Harry Potter: I started checking in from Diagon Alley

After the news of Voldemort's return was confirmed.

Fudge quickly regained recognition thanks to that attack.

That attack is now portrayed as Fudge leading the Aurors in a brave fight against the Death Eaters and the unpunished dark wizards.

They even arrested Peter Pediru and exonerated Sirius Black, who had been wrongfully imprisoned years ago.

As for Fudge running away halfway through?

No, that's not true. Minister Fouché has been fighting bravely on the front lines all along.

Even Fudge himself never dreamed that he would be able to secure his position as Minister of Magic based on such qualifications.

Now, he not only faces no risk of stepping down, but has also been established as a role model because he confronted the dark wizard head-on.

On this basis, Fudge successfully initiated the War Act and passed all policies targeting Voldemort and Death Eaters.

The once slick and power-hungry Fudge has now transformed into a hero leading the fight against the dark wizard.

This transformation, surprisingly, reveals a subtle sense of rationality amidst its absurdity.

It's all because Fudge is still essentially a politician.

After Voldemort appeared, this politician became even smarter.

It wasn't just about dealing with Voldemort, but also about dealing with opposing forces within the Ministry of Magic.

Fudge sees Voldemort as an enemy, but at the same time, he is ruthless towards those who oppose him.

Against the backdrop of the War Act, he not only took the opportunity to add many necessary restrictions, but also stirred up a storm of purges within the Ministry of Magic.

Many officials who were not Fudge's cronies were dismissed and replaced by Fudge's own people.

Despite the wizards, led by Scrimgeour, constantly refuting the law, it had no effect whatsoever.

Because Fudge's reputation was at its peak at that moment.

Regardless of whether the measures he signed were effective or not, at least the way he acted was very inspiring.

Ordinary people could see Fudge constantly campaigning, and as a result, the voices opposing him were gradually drowned out.

Most importantly, Fudge still has Dumbledore's support at this moment.

As long as Dumbledore doesn't object, then frankly, the opinions of others don't threaten Fudge.

Chapter 198 Dumbledore and Grindelwald

The day after Voldemort's return, at Hogwarts.

Inside the corridor on the eighth floor of the castle.

Just as the outside world was thrown into unprecedented panic by news of Voldemort.

Eric appeared here.

As Eric walked past the tapestry depicting the troll beating Barnabas three times, a large door suddenly appeared on the opposite wall.

Eric pushed open the door and went inside, followed by Dumbledore, the headmaster of Hogwarts.

as well as……

Grindelwald followed Eric here.

Upon entering, you are greeted by a room that resembles a laboratory.

The room was enormous, filled with all sorts of experimental equipment.

The items were similar to the ones Eric had requested at Black's old house, except that the selection here was more comprehensive.

In the most conspicuous place in the room, there was a table, which was completely empty.

Eric carried a suitcase, walked to the table, and took out the contents of the suitcase one by one.

A locket, a listless, imprisoned Dementor, and a book wrapped in parchment.

The two people behind him were used to these things.

Even the usually witty and playful Dumbledore didn't offer any comment on the sudden appearance of the Dementors.

"So you hid Sirius here? No wonder we couldn't find him." Dumbledore glanced around and laughed first.

Eric said, "Professor, you have to admit that even you cannot know all the secrets of Hogwarts."

“Indeed.” Dumbledore readily admitted this, then expressed his amazement at the laboratory’s complete facilities once again, “This room contains many spells that even I cannot decipher. It’s amazing. How was this done?”

Eric said, "This room can transform into whatever you want it to be; it's essentially an infinite extension of transfiguration."

"It looks like Hufflepuff's work. When Hogwarts was founded, Ravenclaw and she were both responsible for the design of many areas inside the castle," Dumbledore exclaimed.

Grindelwald snorted, his gaze falling on Dumbledore, and then asked, "Don't tell me you've never known this place, just as you didn't know Voldemort was practicing that magic."

“Of course I don’t know,” Dumbledore said, frowning slightly. “As Eric said, even I can’t control everything. Don’t you believe me?”

Grindelwald shook his head and said slowly, "Do you really think there's any trust left between us? That's impossible."

Dumbledore paused for a moment, then said, "Perhaps."

“I am indeed very curious about how Voldemort controlled Barty Crouch Jr., but I also know that I have important business to attend to right now, so could you two catch up later?” Eric walked up to the locket, turned to the two of them and said.

Dumbledore said in a low voice, "No rush. This is information you can also know, Eric. Perhaps you can also gain something from it. Since we've brought this up, it's not too late to let us finish."

Dumbledore said, "The magic Voldemort used back then, to be precise, has been lost. Gellert and I only heard about it when we were teenagers, but we've never seen anyone use it."

"You mean that face that appeared on Barty's arm?"

"Correct."

Eric asked, "Okay, so what kind of magic is it? And who invented it?"

Grindelwald sneered and uttered two short phrases: "The power of a willing soul, Salazar Slytherin."

He doesn't need to say anything more; this is enough.

The conclusion drawn from linking these words together is truly unsettling.

Eric was also taken aback and asked, "So, if it's voluntary, Voldemort can extract what he needs from other people's souls? Just like he did to Barty Jr., am I right?"

Dumbledore nodded solemnly: "That's right."

Eric asked, "Is this spell similar to the Imperius Curse?"

"No, not entirely. The so-called 'voluntary' is not simply coercion based on strength, but rather a kind of temptation. For example, if he wanted Barty Crouch Jr. to die voluntarily, he would first have to gain Barty Crouch Jr.'s approval. This is also why Voldemort could only control Barty Crouch Jr. and the other two Death Eaters at the time. Among those people, the three of them had the highest loyalty and were willing to die for Voldemort."

Dumbledore continued, "Of course, Voldemort didn't need them to actually give up their souls; he only needed some souls that he could use. That was the 'freedom' he sought. The Imperius Curse, relatively speaking, has more restrictive limitations, while this spell can be applied in more varied ways than the Imperius Curse."

"What's the name of this magic?"

Dumbledore shrugged and said, "Good question. We don't know either. If we did, this magic would be more than just a legend."

Eric asked, "Well, what will be the final fate of those souls who are 'used'?"

“...You already know the answer,” Dumbledore said.

Grindelwald's expression shifted between anger and uncertainty; he and Eric simultaneously considered the worst-case scenario.

"It's just what you think. In other words, we may end up facing a powerful and ever-growing Voldemort."

Grindelwald suddenly said, "That's you, not me. I don't want to get involved in your mess."

“You can’t escape this, Gellert. He killed me, and he’ll come after you.”

Grindelwald sneered and questioned, "If you're not afraid of death, why do you think I am? Besides, my agreement with you is only for today. After tomorrow, we'll have nothing to do with each other anymore."

After he finished speaking, he coughed violently again.

Dumbledore shook his head, no longer pursuing the topic, and instead said softly to Eric, "Begin, do what you're supposed to do."

“Wait,” Grindelwald said in a hoarse voice, straightening his back with difficulty. “Get out. Like I said, I don’t trust you.”

"I'll stay here. If anything happens to Eric, I can still save your lives," Dumbledore said indifferently.

"unnecessary."

Dumbledore looked at Eric and found that Eric also nodded slightly.

After hesitating for a moment, Dumbledore sighed softly, "Alright."

Then he turned and walked toward the door of the Room of Requirement.

As he reached the door, he turned around and asked, "We won't see each other again, will we?"

Grindelwald remained expressionless and did not answer the question.

Dumbledore paused, glanced at Grindelwald one last time, and left without looking back.

Chapter 199 Stripping Away the Soul!

The atmosphere in the Room of Requirement eased slightly after Dumbledore left.

Eric had no intention of gossiping about the entanglement between the two of them.

That's quite complicated.

“Let’s begin,” Grindelwald said.

Eric gestured for Grindelwald to walk to the table in the center of the room and said, "You should know what we're going to do next."

Grindelwald coldly replied, "To strip away the fragments of my soul is an achievement no one has ever accomplished before."

Eric nodded and said, "Then you should also understand the risks involved, after all, the source of a wizard's magic comes from the soul."

"I know."

Eric continued, "In other words, you could die."

Grindelwald suddenly said, "Living like this is no different from being dead. This is also part of our agreement: you saved me, and I'll help you complete this experiment."

Upon hearing this, Eric turned and began to prepare his magic, just as he had done in Black's old house, asking, "How did that fragment of soul come to you? And to whom did it originally belong?"

"...Is this question related to the operation you're trying to perform to remove it?"

Eric laughed and said, "No, I was just curious."

Grindelwald immediately fell silent again. Just when Eric thought he wouldn't speak again, he suddenly said, "That was during our youth. Back then, Dumbledore and I were researching the magic of voluntarily sacrificing one's soul. I was the one who used the magic. It was because we tried it that we concluded that the magic was impossible and just a legend."