A Certain Magical Hogwarts

Chapter 553 Stepping Stone

With the help of the wizard, the fire was quickly extinguished.

Strangely, the fire clearly started in Professor Slughorn's tent, but it wasn't burned as badly here...

On the contrary, Crouch's tent next to it was almost completely burned down. It was an utterly senseless disaster.

"Are you alright?"

Outside the tent, William tossed two bottles of potions to the twins.

"It's nothing, just some minor abrasions."

George wiped his arm with styptic agent, still shaken.

"Why did you two go after Malfoy!" Hermione pursed her lips, her expression serious, as if Professor McGonagall had possessed her.

"We...thought we had some prank alchemy items that could deal with him," Fred said with a wry smile.

Qiu said sternly, "Have you all forgotten that Malfoy is an adult wizard?! How old are you all?"

"us……"

"I'm going to write to Mom!" Ginny shrieked, delivering the fatal blow.

"Ginny, please...please don't!" Fred pleaded.

"Can I call you 'sister', Ginny?" George shamelessly shouted.

However, no one paid any attention to the two of them. Several people took turns criticizing the twins in a serious tone.

They looked pleadingly at William and Cedric, the two family members.

Cedric straightened his chest, wanting to say a few words of advice, but Qiu glared at him, and he didn't dare to be defiant in the slightest.

Having no stance whatsoever, he immediately switched sides like a lackey and joined in the criticism.

William was not so shameless; he simply held his chin up, pretending to be thinking, completely ignoring the resentful looks from George and Fred.

The twins were definitely impulsive this time. Even if they had prank products, they could never be a match for Malfoy.

They are different from Hermione. Hermione dares to face adult wizards because William gives her magical training almost every night.

William completely imparted his fighting skills to Hermione.

William also taught Cedric and the others, but mostly on school weekends.

After a busy year, the event was cancelled again.

They are certainly much stronger than wizards of the same age, but they are still somewhat lacking in the ability to become adult wizards... especially Death Eaters like Malfoy.

William squinted... It seems that combat training for the group will have to be resumed this school year.

The denunciation meeting didn't last long because Crouch came over.

Seeing his tent reduced to ruins, he stood there stunned for several seconds.

Crouch was indeed a little confused. He had only been gone for half an hour, so how did the place become like this?

Your neighbors are having a party... why are you burning down our tent?

My damned son, cursed with a soul-stealing spell, is still inside!

Crouch hated his son, but suddenly he was forced to bury his son... to be separated by death...

Is this something a human being would do?

Mr. Crouch's face was contorted with rage. He looked around and shouted, "Who did this?"

An Auror hurried over, leaned close to Crouch's ear, and whispered something to him.

A moment later, Crouch's sharp eyes swept over the twins.

"You two started the fire?!"

"We didn't!" Fred shouted, protesting his innocence.

“We didn’t do anything!” George said. “The fire started in Professor Slughorn’s tent, we didn’t start it.”

"Don't lie, kid!" Crow's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.

"My tent is some distance away from here, so it's impossible for it to be ignited."

Just look at the other tents nearby!

Someone set the fire there, and when the Aurors arrived, only the two of you were there!

"We're just putting out fires..." Fred argued.

"If you didn't release them, why did you save them...?"

"Barty," a witch in a long woolen coat whispered, "they're just children, Barty, they can't possibly be—"

"What's wrong with the child?" Crouch was provoked, and he looked a little crazy.

"I've seen too many young wizards go astray... Youth is no excuse."

Just then, with another "poof," Minister Fouché appeared in the crowd in a phantom form.

Fudge's clothes were a mess, and he had a pink bow tied around his neck, which was obviously a mistake.

It's also possible that they were just playing some weird games and forgot to take it off.

After landing, Fudge felt a soft, squishy sensation under his feet, like stepping in dog poop.

Looking down, there was a lush meadow.

He lifted his foot, rubbed the sole of his shoe hard on the grass, spat angrily, and then looked at Slughorn to the side.

Slughorn was in a bad state; his hands were covered in scratches, and blood was still seeping through them.

He was using a potion, but the vampire's special toxins were preventing the wound from healing.

"What's wrong with you, Horace?" Fudge was startled.

"I was attacked by a vampire, but luckily William saved me," Slughorn said, still shaken.

Even now, he has not yet recovered from the emotional turmoil.

For a moment, he truly thought he was going to die.

He's only a little over a hundred years old, still young, hasn't lived enough yet.

Thanks to William for saving him...

Slughorn felt that it wouldn't be too much to ask him to become sworn brothers with him, even if it meant dying on the same day, month, and year...

William must have thought so too.

"Where's that vampire?" Fudge asked angrily.

Who let those viper into the camp, those despicable dark creatures! All magical creatures except Veela deserve to die.

Soon, Blood Nymph was brought up. His mouth had been cut open, but he wasn't dead; he was just unconscious.

"He must have started the fire!"

Fudge looked around and stomped his foot angrily.

He had just received news of a fire here and had to get out of bed, where he had been preparing for the occasion.

He's in a terrible mood right now. The investigation into the death of the American wizard is still ongoing, and now someone's set fire to something!

Fudge kicked hard at the triangular patch of grass beneath his feet, venting his anger.

The feel was surprisingly good, so he kicked it twice more.

"It wasn't him, Connelly." Crouch searched the ruins and shouted, "Someone even set fire to my tent. There were a lot of valuable documents and departmental files inside... all gone!"

I need someone to take charge.

"We must use the Flashback Charm on those two red-haired wizards' wands. I need to investigate thoroughly!"

Crouch was starting to despair; he hadn't found Barty or Sparky, the house-elf.

"We didn't do it..." George struggled to say.

"Just now, a wizard knocked Malfoy unconscious, took his wand, and set the fire on his head."

"What? What did you say?" Crouch rushed over, grabbed George's arm, and said with a ferocious grin, "Did you even see what he looked like?"

"No...we can't see that person. He might have used an illusion spell or an invisibility cloak."

As Fred spoke, he snatched George from Crouch's grasp.

"He attacked Malfoy from behind and then picked up his wand..."

Crouch's face was horribly pale, and his hands and toothbrush-shaped mustache were twitching.

He knew who it was.

That rebellious son didn't die... he even escaped!

"Where's Lucius?" Fudge asked anxiously. "Where is he?"

"It was just there..." George said.

Everyone bent down and started searching.

"At your feet, Minister!!" Kingsley shouted.

Fudge was startled and jumped up. His jumping ability was surprisingly strong; the vertical jump reached a staggering 100 centimeters.

After landing, Fudge stomped hard on the area again. He bounced up once more.

Pfft, thump, thump~

And so it went, over and over again... like a springboard.

Wait a minute... if that was Malfoy, then the springboard Fudge stepped on was him, right?

William gasped.

However, after being subjected to such repeated torment by Fudge... even the healthiest person would be ruined!

Poor Narcissa. (Voiceover)

……

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(End of this chapter)