Hogwarts doesn't need a savior

But his doubts were destined to remain unanswered by Voldemort and the two parties involved. After setting the rules, they turned around and left, disappearing without a trace in the night, leaving behind the frightened family of three.

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

It was not until dawn that the trembling Draco fell asleep with difficulty under the care of his mother.

Lucius sat alone in the seat that Voldemort had previously occupied, from night to day.

He was thinking, thinking about Voldemort's threat and weakness, thinking about Barty's behavior, and the task that Lynn had assigned to him during their secret talk - both his intuition and reason told him that his former master was no longer the same as before.

Although he is still capable of killing his entire family easily, if he were to face...

His eyebrows twitched violently, and ominous premonitions and horrific thoughts intertwined, making it difficult to tell who would win.

He knew that his family was standing at a crossroads that determined life and death, and one wrong step would lead to falling into the abyss.

For more than ten hours, he hardly moved, and his light golden hair had turned slightly whiter visibly.

His wife, Narcissa Malfoy, often walked not far away with a concerned look on her face, but did not dare to get closer. She could only walk away, looking back every few steps. This was repeated countless times.

When the sun was high in the sky, he finally stood up from his seat with a pale face. As if to cheer himself up, he pulled out his magic wand viciously, swung it vigorously, and blasted his beloved chair into pieces.

This made him feel a little better, and the fear in his heart dissipated a little.

Looking at his wife who came running over after hearing the noise, he tried to say in the calmest tone possible: "Close the door and stay here. I need to call Eric."

Chapter 420: Change of Times

"Very good, Lucius, you didn't let me down, nor did you let us down. I will contact you soon."

In Dumbledore's old house, listening to Lucius's experience and analysis, Lynn smiled with satisfaction and rarely used an approving tone towards him.

After hanging up the phone, he looked at Dumbledore and Grindelwald with a smile, "I didn't expect that this idle move would really become a brilliant move at the critical moment - our chance has come."

"What did he say?" asked Dumbledore.

"Voldemort has resurrected. He went to his house early this morning and threatened Malfoy to serve him. He also contacted and summoned the Death Eaters." Lynn said calmly, "He is still very weak and in a very unstable state. It is said that his legs are so weak that it seems like he has no bones, but he can still walk. In my opinion, he must have used some method to forcibly stimulate his vitality."

“Although this is not good news, it is not bad news either. At least he won’t be that difficult to deal with.” Grindelwald raised the corner of his mouth, “Maybe we can eliminate the trouble.”

"No hurry, listen to me first. Voldemort asked Barty and Bellatrix to work together and be responsible for contacting Lucius - this was the result of Barty's efforts." Lynn said.

"He must be hoping to find a chance to contact us. This is a good idea." Dumbledore praised. "As long as we take action, there will be a chance, even if Lucius can't get through."

"The only problem is that Lestrange is here too, which makes it difficult to contact him directly." Grindelwald's eyes were filled with murderous intent. "And according to what you said, she is also the Horcrux of the Killing Curse Imp. It is better to go all out. This kind of thing does not require any careful planning. It is better to say that the more you think about it, the more uncertain risks there will be."

"You have a point, Gellert, but we can't do the same as you." Before Dumbledore could speak, Lynn rejected the plan first. "This is not just a problem for Harry alone, nor is it just a moral issue. To be frank, I would rather trick the remnants of these pure-blood families out through Voldemort."

"So that's what's going on... I understand what you mean." Grindelwald nodded and stopped talking. Instead, he looked at Dumbledore with interest, waiting for his response.

Dumbledore obviously has a different opinion, but he can only do so for now - it's like putting Harry and the social order he wants to maintain on the two ends of a scale, and his choice is unquestionable.

After just a moment's thought, he asked softly, "How are you going to get in touch with Little Batty?"

"That's not difficult. Although we can't determine the exact time when the two of them went to Malfoy Manor, I can leave some clues there to help him confirm Lucius's identity. He will find a way to leave clues."

"It seems that you trust his ability." Dumbledore nodded slightly. "This is a solution."

"Of course, he is much better than the double agent you found." Lin En raised his chin slightly.

"Perhaps Severus will soon find a use for his abilities - I believe Voldemort still trusts him. What clues do you hope to leave for Lucius?"

"It doesn't have to be complicated, just one thing will do. I will go to him alone to confirm, as I have some other things to do." Lin En didn't intend to explain, and changed the subject, "Now let me clarify the arrangements for the rest."

Dumbledore and Grindelwald stared intently at this younger generation who was too young even for their own grandchildren.

"First of all, Gellert, I need you and Rosier to arrange for people to set up long-term control outside Malfoy Manor. We need people who are capable and trustworthy enough to do this, but not too many." Lynn looked at Grindelwald first.

"That's no problem," the old man agreed. "There won't be another Quidditch World Cup."

"Then there's Barty, Bella, and Harry." Lynn turned and said to Dumbledore, "We need to plan to capture Bellatrix Lestrange and experiment with a method to divide the Horcruxes. This will also make Barty more trustworthy."

"Capture...what's your plan?"

"Bati and Lucius must not be exposed, so not at Malfoy Manor, but we can let Lucius throw her a few baits - that crazy woman will definitely not tolerate a traitor among her own blood relatives."

"Traitor?" Dumbledore raised his eyebrows. "You mean..."

"Yes, it's Regulus." Lynn said lazily, "I will create an opportunity for her, an opportunity that cannot be missed, and I will even let her bring her master with her. This way, our plan will go more smoothly. You must cooperate with me."

"No problem." They said in unison.

Although they are all masters of planning and strategizing, they trust Lin En's judgment and decision more on this matter.

"In that case, then Dumbledore and I will be in the light, and Gellert will be in the dark. We'll wait for them to come to us." Lynn said softly, his eyes moving back and forth between the two of them. "Now let's talk about Gellert's injury - how did it happen? I don't think there is any magic that can escape the warning that you always have with you."

"This is indeed a very troublesome matter." Grindelwald's smile gradually froze. "It's not magic, but war weapons from Muggles. They are buried in the basement of the Crouch family. If I hadn't reacted quickly, the manor would have been completely blown to the sky."

"Muggle weapons...were the Muggle-repelling spell and anti-Muggle item spell in the manor still in effect at that time?" Lynn asked.

“It’s hard to be sure. I’m 80% sure it will work, but my main focus at the time was on Crouch.” Grindelwald said as he thought, “Now it seems that there is something strange about that puppet. It’s a craftsmanship I’ve never seen before.”

"Then prepare for the worst. Voldemort's partners have mastered the power of Muggles and have the skills to allow them to break through magical warnings and interference. Find the remains of the puppets and give them to Nico. Ask him to investigate. Then have Amelia send someone to search the scene for clues to Muggle weapons."

"Amelia has already done that. She dug deep into the Crouch family compound, but only found the place where the bomb was buried deep underground. There was nothing left - but she suspected someone had died there," said Dumbledore.

"In that case... well." Lin En let out a long sigh and said calmly, "I will find time to investigate this matter myself later, so you don't have to worry about it." He looked at Grindelwald, who was still a little weak, "Anything else?"

"Of course I'm fine here. It will take three to five days at the shortest, or a week at the longest, for me to recover to normal. Then all plans can go forward without being affected." Grindelwald, who is old but young at heart, patted his chest and took a breath.

"Then there is only one last thing left for me - Draco may need some psychological intervention. I think Snape is a good choice."

Standing up and walking to the entrance, Lynn turned around and said, "Also, Dumbledore, maybe we can go back to Hogwarts together. I need to talk to Rowena about something. You'd better listen and then pass it on to Gellert."

"Royna...Okay, I understand what you mean. Let's go now without further ado."

With a creaky sound, the wooden door that had not been repaired for who knows how many years slowly opened, and the two figures disappeared outside.

Grindelwald was left alone in the room.

"Hogwarts again... Tsk!"

The expelled student from Durmstrang snorted coldly, walked into the guest room with three unsteady steps, and was silent after closing the door.

Chapter 421 The Eve of School Opening

Ottery St Catchpole, Devon.

Ever since he injured his arm on the night of the World Cup, Harry has become the number one protected person in the Burrow. This is not only because the Weasley family and Hermione, who continued to stay as a guest here, took good care of him, but also because of his injury.

The unknown object that stabbed his arm seemed to be possessed by mysterious and strange black magic, or some kind of toxin, making it difficult to heal. He could only take various potions every day, and sometimes he had to change the bandage several times a day.

Staying in the small attic specially prepared for himself, he found it difficult to release his free nature. Looking out of the window, he could vaguely see a tall, dark-skinned, middle-aged wizard, who was staying on the village road outside the burrow, patrolling around.

Harry already knew him; he was Bill and Percy's colleague at the Ministry, a distinguished Auror who had come here specifically to protect him, and he was accompanied by several beaters who took turns on duty nearby.

Even Luna, who lived in the same village and wanted to come to express her condolences, had to be checked repeatedly before being allowed to leave.

In this situation, although he didn't know why someone wanted to hurt him or who did it, Harry still realized that he was surrounded by danger.

Since the riot that day, Bill and Percy were rarely at home, and so was Mr. Weasley. Every morning, before the rest of the family woke up, the three of them would eat the breakfast prepared by Mrs. Weasley in advance and leave in a hurry.

Mr. Weasley works for Starlight Group, and recently has been cooperating more with the Ministry of Magic. Bill has to deal with Gringotts - Hermione and Ron said that the Ministry of Magic placed a sky-high order with Starlight Group, pre-ordering a large number of new equipment that they are about to mass-produce and sell, and Gringotts took the lion's share.

"Percy told me that Gringotts is one of the main sponsors of this World Cup and is also responsible for part of the security, so they have to take responsibility. This is the condition that Ms. Bones negotiated with them. She is the director of the Enforcement Department." Ron said, imitating Percy.

The busiest person this week was Percy.

He went out with his father and eldest brother every day, but would wait until they both returned home long after they had returned. Sometimes Ron and the others had already gone to bed before Percy, who was exhausted from the journey, came home. There were even two days when he slept in the ministry instead of going home.

Although he had only been on the job for a little over a month, Percy had adapted very well—or rather, the two of them were just too compatible.

The same workaholic, the same meticulousness, and the same extreme energy. Just two days ago, at breakfast, Harry heard Mrs. Weasley say that Director Bones had asked another assistant to return to his post.

"Sometimes I wonder if Percy has some other gadget hidden inside his head - like one of those 'computers' that Muggles use," Bill said half-jokingly at Sunday dinner, when Percy hadn't come back yet.

Harry rarely saw the handsome and sunny eldest brother of the Weasley family - he had beautiful long hair, looked very cool, and seemed out of place with the other Ministry of Magic officials he had met.

Before this, Harry had always thought that officials in the Ministry of Magic were well-behaved middle-aged men, or were dashing wizards like Mr. Johnson and Ms. Prince whom he had met in the Dueling Club before, rather than this cool guy who didn't stand out at all even at the Muggle Rock Festival.

He struggled to hold the plate with his newly healed arm, cut a piece of slightly old roast chicken, put it in his mouth, chewed it for a long time before swallowing it. Just as he was about to speak, he heard Hermione take the lead.

"Computers don't have the delicate emotions of humans." Putting down the book "The History and Extinction of Rune Magic" in her hand, Hermione said seriously, "Professor Eric said that the biggest difference between humans and machines is emotion."

These words made Bill and Charlie, who was eating heartily beside them, smile at the same time.

"He's right, and that's where magic comes from." Charlie said seriously, "But many times, we doubt whether Percy has any feelings at all - unless I see him writing to Miss Clearwater."

His incisive comment made Bill, who was about to say something, unable to hold back his expression and burst into laughter.

There were also the twins and Ginny who were willing to watch the fun, including Harry, and even Mr. Weasley couldn't help himself.

"Don't make up stories about your brother, Charlie." Mrs. Weasley said sternly, "Percy is just too capable at work. I think Amelia thinks highly of him. And he brought me an oven a few days ago. What a nice thing!"

"It's so good that the chicken is burnt, Mom." Ginny picked up a piece of roast chicken, "My cheeks are almost sore from biting it."

"It's just that I'm not very skilled at using it yet." Mrs. Weasley always favored her third son. The Weasley family, who were already accustomed to this, suddenly burst into laughter again, and even she herself couldn't help laughing.

"Percy will be back soon." She suddenly looked up at the faint sound of the wall clock.

When everyone looked up, Percy's pointer jumped from "work" to "on the way". In just a few seconds, it jumped back to the "at home" position like the rest of the family, followed by a knock on the door.

"Mom, I'm back!" From the powerful voice, one couldn't tell that Percy had already worked overtime for a week.

"Come on, Percy!" said Mrs. Weasley cheerfully, and then strode out of the room, and a moment later led Percy and a somewhat unexpected guest - Harry knew him, the Auror outside the door.

"Shacklebolt will go to Hogwarts with Harry and the others tomorrow and will escort them along the way." Wolfing down the food his mother had specially heated up, Percy said softly, "I left work early today just to tell you all this."

"I don't think this time can be considered leaving get off work early, Percy." The gentle big Auror Kingsley teased, "You can't think of yourself as an iron man like Amelia when you just come to work, right?"

"Ms. Bones trusts me, so of course I must do my best to do my job well." Percy looked at Hermione, "Maybe Hermione can come to work in the Ministry in the future. I mentioned you to her when I went to the accident scene today."

"Eh? Me?" Hermione pointed at herself, looking a little confused.

"Hermione is only in the fourth year, it's too early for this." Mrs. Weasley patted Percy on the shoulder and added some sausages to Kingsley's plate - of course, Harry and Ron, the two boys with great appetites, were also added.

This was the last proper meal before leaving home, and she was only worried that the children were not full, not caring about their weight.

After dinner, the young people who were going to school the next day were sent upstairs by Mrs. Weasley to pack their things, while Kingsley and others were talking in the living room.

Fred and George wanted to eavesdrop, but Charlie carried them back to the room one by one.

This made Harry and Ron, who were originally eager to try, give up the idea and pack up their things honestly - after all, they had to spend a full ten months in school, and there were still many things that needed to be prepared.

New textbooks, quills, parchment, a set of wizard chess, raw materials for potions that had not been properly organized since they were bought from Diagon Alley, and a rune metal plate covered with a layer of dust.

Carefully wiping off the dust, Harry stood by the window and thought about his competition with Malfoy last semester.

In the end, he had a slight advantage of half a chip, but the advantage was not obvious, so he needs to continue working hard this year.

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

Just as Harry looked out the window, in the distant Scottish castle, Lynn was also watching the night view through the window of the principal's office.

Fortunately, today is a sunny night, just like his mood at the moment.

Although Rowena said she had no idea about Slytherin's whereabouts and plans, this wise lady made a judgment based on the few flying insect corpses he brought back.

This is not a natural insect, but a special life form, and it has the same aura as a false god she once killed.

This basically confirms the identity of the owner of the ruins, and also shows that many issues that were originally just guesses actually exist - this is certainly not a good thing, but a bad thing that is confirmed is always more solid than before it is confirmed.

Dumbledore and Grindelwald had the same idea and began planning a more in-depth investigation.

It is not difficult to imagine that in the coming year, the burdens on the shoulders of Moody, Newt and Sirius will inevitably be heavier.

While he was thinking, about ten minutes later, Dumbledore came.

"Sorry to have kept you waiting. Cornelius was delayed for a little while," he said tiredly. "I discussed with him about tomorrow's special train, but I'm still a little worried."

Chapter 422 Hogwarts Express

King's Cross Station, morning of September 9st.

The Muggle passengers coming and going did not feel that this was a special day, at most it was just a slightly different Thursday - many people with children at home began to secretly rejoice at the start of the autumn semester.

Apart from that, the only thing that might surprise them was the appearance of some guys in strange clothes, but that wasn't a rare thing in London.