Hogwarts: Voldemort, don't stop me from studying

Chapter 954 Emergency Contact

As the light projected onto the table flickered, Wade frowned slightly, his pen resting on the parchment, and he looked up.

He was all too familiar with this scene of signal interference.

The screen flickered like snowflakes, and once it stabilized, a familiar face appeared.

Salina Goldstein's pale face filled the entire screen as she stared into the camera, speaking in a tone that sounded unusually heavy and powerful:

"Good evening, fellow countrymen. I am Salina Goldstein..."

Vera stopped what she was doing, the bedroom door was pushed open, and Vito and Videl came out one after the other—clearly, they had also heard the noise.

Only Victor's interrogation was not yet over, but his voice had been lowered considerably.

"...I'm sorry to bother everyone on such a rainy night..."

The sound from the mirror continued. Wade didn't speak, just watched quietly, his fingers unconsciously tapping the table.

"Is this the Auror who received the master when he arrived in New York?"

"Vittor asked in a low voice. He walked to Vader's side and fixed his gaze on the Stream Mirror."

“It’s her,” Wade said.

Vito said, "I know her. Vilan was originally planning to cause her some trouble! But after finding out some information, Vilan felt it wasn't necessary."

"Why?" Vera frowned and asked, displeased.

Vito shrugged: "Because Vilan heard that she's a woman who's righteous to the point of being wicked. She's serious, rigid, and unlikable, but... supposedly even the dark wizards imprisoned in Azkaban believe that she's an absolutely impartial Auror who wouldn't distort the facts because of personal likes or dislikes."

In the United States, a country rife with blatant discrimination and differential treatment, this practice is extremely rare, and what's even more remarkable is that she has persisted in it.

Just as she was doing at that moment—she was doing what the high-ranking officials of the Magic Congress would despise, but which she believed was right.

The scene on the screen suddenly became chaotic as Rex Grimm burst into the frame, and a fierce conflict erupted between the two, quickly escalating into a full-blown battle.

Videl commented, "Very brave. But after today, her future in the Magic Congress is probably over. She may even face charges and be imprisoned."

“Then I’ll go and make a few sarcastic remarks.” Vera snorted. “Does the prison at the Magic Congress allow visits? She definitely… oh!”

She gasped softly, her words abruptly cut off.

Everyone in the living room—including Victor, who had just come out of the bedroom and was still wiping the blood off his hands—watched the scene with bated breath:

A green light, appearing out of nowhere, struck Salina in the chest in an instant.

The woman who had been in the lead just moments before suddenly collapsed.

For a moment, the living room fell into dead silence.

It's not because they haven't seen death—they themselves have caused a lot of death these days.

Rather, it's because this method—openly murdering a high-ranking government official who was revealing the truth in front of live cameras and all the wizards in the United States—clearly crossed the line in the wizarding world!

Moreover, many wizards find killing unacceptable, which is quite different from Muggles.

Wade's eyes narrowed slightly, and his fingers stopped tapping.

"Did anyone see who emitted that green light?" he asked, his voice eerily calm.

Vera answered softly, “It came from outside the frame, on the left edge, from the angle of the launch… not Grimm.”

However, the camera kept following Salina's figure, while the Aurors that Grimm brought and Salina's men were fighting fiercely on the other side of the room, so it was impossible to see who had launched the deadly spell.

Then, Leila Picqueli suddenly appeared, her tears and her resilience perfectly staged like a theatrical performance.

Wedel snorted coldly. "It seems she's the ultimate victor in this Magic Congress coup. But what I'm curious about now is..." He lowered his head, looking at the confession and evidence of John Stonefield that he had just brought from the bedroom.

“Does the wizard who colludes with Muggles,” Weddell said, “have any direct connection to this woman who is about to become the new Speaker of Congress?”

"Even if it's not her personally, it must be a force standing behind her and supporting her rise to power."

Vito said, "They've gotten huge sums of money from Muggles. And what else could possibly get most of the congressional officials on their side but blatant bribery and threats of incriminating evidence?"

Vera said thoughtfully, “So what Salina Goldstein is exposing is not only Prometheus’s crimes, but the entire corrupt network within Congress… So she has to die—die in front of the camera, because they can’t tolerate her saying another word.”

“But are American wizards really that stupid?” Victor said incredulously. “Just think about it! If Lyra really wanted to investigate Salina’s death, she should have immediately taken control of everyone present and then used a flashback spell to examine every wand in their hands!”

“You need to understand, Victor,” Wade said softly, “that many people have actually given up their ability to think for themselves, believing whatever authority figures say. And besides…”

His gaze swept over the messy screen and Grimm's struggling legs as he was dragged away, and he said:
“The ‘murderer’ has already been caught on the spot, so there’s no need to check the wand.”

“Once they’re out of the frame, using the Flashback Charm is pointless,” Vera continued. “Changing a wand isn’t that difficult.”

The living room fell silent again, with only laughter coming from the live stream—the broadcast had switched to a normal program, but the cheerful atmosphere was completely out of place with the current situation.

Just then, Vito suddenly pressed the communication pod in his ear. He listened intently for a moment, his expression changed slightly, and he strode towards Vader:

"Master, Vilan has sent an urgent message: Stonefield Manor has suddenly increased security, adding at least five times the number of security personnel, and is also preparing to send invitations to many Muggle dignitaries."

"Based on the clues, Vilan deduced that the Stonefield family was preparing to hold a unique 'soul transfer experiment' demonstration, and had invited hundreds of people to participate."

"He said that this time, the vast majority of Prometheus members will be going to Stonefield Manor, which is a rare opportunity..."

“A soul transfer experiment?” Victor frowned. “If they succeed—even partially—the guys left at the manor might get out of control.”

"Even if the transfer fails," Weidell said, "they might overreact to protect themselves, and then..."

He paused for a moment, not finishing his sentence.

However, it is obvious that the puppet is not invincible; even ordinary guns and cannons can damage it.

Being in the enemy's stronghold and recklessly challenging their firepower reserves is definitely not a good idea.

Vito looked at Vader and whispered, "We can't abandon them, Master. They... are 'us' too."

Just as Vader was about to speak, he suddenly felt his Book of Friends begin to heat up.

His own friend list has a special filtering function, and it will not pop up a reminder unless it is an extremely urgent message.

Wade opened his friend list, scrolled to the page with the hot message, and saw a line of text rapidly appearing:
[Marchoni: Wade, do you remember Nelson? The head of FMC's US branch, he said he met with you once before.]

Nelson has just acquired something extraordinary from the warrior who recently sacrificed his life, and he wants you to decide what to do with it...

There was no hesitation in Wade's eyes. He gently closed the friend's book, put away the quill, and then stood up.

"It's time to go back to New York... Victor, that John Stonefield, you haven't killed him yet, have you?"

“No,” Victor said. “He passed out. I was going to let him die from ‘accidentally slipping in the bathroom and hitting his head on the sink.’”

Wade said, "Very good, I will use his identity to attend this exhibition, and you all get ready—"

His gaze swept across everyone's faces as he said, "Pack up all the evidence and take it with you. Don't leave any trace of our presence."

"The orphanage will remain as it is for now. A few days after we leave, I will inform De Laine and ask them to find a way to place these children."

"Also, Vito, tell Vilan to keep watch and not to make any rash moves. We'll discuss everything after we get to New York! Also, pass this message on to our companions at the manor."

(End of this chapter)