Occasionally alone, when Amoista reflects on himself, he also feels that he is truly a terrifying creature.
His talent in magical innovation is rare even in a thousand years, and along with his inherent soul strength, he possessed formidable magic powers at the age of twenty and beyond.
The experiences of being a human for two lives have equipped him with the ability to see through people's hearts, beyond just his capability to absorb thoughts and memories. He doesn't necessarily resort to force or violence to make others do things according to his ideas.
Most importantly, he does not hold such high moral standards as Dumbledore.
In other words, if he chooses to do evil, the damage he could cause to the magical world would likely surpass even the likes of Gryffindor or Voldemort.
He effortlessly convinced Wip Dragen to voluntarily apply for the position of headmaster of Demstrang, with virtually no cost.
The old man, neither truly evil nor admirable, was determined to add the title of 'Chairman of the International Witches' Federation' before his death. After calming the students from Demstrang, led by Viktor, he used his office to write letters to the magical ministers of Norway, Sweden, and other countries, planning for his role as headmaster of Demstrang.
In dealing with this matter, on the PE class, students from Gryffindor and Slytherin both showed the same response.
Professor McGonagall seems disappointed that she didn't join the Phoenix Society. When they meet, she occasionally looks as if she wants to say something but ends up saying nothing.
Dumbledore has become more frequent in disappearing from people's sight, leaving for about two days every week. Even though he hasn't explicitly explained it to him, Amoista is clear that the private competition has begun, and Dumbledore is determined to accelerate the search for Voldemort's remaining Horcruxes.
"I have already expressed my opinion, Professor Dumbledore. At this stage, the obstacles the Ministry of Magic poses to us are greater than Voldemort."
Most students who sent letters home mentioned this incident, but it only stirred up a small amount of public opinion. Moreover, due to the lack of official certification, most people held a skeptical attitude, believing that Cleona was merely trying to cause chaos in the British magical world, and Harry Potter probably just experienced some shocks that led him to 'ramble.'
When Wip served the Witch's Council, it was still a powerful organization. During the tenure of its two chairmen, Vogel and Sanchez, the Council's power reached its peak, and its status far surpassed that of the magical ministries in various countries.
But since Dumbledore came to power, the power of the International Witches' Federation plummeted due to the losses from the previous war and his tacit approval. Today, the Federation is almost a shadow of its former self, serving as a place where magical civilizations across countries yell at each other during trade disputes, or occasionally hosting international academic exchange meetings.
In private, there was an undercurrent of unrest in the magical world. Amoista didn't even have to leave his house; by looking at the recent large expenditures at Hogwarts, he could see that the prices of magical goods were rising across the board. However, so far, the increase wasn't significant, which made people think it was just a normal fluctuation and would soon settle down.
For instance, Defense Against the Dark Arts is missing.
This is also one of the reasons why, though everyone knows it's a difficult job, Wip still persevered with a determined bite.
Being one of the main powers in the Triwizard Tournament is actually because of the old tradition, and this can be considered a highlight of the organization in recent years.
Even the wizards who think so, deep down, know something is amiss. But they refuse to believe that their peaceful and tranquil lives are gone forever.
But in fact, Amoista was well aware that Severus wanted to keep his distance from everyone because he believed it was the safest way to protect his colleagues. In case the Dark Lord's malevolent side became too strong and he really wanted to see what lay hidden in his head, the brain seal spell was not foolproof in the presence of wizards on Voldemort's level.
A month had passed, and fewer students were discussing the accident that occurred during the second match of the Triwizard Tournament. Moreover, fewer students were debating the truth behind the return of the mysterious figure to the magical world.
Oh. And the current trials for the remnants of the Muggle-born pure-bloods, with the federation serving as one of the main tribunals, have also drawn a lot of attention from people.
"I have warned Connelly—"
Severus has become more isolated than before. His colleagues know some of his past and think he is worried about Voldemort's retaliation.
So the magical world looks still flourishing and bright.
But Amoista knew that this represented that the pure-blood families, who controlled the production, had almost coincidentally chosen to reduce their output. On one hand, it was related to the transfer of their energy from running workshops. On the other hand, it was not ruled out that they had done so actively, taking advantage of the impending war to reap the magical world of Britain.
Dumbledore did not argue back. He bowed his head and sighed before ending the conversation.
The goblins, who are particularly sharp with money, noticed this change and were eager to jump into the fray like sharks detecting blood. Old Bane alluded to their discovery and plan in a letter to Amoista, and Amoista issued a warning.
Although Amoista could reuse his old trick of temporarily taking over the Defense Against the Dark Arts class for a few months, he didn't do so. The curse that Voldemort placed on this position was indeed formidable, and Amoista wasn't well-versed in it. He didn't know if the curse would be strengthened in proportion to Voldemort himself regaining his powers after the curse.
Amoista could clearly feel that Harry and his friends, as well as Draco's small group, were putting in more effort to hone their dueling skills. They showed a more serious attitude in training for combat, both offensive and defensive.
He entered Hogwarts Castle, but even skipped the customary formal visit to Dumbledore's office, instead staying in his office for a while before leaving directly.
Amoista knew that Dumbledore had definitely given her some instructions.
The real Alastor Moody was sent to St. Mungo's for convalescence. To be honest, his physical health wasn't too bad, but Vinnie took good care of him. The only thing was that being confined for half a year had made the naturally suspicious Moody even more sensitive, which led Dumbledore to abandon his plan of having Moody return to Hogwarts to take over the teaching position of Defense Against the Dark Arts for the next few months.
What surprised Amoista was the depth of Wip Dragen's prejudice against Dumbledore.
But Connelly told me that this was absurd, and he still insisted that the mysterious person had never returned, and even if he had, he wouldn't be able to breach Azkaban, as there were Dementors guarding it. Moreover, no one knew the specific location of Azkaban, and if the mysterious person wanted to enter Azkaban, he would have to break into the Ministry of Magic."
However, Amoista could also understand Wip's resentment towards Dumbledore, much like Vogel.
Time slipped away quietly in the flickering light. In the past month, Hogwarts saw sunny skies every day. The spacious lawns, the majestic and ancient castle, and the increasingly lush forests were filled with the laughter of young wizards. Yet, some things had inevitably changed.
However, there were still some students who were deeply affected.
Amoista didn't want to answer, but after thinking for a moment, he spoke in a calm tone,
The magical world is peaceful. Just that, it looks like it is.
One night, as he was taking a walk by the lake, Dumbledore, who was exhausted, said to Amoista,
"I can guess what Tom is planning to do even without Severus's message. He probably intends to breach Azkaban and summon his loyal old troops."
Under the strong suppression and operation of the Ministry of Magic, not only did the Daily Prophet and many influential foreign newspapers fail to publicly propagate the news of the mysterious person's return, but even the appearance of Vittoria Cleona at the Triwizard Tournament was rarely reported.
As always, there will be few peaceful days left.
"Be gone."
Heathrow Airport, Amoista looked one last time at the London shrouded in mist and rain, and said to Remus, whose brow was furrowed with worry, "Let's go." They stepped onto the flight heading to New York together. (Chapter ends)
