Hogwarts: Harry Returns from Water Margin

Chapter 276 Weasley's Military Industry Renewed

Picking up where we left off, Halpert claimed that Voldemort's "crimes were sinful in this era, but his merits will be remembered for generations to come." After he finished speaking, Harry simply lowered his head and pondered, remaining silent for a long while.

Seeing this, Helbo took another step forward and said, "Tell me, Mr. Potter, if your actions will bring disaster to the future of wizards, and even humanity."

What is your choice?

His words were sharp and penetrating, each sentence piercing the heart. If someone with a weak will had heard them, they would have not only failed to oppose Voldemort, but would have likely prostrated themselves before him and paved the way for him.

Upon hearing this, Harry laughed loudly three times, "Although Master hasn't read ten thousand books, he's not the kind of fool who can be easily fooled!"

"You claim Voldemort's power is for a lasting legacy, so you expect us, living in this day and night, to serve as stepping stones? Know that this so-called 'lasting legacy' doesn't appear out of thin air, but is built upon countless layers of 'today's' lives!"

"Furthermore, your so-called 'eternal achievements' are baseless and baseless, nothing more than the speculative stuff of divination and prophecy, as illusory as a mirage. Do you expect me to believe you with mere words?"

"To use the lives of people today to exchange for the glory of future generations—this is clearly the incompetence of the officials in the court, who concocted such nonsense! They themselves cannot make their own choices, yet they force others to be sacrificed; this is utterly outrageous and unforgivable!"

"You say this kind of behavior is fair to those who come after? I, on the contrary, say it shames the people of today!"

Harry's words initially resonated only in the corner of the corridor, but as he spoke, they grew louder and louder, surging through the long corridor, over the stone walls, and out of the castle.

The students in the classrooms on both sides, who were busy with their own things, all stopped what they were doing and peeked out to see what was going on when they heard the resounding melody.

After hearing this, Halpert's eyes glazed over for a long while, and he stood silently. After a long time, he placed his right hand on his chest, performed an ancient salute, and bowed, saying, "I am willing to serve you, Mr. Halpert."

Harry didn't believe his words of obedience and retorted, "Just because I answered your question, you're going to serve me? That sounds empty. How can I believe you?"

"I see your unwavering will," Helbo said softly, "and it was after careful consideration."

Harry remained unconvinced, pacing around Helbo a few times, looking him up and down, and said, "You're the founder of Horcruxes, you must have lived several times over the past thousands of years. In this vast world, countless heroes have emerged, how could I be the only one with a backbone?"

"This is getting increasingly suspicious."

Upon hearing this, Herbo simply nodded. "You are indeed not the most determined person I have ever met."

"But among the most determined people I've ever met, you are the strongest."

"Whether it is your personal strength or the army under your command, in my opinion, you are far superior to Voldemort and his Death Eaters."

Hearing this, Harry's suspicions deepened. "If that's the case, why were you so hesitant between me and that scoundrel Voldemort?"

Helbo recounted his words from that night in the Forbidden Forest: "For Voldemort has received the favor of God."

"You must understand, not everyone is willing to oppose God."

He carefully observed Harry's expression, then smiled slightly. "However, I can sense that you lack reverence for God. I think you might have enough courage to face the truth."

The more he talked, the more mysterious it became, making Harry feel like he was about to storm the Heavenly Palace.

He immediately waved his hand, cutting off the conversation, and said, "Stop with the nonsense! Since you say you want to serve, you must provide a pledge of loyalty."

"Grindelwald kidnapped my brother and demands your life and fortune in exchange. I intend to use you as bait. Are you willing to do this?"

Without a second thought, Helbo nodded and replied, "Okay."

Seeing his straightforwardness, Harry secretly approved and added, "Using him as bait alone is not enough. I intend to seize this opportunity to eliminate him in one fell swoop."

"Destroy Grindelwald, would you dare help me accomplish this great feat?"

Helbo nodded.

Harry smiled and said, "If that's the case, then it's easier to talk. I'll come back to you to discuss this after I've devised a plan."

Having said that, he turned to leave. But after taking only three or five steps, he suddenly turned back and asked, "Just now you said I have the courage to face some 'truth' directly. What is this 'truth'? Could it possibly be related to immortals?"

Helbo did not answer, but simply looked up at the sky.

Seeing this, Harry cursed inwardly, saying, "Ugh! Talking like this is more difficult than prying open an ancient tomb! What's the difference between joining now and not joining at all?"

Seeing his anxiety, Halper simply shook his head gently. "I'll tell you someday, Mr. Potter."

Harry refused to take the bait and turned to head straight for the Gryffindor common room. He then ground ink, laid out paper, and with a flourish of his pen, wrote a letter to Grindelwald discussing a substitution.

Then he summoned his house-elf and instructed him to send it out. Just then, the door to the lounge opened, and Ron and Hermione came rushing over after class.

As soon as Hermione saw Harry, she rushed over and sat down next to him, asking, "Harry, what did you and Helbo talk about?"

Ron joined in, saying, "Everyone saw Helbo salute you and thought you'd found a way to defeat him and make him admit defeat."

Harry shook his head and sighed, "I don't have time to think about these things. I just received a true prophecy, and that's why the scoundrel submitted to me."

Having said that, he handed the parchment with the prophecy written on it to the two men, and then explained in detail his encounter with Grindelwald at sea and all the entanglements that followed.

Ron was so astonished that he was speechless for a long time when he heard Hermione's prediction was absolutely correct.

Hermione, however, showed no sign of smugness. Instead, she furrowed her brows even more, pondered for a long time, and then carefully chose her words: "If my theory is correct—then it means that prophecy and divination are indeed not a form of knowledge, but merely a continuation of a power?"

Harry nodded in agreement, "I also asked about the origin of that prophecy, but unfortunately Grindelwald just wouldn't utter a single word."

"Perhaps it comes from God?" Ron suddenly said. "Isn't it said that Voldemort has a god behind him?"

"That god can control the law of equilibrium, while this god can share the power of prophecy with mankind."

Harry thought about these words for a moment, and was secretly surprised. He looked at Ron and said, "Brother, it's rare to hear such a thing. It's actually true..."

That's somewhat insightful.

Upon hearing this, Ron puffed out his chest and said proudly, "Of course, my words are always very reliable."

"And if the truth is related to God, then it would explain why a disaster could last for thousands of years."

Harry nodded in agreement.

Hermione, however, was already deeply troubled. She curled her legs up on the sofa, wrapped her arms around her knees, and muttered to herself, "Damn it—what is the truth?"

"Harry doesn't fear God, so Helbo thinks he might have the courage to face the truth."

Is the truth something more terrifying than God?

At this point, Ron's smile vanished, and Harry fell silent, his mind filled with the old saying that Yuan Tiangang had once said, "The Law of Equilibrium and the Prophet are of the same origin."

No one spoke, and the room was utterly silent, save for the crackling of the firewood in the fireplace.

Harry suddenly patted his chest and called out to his chest, "We've been talking for half a day, brother, don't you have anything to remind me of?"

"In fact, I've told you almost everything I can," Salazar said, peeking a corner of his drawing from Harry's collar. "The rest you'll have to discover for yourselves."

"Everyone who wants to know the truth has gone through this process."

Upon hearing this, Harry and the others had no choice but to give up.

Let's stop talking nonsense.

The letter Harry sent to Grindelwald in America took an unexpected turn. It had only been a little over a day when the reply arrived in Harry's hands.

It should be noted that England and America are more than 5,000 miles apart. Such speed suggests that Grindelwald must have intercepted them halfway.

The old man replied readily, agreeing to personally return Hagrid, but refusing to act within British territory, fearing Harry might have hundreds or thousands of men ready to kill him.

Therefore, they had to change the meeting place to America before they could feel at ease. Their battle of wits across the sea was truly a scheme against scheme amidst the storms of war.

If Grindelwald doesn't want to go to England, why would Scarface agree to go to America?

It should be noted that since the UMNO seized power, the United States has been thoroughly controlled by him, with no leaks or disturbances. To outsiders, it seems as if he has been bewitched or lost his mind.

Such a remote and high place, who knows if it is not a dragon's den or a tiger's lair? If we were to tread there, it would be like a moth flying into a flame, falling right into Grindelwald's trap.

They began exchanging letters, engaging in heated debates and arguments, going back and forth like a millstone being turned.

One feared being ambushed, the other dreaded imprisonment; each harbored their own secrets and refused to yield. After arguing for several days, they finally compromised and chose a neutral place where neither would be involved.

Do you know where that place is? It's the Polish magical realm.

Moreover, it's not enough to just target the Polish magical world; they also need to operate in Warsaw, right under Voldemort's nose.

It was precisely this dangerous situation of "the darkest place is under the lamp" that made them so risky. With Voldemort watching them from the side, how could the two of them dare to make any rash moves? This noseless fellow became a hindrance and a guarantee.

The two agreed on a time: three days later, at midnight, the transaction would take place in Warsaw.

It should be known that this journey is extremely dangerous, and under Voldemort's watchful eye, the more often one goes, the more likely one is to attract attention.

After much deliberation, Harry decided to take only Hermione and Dumbledore with him.

Firstly, all three are meticulous individuals who can adapt to changing circumstances; secondly, having fewer people makes it easier to conceal their movements and avoid attracting attention; and thirdly, both of them are highly skilled wizards who are equally formidable in a real fight.

When Ron heard about this, but didn't take him along, he immediately became agitated, a nameless anger rising to his head, and he was unwilling to comply.

He hadn't been in a good mood for several days, and would complain at any time.

"Why can't I come along?"

"My skill level isn't bad, is it?"

"Hermione, we defeated Helbo together, you should know my strength."

In the Great Hall, Harry kept his head down, cutting the bacon on his plate, and said without looking up, "Big sister, you talk to him."

Hermione gave Harry a reproachful look, then turned to Ron and said, "Alright, Ron, you should know we'll be facing Grindelwald head-on, and we might even run into Voldemort."

"Your staff is indeed very special, even more powerful than Harry's knife in my opinion, but your magic doesn't support you engaging in high-intensity combat—"

Hermione went around in circles, rambling on and on, talking for ages, all for the sake of getting a kernel:

Your weapon is excellent and has many special uses, but your magic power can't keep up with its endurance.

Ron stood there for a long time, turning these words over and over in his mind, chewing them over and over, before finally understanding their true meaning.

In an instant, it felt as if a dozen piercing arrows had struck his heart, chilling and heavy, making his blood boil and drip silently.

Ron suddenly remembered the Resurrection Stone, and after a long silence, he whispered, "—Alright, then I won't go."

Harry nodded in approval, saying, "As the ancients said, 'Act according to your virtue and do what you can.' Brother, you have such insight; it would be truly courageous of you not to go."

Upon hearing this, Ron felt his face burning. He hastily ate a few mouthfuls of food, then excused himself to practice his skills and hurriedly left the auditorium, heading straight to the secret chamber.

As Ron left, Fred and George, the two brothers, came huddled together with their trays.

George shoved Hermione aside and sat right next to Harry, winking and whispering, "Hey boss, I heard you're going on a long trip tomorrow?"

Fred added, "And we're going to a rather dangerous place?"

Seeing the two men making such a fuss, Harry couldn't help but laugh and said, "You two brothers don't come here unless you have something important to say. Whenever you come looking for me, it's sure to be troublesome business."

"If I'm not mistaken, perhaps we're short of Jinzi again in the research and development of those magical machines?"

These words struck a chord with the two brothers. They, however, remained unperturbed and continued as usual.

Fred nodded and said frankly, "That's right, we're extremely short of money right now."

George said, "Not only the funds, but also the money from selling magic guns has all been spent."

Harry was secretly astonished upon hearing this. He knew that the funds allocated last time, along with the proceeds from selling guns, amounted to at least seven or eight thousand Galleons. And now, in just two or three months, they were all gone.

He asked doubtfully, "Did you two really spend all this money on the right things? Even if you cooked gold gallons like rice and drank silver like water every day, it wouldn't be this fast."

"Oh, Harry—Harry—" George shook his head and patted Harry on the shoulder, saying, "Our expenses have indeed been quite high, but I think you should take a look at our results."

Upon hearing this, Harry's interest was piqued, and he immediately stood up and said, "In that case, lead me to see for myself."

After taking a few steps, he suddenly turned back, clasped his hands towards Hermione, and said, "Big sister, would you like to come along? Let's see something new."

Hermione kept her head down, fiddling with her food, and said without looking up, "Oh, never mind, I'm not really interested."

Upon hearing this, Harry, Fred, and George headed straight for the Forbidden Forest. When they reached a flat area, Fred pulled a bag from his pocket that had been enchanted with a spatial folding charm.

He reached into the bag and carefully took out an object, which turned out to be a cannonball with a pointed tip and a large belly, shaped like a spindle.

"Ahem, please allow me to introduce the Weasley Number One Anti-Magic Grenade."

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