The Black Bloodline of Hogwarts

Elizabeth nodded in surprise: "You...you know my aunt?"

“Of course,” Madame Maxime smiled slightly, “we’re old friends. As for you, young sir, who are you?” She looked at Julien.

"Hello, madam. My name is Schillerm Julien Black, and I live at the nearby Blackvine Winery."

"Black Vine Winery? I see. I ran into your grandfather on Meteor Walk in Paris, well, it wasn't a pleasant experience. That old fellow was quite slippery."

Julien smiled awkwardly. Of course he knew that his grandfather frequented that place, after all, he got his first magic wand from there.

Maxim continued, "Oh, right, I forgot to introduce myself. I am Orim Maxim, headmaster of Beauxbatons School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. This is my student, Fleur Delacour, a fourth-year student."

Julien's heart skipped a beat, and he looked at the girl before him again. No wonder this girl was so exquisitely beautiful, like a two-dimensional model; it was her, the jewel of Beauxbatons, the future seeded player in the final three.

"Hello, Miss Delacour," Julien said, quickly bowing.

Rozier first glanced at Julien, and seeing that he didn't seem to notice anything unusual about Fleur de la Cour, he happily greeted Fleur.

Upon hearing Mrs. Maxim's introduction, Rozier recalled that her aunt had told her about the background of this Fleur de la Cour.

She has one-quarter Veela blood, which not only gives her a stunning appearance but also an inexplicable charm, especially to men.

Julien didn't seem to be out of sorts, which for some reason pleased her.

"On behalf of Beauxbatons, I express my deepest regret that you two did not choose our school," Mrs. Maxim said directly, but there was no blame in her tone, only the regret of an elder.

"Especially you, Miss Rosier. I understand your predicament, but I believe you will receive better guidance at Beauxbatons. Do you prefer to trust Headmaster Dumbledore?"

Rozier's expression changed slightly, but he quickly regained his composure, simply nodding and smiling without replying.

Mrs. Maxime seemed unconcerned by her silence, and instead changed the subject, lowering her voice even further: "Of course, I believe you have your reasons for your choices. I just want to take this opportunity to ask you to pass a message to Dumbledore."

She glanced around before continuing, "Recently, some unusual activity has occurred on the European continent. A wizarding organization called the 'Lunar Conclave' has become unusually active."

"The Moon Shadow Council?" Julien frowned slightly. He had never heard of this name even in his previous life. It was only mentioned by the man he had just fought with, Cassian.

"Yes," Mrs. Maxim nodded, "it's an ancient organization that's been around for hundreds of years. They operate with extreme secrecy, never showing themselves even in the time of Grindelwald and Voldemort, as if they deliberately avoided all the vortexes of power."

Maxim considered his words carefully. "They don't seem to be pursuing dominance, nor are they keen on creating chaos. Their interest... lies solely in knowledge itself, however dark that knowledge may be."

"Illegal experiments, forbidden research into black magic, and even the plundering of ancient magical materials," a chill ran through her voice. "Just last month, an ancient site near our Beauxbatons was looted, and it now appears that the Moonshadow Council was behind it."

"Why have they suddenly become so active?" Rozier finally spoke, his voice cool and clear, as if he had immediately grasped the key point.

"That's exactly what we're worried about." Mrs. Maxime looked into the distance, her eyes grave. "Perhaps it's due to some event, or perhaps a lost treasure has resurfaced. In any case, I think Dumbledore needs to know about this, and I hope you can convey my words to him verbatim."

The dizziness from the teleportation was milder than that from the door key, but still limited. Fortunately, Yu Lian's physical condition was quite good.

As his feet touched the ground, the distinctive aroma of grapevines and oak barrels from the Blackvine Winery filled his nostrils. Snowflakes landed on his shoulders, instantly melting into cool droplets, and before him stood the familiar, ornate iron gate of the estate's main building.

"Mr. Black, remember my words." Madam Maxime's voice was exceptionally clear in the wind and snow. Her tall figure stood as steady as an iron tower in the night. "Relay to Dumbledore the unusual movements of the Moonshadow Council. Do not let your guard down."

Julien nodded solemnly: "I will, madam. Thank you again for your help."

Mrs. Maxim nodded slightly, said nothing more, and turned to Elizabeth and Fleur beside her, "Let's go."

Then, the three figures flickered and transformed into a silver-blue halo, disappearing from sight, leaving behind the faint echo of Elizabeth Rozier's goodbye in the wind.

"Why is there such a commotion?" His grandfather Alphad's voice came from behind him. Julien smiled and turned around, embracing his grandfather, finally feeling like he was home.

"Didn't we agree that you'd contact me to pick you up as soon as you got off the plane?"

"A classmate happened to be going the same way and we came back together. By the way, do you know Mrs. Maxime from Beauxbatons? She Apparated me back just now."

"That big guy," old Blake's lips twitched, "was it a case of 'no fight, no friendship'?"

"I'm afraid you'll be the one getting beaten up," Julien said with a smile.

"That woman is comparable to Dumbledore," Alphad said with a wry smile, "well, she can't even be considered a woman." He then looked around again, as if afraid that Maxim would suddenly reappear.

"Hahaha!"

When Julien pushed open the iron gate and entered the manor, the familiar warm light from the living room shone through the French windows onto the snow.

He had just changed his shoes when Grandma Elodie came up to him with a bowl of hot chocolate, her wool shawl still warm from the fireplace: "My little wizard is back! Did you have any trouble on the way? I told you I should have had your grandfather pick you up earlier."

"Everything went well, Grandma." Yu took the hot chocolate, the warmth spreading through her body from her throat. She winked at Grandpa Alfard. "The flight was a little delayed, but I made it just in time for dinner at home."

Alfred's grandfather sat on the sofa, his fingers habitually twirling the wedding ring engraved with Latin inscription, his eyes deep and thoughtful. He knew, of course, that something must have happened for Mrs. Maxim to personally return it.

"It's good that you're back. Rest for two days, and I'll take you to Fonsari to see the French wizards' market."

After a long night of talking with his grandfather, Julien gained nothing. Alphad knew nothing about the Black Ancestor or any magical nodes. He simply reminded him to be cautious in everything he did.

However, another book appeared in his Magic Resonance Library: "Snap! And Where Am I Now? - A Survival Guide for Novice Phantoms." The subtitle read: "Don't worry, the first failure was just your body playing its last joke on space."

Julien glanced at it and realized that with his current level of magic, this first time might very well be the last. Of course, practicing in secret was fine, as long as he didn't press the "enter" key on the spell.

As for Fonzari, which Grandfather mentioned, isn't that where Elizabeth went? Interesting.