[Five Minutes Later]
Link released the hooded man Karen's mind, letting him collapse weakly onto the ground, trembling nonstop.
After going through the full invasion of the Legilimency spell, everything had already become clear.
The people now kneeling in front of him all came from France.
Before this, some of them had been shop clerks selling goods on Lionheart Street.
Some were unemployed youths who had just graduated from Beauxbatons.
Others were low-level clerks in the French Ministry of Magic who hadn't been able to get ahead.
As for the blonde OL woman from earlier, that perfectly fitted OL uniform she wore wasn't a disguise at all.
Because she herself was an employee of a large company.
That was her uniform.
Their professions were all over the place, with no pattern at all.
The only thing they had in common was that they had all graduated from Beauxbatons, and they all had a deep attachment to it.
It was precisely because of this that they had been gathered by a Beauxbatons professor named Norton, and through the channels Norton provided, they had been smuggled into England.
And the task Norton gave them was incredibly simple, keep creating chaos and destruction within England.
For this, Norton had also given them a way to contact the remaining Death Eater forces in England.
This should have been a very simple and smooth plan.
After all, as locals, the Death Eaters were extremely familiar with the terrain and situation throughout England.
With the addition of the smile bombs they provided, the Hogwarts Express and Gringotts should have been destroyed long ago.
However, their plan had been completely ruined by Link.
And judging from the fact that Professor Norton could provide smile bombs containing that kind of "holy" power like that of "Professor Liro," Norton was very likely connected to the shadowy figures.
He might even be another shadowy figure himself, or perhaps Liro wasn't dead at all, just returning under a new identity.
On the other side, Krell had already learned the general situation through the memory images shared by Link.
He asked, "Young Master, what should we do next?"
Krell's call pulled Link out of his thoughts.
He looked at the group of prisoners kneeling on the ground, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.
His and Dumbledore's predictions hadn't been wrong. This operation did not come from the French Ministry of Magic or the International Confederation of Wizards.
It was a personal act of venting anger by that Professor Norton.
With the current information, Link still couldn't analyze Norton's exact identity.
But there was no doubt, he had made a terrible move.
The French Ministry of Magic and the International Confederation of Wizards wouldn't dare do this, so how did a mere individual like you dare?
Especially when these people had been caught red-handed by them.
And these people would become the sword in Link's hand, striking back at France.
Link let out a cold snort and said, "Detain this Karen properly. After taking his statement, arrange a press conference for him."
"Summon reporters from the Daily Prophet and other international newspapers, let them quietly see who the real terrorists are. As for these people…"
He turned his gaze to the several people on the ground. They had already lost their earlier resolve, their faces filled with nothing but endless fear. Even the toughest old man earlier now looked completely defeated.
"Announce their identities to the world, then hang them all in the square in front of Gringotts!"
After speaking, Link's figure began to turn illusory and eventually disappeared into the darkness.
Meanwhile, Krell and the other hunters revealed savage smiles.
———
[Hogsmeade Station]
As the Hogwarts Express slowly pulled into the station, a large group of Aurors appeared under the leadership of Newland and Sigrid.
They quickly approached the Hogwarts Express and formed a cordon around the train.
Only after everything was ready did the students, under the organization of D.A. members, quickly disembark.
They were divided into small teams on the platform and then arranged onto Thestral-drawn carriages, even the first-years were no exception.
The entire process was silent and swift. No one made noise, and there was no panic. Everyone was full of confidence in the D.A. and the Aurors.
Some of the bolder ones were even excitedly discussing Link's feat earlier, where he single-handedly crushed the attacking Death Eaters.
That excitement only subsided after they truly returned to Hogwarts and got off the carriages.
Because waiting to greet them on the grounds was not just Hagrid.
There was also Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall, Professor Snape, and nearly all the professors of Hogwarts.
Every one of them held a wand, their expressions so serious that veins almost bulged on their faces.
Faced with such angry and stern professors, even the most mischievous students didn't dare make trouble.
However, after seeing the students return safely, the professors' expressions eased quite a bit.
A faint smile even appeared on Dumbledore's face.
"Alright, come in. This isn't a good place to talk."
Dumbledore waved his hand, ushering the students into the castle. Then he looked at Newland and Sigrid and said, "My children, I'm truly happy to see your growth. Would you like to come inside Hogwarts for a visit? This will always be your home."
Newland and Sigrid were slightly tempted.
They exchanged a glance, but in the end firmly shook their heads.
"No, Professor Dumbledore. Link's order to us is to hold our positions at Hogwarts. We can't slack off!"
Dumbledore raised his eyebrows slightly in surprise.
He had made similar invitations to every commander leading Aurors or Hit Wizards before.
But only Newland and Sigrid had refused him.
This was the first time in history.
Even when Scrimgeour, known for his strictness, led the Auror forces, commanders slacking off was quite rampant.
And now, that kind of atmosphere had been completely stamped out by Link?
Dumbledore nodded happily and praised, "Good children!"
———
[Hogwarts Castle]
The students, now fully back on campus, completely relaxed.
The familiar environment and the Aurors guarding outside gave them a huge sense of security.
They excitedly chatted, shouted, and shared everything they had experienced during the holiday.
Of course, what they talked about most was Link's feat on the way.
That terrifying air cannon was simply not something a human could achieve.
It had already surpassed their understanding of magic.
Especially for the first-years who had just enrolled this year, it was simply unbelievable.
They blankly went through the Sorting Ceremony, then were accepted into their respective houses amid cheers, their faces full of confusion.
Only then did some color return to their expressions.
Especially the first-years sorted into Hufflepuff, whose little faces turned red with excitement, unable to contain themselves.
Because they had been told that the wizard who had saved everyone on the train and defeated the bad guys earlier was a current student of this house.
So in the future, could they also become a wizard like him?
Some of the first-years had already begun to imagine it uncontrollably.
Even the ghosts began celebrating.
The Fat Friar even performed his long-tongue trick for everyone, drawing bursts of exclamations.
At that moment, Dumbledore stood up behind the staff table, and the chatter in the Great Hall almost instantly died down.
"Good evening, everyone!"
He said with a kind smile, spreading his arms as if to embrace the entire hall.
"…Caretaker Filch has asked me to inform you that this year, any joke products purchased from Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes are strictly prohibited."
"Students wishing to try out for their house Quidditch teams should, as usual, give their names to their Heads of House."
"We are also looking for a new Quidditch commentator. Anyone interested should sign up with their Head of House as well."
"In addition, this year we are pleased to welcome a new teacher. Professor Slughorn."
Slughorn stood up. His bald head shone under the candlelight, and his large belly in a waistcoat cast a broad shadow on the table.
Dumbledore happily patted his shoulder and said, "A former colleague of mine, he has agreed to return to his old position as Potions professor."
"Potions?"
"Potions?"
The word echoed throughout the Great Hall as everyone wondered if they had heard correctly.
Snape sat to Dumbledore's right. When Dumbledore mentioned him, he didn't stand up, merely lazily raised a hand to acknowledge the cheers from the Slytherin table. But people could clearly see a trace of smug satisfaction on his face.
Even though he had already known the news, seeing this still made Harry feel awful.
Defense Against the Dark Arts was his favorite subject at Hogwarts aside from flying.
He was extremely interested in any magic that could fight against the Dark Arts and Voldemort.
But now, it was gone.
Any class with Snape involved would definitely become hell for him.
Defense Against the Dark Arts would be no exception.
And an even bigger problem was that to become an Auror, one needed at least an E in both Defense Against the Dark Arts and Potions in the N.E.W.T.s.
His Potions grades had already been ruined by Snape, and now Defense Against the Dark Arts would most likely be ruined too.
Thinking this, he glared angrily at the staff table, his face full of frustration and resentment.
Hermione seemed to see what he was thinking and sighed as she comforted him, "It's okay, Harry. We still have the enhanced lessons from the D.A. Your Defense Against the Dark Arts won't fall too far behind."
"As for Potions… Professor Slughorn should have some teaching ability, right? After all, he was a professor from the same era as Dumbledore."
Hearing this, a trace of disdain flashed across Ron's face.
He had no good impression of Slughorn.
Because that guy had invited someone like Neville, but not him.
That was definitely an insult.
But for now, Ron didn't say that.
He followed Hermione's tone and comforted, "Yeah, Harry, no need to be upset. Professor Slughorn thinks highly of you. He'll definitely teach better than Snape."
The anger on Harry's face eased slightly. He turned his head and said through gritted teeth,
"Actually, maybe it's a good thing. The Defense Against the Dark Arts position is cursed. No one lasts more than a year… Quirrell even lost his life. Personally, I sincerely hope another death happens…"
"Harry!"
Hermione scolded in shock.
Hearing this, Harry lowered his head and fell silent.
But it didn't really matter.
At this moment, it wasn't just the three of them talking. The entire hall was buzzing with discussion after hearing that Snape had finally gotten his wish.
Among them were quite a few who, like Harry, were muttering malicious curses about Snape.
Dumbledore, however, seemed unaware of how explosive his announcement had been. He didn't continue discussing teaching positions.
After waiting a few seconds to ensure everyone had quieted down, he continued, "Everyone in this hall knows that Voldemort and his Death Eaters have suffered a heavy blow."
"Even Voldemort himself has been driven out of England. But the danger we face has not lessened. In fact, it has grown. I believe you have already witnessed this on your way here today."
Dumbledore spoke with a serious expression.
The mood among the people below also turned heavy.
Even setting aside Link's overwhelming destruction of the Death Eaters, the attack on the Hogwarts Express alone was already a nightmare for the students.
"The remaining Death Eaters are wreaking havoc across England. Without Voldemort's leadership, they are like wounded beasts on the verge of death, venting their pain wildly, even setting their sights on Hogwarts!"
Dumbledore continued, "I believe some of you have already heard that a similar attack also occurred at Beauxbatons."
"And now, Beauxbatons has already been reduced to ruins. What I can assure you is that such a thing will never happen at Hogwarts!"
"I, Link Flamel, the members of the D.A., and the Ministry of Magic will defend this school with our lives!"
"Until every one of us has fallen, no one will cross the line of flesh and blood we form to harm you!"
"Of course, during this special period, you must also cooperate with our work."
"I require you to strictly follow every safety rule set by your teachers, no matter how troublesome they may seem!"
"I also ask that whether inside or outside the school, if you discover anything unusual or suspicious, you must report it to the staff immediately. I trust you, for your own safety and that of others, to restrain your behavior!"
As soon as he finished speaking, thunderous applause and cheers erupted in the hall.
No one present doubted the truth of Dumbledore's words.
Because Link, the D.A., and the Aurors outside had already proven through their actions that they would be the strong barrier protecting Hogwarts.
As long as they were there, Hogwarts would be absolutely safe.
Even if Voldemort personally came to attack, with Link and Dumbledore joining forces, they could drive him away again.
Dumbledore's blue eyes swept over all the cheering students, and a smile appeared on his face again.
"Well, I've said quite enough today!" he said loudly, spreading his arms. "Now eat, children, and enjoy your feast!"
As soon as Dumbledore finished speaking, heaps of steaming food appeared on the long tables before them.
Ron cheered and immediately pounced on the food.
Harry and the others had already had a meal with Professor Slughorn on the train.
But Ron hadn't.
He was already starving, and seeing the food in front of him, he couldn't hold back anymore.
Meanwhile, Hermione beside him wore a worried expression.
"What's wrong, Hermione? Hurry up and eat!"
Ron said, holding a chicken leg in each hand, chewing as he spoke.
Hermione glared at him and said, "Link hasn't come back yet!"
"Does Link need you to worry about him? No matter what kind of trouble it is, he can handle it! You should have more confidence in him!", Ron said carelessly.
But when he turned back, he found that Hermione and Harry's expressions had suddenly changed.
He followed their gaze and saw that Newland had entered the hall at some point and was now speaking quietly with Emily.
Then the two of them approached Dumbledore.
Soon after, several of them quietly left the hall.
This scene left Ron a bit stunned.
Because he noticed that Dumbledore and the others didn't look very pleased.
'Could it be… things weren't going smoothly on Link's side?'
Harry's face darkened, an instinctive unease rising within him.
Ron also rarely lost his appetite.
He put down the chicken leg in his hand and said nervously, "Do you remember what Dumbledore just said about Beauxbatons being attacked?"
"Of course. Didn't we talk about that on the train?" Hermione frowned. "You even said Fleur's family moved to England because of it."
Hearing this, Ron licked his greasy lips and secretly glanced toward the corner of the Hufflepuff table, where Gabrielle was sitting alone eating expressionlessly.
Then he lowered his voice and said, "Actually, a lot of people are saying it was done by Link and Dumbledore."
"That's impossible!" Hermione shouted. "They would never do something like that!"
"Shh! Keep your voice down!"
Ron was startled and quickly pulled Hermione, who was about to stand up, back into her seat, then continued, "Of course I know they wouldn't do something like that. But the coincidence is that when Beauxbatons was attacked, they were in France!"
"That proves nothing," Hermione said coldly. "Also, where did you hear that?"
"The International Wizarding Post. It's a professional publication on international affairs. Not many people subscribe to it except Ministry employees like my dad," Ron said.
"It described the devastation at Beauxbatons in detail, and then vaguely pointed the blame at Link and Dumbledore."
"After that, other newspapers exploded. They're all saying that Link and Dumbledore were jealous of how well Beauxbatons was developing, so they attacked it!"
"Absurd!"
Hermione was trembling with anger.
Harry, however, frowned and said, "You mean that the attack on the Hogwarts Express might not have been carried out only by the Death Eaters. It could also be retaliation from Beauxbatons?"
"Even if not Beauxbatons, then definitely people from France! You might not realize it, but people over there are almost going crazy right now!"
"If that's the case, then things are serious!"
"Exactly!"
As Harry and Ron spoke, they both turned their gaze toward Gabrielle at the Hufflepuff table.
Among all the students in the hall, Gabrielle, the only French person, seemed especially out of place.