The mastermind behind Hogwarts

Chapter 9 Moriarty in Diagon Alley (Please vote and add to your favorites)

After reading the report on the book launch, Moriarty turned to the second page of the newspaper: celebrity interviews.

Rita Skeeter wrote: "With Slytherin in the East, it conquered British wizards in just three hours. Even with our discerning eye, we could not find a single flaw. High-ranking officials of the Ministry of Magic and well-known figures from all walks of life expressed varying degrees of praise. No book has received such honors in a century."

Below are photos and reports of Rita interviewing celebrities.

First, there's the author, Gilderoy Lockhart.

He exudes a refreshing air in the photo, and he commented, "Since I met Moriarty, my life has been like drinking a bottle of Felix Felicis that will never run out!"

Then came the head of the Foley family, Nar Foley, making his first appearance since the First Wizarding War.

Moriarty looked at the old man in the picture. Lockhart had mentioned the Foley family to him. His wife had died long ago, and his son had died in the First Wizarding War. The entire Foley family was now reduced to this old man with one half of his body buried in the ground.

When interviewed, Foley made a dry joke: "You're asking me about Mr. Moriarty? I think I'm right to call him that; his outstanding performance makes us forget his age."

Mr. Moriarty reminds me of Salazar Slytherin, and I have no doubt about his talent; perhaps he'll open a magic school that only accepts children of pure-blood families.

Amelia Bornes, the current head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement at the Ministry of Magic, had a different opinion, but also gave Moriarty high praise.

She said, "Old Foley is too sensitive. There is no doubt that Mr. Moriarty will be enrolling at Hogwarts. Just think about what changes a Slytherin descendant will bring to Hogwarts."

Just as Mr. Lockhart said, Mr. Moriarty belongs to magic, and so do we, whether pure-blood or half-blood.

Following the interviews with Foley and Burns, Rita Skeeter, ever the troublemaker, added: "The above two arguments about bloodlines remind us of Mr. Moriarty's noble birth, though a certain Defense Against the Dark Arts professor at Hogwarts, who wishes to remain anonymous, has expressed a rather incomprehensible view on the matter."

"The magic Mr. Moriarty used in the Eastern Kingdom falls under the category of dark magic, but that's judging it by modern magic standards—I mean, Slytherin family magic doesn't distinguish between dark and white magic. So when did we start differentiating magic? I think..."

Before the professor could finish speaking, Rita abandoned him; Rita wanted news, not a lesson.

Moriarty couldn't help but laugh when he saw this.

This professor is quite interesting. If he has the chance to meet him, Moriarty would like to talk to him, because it is clear that he is a wizard who truly thinks about magic.

Unfortunately, the times abandoned him, and Rita only wrote his words into the newspaper to add to the amusement.

Moriarty then read some more interviews, all of which were full of praise.

At the end of the report, Rita emphasized: "Several magic books are preparing to include Mr. Moriarty's story and his magic circles in their pages."

These magical books include, but are not limited to, *A History of Magic*, *A Modern History of Magic*, *Theory of Magic*, *Defense Against Magic*, *The Rise and Fall of Black Magic*, *Important Magical Events of the 20th Century*, and *Major Discoveries in Modern Magic*...

This is truly unbelievable, but there is no doubt that Mr. Moriarty has the ability to do so. According to reliable records, the last person to be listed in the major magic books was none other than the headmaster of Hogwarts, Albus Dumbledore.

We don't know if Mr. Moriarty's story will be included in "Hogwarts: A History of the School"; perhaps we'll find out after Mr. Moriarty enrolls.

But according to Rubeus Hagrid, the Hogwarts key custodian and game field keeper, Mr. Moriarty seems to be connected to the great riot that occurred at Hogwarts a few months ago, which is clearly yet another unfounded accusation…”

"Hogwarts, a great riot?"

Moriarty was puzzled as to how a riot could have occurred at Hogwarts in 1987, but Hagrid wouldn't lie.

"Luke!" Moriarty summoned his house-elf. "I want the entire Daily Prophet for 1987."

"Yes, sir! My lord, you want a whole year's supply of the Daily Prophet, and Luke will bring it to you! Although it will be very difficult." Luke was full of fighting spirit and was about to go out.

"Wait," Moriarty called out to him, "According to the plan, it's time for me to go to Diagon Alley and inform Lockhart so he can make the necessary arrangements."

The castle's house-elves busied themselves, constantly bringing out ancient and luxurious wizard robes from the dressing room to dress Moriarty.

Two hours later, Moriarty appeared in Diagon Alley, accompanied by Ingo and Luke.

When the first wizard caught a glimpse of Moriarty's gray hair and gray eyes, he exclaimed, "Look! Isn't that Mr. Moriarty? I saw it in 'Hogwarts: A History'—Salazar Slytherin also had gray hair and gray eyes!"

As he did this, more wizards quickly approached Moriarty, their eyes fixed on him as if he were a priceless treasure.

Luke looked around warily, as if he were about to unleash a curse on the crowd at any moment.

Moriarty, however, remained calm and walked towards Ollivander's wand shop.

Just then, Lockhart arrived with Rita and a large group of reporters, stopping the restless wizards.

This was all part of Moriarty and Lockhart's plan. Lockhart gestured for the wizards to stop and said in an unprecedentedly serious tone, "Ladies and gentlemen, I know you are eager to know Moriarty, to know everything about him. But I ask you to control yourselves!"

Moriarty is undoubtedly a genius! But geniuses need nurturing and room to grow. He loves magic and is immersed in the world of magic. He doesn't want anyone to disturb him.

At the same time, he is incredibly kind and approachable. He knows he has a large following, so he is willing to take some time to answer their questions.

And I, Gilderoy Lockhart! It is an honor to be the link between you and Moriarty!

A cheer erupted from the crowd. Lockhart smiled with satisfaction: "Feel free to ask any questions you have, one at a time. I'll select some to pass on to Moriarty!"

"Let me try! I'm so fascinated by the magic circle Mr. Moriarty uses!"

"No, I should have been first. I was here an hour ago."

The wizards rushed to speak, some even casting a "loud voice" spell to ensure their questions reached Lockhart's ears completely.

Lockhart was struggling to manage the increasingly out-of-control crowd, but fortunately, Rita's action saved him.

Rita, accompanied by a photographer, took pictures of Moriarty's back. She said, "Mr. Moriarty allowed us to take some pictures of his first visit to Diagon Alley. It was a good opportunity to get close to Mr. Moriarty."

It's worth noting that at the end of Mr. Lockhart's novel, Mr. Moriarty returns to the castle Salazar Slytherin left him, and we rarely see him outside.

The voice reached the crowd, and the wizards immediately let Lockhart go. He could ask questions anytime, but Moriarty might not come to Diagon Alley for a long time.

The wizards were not willing to miss this opportunity, and they saw Moriarty walk into Ollivander's wand shop.

A wizard asked, "Mr. Moriarty already has the Slytherin staff, so why does he need another wand?"

Lockhart cleared his throat: "This question doesn't need Moriarty's answer. Having dedicated my life to fighting dark magic, I can tell you the answer! Moriarty did this to study the differences between modern and ancient magic!"

The wizards outside the shop began to discuss, while Moriarty went inside, where Ollivander greeted him.

"Moriarty Slytherin? I never imagined I'd be selling a wand to the Slytherin family."

Well then, child—oh, no offense intended, I know many people call you sir now, but in the realm of wand studies, you really are just a child, and even I am but an apprentice, alright?

So, are you ready? To receive your first magic wand.

Ollivander's voice was soft, but his words carried great weight. Moriarty glanced at the old man in front of him. If he had said these words to someone else, that person would have scoffed at them, but Moriarty could hear the sincerity in Ollivander's voice.

"Yes, sir," Moriarty nodded politely. "I know your rules; I can use both my left and right hands to cast spells."

"Ah, yes," Ollivander said enviously, glancing at the Slytherin staff in Moriarty's hand. "I've read Lockhart's novel, I know it."

Ollivander clearly wanted to hold the Slytherin wand in his hands and examine it closely, but he restrained himself, pulled a long box from the wall, took out the wand from inside, and handed it to Moriarty.

"Try this one, it's eleven and a third inches long, made of acacia wood, and the core is made of ptarmigan tail feathers."

(End of this chapter)