My Hogwarts has a serious problem.

Chapter 296, Section 293: Do you really think I wouldn't dare use a spell on you?

"Knock knock knock".

Around midnight, there was a knock on Dumbledore's door.

Dumbledore opened his eyes in the darkness, but he made no movement or sound.

"Knock knock knock".

The knocking continued three more times. After still receiving no response, the person outside seemed to have lost patience and used a lock-picking spell to forcefully push the door open and rush in.

The bright lights were turned on, and three people entered, all male wizards. They held wands and looked nervously at the only bed in the room.

To their relief, Dumbledore was still lying in that bed.

He leaned against the headboard, not wearing his usual crescent-shaped reading glasses, and squinted as he quietly watched the three male witches who had suddenly barged into his room.

"Ah, Chairman Dumbledore, we are so sorry. We thought you hadn't spoken for so long, so we were worried that something might have happened to you, which is why we rushed in so abruptly."

The leading male wizard showed no disrespect whatsoever and politely apologized.

Dumbledore looked at them and smiled gently, then picked up his reading glasses from the bedside table and put them on.

"Tell me your purpose first. It's so late, I'd like to hear what kind of good reason you've come up with to disturb the sleep of an old man like me."

Despite his words, the three wizards who entered showed no embarrassment. The leader, seeing that Dumbledore was still there, became noticeably calmer.

"Mr. Chairman, Congress is urging us to return as soon as possible. We really can't delay any longer regarding the specific results of this meeting. We must reach a conclusion tonight."

Dumbledore blinked and sat up in bed. "Want results? Of course you can. I won't object to whatever outcome you and the Middle East reach. You can decide for yourselves. I can return to Hogwarts tonight anyway."

The wizard laughed and said, "This is not in accordance with the rules, Mr. Chairman. We need you to make a judgment and mediate between the two sides."

"Shall I mediate?"

Dumbledore repeated their words as he got out of bed, and the three wizards then realized that he hadn't been wearing pajamas to bed at all, but had been wearing the same emerald green robe he wore during the day.

"Of course I can mediate. I fully agree with your conditions. Starting today, the American Magical Congress will restrict the entry of Middle Eastern wizards. Unless they undergo rigorous screening, no Middle Eastern wizards will be allowed to enter the Americas. How about that? You've been arguing for so many days. I'll help you reach a conclusion."

The wizard from the Magical Congress of the United States shook his head.

"No, this is unfair to the Ministry of Magic in the Middle East. Your decision is truly unjust."

"Hahaha."

Dumbledore chuckled as if he had heard a funny joke.

"This is the result you've been fighting for, and now that I've agreed, you say I'm being unfair? Why didn't you consider that this condition was unfair when you made it?"

The male wizard remained very respectful.

"It is precisely because our conditions are unfair, and the conditions in the Middle East are also unfair, that we need you to mediate between them."

"Alright, Mr. O'Brien, could you answer a few questions for me first?"

Dumbledore sat by the bed, gently stroking the oddly shaped old wand in his hand, staring at the wizard with his bright blue eyes.

"Please ask."

"Why didn't the US Magical Congress send any of your diplomats to this meeting? Instead, they had you, the head of magical security, lead the team personally?"

"I have already explained this once in the meeting, Mr. Chairman. I have been temporarily appointed as a diplomat by Congress, so I have the authority to represent Congress."

Dumbledore nodded slightly.

"Yes, I remember you did explain that. Fine, then, let's assume you have that power and authority. But can you still answer me why the Roll family, who have already joined the Magical Congress of the United States, would return to England to purchase a seat on the Board of Governors of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, which is directly under the jurisdiction of the British Ministry of Magic?"

The wizard named O'Brien answered neither humbly nor arrogantly.

"Mr. Chairman, this is beyond my knowledge. The Roll family has never been an official organization in the American wizarding world. Nothing they do or say can represent Congress. I am unaware of the Roll family's purchase of a seat on the Hogwarts Board of Governors. This is a matter for the Roll family and has nothing to do with Congress."

Dumbledore did not respond to his answer, but instead asked another question.

"So why did Hogwarts admit a student with the surname Fontana this year? And even more coincidentally, after this student from the Fontana family enrolled, the entire Hogwarts was in turmoil for an entire semester. Attacks on professors, attacks on students, intrusions into the headmaster's office—all these unexpected events occurred after this student appeared."

O'Brien answered calmly.

"I must reiterate, Mr. Chairman, whether it's the Rolle family or the Fontana family you mentioned, although they are both magical citizens of the United States, they cannot represent Congress. We are now engaging in dialogue at the level of the national government, and no family can participate. As for what you just mentioned about what happened at Hogwarts School, I can only express my deepest regret."

Dumbledore's eyes gradually turned cold.

"In that case, I plan to go back to England now, because something terrible seems to be happening at my school."

"I'm sorry, something seems to have happened to one of our alchemical artifacts tonight, causing this island to be under anti-apparition magic, so you can't leave for the time being. Oh, by the way, this alchemical artifact is very advanced; it's something the people in Congress just researched. It not only blocks wizards' apparition magic, but it's also ineffective against magical creatures. But don't worry, the magic will wear off by tomorrow morning, and then you can go back."

Silence fell over the room.

Dumbledore was silently watching O'Brien, and O'Brien was silently watching Dumbledore.

The atmosphere gradually became inexplicably oppressive. The robes of the two wizards standing behind O'Brien were soaked with sweat and clung tightly to their backs.

"You don't want me to go back to Hogwarts, but I never intended to go back in the first place." Dumbledore stood up and looked coldly at the three American wizards in front of him.

"Do you really think I'm good-natured enough to forgive your plan to destroy my school? Do you really think I would have left Hogwarts without a second thought? Do you really think I wouldn't use a curse on you?!"

(End of this chapter)