After reaching their agreement, Helga brought Rowena straight to the headmaster's office at the top of the castle. The spiral staircase turned smoothly beneath their feet as they ascended.
At that moment, Albus Dumbledore sat behind his desk. A rare trace of weariness showed on his face. In front of him, the desk was piled high with letters like a small mountain.
More letters continued flying in through the open window, fluttering like impatient birds.
The reason for the flood of correspondence was obvious: Voldemort's return. Letters had arrived from all over the world, asking how to respond, inquiring about details of that fateful night, or questioning whether the upcoming global magical schools tournament would still proceed. Each one required a careful, personal reply offering explanations or reassurance.
As a result, ever since receiving the news of Voldemort's reappearance, Dumbledore had not closed his eyes for rest. For a wizard of his advanced age, this was an immense strain on both body and mind.
The door to his office was pushed open.
Seeing who had arrived, a hint of delight flashed in Dumbledore's tired eyes. Ah, she had come. This was truly excellent.
No one could lift Dumbledore's spirits more effectively than Professor White.
Of course, he also noticed the unfamiliar witch following behind her.
"And this is...?" he asked, looking toward Professor White.
"She is my old friend, Aries. A wise and knowledgeable lady," Helga hinted subtly.
Albus Dumbledore: !!!
For a moment, his vision darkened. He had to brace himself against the desk, taking quite a while to recover his composure. There was no helping it. For a centenarian who had stayed up all night, this news was simply too shocking.
At Dumbledore's age, it was not uncommon for someone to collapse onto a desk and never wake again. It was truly no easy task for him to absorb such a revelation.
"If you are tired, you can activate your domain. It will make you feel a bit better," Helga kindly suggested. For wizards like them who possessed elemental domains, activating one could indeed alleviate fatigue.
"Thank you, but this is not the right place to use my domain," Dumbledore declined politely.
"Alright. You look rather exhausted. Have a cup of hot cocoa to restore your energy." Helga pulled Rowena to sit across from the desk. She casually took out an exquisite small cup from her robe, slid it past the towering pile of documents, and placed it gently in front of Dumbledore.
"Much appreciated." Dumbledore took the cup and drank the hot cocoa in one go. A warm current spread through his body, refreshing his spirits almost instantly.
"Since yesterday, I have been overwhelmed," he admitted. "Voldemort has reappeared, a new Dark Lord has ascended, the Ministry is in chaos, and there is also the matter of the tournament... sigh!" By the end, Dumbledore could not help but let out a deep sigh.
Being headmaster was truly exhausting work.
"A new Dark Lord?" Helga and Rowena exchanged a quick glance. A peculiar look flashed in their eyes.
This Dark Lord... could it be...?
"Take a look." Dumbledore did not elaborate. With a flick of his wand, he sent a crumpled copy of the Daily Prophet onto the desk in front of them.
It did not take Helga and Rowena long to recognize the front-page figure. Both of them had to suppress their laughter. Their breathing grew uneven as they struggled to hold it in.
"I really wish I could turn back time and ask him in person how he feels about being crowned the Dark Lord," Rowena whispered into Helga's ear.
Helga shot her a warning look.
"Watch it!!!" she squeezed out through clenched teeth.
"What?" Dumbledore felt as though he had misheard something. It sounded like someone had mentioned time?
"Nothing." Rowena and Helga both waved it off innocently.
"There is no need to take Voldemort and this so-called new Dark Lord too seriously. Their own internal conflict has not even been resolved yet," Helga said, trying to reassure him.
Her words, however, had the opposite effect. Dumbledore's brows knitted together even tighter.
"If it were only the original Tom, I would not be overly concerned. But the one who appeared that night seemed to have grasped some extraordinary power. And that mysterious figure who drove Tom away is equally troubling..." These were the two issues weighing heavily on his mind.
Voldemort's sudden increase in strength and the unpredictable stance of the mysterious figure made true rest impossible.
"Someone will deal with him. As for that mysterious figure, he is on our side," Helga said, clearly unconcerned about Voldemort.
"Oh?" Dumbledore raised an eyebrow. After a moment of thought, he seemed to grasp something. The weight in his heart lifted noticeably.
"That is good." His expression relaxed.
"As for the arrangements for the new school year's competition, I believe you need not worry. I have found someone more than capable of handling these matters for you." Helga stepped aside and made a grand gesture toward Rowena.
"She has an endless supply of brilliant ideas," Helga said with great confidence.
After a lengthy and productive discussion, Rowena left the headmaster's office with Helga, holding a freshly signed contract in her hand. The heavy door closed behind them with a soft click.
When the guardian statue returned to its original position, Rowena suddenly quickened her pace. She led Helga a few steps forward to a nearby window. There, using the castle wall, a small platform had formed where objects could be placed safely.
Rowena set a crystal ball on the platform.
"This is...?" Helga looked confused.
Rowena ignored her and directly began channeling magic into the crystal ball. Soon, a flash of red light flickered across its surface, and Rhys's voice emerged clearly from within.
"Rowena, what is it?"
"Honorable newly crowned Dark Lord, you..." Before Rowena could finish her teasing sentence, another flash of red light appeared. Rhys had cut off the call abruptly.
Rowena and Helga burst into hearty laughter. Their laughter echoed through the ancient castle corridors for a long time, filling the stone halls with warmth and mischief.
As the Quidditch World Cup final came to an end, the pleasant summer holiday also drew to a close. The front pages of the newspapers continued to be dominated by news of the missing Voldemort. Students began carrying their luggage as they set off to return to school.
Sitting in a compartment, watching students outside walking back and forth with large bags and excited chatter, Rhys let out a yawn. For some reason, he felt that the seats in the Hogwarts Express compartments were particularly well-designed for napping. The moment he sat down, drowsiness washed over him like a gentle wave.
Daphne, sitting opposite him, stared blankly at the platform outside the window. Astoria took out a small mirror to tidy her hair. Due to deliberate secrecy arrangements, the two of them knew nothing about the upcoming surprises of the new school year.
At that moment, the whistle sounded loudly. The train slowly began to move. The new school year had officially begun.
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12 Chaps ahead at Patreon.com/HornyFBI