teleportation circle to the map's secret chamber. This 5th-circle spell, like the Duncan's Private Chamber, will become permanent after a year of continuous casting. If I were to actually travel to the Kingdom of Heaven using the 7th-circle spell, I would still need an anchor point to return to.

P.S.: Perhaps Streihaven is a good place, after all, it's considered a higher magic academy. And my profession as a Supreme Sorcerer can be considered an apprenticeship at the Splendid Academy.

10. Do not get involved with Defense Against the Dark Arts!!! No matter how annoying Lockhart is, try not to kill him, otherwise Dumbledore will have an excuse to make me a professor for another year.

11. Write a letter to Fleur and send Christmas gifts to your friends (including Dumbledore and Lucius).