Ancient Wizards Return to Hogwarts...

Chapter 543 I can't remember the last time we fought side by side; this July, you're welcome!

After hearing what Rice said, Dumbledore agreed to his request without hesitation.

Although he has retired, his soul and body belong completely to Hogwarts. He will naturally come when Hogwarts needs him.

"Very good, here's our plan..." Rhys shared his plan with Dumbledore.

"The four of us will use weapons of war to try to wipe out the enemy facing those three schools in one fell swoop. When we go out to fight, those who stay behind at the schools will face great pressure."

Dumbledore nodded silently.

"Just to be on the safe side, we'll bring Athena along. After all, she's a member of Olympus, so we can't be too careful."

"Yes, I have no objection," Dumbledore said in a deep voice. "The situation is critical, and we must act quickly."

With the support of four senior figures, Dumbledore's actions became more radical.

In the past, he would never have taken such action—he was like a Hogwarts earthbound spirit, trapped in the castle, unmoved by any changes in the outside world.

Seeing that Dumbledore also agreed to Salazar's plan, Rice and his three companions immediately sprang into action.

Their first task was to retrieve their own weapons of war.

After leaving the principal's office, Rowena sighed, "Actually, we didn't need to do all this; the Muggles might not appreciate it."

Helga gave a cold laugh.

"Whatever Muggles think, I just don't want to see those scumbags' arrogant faces! Do I need the Muggle government to give me a red flower before I do this?"

She didn't want anything in return; she just couldn't stand the way those evil spirits in the underworld ran rampant.

The group quickly dispersed, each retrieving their own weapons and taking their respective heirs with them.

Meanwhile, Hogwarts is gradually awakening.

The little wizards climbed off their beds and unwrapped the mountain of Christmas presents. They chatted and laughed with their roommates, commenting on the gifts they had received.

No one knew that the school's top fighters were about to face a major battle.

When Rice led Daphne and Astoria to the principal's office, she stopped at the entrance of the auditorium and stood there for a moment.

As he watched the students walk into the auditorium with excited smiles on their faces, his expression also became calm and peaceful.

"The peace of Hogwarts will endure. My task, and your task, is to protect this sanctuary, to safeguard this tranquility," Rice remarked.

"It feels a bit strange to talk about this now," Daphne complained.

When Rice heard Daphne's words, he just smiled wryly and shook his head, without offering any opinion.

He led the two directly to the principal's office.

Pushing open the door to the headmaster's office, Rice found that all of Hogwarts' top fighters had gathered there: Dumbledore, Hermione, Cedric, the Greengrass sisters, and the four of them.

Rice reiterated his tactics to everyone, making sure they all remembered them well. Then, with a wave of his hand, he indicated that everything was ready and they could head to support the three magic schools.

As Rice walked down to the first floor, he didn't forget to call Athena, who looked completely bewildered, away from the auditorium.

Athena, the chief Greek goddess, was a major headache for them. Because Athena hadn't fully won their trust, it actually had a negative impact on the fighting strength of her faction.

After careful consideration, Rice decided to have Athena accompany him.

Helga originally intended for Athena to come with her, but after a moment's thought, Rais refused.

The four of them are roughly equal in strength. If one had to rank them, Helga and Godric have preserved their strength more completely, while he and Rowena are slightly inferior.

This statement is subjective, and Rowena will certainly disagree, but it makes sense for her to be on the same team as herself and bring Athena along, as this would balance the theoretical strength of the three teams as much as possible.

The remaining two groups are Helga and Daphne, and Astoria and Godric. Dumbledore, Cedric, and Hermione will guard the house.

This combination is sufficient to handle most unexpected situations.

A moment later, several figures swept across the sky above Hogwarts, heading in the east, west, and north directions.

Rice was heading to Durmstrang's aid, Helga was going to cross the Atlantic to Ifamion, and Godric was going to rescue Beauxbatons.

"I can't even remember the last time we fought side by side." Feeling the sea breeze blowing on his face, Rice felt a deep sense of emotion.

Thousands of years ago, they marched north in the same way and wiped out the once invincible Norse gods in one fell swoop.

"You're welcome this July." Rowena's voice drifted on the wind into Rice's ears, instantly silencing him and erasing all his emotions.

Athena, trailing behind the two, used all her strength to keep her expression in check and prevent herself from laughing out loud.

But when she realized that the battle Ravenclaw was referring to was the great war between them and their father, Zeus, she couldn't help but laugh.

This was the first time Athena had ever seen her high and mighty Father God suffer such a great loss.

The two people and one god quickly arrived near Durmstrang School.

Following the instructions in the letter, Rice found the person he was supposed to meet, who turned out to be Viktor Krum.

After graduating, he did not continue his career with the Quidditch team, but returned to school and became Durmstrang's flight instructor.

"How are things? Is Durmstrang holding on? What about Principal Karkaroff?" Rice asked Krum two questions in quick succession after landing next to him.

A conflicted look flashed across Krum's face before he told Rice that the letter requesting help was actually sent by him impersonating Karkaroff.

"Give me a reason." Rice wasn't angry at being deceived, because he understood there must be a reason.

"Professor Karkaroff has gone mad, and many of Durmstrang's classmates have gone mad with him," Krum said gravely. "They've gained powers they shouldn't have."

Rice and the other two instantly understood what had happened to Durmstrang.

They fell into depravity under the temptations of the underworld.

The underworld can grant people immense power, allowing their strength to surge in a short period. However, the price that comes with this power is often beyond what these people can afford.

"Did all Durmstrang students receive a blessing from the underworld?"

Krum shook his head, indicating that the uncooperative students had left Durmstrang, and Karkaroff had expelled them.

"Very good, Durmstrang has preserved the embers. Take us inside," Rice said to Krum.

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 second update will be a little later.

(End of this chapter)