Ancient Wizards Return to Hogwarts...

Chapter 532 Rice: It's Time to Create a Brand New Slytherin House

After the news spread, a flood of letters poured into Hogwarts. All of them inquired about the newly added postgraduate programs at Hogwarts.

People want to know the admission requirements and whether their children have a chance to study for a master's or doctoral degree at Hogwarts.

Clearly, the vast majority of parents will be disappointed.

In Rice's design, postgraduate education was not intended for the majority of students. Only a small percentage of students could pursue advanced studies at Hogwarts, a proportion that would not exceed 10% of the total student population in a given year.

But this is still a major positive development, a major reform that has never been seen in a thousand years.

This legendary wizard from a thousand years ago breathed new life into the ancient school after becoming the headmaster of Hogwarts.

While the wizarding world rejoiced at the new initiative of the Gryffindor headmaster, the Muggle government of Britain delivered a startling message: the Greek gods would send a delegation to Britain to sign a peace treaty with them.

Once this agreement is finalized, peace between the two parties will be substantially achieved, and the rules will be put into writing.

Yes, we will bring peace to a generation.

The Muggle Prime Minister wrote the following in his letter.

"They don't really believe that the treaty has maintained peace, do they?" Godric casually tossed the Prime Minister's handwritten letter onto the table and asked Helga and Rowena beside him.

"They might really think that way. I feel like their leadership has a kind of naivety and immaturity that doesn't match their age," Rowena complained about the Muggle government.

"That's settled then. The four of us will definitely be going, and the Ministry of Magic will also have to send someone." Godric rubbed his temples, feeling a bit tired.

The Olympian gods attached great importance to this visit. Not only did Zeus, the king of the gods, come, but he also brought Hera, the queen of the gods; Hermes, the messenger of the gods; Selene, the goddess of the moon; Apollo, the god of the sun; and Poseidon, the god of the sea.

Apart from Athena, most of the important figures among the gods were in this delegation.

This prompted the British to take the matter seriously, and they organized an even more impressive delegation to handle the negotiations.

The four powerful figures in their respective domains, led by Godric, were naturally included. The Muggle side sent the Prime Minister, the Cabinet Secretary, and a team from the Foreign Office. The Ministry of Magic was led by Burns and Henry, along with some Ministry staff.

The delegation consisted of more than one hundred people, far exceeding the number of the delegation from the divine side, and also booked several high-end restaurants and luxury hotels.

In the past, such extravagant behavior would have drawn criticism from the media, but now no one objects to it.

Zeus proved his power to the world with overwhelming force and earned respect. Everyone felt that no occasion was too grand for receiving Zeus.

The two sides met at Buckingham Palace.

After the ceremonial staff opened the meeting room door, Rhys and his three companions entered first, followed by Zeus. Once all five were seated, the remaining Olympian gods filed in.

Their status is obvious at a glance.

Reporters from various countries who rushed to the scene were all excited after witnessing the spectacle: the British hadn't lied; their four magicians really could rival the gods!

This is of extraordinary significance, showing that humanity is not powerless against the divine.

Following the gods were the Minister of Magic and the Muggle Prime Minister, the Cabinet Secretary, and the Director of Magic. Those Ministry of Magic and government employees were also entitled to enter the meeting hall, but they could only sit on chairs along the walls, not at the long table.

As the Ministry of Magic employees entered the meeting room, Rice suddenly turned his head to the side, and Godric, Helga, and Rowena next to him also turned their heads at the same time.

All four eyes fell on a short, middle-aged woman dressed in a light pink dress.

Zeus noticed the unusual behavior of the four founders and couldn't help but turn his head to see who was being watched by all four of them.

Now, the Greek gods also turned their gaze to Umbridge, who had just entered.

Being stared at by so many big shots, Umbridge suddenly felt immense pressure. Her already short stature seemed to shrink even further, sweat poured down her forehead, and her breathing became heavy.

Godric noticed the fleeting murderous intent in his old friend's eyes, and he was immediately alarmed, knowing that Salazar's anger had not subsided.

So he quietly nudged Salazar, indicating that the crimes committed in the parallel world should not be blamed on the people of the current world; in this timeline, Umbridge is innocent.

Rice took a deep breath, knowing Godric was right, but he found it hard to swallow his anger!

Zeus was filled with curiosity. He wanted to know what that guy had done to offend these four guys like this.

Hmm? Could it be something that happened in a parallel universe? Zeus felt he had guessed the answer.

Under immense psychological pressure, Umbridge managed to walk to her seat and sit down. As soon as her bottom touched the seat, she felt her legs trembling uncontrollably, and the back of her clothes was completely soaked with sweat.

But why is this happening? These bigwigs present might not even have heard of her name, so why are they paying so much attention to her?

Umbridge couldn't figure out that the root of the problem lay with Zeus and His wish-granting stone.

After the brief interlude, the more serious contract signing process began.

The diplomats from both sides finally had a chance to put their skills to use, engaging in in-depth discussions on every detail. They were undoubtedly extremely successful, as both leaders were exhausted from their conversations.

Godric stared intently at the goblet before him, seemingly lost in thought, but Rhys, sitting beside him, knew perfectly well that his old friend's soul had already drifted back to Hogwarts. Zeus, sitting opposite them, seemed to be in the same predicament, as if he were being tortured.

However, Rowena and Rice listened with great interest, and there were also some gods on the other side who were enthusiastic about it.

As the sun rose and set, the diplomats finally finished discussing all the details of the contract, which listed in great detail the rights and obligations of both Britain and Greece.

Both the British wizards and the Greek gods felt as if they had been taken advantage of, so this turned out to be an equal treaty.

"Let's drink! To peace, to today's treaty!" After signing his name on the contract, Godric stood up and filled the wine glass in front of him with whiskey.

The atmosphere between the two sides was very pleasant and harmonious.

If you didn't know better, you'd think these were two brother countries!

Although the scene appeared harmonious, anyone with a clear head understood the basis of this contract. Many people turned their gaze to the four figures, some tall, some short, some old, and some young.

Wherever the domain extends, there is peace!

Before the meeting adjourned, Rice found Minister of Magic Burns.

"Minister Burns, I have a small suggestion. Of course, it's just my personal opinion." Rice's voice was calm and soothing, as if he were having a casual chat.

"Please speak." Burns dared not delay the request of the young wizard before him.

Even though he was just a fifth-year repeat student at Hogwarts on the surface, he had previously formed a domain with three other big shots to conquer Olympus.

Perhaps the young wizards at Hogwarts are not yet aware of the immense power of their classmate, nor of the vast difference in their social standing, but Bones, as an adult wizard, is well aware of it.

Let alone his suggestion, even if he farted, Bones would take a serious look and carefully consider the hidden meaning.

"Azkaban needs a resident liaison officer, just in case," Rice offered a sound suggestion, because theoretically Azkaban is indeed at risk of being attacked!

Who knows if those evil spirits might become interested in Dementors?

"You mean...?" Bones had a vague guess in his mind, but he still needed to verify it.

"I think Dolores Umbridge would be a good fit."

Upon hearing this, everyone present turned their gaze to Umbridge, secretly wondering: What on earth did this old toad do to offend him? Being stationed in Azkaban was, without even hearing the name, a miserable and arduous task.

Regardless of what others thought, Rice strode up to Umbridge and handed her a bracelet.

"Please wear this bracelet. For your safety, I've placed a simple spell on it. I'll receive a notification whenever the bracelet leaves Azkaban, and then I'll come to your aid. Don't worry, you're not fighting alone."

Umbridge's face broke into a smile that looked more like a grimace.

She just didn't understand. Did the sentences before and after really form a logical relationship? The bracelet's built-in function was obviously to keep her in Azkaban, so what did it have to do with supporting the 1-Nat?

What's the difference between this and sentencing yourself to life imprisonment in Azkaban?

But she dared not refuse, and dared not even show her dissatisfaction.

Rice looked satisfied as he watched Umbridge put the bracelet on his wrist.

Now he understood.

"You're being too..." Godric complained to his friend on the way back.

"I'm just putting the right people in the right places. Umbridge should go to Azkaban." Rice's attitude was extremely firm.

"Fine, whatever you want." Godric didn't care about Umbridge's fate, because he actually disliked the guy quite a bit.

With the pact with the gods completed, the start of Hogwarts was fast approaching.

As usual, Rice packed his not-so-little luggage into his suitcase, and then, accompanied by Lupert, went to King's Cross Station, crossed the wall, and entered Platform 9.

Everything was the same as usual, except that this year he wore a badge on his robe that symbolized the president of the male student council.

The bottom of the badge features the Hogwarts emblem, but the top letter has been changed to "HB," symbolizing Head Boy, while Head Boy is represented by "HG."

As soon as Rice stepped onto the platform, he heard Daphne and Astoria's voices.

The two girls jogged up to Rice, the prefect's badge gleaming in the sunlight beside the brooch pinned to their chests.

"Rice, long time no see!"

Good morning, Rice! Congratulations on becoming the president of the boys' student council!

Upon hearing Daphne's congratulations, Rice wore a wry smile.

Astoria keenly sensed Rice's change in mood, and she immediately realized that Rice didn't seem to like his current position very much.

That's normal; it's not really in line with Rice's usual low-key style.

But after what he did, it seems difficult for him to keep a low profile. Everyone knows that there is a hidden big shot in Slytherin House.

However, the commotion I caused with my sister last year must have helped divert a lot of his attention.

While Astoria was pondering, Rice had already adjusted her mindset.

He had already figured out how to carry out his work as the "student leader".

Simply put, it's about decentralizing power and making class leaders take responsibility.

"Good morning! It's been a while since I've seen you. You all look even better, and you've made a qualitative breakthrough in your respective fields. Congratulations!" Rice's congratulations were heartfelt. Only by entering a new field can one's strength undergo a qualitative improvement.

He was quite pleased with the Greengrass sisters' breakthrough.

Upon hearing Rice's words, Daphne and Astoria both showed expressions of delight.

"Now that I've been promoted to student council president this year, there are many things that need to be put on the agenda." After congratulating him, Rice got down to business, "It's time to create a brand new Slytherin House."

"To expel every last trace of Voldemort's poison! That is the goal for the next few years."

With the three old friends all revived, the Secret Order destroyed, and a peace pact signed with the Greek gods, Hogwarts' external threats have been eliminated, and it's time to turn its attention to its internal troubles.

Rice worried that if the issue wasn't resolved soon, there would be no chance to mend the rift between the four academies.

Seeing that Daphne and Astoria didn't react much to his words, Rice decided to teach the two little witches a Muggle fable he had seen.

"Look, here's a fork." Rice pulled several forks from his leather bag.

Then he easily bent the fork.

"A fork is easy to bend, but what if I do this?" Rice stacked four forks together. "Four forks together—"

Daphne took the forks from Rice and then, with a slight effort, broke all four forks that were stacked together.

Rice fell silent, and Astoria, who was standing to the side, also fell silent.

Rice couldn't help but start to wonder if there was something wrong with the goals she had set for this year.

Daphne's actions seemed to possess a kind of profound wisdom disguised as foolishness.

What is the point of unity in the face of absolute power?

If Hogwarts doesn't have a single expert in any field, what's the point of the school's unity if someone like Zeus comes knocking? Won't they just get broken together like four forks?

But Rice quickly recovered from this feeling, because he felt that uniting the four houses was necessary.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Update delivered, goodnight everyone~

The next update will be at midnight tomorrow night.

(End of this chapter)