155- Dumbledore’s Guarantee

155- Dumbledore’s Guarantee

The curly-haired old man squinted at Fudge, who was standing behind the podium in the Quidditch stadium, and said in a flat tone, "Yes, someone like Cornelius can become the Minister of Magic, and before that, Voldemort had them in utter chaos—British wizards are so fallen they don't even dare to say his name aloud."

"Decades ago, Grindelwald made me think the wizards were going to rise again, but who would've thought it would be the last echo of the magical world," the old man shook his head, clearly looking down on modern wizards.

"Fortunately, those four founders are long dead. It's hard to believe that just four people could stir up a 'Ragnarok.' If they were still alive today, our plan would be nothing but a pipe dream, an illusion," said the witch.

She briefly imagined the founders still alive, and the thought made her shudder.

If they were still around, the organization's plan would be nearly impossible to execute.

"What are you thinking?" the linen-robed wizard scoffed, glancing at the witch. "Who can live for a thousand years? Relax, Virgo. The power of the Secret Order is stronger than you think. Even if those old relics came back from the dead, they'd just be remnants of a bygone era. They probably couldn't even withstand a single arrow from me."

Rhys, who had been eavesdropping on their entire conversation from the shadows, showed no change in his expression.

Often, arrogance and ignorance go hand in hand like inseparable twins. When one appears, the other isn't far behind.

When children misbehave, a good spanking teaches them.

The witch named Virgo and the curly-haired old man both frowned upon hearing their companion's words. Sagittari (the wizard in the linen robe) was always so confident, overly so—he lacked the most basic respect for ancient wizards.

More importantly, if you're going to belittle the four founders of Hogwarts, what does that make the gods they killed?

The linen-robed wizard cleared his throat, signaling his companions to shut up and quietly observe the ceremony below.

Seeing the trio stop talking, Rhys also turned his attention, somewhat disinterested, to the experiment taking place on the Quidditch pitch.

The experiment had already begun. Under Minister Fudge's orders, Lupin and another werewolf were brought to the center of the field.

Although both of them were volunteers, they were tightly bound with numerous chains, and their feet shackled with heavy iron cuffs — the Ministry's treatment of them seemed to clash with their supposed volunteer status.

Of course, none of the wizards present thought this was a problem: after all, they were dealing with werewolves, and it was always wise to take extra precautions.

Mr. Jamison Henry Greengrass and Lockhart were already prepared.

Today, Mr. Jamison wore a black wizard's robe with silver-green embroidery symbolizing Slytherin House on the cuffs, and a Greengrass family crest pinned to his chest. Lockhart, on the other hand, wore a forget-me-not blue robe and had carefully styled his hair.

Lockhart: "!"

Rhys, watching from the stands, was equally stunned. 'This is unbelievable. Could Lockhart's spell actually counteract the effects of the Wolfsbane potion?'

The awakened wolf, still groggy but now alert, instantly locked its eyes on the closest human — Lockhart.

Baring its fangs, it leapt at Lockhart's throat.

"A—A save me!"

In the next instant, several ropes appeared out of thin air, binding the wolf tightly and slamming it back to the ground.

Dumbledore, now standing in the center of the field, glanced briefly at Lockhart, then gave a flick of his wand.

"Watch carefully. This is how you cast the Human Restoration Charm!"

The werewolf, which had been struggling and writhing on the ground, suddenly stiffened, and its thick fur began to recede. Eventually, it reverted back into the timid-looking Ministry employee.

The audience in the stands finally reacted. They applauded Dumbledore enthusiastically, though many of them shot curious and skeptical glances toward Lockhart.

From this day forward, Lockhart's reputation would spread throughout the wizarding world—exactly in the way he least wanted.

Lockhart collapsed to the ground in a daze, but no one was paying attention to him anymore. All eyes were now on Dumbledore, who had begun to speak.

After casting a Sonorous Charm on himself, Dumbledore's voice echoed across the stadium: "Ladies and gentlemen, we have just proven that Mr. Jamison's Human Restoration Charm is indeed effective!"

The stadium erupted into thunderous applause.

But what Dumbledore did next made everyone freeze in shock—he stretched out his hand, firmly scraped it against Lupin's teeth, and blood began to flow from the back of his thin, frail hand.

Gasp!

——

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