My Hogwarts has a serious problem.

Chapter 513, Section 510: Conspiracy

After the man in black robes opposite him asked that question, Karkaroff remained silent.

The silence lasted for more than ten seconds. Harry even took the retractable ear out of his ear, suspiciously checking if there was something wrong with the magical artifact.

After a long silence, Karkarov finally spoke again.

"Of course I will remember my past, and I have thought about making up for the mistakes I made. That person should know that I had no other choice."

"I'm not here to hear your confession, Karkaroff," the mysterious man in black robes rudely interrupted Karkaroff. "I need a clear answer now, and this answer isn't for me. You should know who will ultimately receive it."

Karkaroff looked very conflicted, hesitant, and bewildered, but finally he looked firmly at the wizard sitting opposite him.

"I can give you my answer, but I also need a commitment. I want to know, can I get the security I want?"

The black-robed wizard placed his hands crossed on the wooden table.

"Then let's have a heart-to-heart talk. After all, we've known each other for quite a while, and we can certainly talk about this important decision for you in a personal capacity."

After he finished speaking, he waved his hand, and the bartender walked over with a displeased look on his face.

These two people haven't ordered any drinks since they came in, yet they've occupied his table. If one of them weren't a tenant, Aberforth would have kicked them out long ago. Even now, he's mentally giving them three minutes to count down.

If they still haven't made any further purchases, he'll turn on them and kick them out immediately.

"Would you like something to drink?"

"Two glasses of whiskey, please."

The wine the black-robed wizard had ordered was quickly brought to the table, but neither Karkaroff nor the wizard intended to touch it. This was not only because of the dirty wine glass, but also because neither of them was in the mood for drinking; they had only ordered the wine to ease the atmosphere.

"Think about Karkaroff. After such a big thing happened last year, who is by his side now?"

Don't imagine him as omnipotent. If he were, he wouldn't be the way he is now. Now he's using other people's help to try and make a comeback. Do you think he'd trust those people given his personality?

He will definitely have to reorganize his team, but his men, whether loyal or disloyal, are either dead or imprisoned in Azkaban. Who is left?

Severus Snape of Hogwarts?

He's been a professor at that school for over 10 years; who knows what he's become now.

Among the few remaining candidates, you are undoubtedly the most suitable.

He holds a high position and has made mistakes, but that doesn't necessarily mean he can't be forgiven. The most crucial point is that he has no other choice; you are his only option.

Karkaroff's voice sounded somewhat forced.

"But he... but what he hates and despises most is betrayal."

"Yes, but that was the person he used to be. He's back now, and he's completely different from before."

Think about it. If he really wanted to settle scores with you, why would I be here?

Besides, you were only trying to protect yourself back then. Everyone is the same when it comes to survival. Back then, if you wanted to survive, you could betray your colleagues. Now, if you want to survive, you can naturally return to his embrace.

Isn't that a kind of loyalty?

And it's a controlled kind of loyalty; nothing could be better.

The mysterious black-robed wizard's voice seemed to have a bewitching power; his words always sounded so correct that they inspired a deep-seated sense of agreement.

Even Harry, who knew nothing and was eavesdropping nearby, couldn't help but nod, thinking that what he said made a lot of sense, but he couldn't quite put his finger on why.

Karkarov seemed to have been persuaded by him and finally agreed.

"I can do things for you, but I only have one request: I need to ensure my safety."

A smile seemed to appear on the face of the black-robed wizard.

"Your safety will certainly be guaranteed, because only when you are safe are we safe."

He extended a hand to Karkarov, who took a deep breath and finally shook hands with the hand, reaching an agreement.

The conversation ended there, and Karkaroff didn't linger in the bar. He immediately stood up and left the Pig's Head Bar.

The mysterious black-robed wizard also left the table, but instead of leaving the bar, he turned around, grabbed some fine Filo powder from the fireplace in the bar's living room, and went up to the guest room on the second floor.

Harry saw what he did and quickly retracted his extendable ears back to their original state.

After seeing him disappear around the corner of the stairs, without saying a word, he grabbed Ron and Hermione's arms and carefully led them to the second floor.

As they left, Aberforth, who was impatiently wiping glasses at the bar, glanced up at them, muttered "What a nuisance," and then did nothing more, continuing with his own business.

When Harry and his two friends arrived on the second floor, they witnessed the wizard enter one of the guest rooms.

"What did they say?" Hermione asked Harry, frowning.

Harry looked serious.

"They must be discussing something very important. This wizard is suspicious. We need to know what they're up to."

Ron, meanwhile, was rubbing his hands together, looking eager to try.

"Can I eavesdrop this time?"

"No, you have no idea what they talked about before."

Harry kept his eyes fixed on the wizard as he entered the room, and then carefully led Hermione and Ron to the door of the guest room.

He gently slipped the retractable earplugs under the door, and the wizard's voice from inside the room sounded as if it were talking right next to him.

"I've already convinced him."

"No, the process was certainly not smooth, but I used some tricks to make him subconsciously believe what I said."

"Don't worry, he won't find out. It wasn't a spell, but a small potion that those people gave me as a gift. It's similar to an aphrodisiac."

"He's the most suitable person right now, and whether the plan succeeds or not is none of our business. We're just doing our job for the money. We just need to get the job done. The final outcome doesn't prevent us from getting our payment."

"If their plan succeeds, then we'll naturally have a share of the credit; if their plan fails, then it doesn't matter at all. Do you think Dumbledore will hold us accountable later?"

(End of this chapter)