What did Link want him to do?
Snape had already known the answer to that question.
But could he really do it?
Abandon Lily's only child, let him be swallowed by darkness, while he himself lived freely?
Snape had no answer to that question in his heart.
Yet at this moment, that earlier dream surfaced in his mind once again.
In the dream, the person who kept telling him "I love you" had such a gentle voice, such a warm embrace.
Just recalling it made Snape's mind slip into a brief daze.
"Hu!"
Snape took a deep breath.
He slowly straightened his body, gave a salute toward Link and Dumbledore, and then quietly left the headmaster's office.
———
[France]
[Beauxbatons Headmaster's Office]
Compared to Hogwarts, Beauxbatons' headmaster's office appeared far more luxurious.
It was located at the very top of the tallest tower in the entire school.
And like the British Ministry of Magic, all the windows here were fitted with magical curtains. While blocking outside prying eyes, they could also freely alter the scenery beyond the windows.
At this moment, dark clouds filled the sky outside.
And Norton was flipping through the documents in front of him with a troubled expression.
Ever since Maxime died in battle, he had naturally become the new headmaster of Beauxbatons.
This was the result strongly supported by Shadow No. 1, and also the outcome of a vote by all the teachers and students of Beauxbatons.
After all, aside from him, there really wasn't anyone else more suitable for the position within Beauxbatons.
This should have been something worth celebrating.
Yet the newly appointed Headmaster Norton couldn't feel happy at all.
"Sigh!"
He let out a deep sigh, put down the document in his hand, and walked to the window.
Through the huge floor-to-ceiling glass, he could overlook the entire Beauxbatons.
Compared to when Link and Dumbledore had just left, Beauxbatons had now risen from the ruins.
Shadow No. 1 had fully honored his previous promise, restoring Beauxbatons Magic Academy to its original state before the official start of the term.
But unfortunately, some things couldn't be repaired with material means alone.
The battle between Link, Dumbledore, and Liro that night had destroyed more than just Beauxbatons' buildings.
It had torn open a wound deep in the hearts of every Beauxbatons member.
Ever since Link and Dumbledore left, hatred had spread like poison through the hearts of everyone in Beauxbatons and even the entire French magical world.
Not only that, Beauxbatons' morale had also fallen to rock bottom.
The people of Beauxbatons no longer carried that same arrogance they once had when facing foreign guests.
Beauxbatons had already been labeled as unsafe.
And that label caused even greater damage.
No parent would willingly send their child to study in an unsafe school, no matter how high its teaching quality might be.
As a result, almost all the foreign students who had planned to enroll in Beauxbatons this year had their plans fall through.
The letters of condemnation and notices sent by their parents had nearly filled Norton's mail rack.
It wasn't just those prospective students who hadn't enrolled yet. Even among the current teachers and students, things weren't as Maxime had expected. They didn't possess enough loyalty to Beauxbatons.
In fact, a large portion of them had fled Beauxbatons the moment it was attacked, and never returned afterward.
Now, Beauxbatons was in the lowest state in its history.
The progress Maxime had painstakingly built over the past two years, spending countless Galleons, had almost been reset overnight.
At present, Beauxbatons was little more than a beautiful empty shell.
The remaining students were not only few in number, but their morale was also extremely low.
To change all this, strong medicine was needed.
For example... revenge.
Revenge was necessary.
It could fully vent everyone's anger and help people pull themselves together again.
At the same time, it could prove to the world that Beauxbatons' strength still remained.
What Hogwarts could do, Beauxbatons could do as well.
Thus, one month ago, the team assembled by Norton had set out for Britain.
Norton had high expectations for them. To ensure they could carry out the mission with peace of mind, he even paid a substantial reward and satisfied all their needs.
And now, it was time for them to deliver results.
Creak!
The office door was gently pushed open.
A woman wearing a fitted low-cut robe walked in. She adjusted her gold-rimmed glasses and said excitedly, "Headmaster Norton, the British magical world has already sealed off all communication channels and even its borders."
"Right now, not only can no one Apparate or use Portkeys to escape, even an owl can't fly out! So we have no way of obtaining information from there, but judging from such large-scale actions, the external team must have already made their move!"
Norton slowly turned his head, and a faint smile finally appeared on his previously indifferent face.
"In that case, have The Observer publish the article we prepared in advance.", Norton spoke calmly.
But upon hearing this, the woman froze for a moment.
As Norton's most trusted secretary, she naturally knew what article he was referring to.
It was an article personally written by Norton, roughly describing the chaos in the British magical world and Hogwarts, while expressing "sympathy" for their losses.
The entire piece was filled with blatant sarcasm toward the British magical world and Hogwarts.
The schadenfreude was so obvious that even someone unfamiliar with the details could guess that this incident was definitely related to the French magical world.
Was it really appropriate to publish such an article?
Especially under the current circumstances, where they didn't even have a clear understanding of the situation in Britain?
She took a deep breath, but in the end, she didn't have the courage to speak up.
She knew her position very well.
She was just a tool to carry out Norton's tasks.
And a tool only needed to complete the job, not have its own thoughts.
After excusing herself, she quickly left the office.
Norton remained alone, continuing to overlook the entire Beauxbatons Magic Academy.
As a fellow Shadow, how could the secretary's thoughts escape him?
The moment she felt doubt, every thought in her mind had already been sensed by him.
He didn't deny that her reasoning had some merit.
But was it really necessary?
He absolutely trusted the external team.
Those people would never betray him.
And as long as that was ensured, what happened in the British magical world couldn't be traced back to him.
At least not on the surface.
Of course, the most crucial point was, Norton simply couldn't hold back anymore.
For the sake of revenge, he had endured for so long. And now, it was finally time to release it.
Norton stood by the window, his expression twisted and fierce.
He didn't know how much time passed. Only when a large flock of owls flew in from the distance, forming a dark cloud and scattering across Beauxbatons, did his expression finally calm down.
The Observer worked quickly.
Now that the article had spread, it was time for him to take the stage.
Norton took a deep breath, straightened his luxurious robe, and walked straight toward the great hall.
Along the way, he could clearly sense that the previously silent, even gloomy Beauxbatons was gradually coming back to life.
Every student who received The Observer and read the article was cheering wildly.
Their cheers gathered together, becoming the strongest voice of Beauxbatons.
The continuous arrival of newspapers delivered by owls was like shot after shot of adrenaline, bringing the dying Beauxbatons back to life.
No, not just Beauxbatons...
Norton could even foresee that similar scenes were happening throughout the entire French magical world.
Just imagining that scene made his heart race, and his steps quicken.
As he got closer to the great hall, the cheers of the students grew louder and louder.
Finally, when he pushed open the great hall doors and appeared before everyone, the overwhelming roar inside made his ears ache.
All the students and all the professors stood up at once.
They stared at Norton with excitement, some even with tears in their eyes.
This was Headmaster Norton's revenge for them.
Even if not a single word in that article could prove it, it was beyond doubt.
Headmaster Norton was their hero.
Under everyone's gaze and cheers, Norton slowly raised his hand.
In the next moment, the entire hall fell silent.
This was an instinct of Beauxbatons students. They all knew that Headmaster Norton was about to speak.
And when the headmaster or professors spoke, students of Beauxbatons had to stand and remain silent.
They were even prepared for Norton's long speech.
In the past, they might have complained afterward.
But now, not a single one of them minded.
Because Headmaster Norton had avenged them.
So what if it was Hogwarts?
So what if it was the British magical world?
What you could do to us, what pain you made us feel, we can return it to you as well.
Beauxbatons is the best magic school.
The French magical world is the strongest.
Yet, to everyone's surprise, Norton did not inherit Maxime's habit of long speeches.
Facing the excited faces below, Norton's eyes also turned red.
He raised both hands and simply shouted, "Celebrate! Students! Today we have a holiday, to commemorate Madame Maxime and those who have passed! Come on! Celebrate!"
His hands kept waving.
And with his movement, the entire hall descended into chaos.
Cheers and sobs filled the hall.
Professors spread the word, and some quick-thinking ones even rushed to the kitchens to order preparations for a feast.
But just as everyone was immersed in the joyous atmosphere, the doors of the hall were suddenly pushed open.
A group of wizards in traditional robes and pointed hats rushed in.
Their faces were stern, their presence aggressive, as they strode straight toward Norton.
The crowd that stood in their way was gently but irresistibly pushed aside.
Their arrival caused the cheers to gradually fade.
Almost everyone in the hall looked at them with hostility.
But they didn't care at all.
They walked straight up to Norton. The leader pointed at the blood-red W badge on his chest and said, "We are investigators from the International Confederation of Wizards."
"Headmaster Norton, you are suspected of colluding with Death Eaters and planning the attacks on Diagon Alley and the Hogwarts Express."
"This has been reported by the British Ministry of Magic to the International Confederation. This violates Article 132, Clause 4 of international wizarding law. Next, please cooperate with our investigation."
After speaking, the wizard extended his hand in a gesture of invitation.
They were taking him away.
Realizing this, the cheers in the hall vanished instantly.
The previously jubilant crowd all changed expressions.
People gathered together, blocking the group, glaring at them fiercely.
But the pointed-hat wizards remained completely calm.
The leader continued looking at Norton and said, "So, Headmaster Norton, are you planning to resist law enforcement with force? I must remind you, such behavior is absolutely intolerable to the International Confederation of Wizards."
Hearing this, Norton shook his head.
The smile on his face had completely vanished, replaced by seriousness.
The arrival of these investigators already explained a lot.
At the very least, the attack team he sent out was not as reliable as he had believed.
Someone among them had definitely exposed him after being captured.
But that no longer mattered.
Right now, he only wanted to know one thing, "Investigator, what exactly happened in Diagon Alley and on the Hogwarts Express? Were their losses… severe?"
As soon as Norton said this, a mocking smile appeared on the investigator's face.
He took out a copy of the Daily Prophet and handed it to Norton, then said loudly, "Both attacks, on Diagon Alley and the Hogwarts Express, ended in failure!"
"At the Hogwarts Express, it was led by Link Flamel, current Hogwarts board member and council member, who commanded the students on the train to fight back and annihilate all the attacking Death Eaters!"
"As for Diagon Alley, the British Ministry's Auror forces, together with Link Flamel, suppressed the attack and captured all the perpetrators."
"Not only that, they formed an investigation team afterward and, in less than three hours, captured the French group behind the incident."
"Through one of their confessions, they confirmed that you, Headmaster Norton, are the mastermind behind it all!"
The investigator paused, then smiled and continued, "The British Ministry is extremely furious."
"They have already publicly executed all participants except those required as witnesses. So, unfortunately, Headmaster Norton, and all of you students, you're disappointed."
As soon as the investigator finished speaking, an uproar broke out in the hall.
Just moments ago, they had been preparing to celebrate a successful revenge.
But who could have imagined that the article published by the authoritative French paper The Observer was false.
The British magical world had indeed been attacked, but unlike the French magical world and Beauxbatons, they had handled such a large-scale attack like this.
They ended everything immediately.
And minimized all losses to the greatest extent.
They were using their actions to tell French wizards, and the whole world, that the British magical world was different from the French magical world.
Everyone present felt their faces burning.
This was a slap to all French wizards.
On the stage, even after hearing such devastating news, Norton's expression didn't change much.
But his slightly swaying body and increasingly pale face betrayed the turmoil within him.
This should have been a perfect plan.
The Death Eaters still remaining in Britain were not weak.
Anywhere else, they would have been a powerful force capable of causing massive unrest.
But in Britain, they failed.
The only explanation, Dumbledore and Link Flamel were simply too strong.
Now, instead of igniting the British magical world, Norton's fire had burned himself.
At that moment, his emotions were too complex to describe.
"Headmaster Norton, time is limited. Please don't make things difficult for us. Come with us."
The investigator leader spoke impatiently.
Hearing this, Norton slowly came back to himself. His gaze swept over the faces below, dark, disappointed, or sorrowful, before settling on the investigator.
"I…"
"Wait!"
Before Norton could finish, an urgent voice interrupted him.
A thin middle-aged man rushed into the hall with a group of Aurors.
After reaching Norton and the investigators, he wiped the sweat from his forehead and said with relief, "Mr. Investigator, we respect the International Confederation, but this matter was definitely not done by Headmaster Norton. I believe there must be some misunderstanding!"
"Minister," the investigator leader sneered, "are you also trying to obstruct law enforcement?"
"No, no! Of course not!"
The French Minister of Magic waved his hands repeatedly.
"I'm just saying there must be some misunderstanding! How about this, since Headmaster Norton isn't going anywhere, why don't you come back to the Ministry with me first and sort things out properly?"
As he spoke, the Minister even gave a somewhat ingratiating smile.
This only made the investigators' sneers deepen.
They exchanged glances, then slowly left under the escort of the Aurors.
As they left, they even made a throat-slitting gesture at Norton.
Clearly, this matter was far from over.
[🎉 Shoutout to Aethergray and what_iz for joining p@treon. Thank you very much.🤗]