Hogwarts doesn't need a savior

There are only a few young wizards left in the castle, much fewer than in previous years.

Hermione's Crookshanks once again had a conflict with Scabbers, causing the two who were always quarreling to become somewhat unhappy again.

But this time they did not have a cold war, because greater joy washed away everything.

A copy of the Daily Prophet was brought to the Gryffindor common room by Hagrid himself, and after a trash-talking duel with Sir Cadogan, he finally squeezed in.

It contained an open letter written by Newt Scamander in his own handwriting, defending the hippogriff named Buckbeak. The words were sincere and very contagious.

"I knew Mr. Scamander's intervention would work." Hagrid wiped his tears, "Now they won't dare to treat Buckbeak like this again."

"Don't be happy too soon, Hagrid." Hermione said calmly, "We still need to write our defense statement for the hearing and find more strong evidence to help Mr. Scamander - after all, he is too old."

Hagrid probably didn't hear it, he was still immersed in the sudden surprise.

This is indeed the best Christmas gift and adds a good atmosphere to this wonderful holiday.

If we ignore Sybill Trelawney's disappointing prediction at lunchtime, as luck would have it, there were only thirteen people left on the huge campus who went to have lunch.

I don’t know whether it is accidental or inevitable.

Outside Hogsmeade, in the Shrieking Shack.

Lupin and Sirius, who did not attend the school Christmas dinner, sat on the floor together, each holding a turkey leg and eating voraciously.

The last time they sat together to spend Christmas was when they were seventeen.

At that time there was James, Lily, Peter Pettigrew, and many other friends.

Now there are only two down-and-out middle-aged men left.

This is really sad.

"In the new year, I must get rid of that bad Peter!"

Sirius' hoarse shout echoed in the small wooden house.

-----------------

"Merry Christmas! Welcome everyone to our home!"

While Sirius was still gnashing his teeth over the mice in the castle, Christmas lunch was already on the table at Lynn's house.

There was a burst of joy, mixed with the childish laughter of children.

The clinking of glasses and the sound of cups and plates were crisp and pleasant.

The world is diverse, even the same festival has different joys and sorrows.

For example, in faraway Central Asia, there are former Russian Aurors who are displaced because they are wanted.

Chapter 291 Accident

The more hardworking a person is, the more he or she will desire laziness and leisure at some point in time. This sentence is the most appropriate to describe Lynn during the Christmas holidays.

Inès refused to leave his house after three days, and was finally driven away by Euphemia, who could no longer tolerate her, to Beauxbatons to keep Nico and his wife company.

Returning to their own world, they enjoyed some relaxing time.

The transfer of goblin funds and technology is being carried out in an orderly manner in secret, and there is also a large number of well-trained technical talents - from all over the world, fully demonstrating the powerful invisible influence of Gringotts.

Victor and Arthur, who were strong in both men and horses, showed their prowess. Magic technology equipment represented by [Starlight Type 1] quickly spread from Diagon Alley across the country and even throughout Europe.

Branches in more than a dozen countries ran out of inventory in a short period of time and could only wait for overtime production of subsequent products.

Half of this is due to the media, and the other half is due to the good reputation of the product. Wizards who are used to traditional media quickly become addicted to it after being baptized by information technology.

On the other hand, Inès, who went to Beauxbatons for vacation, did not forget to snatch the crown from Lynn before leaving, calling it "necessary for the experiment", which left people speechless.

After all, her achievements were truly extraordinary, and she had even vaguely touched upon the life essence and material composition of the false god.

Therefore, without the best research aid and without any urgent matters that needed to be handled by him, Lin En responded to Miss Fei's request and gave himself a long vacation.

The leisurely and sweet days continued until January 1, his 5st birthday.

-----------------

Unlike last year's excitement and surprises, this year Lynn returned to his usual low-key self. There was no celebration, and no special actions. He just ate a small piece of birthday cake with Euphemia and went out for a walk.

Birthday cards from students and friends are piled on the desk, and the mobile phones left at home are filled with text messages with blessings - wizards who have just learned how to use mobile phones always enjoy it.

In the evening, the two people who had been wandering aimlessly on the streets of Birmingham all day walked slowly on the street, watching the teenagers playing football rushing by like the wind, and watching the stray cats on the street corners cross the road nimbly.

"Aha--"

The pleasant breeze aroused Lynn's sleepiness and made him yawn slightly.

"Why, is it boring to go shopping with me? I see you are feeling sleepy." Euphemia turned her head and said with pretended anger.

"No, I just feel very comfortable, especially the scarf you knitted is very warm." When faced with life-threatening questions, Lin En always behaves very witty and has textbook-like sharpness.

Miss Fei, who didn't find any flaws, narrowed her eyes slightly, thought for a moment, stared at him mischievously, and said softly: "That's right, after all, I have always liked you more."

"It's me who wants to be with you forever." Lin En said expressionlessly, "After all, I have the best girlfriend in the world."

"That doesn't sound sincere at all. I'll make you say it again." The rolled-up outdoor concert poster was gently knocked on Lin En's head, making a "pop" sound.

"No, I won't be able to keep a poker face if you say it again." Lin En raised the corner of his mouth and hugged Miss Fei, who was caught off guard, to his side. "I really hope every day can be like this."

"Hmph...you just talk." Euphemia pursed her lips, lowered her head to gather her clothes, her eyes full of charm, as bright as a newly blooming peach blossom.

Passers-by all looked at the scene sideways, and even on holidays when there was no shortage of couples traveling together, this scene was enough to make people linger.

Miss Fei, who was very thin-skinned, lowered her watery eyes, and the hot air she exhaled turned into a hazy mist, covering up the light pink color.

The soft and warm touch on his shoulder made Lynn's heart tremble slightly, and turned into a warm current that spread throughout his body.

"Once all the troubles are resolved, we will leave it to Victor and the others, and then find a quiet place you like and be together every day."

"……Um."

The sunset glowed like fire, slowly falling into the horizon. Thick clouds slowly rose from the horizon, gradually blocking the light and heat.

Maybe it's going to snow again.

The weather is sometimes unpredictable and cannot be changed by human will.

-----------------

Hindu Kush Mountains, Afghanistan.

Under the yellow sand, the world remains unchanged and time seems to have stagnated here. Everything has lost its meaning, with only the division of dusk and dawn.

The war around the capital Kabul is still burning, but the protagonists have changed. The desires of the ambitious people cannot be extinguished even by blood.

The only difference may be a certain fear - fewer and fewer bandits dare to plunder this mountain area, but they can only protect this small corner.

Under the cover of night, on the bare hilltop, several wizards in patched robes stood side by side in front of the mound, gazing at the standing tombstone.

Dmitri Mikhailov stood among several people, and the wounds of varying sizes made his already tough face look even more weathered and tough.

He turned his head and looked at his companions around him. In recent months, the searches and battles they had faced were far beyond anything they had faced in the rest of the past two years.

Although no one had been killed or captured, most of them were injured, and some could hardly stand, their bodies and minds were at their limit.

From Moscow to the Ural Mountains, to the Far East, to this battlefield that is difficult to look back on.

First it was the Russian Ministry of Magic, and then a large number of bounty hunters who only cared about money and not people joined in. After months of continuous manhunt, they had run out of options and could only come to this "lawless place" to hide temporarily, or to survive.

As he was mourning his comrade, his companion quietly moved closer.

"Boss, there's another one coming."

Demetri looked around and saw mist spreading quietly, followed by the smell of magic.

Apparating, and in large numbers.

"It's still those guys, ready to fight--"

"boom!!!!!"

Before he could finish his words, a violent explosion was heard, but the target was not them who were in a conspicuous place, but happened to fall into the pursuit group that had just appeared.

The sound of gunfire, wailing, roaring, begging for mercy...

A few minutes passed, and when the fog dissipated, the bounty hunters approaching from all sides of the barren mountain were either dead or fled, leaving only hundreds of people in white robes rushing in from all directions.

There were Muggles operating guns and weapons, as well as wizards holding wands, like a ragged but well-trained army - this was a scene he had only seen a few times in his life.

In Dmitri's sight, a bearded wizard slowly approached. In addition to his wand, he also held a hookah, which he never left behind. He never forgot to puff smoke even in battle.

"What are you doing here? Are you going to collect the bodies of those hyenas?" Nasir said impatiently, taking a long puff of his cigarette. "If it weren't for Lin En and the others telling me to do so, I wouldn't bother with you. Come with me now. Don't waste time. By daybreak, things will be in turmoil again!"

Groups of white-robed men rushed past him, cleaning up the battlefield with ease and silently erasing all traces of the battle.

Only the silent night sky witnessed everything, covering everything in the world with a dark veil.

Dmitri struggled when he heard the familiar name, but looking at his wounded and exhausted subordinates, he could only nod dejectedly and walked down the mountain.

At the beginning of 1994, the Orthodox Christmas is approaching, but the time is different from the past.

Chapter 292 Dilemma

Lynn and Euphemia were awakened by the phone at dawn.

Nasir, who was not very proficient in operating this kind of communication equipment, shouted at the top of his voice, which could be heard from a kilometer or two away, making Lin En's eardrums tremble. The news that came out of his mouth instantly made both of them lose all sleepiness.

The original plan of "sleeping in" was completely ruined. As soon as the sky was bright, they packed up and left home, heading to the village of Nasir in Afghanistan, where it was almost noon.

-----------------

On the open space where anti-Apparition magic was set up, Lin En and the other person landed unhindered.

No one thought there was anything wrong with this, and Nasir even came forward to greet them enthusiastically.

"This little gadget of yours is really useful! It's much faster than an owl!" He smiled so hard that he could not stop, feeling relieved of the heavy burden on his mind. All the wrinkles on his old face were piled up together.

"This is called a mobile phone. It's a Muggle communication device. Our experts have magically transformed it so it can be used here." Euphemia took Lin En's arm, with a smile that could not be melted away. "In the future, you don't have to speak loudly when you call, just like we are doing now, and the other party can hear it clearly - there will be new functions later."

"Mobile phone... Got it!" Nasir repeated in Pashto, "Thanks to it, I would have been worried a lot - these northern barbarians can cause trouble."

"After all, it has been going on for several months, and many famous bounty hunters have also come." Lin En nodded and said approvingly, "You have done a great job, and the rest will be left to us. Where are Dmitri and the others? I'll go check it out first. As for the bounty hunters, Fei, you come and discuss it with Nasir and come up with a solution."

"Okay, they are in the rooms over there. They are all seriously injured and need to stay in bed for a while." Nasir pointed far away with his hookah, his expression complicated. "These barbarians have changed a lot since you fought monsters together. I almost didn't recognize them at first sight. To be honest, I don't know how to treat them."

"I understand. Just let it go. This is a historical mess."

Lynn let out a long sigh, left Euphemia behind, and walked alone towards the adobe houses on the edge of the village that everyone avoided, and then met Dmitri, who was standing guard with an injury, outside the house.

"It's been more than a year since we last met, Dmitri." Sitting casually in a secluded place far away from people, Lynn took out a pot of strong liquor from Hagrid from his arms, "I'm afraid it's not as authentic as the good wine from your hometown. Drink a little and then chat with me?"

"Thank you." Dmitri was not polite. He unscrewed the wine flask and took a big gulp. He leaned back comfortably against a big tree. "Huh... It's really not as good as it used to be. If you have a chance to come to my house next time, I'll treat you to some real good wine."

"If there's a chance, I'd rather try French wine, even though I don't like strong alcohol." Lin En also took a sip, her cheeks slightly red. "Have you seen their graves? Nasir and his men protected them very well. Although many of your compatriots committed disgusting crimes, they all knew that it had nothing to do with you guys. It's just a little bit of emotional embarrassment."

"I understand them, and I understand you more and more, Eric."

Dmitri looked at the open space in the distance with a complicated expression. The children in the village were playing and smoke was rising. It was almost time for lunch.

"I have paid my respects to Novikov and his men, and learned from Mr. Nasir what happened in the ancient tomb. I want to thank you on their behalf. You have allowed them to rest in peace."

"I respect all those who dare to fight those weird monsters, not only those ancient wizards and Muggles, but also you and your companions. This is why I didn't use force against you last time." Lin En said calmly, "We are comrades after all, right?"

"Comrade... yes, I think so." Dmitri silently chewed on the weight of this word, recalling the painful memories of the past few years, and a sense of gap arose spontaneously.

Lin En saw it and asked softly, "So how about helping me solve this confusion? I'm very curious about what happened in Russia in the past few months. It's like a news black hole there right now."

This question made Dmitri's face turn livid, a mixture of anger and despair.

"The Magic Council back then is being thoroughly purged, and many people have died." He closed his eyes in pain, "But they are not just purging us, they are like crazy, and they are desperate for Garlon. Our country has been ruined beyond recognition."

"This is something they would do. Are they still the same group of people?" Lin En sighed, "It's funny, I didn't expect that after changing their names, the once respectable guys would become like this."

"It's worse than when you went there. Everything is in chaos and there's no order at all. If it weren't for the fact that the Muggle side is even more chaotic, there would have been big trouble long ago." Demetri was heartbroken but there was nothing he could do - he had already been kicked out and became a stray dog.

"If I'm not mistaken, the International Confederation of Wizards has set up an office in Moscow, and is asking for bribes and acting as their mouthpiece?" Lynn asked.

Dmitri almost gnashed his teeth. "This is their usual trick."

"It seems that there is no essential difference between Moscow and Kabul." Lin En stood up and looked at the courtyard where the Russian wizards were housed. "Are they the only ones who are willing to follow you?"