Chapter 259: The Dark Lord's Lair
Lockhart and his students deliberately avoided the surveillance of the Magical Congress of the United States and instead found the secret meeting room of the International Confederation of Wizards in North America.
Although Dumbledore hadn't said it explicitly, the fact that the meeting was being held on this land already showed that the International Confederation of Wizards no longer trusted the Magical Congress of the United States.
The weak governance of the Magical Congress in its own jurisdiction had led to the current situation. Even if they hadn't betrayed the fundamental "Statute of Secrecy" of the wizarding world, their incompetence and dereliction of duty were reason enough to not trust them.
When Lockhart arrived, Dumbledore was ordering the Confederation's "Department of Education" to conduct an audit of Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The senior committee and the International Task Force executives around him were as quiet as mice.
He looked around for a moment, told the young wizards to wait for him, and walked toward Grindelwald, who was leaning against a sofa in the corner.
A wizard nearby was trying his best to look wronged, bending over and whispering to Grindelwald, "Back then, many people wanted to balance the interests of both places and let their family branches develop freely here. In fact... in fact, at that time, no one was optimistic about this so-called New World, and we didn't provide much help to the family branches that were thrown here..."
"Now, those family branches are not very willing to listen to our command anymore..."
He saw that Grindelwald was expressionless and continued pitifully, "You also know that because of the war brought by the Dark Lord that affected the world, too many pure-blood families have fallen. Some died, some went to prison, and some even completely disappeared..."
"In that era, many family branches in North America no longer contacted the main branch to avoid being affected by the war..."
Grindelwald snorted coldly and glanced at him. "To put it simply, you no longer have any influence over the family branches on this land?"
The wizard smiled awkwardly. "We still have some. You know, there are always some family members who make small mistakes and get caught. Everyone sends them here, to the branches hidden here..."
Grindelwald waved his hand, too lazy to listen to him anymore. He said simply and directly, "I want you to regain control of all the Rosier branches on this land. Anyone who refuses to obey will be killed on the spot in the name of being a follower of Voldemort!"
"Huh?" The wizard was stunned.
Grindelwald's gaze was indifferent. "I'll give you one month!"
The wizard opened his mouth, wanting to argue, but seeing Grindelwald's unquestionable look, he finally just performed a wizarding salute, turned, and left quickly.
Lockhart knew that wizard. He had found this guy with the help of the Ravenclaw Alumni Association members when he was setting up his book sales channels. This Mr. Rosier was the Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports at the French Ministry of Magic. His position seemed low, but he was a figure similar to Barty Crouch Sr. and had great influence within the Ministry of Magic.
Of course, this was thanks to the family behind him. The Rosier family was one of the Sacred Twenty-Eight pure-blood families and was related to the Black, Malfoy, and other families. Their family branches were scattered all over the world. Historically, there had been several family members who held the titles of Minister of Magic and Headmaster of a magical school.
The Rosier family was with Grindelwald, and the Rosier family was also with Grindelwald.
Lockhart didn't get involved in this matter. He just gestured curiously to Dumbledore in the distance. "Didn't you say you were going to investigate the Yaxley family's properties and farms in North America?"
Grindelwald frowned and shook his head. "You guessed right. Corban dedicated these lands to Voldemort. All the magical information about the castle's protection registered at the Ministry of Magic has become invalid and has been replaced. When we sent people to investigate, we couldn't find the place."
Lockhart was stunned. "Don't they have a registered address?"
Grindelwald sneered. "I'll tell you the exact address of Durmstrang Institute now. Go and try to find it. If you do, I lose."
Yes, "Castle Protection Magic" and other such spells were that powerful. Back in the day, at the peak of his power, Voldemort had to find a loophole in Peter Pettigrew to be able to enter the Potter family's house, which was protected by the Fidelius Charm.
But... Lockhart raised an eyebrow. "I know where Corban Yaxley is."
Grindelwald's eyes narrowed. "You do?"
"Of course." Lockhart chuckled but didn't explain how.
Of course, he knew. He had opened a back door in Corban Yaxley's mind on that full moon night. Otherwise, why would he have been willing to trade with Voldemort and let this guy go? The principle of this back door wasn't complicated. He had learned the techniques that Tom Riddle's diary Horcrux had used on Ginny Weasley, improved it a little, and added a bit of the power of memory and time. He was confident that not even Voldemort would be able to detect it.
Lockhart had no voyeuristic tendencies and had hardly ever used this back door. After fighting with old Voldy in the past, he had a little more confidence and almost forgot about this. This time, he was finally using it.
...
"The evil lair of the Dark Lord?" Cedric exclaimed.
"Yes." Lockhart looked at the three young wizards with a smile. "This is your adventure."
Cedric and Luna exchanged a strange look. They both looked at Dumbledore and the mysterious gentleman not far behind Lockhart. With so many bigwigs around, they were letting them go on an adventure?
"The professor is always giving us opportunities!" Crabbe's honest face was filled with seriousness as he looked at his two classmates. "Just follow his arrangements."
He was just a bit slow, not stupid. He knew how to support Professor Lockhart's will. To be the most loyal person by Professor Lockhart's side. This was the way of life for the Crabbe family for generations, a way of life that even a fool would understand.
Cedric and Luna finally snapped out of their "international tourism" state and became serious.
"Good." Lockhart pulled out a small golden retriever from his pocket and handed it to Luna. He then pulled out a ball of black smoke, shook it, and the smoke turned into another small golden retriever, which he handed to Cedric. "I will give you hints through this, but what you do is up to you."
Then, with a wave of his hand, a Hagrid suddenly appeared next to him. At Lockhart's call, Hagrid yawned and walked behind Crabbe.
"Let's go!"
"Remember, be careful. The Dark Lord might be there!"
The three young wizards all exclaimed.
In fact, Voldemort was indeed at the farm they were about to go to, which was why he was letting the young wizards go first. Old Voldy was too cunning. If he, Dumbledore, and Grindelwald all appeared at the same time, they would probably return empty-handed. Lockhart didn't mind going with the flow and helping them take care of old Voldy. Oh, he should say, capture old Voldy. With the support of his Horcruxes, Voldemort wouldn't die no matter how many times he was killed.
Whoosh~Whoosh whoosh~
The brooms flew into the sky. The three of them took out their Invisibility Cloaks from their backpacks, put them on, and quickly flew through the clouds in the direction Lockhart had pointed.
After flying for more than an hour, they landed in a suburb of a city, cautiously touching down in a hidden place, and then crept toward a Muggle textile factory.
"You have to be careful!"
The three of them came to a corner to observe the place. They put their brooms into a bag that had an Undetectable Extension Charm cast on it and cast detection spells around them.
The Bogart on Cedric's shoulder, which had turned into a small golden retriever, spoke in Professor Lockhart's voice. "This is a small assassination organization established by the descendants of the Scourers. What you need to do is enter the fireplace in the freezer and then go from the fireplace to the real place."
"Even though the members of this assassination organization are Muggles, you should actually treat them with the understanding of wizarding Squibs."
"They have been using potions and cruel training for a long time to strengthen their will, brutally tormenting their minds and bodies, so they have gained a certain ability to use their will to interfere with the movement of matter."
"It's just like when you were kids and had no magical outburst yet, you would unconsciously make things fly to you."
"But don't underestimate them. Combined with terrifying Muggle firearms, they can easily kill you."
"What you need to do is not let them find you."
The three young wizards held their breath in fear. "Little Golden Retriever" looked at them amusingly and shook its head. "You are wizards. You have to know how to use wizarding methods!"
Cedric reacted instantly and quickly waved his wand, casting a Bubble-Head Charm on everyone. This spell was part of the high-level Charms class, mainly used for breathing underwater and isolating harmful gases, but as it spread in the Dueling Club, the young wizards developed a large number of applications and extended scenarios. For example, when hiding in an Invisibility Cloak, they didn't have to hold their breath.
Luna also reacted. She waved her wand as if she were dancing and pointed at the three of them, chanting a spell, "Rabbit Hopping!" In an instant, a ball of what looked like cotton candy appeared from the soles of their shoes. They made no sound when they stepped on the ground, and their bodies felt light, as if one step would make them jump very high and very far.
Crabbe didn't cast a spell. The few spells the professor had taught him were all for healing. Logically, this kind of adventure was not suitable for a healer like him, but since the professor had brought him, he had no questions. He was just thinking about what spell to use if they ran into trouble. Well, he didn't have to think too much because he didn't know many spells. Even fewer could be used for attack. It seemed that the only useful one was the "Soul Bonfire," which provided rest for the soul. The professor had said that if this spell was used well, it was no different from a Sleeping Charm. He hadn't tried it and didn't know if it would work.
Soon, the three of them hopped into the textile factory, instinctively moving toward the darkest corners. The Invisibility Cloak was not foolproof. If someone stared at them, they could be exposed, so they had to try to avoid being seen as much as possible.
"Wait!"
Luna quietly stopped them, pushed up her strange glasses, and pointed to the space between a pillar and a door. "There are many 'Blossom-Nose Rats' wagging their tails there!"
"Blossom-Nose Rat?" Cedric tried his best to recall with a strange expression. He considered his knowledge in the Care of Magical Creatures and Potions classes to be very solid, but he couldn't remember such a magical creature.
"It's a magical creature that is invisible to the naked eye. It means that a couple in love is about to have a fight here!" Luna's voice was like she was sleepwalking. She muttered, "It's so interesting. I've always wanted to see this creature, and I've finally seen it this time."
Cedric's expression became strange. He finally understood why his classmates privately called Luna "Loony." He was about to speak when Crabbe touched him with a solemn face and whispered, "The professor said that when we are on an adventure as a team, we should choose to trust our companions' knowledge and judgment."
Cedric was stunned, then nodded sincerely and asked, "So how do we get in?"
Crabbe spread his hands. "I don't know either. I'm following you in." Even Luna looked at Cedric.
All right. The problem was up to him.
Cedric looked at the wide-open door and sighed helplessly. He turned to look around and his eyes lit up, gesturing to a window on the side of the textile factory that was slightly ajar. "Follow me!"
They hadn't walked far when Luna stopped them again, saying some words they couldn't understand, and asked them to go around to that window. Reluctantly, the three of them spent more time.
Finally, they arrived at the window. Cedric told everyone to grab each other's sleeves, then raised his wand, took a deep breath, calmed his nervous mood, and then waved his wand in a very serious manner. He chanted the spell, "Shadow Crawl!"
In just a moment, a darkness suddenly appeared before their eyes. All that was left was a very strangely bent channel of light. They felt as if they had been squeezed into a thin, flexible, human-shaped gummy bear, wobbling as they squeezed into the channel of light.
This experience was not pleasant at all. Not only was it physically uncomfortable and awkward, but the lack of vision of their surroundings made their hearts constantly pound with anxiety.
"Dark magic~" Behind the three of them, the red cloak that the Sack-Cloak had transformed into waved in the air. Inside, Grindelwald whistled and looked at Lockhart with a look of mockery.
"You should describe it this way: dark magic cast with the mindset of Defense Against the Dark Arts!" Lockhart was very satisfied with Cedric's spell. "Look, he knows the possible effects of casting this dark magic. He is willing to bear the effects and is willing to face them head-on."
Lockhart gave a thumbs-up and praised, "Flexible and adaptable, yet he sticks to his principles. Great! He's worthy of being my student!"
Dumbledore's face was also filled with a benevolent smile. "Cedric is a good boy. The professors and students all like him."
Grindelwald chuckled coldly. "Of course they would. Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry has taught half of all the dark wizards in Europe!"
Dumbledore's eyes narrowed, and he was displeased. "Nonsense!"
Old Gellert just laughed. "But it's the truth, a truth that cannot be changed by so-called correct slogans."
The Durmstrang Institute that he had attended was known for teaching dark magic, but it was worth noting that the reason he was expelled was because he had excessively researched dark magic. His alma mater taught dark magic to a limited extent, and the other one, Beauxbatons Academy of Magic, taught even less.
In comparison, Hogwarts didn't teach any dark magic, but it also didn't prevent students from secretly learning it. In fact, the restricted section of the school library had a huge number of books, waiting for any young wizard with the ability to come and secretly learn. Despite this, Hogwarts was still an internationally renowned wizarding school, and the reputation of teaching a large number of dark wizards was placed on his alma mater's head. Tsk~
While they were talking, they saw the three young wizards finally "drilling" into the textile factory and quickly followed. Just as they were about to go deeper into the factory, they saw a man and a woman walking toward the front door. The woman had a sullen face, and the man looked uneasy. If they had gone through the front door, they probably would have run into them.
And so, the three young wizards used their own methods to cooperate with each other, walking through the aisles between the high-speed spinning textile machines, avoiding one obstacle after another, silently passing through the deep part of the kitchen filled with hanging pork, and finally casting a Sleeping Charm on a Black elderly man who was pretending to be busy next to the freezer. They arrived at the fireplace hidden deep in the freezer and successfully completed this stealth adventure.
But it wasn't time to relax yet. Professor Lockhart had said that this was just the entrance to the adventure and that there was an unknown ahead.
"This is an illegally and privately set up Floo Network fireplace!" Crabbe didn't understand the analysis, but he was very familiar with this thing. He had seen it several times since he was a child. The adults always told these foolish children not to talk about what they saw, and after hearing it so much, it was etched into his memory.
"We don't know where the destination is, or what's waiting for us?" Luna put on her glasses and began to observe her surroundings.
"I have a way!" Cedric took a bag from his pocket and took out a chubby-looking ear that looked very real. He stretched the connecting part and stuck one end into the fireplace flames. This was a prank item invented by the Weasley twins, an "Extendable Ear" used for eavesdropping. This item, when used with the Floo Network fireplace, was the best eavesdropping device.
After listening for a while, Cedric nodded to the other two. "There shouldn't be a problem, but we should be ready to cast spells at any time!"
With that, the three of them walked into the flames in the fireplace again. They all looked very nervous.
But they didn't know that Lockhart, Grindelwald, and Dumbledore had already entered the flames ahead of them and were waiting for the children by the fireplace on the other side.
The Dark Lord's lair, arrived!
As far as the eye could see, there were countless snakes, big and small, so many that they were piled on top of each other, wriggling. It looked indescribably horrifying.
Lockhart could feel that Corban was here. In particular, through Corban's eyes, he had already seen Voldemort's figure on the opposite side of Corban.
Heh heh~
Old Voldy, we're here!
(End of this chapter)