[Hogwarts Great Hall]
Compared to the quiet peace of the Hufflepuff common room, this place was like a battlefield.
The fight between Gryffindor and Slytherin was still going on.
The cause of this fight might seem childish to outsiders.
But the Slytherins and Gryffindors didn't see it that way.
The Gryffindors' thinking was simple. Slytherin was a huge muddy swamp. Maybe a very small number of people could rise out of the mud without being tainted, but most of the people in that swamp were rotten sludge that stank to high heaven!
They absolutely couldn't tolerate anyone dragging the Link they admired into that filthy swamp as well.
The Slytherins, on the other hand, thought more, and more complicatedly.
In the current situation where Death Eaters had become rats everyone wanted to beat.
They were desperate to get rid of the label of "quasi–Death Eaters" on their heads, as well as their dark history of supporting Voldemort.
Link was clearly the best breakthrough point, even a kind of protective talisman.
By supporting Link and claiming Link as one of their own, they could borrow his halo and wash themselves clean.
It was equivalent to, Link = good person, Slytherin = Link, therefore Slytherin = good person.
This calculation was extremely ridiculous, but a large portion of ordinary people subconsciously made this kind of conversion all the time.
As long as they added just a tiny bit of "artistic processing" to it, they could turn things around.
Not to mention that after going through so many incidents, Link had already become a hero to many Slytherins, even a kind of faith.
Now that Gryffindor had come over to take away this talisman and snatch their faith, how could the Slytherins tolerate it?
And by this point in the fight, everyone had already hit their limit.
Because of that, quite a few people had even pulled out their wands.
Not only that, thanks to Link spreading battlefield first aid and quick treatment for minor injuries within the D.A., both sides had actually set up dedicated "first aid stations" in the rear.
This made the fight drag on longer and longer, and the Great Hall was already on the verge of being smashed into ruins.
Not far away stood a group of professors glaring at all of this.
Professor McGonagall looked like she was about to breathe fire.
Professor Flitwick looked completely at a loss.
As for Slughorn.
The new robe he had just changed into this morning to leave a good impression on the students was now torn to shreds.
That was the price he paid for previously trying to stop the conflict on his own.
As a professor who had just returned to Hogwarts and hadn't built up any authority yet.
There simply weren't many students willing to pay attention to him.
"Where is Dumbledore?" Slughorn's face looked unusually ugly. "Something this big happens and he doesn't show up. How is he even acting as headmaster!?"
"You can't blame him. He already set off for the International Confederation of Wizards last night!"
Professor McGonagall said coldly.
Hearing that, Slughorn's body trembled.
He had naturally read the Daily Prophet as well, and knew just how terrifying the events outside last night had been.
He spoke in a slightly trembling voice, "Dumbledore… he actually got involved in something like that?"
"As the headmaster of Hogwarts, he couldn't very well watch his students get attacked and do nothing, could he?"
Slughorn did not deny McGonagall's words. After taking a deep breath, he said, "Fine, that was his own choice. Let's not talk about that!"
"The key now is that we have to quickly stop the chaos in front of us! Hogwarts is not a place for these students to wage war!"
"Damn it, I really regret agreeing to Dumbledore's request to come back. The current Hogwarts is rotten to the core, it has no value at all!"
Hearing this, Professor McGonagall did not refute him. Although Hogwarts was not as bad as Slughorn described, it was indeed no longer the same Hogwarts as before.
The current Hogwarts was operating under a three-party committee system, just like the Ministry of Magic.
The emergence of this system did not only bring progress, but also a shift in authority.
In the students' hearts, the authority of the professors was gradually declining, while Link Flamel's prestige was increasing without end.
This was easy to understand.
Through reforms, Link Flamel had defined "professors" as workers, and defined the education they provided to students as ordinary paid work.
Under such a definition, it became very difficult for students to feel deeply grateful or hold the professors in absolute respect.
At the very least, ordinary professors could no longer achieve that just by wearing the title of "professor."
If you wanted the students' admiration, you had to make some special contributions.
Correspondingly, the halo that had originally been placed on the professors was now put back onto Link and Dumbledore.
This made Link and Dumbledore the people with the highest status in the students' minds.
Dumbledore did not need such things, after all, he was already a legend.
But Link was different.
This young man had now become a banner.
Anyone who dared to insult this banner would be bombarded by the students of Hogwarts.
To be honest, this situation was somewhat similar to Slytherin when Voldemort first rose.
Back then, the Slytherins were also in the same state, eager to die for Voldemort.
And Link was even more terrifying than Voldemort.
Because Voldemort's influence had at least been limited to Slytherin. The other three houses, aside from a few idiots, would never blindly join in.
But Link was different.
The range of his influence covered the entire Hogwarts.
Professor McGonagall took a deep breath and turned to Professor Flitwick.
"Where is Snape? Why hasn't he arrived yet?"
"I sent someone to find him half an hour ago!" Professor Flitwick kept rubbing his hands, not knowing whether from excitement or anxiety.
"Unfortunately, he doesn't seem to have any intention of intervening. The student I sent didn't even get into his office before being driven away."
Professor McGonagall fell silent.
When it came to Link Flamel, the Gryffindor students might listen to her, the Head of Gryffindor, but the Slytherin students might not.
This could be seen from the fact that even though they had already appeared in the Great Hall, the fighting had not stopped at all.
So asking Snape to come restrain the Slytherin students and stop the fight together with her had become the best solution.
Unfortunately, Snape had failed them at the critical moment.
So what now?
Wait for the students to calm down on their own?
Professor McGonagall couldn't help thinking that.
But the moment the thought appeared, she rejected it.
If they really did that, where would their authority as professors go?
Gritting her teeth, Professor McGonagall exchanged a glance with the excited Professor Flitwick beside her.
Immediately after, both of them pulled out their wands.
Since reasoning didn't work, they would use force directly.
However, just as Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick were about to act, a strange pressure suddenly descended upon the entire Great Hall.
Under this pressure, nearly everyone present clutched their chests in pain.
It felt as if countless large hands were squeezing their internal organs, making it impossible to breathe.
Professor McGonagall lowered the wand she had already raised high and said while gasping, "Looks like we don't need to act. Link… has returned."
As soon as her voice fell, the doors of the Great Hall were slammed open by an invisible force, crashing against the walls with a loud bang.
Then, expressionless, Link slowly walked in from the steps outside.
The students in the hall all looked extremely ugly.
Because as Link drew closer, the pressure field surrounding them became more and more terrifying.
In the end, it even forced them down onto the ground, like fish thrown onto the shore, only able to open their mouths helplessly and gasp for the little oxygen available.
Buzz!
Link lightly raised his wand, and the pressure field in the hall vanished instantly.
The students, who were on the verge of collapse, finally breathed out in relief.
"Looks like you're all very free."
Link's gaze swept across the crowd and the wrecked hall as he spoke expressionlessly.
His voice was cold and devoid of any emotion, like the freezing wind of Siberia mixed with the wails of potato farmers, piercing straight into everyone's ears.
The students who had been extremely arrogant, even daring to ignore Professor McGonagall and the others while fighting, now reacted as if electrocuted.
They sprang up from the ground, hunched over, stammering apologies and explanations toward Link.
The entire hall became noisy again with their voices.
Link frowned slightly and raised his left hand. The noise immediately fell silent once more.
With a cold expression, he looked around and said,
"Don't apologize to me, and don't give me excuses. A mistake is a mistake. Apologies are meaningless, and no one wants to hear your excuses."
"Now, those who should lose points will lose points, and those who should be punished will go accept punishment. Understood?!"
"Yes!"
A thunderous response echoed through the hall.
Seeing this, Link walked straight over to Professor McGonagall and the others.
"Professors, I'll leave the related disciplinary work to you."
Link gave a slight bow, softening his tone and expression. "There's no need to worry about anything. Just follow the usual procedures."
"If anyone refuses to accept it, you can inform the D.A. headquarters. They will take over the disciplinary process. And by that point, the punishment they receive won't be so simple."
Link spoke casually, but the meaning behind his words was so cold it could freeze a person solid.
Several students nearby who overheard were so frightened they almost collapsed.
Professor McGonagall, however, nodded calmly.
"I will. This is our job. But Link, now that you've returned, does that mean the matters outside have been resolved?"
"You could say they've come to a stage of completion. Most of the remaining work will be handled by other committees of the Ministry of Magic."
"Of course, there will still be some follow-up tasks for me, so I may frequently take leave this term," Link said with a faint smile, clearly understanding what Professor McGonagall was really asking.
"As for Professor Dumbledore, his work should also be finishing up. He should be back soon. In fact, it was him who sent me a message telling me to wait for him at Hogwarts."
Having received the answer she wanted, Professor McGonagall visibly relaxed.
Link nodded as well and said his farewell, "In that case, I'll head to the headmaster's office first."
With that, Link turned and left.
Behind him, Slughorn's eyes shone with a strange light.
"I take back what I said earlier, Minerva. Hogwarts still has value," Slughorn said excitedly.
"Link Flamel is the greatest value! I dare say he will become the brightest star of this century, shining over the entire wizarding world!"
"And Hogwarts, even the British Ministry of Magic, will rise to a whole new level because of him! This is truly… truly…"
By the end, Slughorn's face was flushed red, his breathing rapid, and he could no longer speak.
Because like Hogwarts, he too was one of those attached behind Link.
As Link shot upward like a rocket, he would also be carried into the sky.
This would be an excellent opportunity. The higher Link's status and influence, the greater his own reputation would become.
Just think, how would future history books refer to him, Slughorn?
Naturally, as Link Flamel's teacher.
Just the thought of it made Slughorn tremble with excitement.
Such behavior was somewhat improper for someone of Slughorn's status, but fortunately, none of the professors present paid him much attention.
Professor McGonagall didn't even look at him.
At this moment, her gaze was fixed firmly on Link's departing figure.
Her expression was extremely complicated.
Problems that even the professors might not be able to resolve, things they would have to hesitate over before dealing with...
Link solved them effortlessly just by showing up.
What kind of prestige was that?
And now, that prestige no longer affected only Hogwarts.
After what happened last night, Professor McGonagall could already foresee that across the entire British wizarding world, the weight of the name Link Flamel would rise significantly.
For a young man to achieve this was nothing short of a miracle.
Even she had to admit that Slughorn was right.
Link Flamel was destined to become the brightest star of this century.
Only, was this really a good thing for Hogwarts, for the British wizarding world, or even for the entire world?
There was probably no answer to that question.
Professor McGonagall let out a deep sigh.
At the same time.
The Potions professor's office… no, it should now be called the Defense Against the Dark Arts office.
Snape sat upright in front of a cauldron bubbling with purplish-blue liquid, completely focused on controlling the magical flames beneath it.
Brewing potions.
This was his daily habit.
Potion-making was also something that came down to practice.
There were too many techniques that needed to be practiced repeatedly until they became muscle memory.
Only then could one make the most correct response at critical moments.
In this regard, even with Snape's astonishing talent, even as a renowned potions master, he was no exception.
Skip one day, and the effort of the previous ten days would be wasted.
So even though he had become the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, he still spent his spare time constantly brewing potions. Even in his office, most of what was piled up were still potion-related materials and equipment.
Unfortunately, not everyone agreed with this theory.
For example, Draco, who was currently sitting across from Snape, clearly didn't.
At this moment, describing him as restless was an understatement.
He kept twisting his body, as if the chair he was sitting on were covered in spikes.
His face was filled with extreme panic, the sense of unease so thick it seemed ready to spill out.
"Pro… Professor…"
Draco couldn't hold it in any longer. He stammered, "Link Flamel… he… he killed another large group of Death Eaters and French spies. Do you think my father… he… he might also…"
Draco couldn't continue.
His voice turned into sobs and choked cries like a wounded animal.
The sound was so miserable it made one feel pity.
Honestly, it was hard for anyone to understand the fear and grief in his heart.
Especially after seeing the latest Daily Prophet this morning, an image had flashed through his mind... his father hanging from a gallows, his corpse being greedily pecked at by ravens.
That was a kind of absolute despair.
At the time, Draco had gone completely blank.
A chill spread through his body, goosebumps rising, traveling upward until they gathered at his scalp.
When he came back to his senses, he was drenched in cold sweat.
After that, he rushed to Snape's office without a second thought, begging him to fulfill his earlier promise.
Yet at this very moment, Snape was still fussing with his damn potion.
Deep down, Draco was actually angry.
He interpreted Snape's behavior as perfunctory and passive negligence.
It was understandable. Link Flamel was simply too terrifying.
The fear and pressure he brought were even greater than that of the Dark Lord in the past.
Hearing Draco's sobbing, Snape let out a soft sigh and turned his head.
"The seat you're sitting in now… used to be Link's favorite spot."
"Ah!"
Draco let out a startled cry and nearly jumped up.
"Sorry! Sorry! I… I didn't mean to! I'm sorry…"
He apologized frantically, even using his sleeve to wipe the chair he had just been sitting on.
Seeing this, the melancholy on Snape's face deepened.
The Draco in front of him had truly been scared out of his wits by Link.
He didn't stop Draco. Instead, he extinguished the magical flames and poured the potion from the cauldron into glass vials one by one. After sealing them, he placed them in front of Draco.
"Drink one. This is a calming potion Link and I often use. It can focus your mental energy and has some effect in soothing the mind. It should help you calm down. Whenever you feel afraid, drink one. It should make you feel better."
As he spoke, Snape walked toward the door.
"As for me… judging by the time, Link should be back. I'll go try on your behalf."
The stone door closed gently, cutting off Snape's voice.
Left alone in the office, Draco suddenly felt his nose sting. He reached out and hugged the vials in front of him, and finally couldn't hold it in anymore as he broke down in tears.