A sneeze destroys a magical civilization

On the third day after the Christmas vacation, Hogwarts welcomed a large number of foreigners and Ministry of Magic staff early in the morning.

Even Fudge, as a minister, took time out of his busy schedule to personally receive these distinguished guests who came from all over Europe.

Especially wizards with certain status in organizations such as the Wizengamot, the International Federation of Wizards, and the Merlin Order, so that he did not dare to show even the slightest slightest care. He was always there with a smile almost the whole time, without any trace of British magic. Minister's airs.

Because compared with these powerful and successful seniors, Fudge can only be regarded as a slightly promising junior at best.

Whenever he saw these wizards with extremely high status and reputation in the magical world surrounding Dumbledore, his heart, which had been corrupted by power, was filled with envy and jealousy, and he also longed for one day to have all this. .

It's a pity that when these people discuss professional knowledge about esoteric spells, potions, alchemy, etc., he can't get involved at all.

Obviously, in the world of wizards, power is often far less useful than strong personal strength and profound professional knowledge, and it is more respected.

So many unexpected visitors undoubtedly triggered heated discussions among the students.

Especially those junior students who didn't know anything were looking around to find out what happened that attracted so many foreigners and the British Minister of Magic.

"Do you know? I just heard someone say that the reason why these people came to Hogwarts is to discuss with Principal Dumbledore about organizing the Quidditch League. Maybe next semester, we will not only Competitions are held between the four schools, but also with other magic schools in Europe.”

Ron pretended to be mysterious and shared the information he had heard with the other first-year students in Gryffindor.

"Really?!" Harry's eyes shone slightly.

But unfortunately, before Ron could reply, Hermione, who was sitting next to her reading a book, couldn't help but interrupt: "Of course it's false!

Use your brains to think about it. If you really want to hold a Quidditch League with other magic schools in Europe, how will you solve the venue problem?

Which house will represent Hogwarts?

What about the other three teams?

Most importantly, do you think that a mere Quidditch match between students will bring so many important members of the Wizengamot, the International Federation of Wizards, the Order of Merlin and other organizations to attend in person?

Do not be silly!

There are many people here that even the Quidditch World Cup wouldn't be able to invite. "

"Then what's going on?" Ron asked very unconvinced.

"All these people are here for Soth. Today is the first of five classes he has agreed with the Ministry of Magic to teach the techniques of making magic scrolls." Hermione gave the correct answer angrily.

"Going to...class? But he's still just a student!" Ron opened his mouth in disbelief.

Looking at the stupid guy in front of her, Hermione couldn't help but sigh slightly and explained: "Soss is not an ordinary student, but he invented and created such an epoch-making product as the magic scroll in the first grade.

You must know that before this, no wizard could store spells in an extremely cheap way for emergencies.

Based on this alone, his name will appear in the history of magic sooner or later.

Moreover, Soth also exchanged alchemy with Dumbledore's friend Nico Flamel, the maker of the only magic stone in the world.

The latter even gave him his lifelong research notes, including detailed steps for creating the Philosopher's Stone.

Now tell me, do you think he is still just a student like you and me? "

moment!

Ron's poor self-esteem suffered a critical blow. He was suddenly unable to utter a word, and his face turned red from anger or shame.

Just when Harry wanted to say something to ease his friend's embarrassment, George, one of the twins, suddenly ran over from a short distance away, thrust a card with a beautifully printed pattern on it to Hermione, and said in a low voice: "This is Tickets for the Charms classroom later. Don’t tell anyone about it. You know, Fred and I spent a lot of effort to get this thing."

"Where did you get it from?!" Hermione was obviously frightened.

You must know that everyone who holds this kind of card is basically either an official of the Ministry of Magic or a wizard from other countries.

If it goes wrong, it will cause a very serious diplomatic problem, and you may even have to spend a few years in Azkaban.

"Hehe, don't worry, we are not stupid enough to attack targets who are easy to cause trouble. In fact, this ticket was secretly forged by us, but I have tried it just now, and the guy guarding the door has nothing to do with it. I couldn't tell." George's eyes flashed with pride.

Of course, he had every reason to be proud of his ability to fool a group of adult wizards.

You must know that it is not an ordinary card, but a large number of magic items with anti-counterfeiting marks and identification.

"Damn it! You guys are really crazy! If you want a ticket, wouldn't you just ask Soss for one?"

Hermione obviously couldn't understand the brain circuits of the twin brothers.

But George responded indifferently: "Soth is already busy enough now. He will have to stand on the podium to deal with dozens of very famous wizards. We don't want to add extra pressure to him. In short, this You can use the admission ticket with confidence. Remember, the location is in the Charms classroom and it starts at nine in the morning."

After saying this, he winked mischievously, and then disappeared at the end of the corridor on the right without turning his head.

There is no doubt that this "false certificate" caused Hermione considerable trouble.

On the one hand, she really wanted to listen to what Zuo Si would say in class, but on the other hand, she was afraid of being caught, and her tangled brows were knitted together.

Just as the girl was hesitating, Professor McGonagall suddenly walked out from the corner and handed the girl a real admission ticket: "Here, this is what Soth asked me to hand over to you."

"For me?!" Hermione suddenly looked surprised.

"That's right. I hope you can sit in the corner and keep quiet after entering. Because there will be many respected wizards like Principal Dumbledore attending, and I don't want to see you giving Hogwarts and Granville Findor College is in disgrace." Professor McGonagall warned in a serious tone.

Hermione nodded vigorously: "Understood! I promise to only wear my ears and not my mouth, and I will never make any sound."

"Very good. This is a very good learning opportunity. I hope you can take advantage of it. You must know that among the students in the school, you are the only one qualified to enter."

Professor McGonagall obviously didn't notice that the girl still had a fake one in her hand. After giving away the ticket, she quickly turned around and left.

After all, so many people suddenly came to Hogwarts, and she was quite busy and had no time to pay attention to these little ones.

When Professor McGonagall completely walked away, Hermione let out a long breath, immediately threw the fake ID that George gave you to the trash can aside, and happily held the real ticket towards her. Walk to the Charms classroom.

But the girl didn't know that as soon as she walked away, Harry stared blankly at the card in the trash can. It took a full minute before he couldn't help but ask: "Ron, do you want to listen to Soss?" Class?"

"No! I don't understand it anyway."

Ron was clearly losing his temper.

"In that case, I won't be polite with this ticket."

Harry picked up the false certificate from the trash can without saying a word.

He had personally experienced the convenience of magic scrolls, so he was very interested in this magic technology.

As a result, Ron could only watch in a stunned state as his best friend abandoned him and walked straight towards the direction of the Charms classroom.

Ten minutes later, when Hermione discovered that several students, including Harry and the Weasley twins, had openly used "false certificates" to deceive the Ministry of Magic staff guarding the door, and then swaggered in, her whole jaw dropped. Almost shocked.

She couldn't believe in her wildest dreams that these guys were so audacious.

And the girl also noticed that when Professor McGonagall saw this scene, there was naked and undisguised anger in her eyes.

If it weren't for the presence of the Minister of Magic and many distinguished guests, she would probably rush over and grab these little bastards by their ears and carry them out one by one.

But unfortunately, Professor McGonagall can only think about it now, and there is no way to put it into practical action.

Not only her, but also many people noticed that a few more students appeared out of thin air.

After all, teenagers can be as conspicuous as they are among a group of middle-aged and elderly people.

Fortunately, George and Fred, who had always been very nervous, noticed in time that something was not right in the atmosphere, and hurriedly dragged a group of classmates who had sneaked in with false certificates into a corner and kept silent.

Obviously, this is not a place where they can have fun or mess around as they imagined.

In particular, Professor McGonagall's sharp eyes are inherently a huge deterrent to bad students who like to cause mischief.

Just when the twins and other students began to hesitate to sneak away, the entire classroom suddenly became quiet.

Zuo Si, who was wearing a black robe, walked slowly to the podium, put one hand on his chest and bowed very elegantly.

"Everyone, good morning. Welcome to Hogwarts all the way, and to hear me, a student who has just entered the magical world, explain my understanding of magic.

Please rest assured that I promise to use the most understandable language to explain in detail how to trace the source of the spell and store it in the scroll.

But before that, I have some special caveats to make.

First of all, I don’t want anyone to interrupt me during my presentation.

No matter you have any questions or find something you think is wrong, please be patient. Finally, I will give everyone enough time to ask questions until all questions are answered.

Secondly, when entering the question period, please raise your hands one by one, otherwise I will not be able to hear so many people's questions clearly at the same time.

Finally, and most importantly.

The purpose of this open class is to let more people understand the basic principles of making magic scrolls, as well as other magic storage devices derived from this technology, and also to introduce the idea of ​​tracing the origin of spells.

If anyone wants to discuss anything else, please come see me privately after class.

Thank you very much for your cooperation, distinguished guests, and the class will begin. "

There is no doubt that Zuo Si's speech without any stage fright immediately made many older wizards smile with approval.

Because being able to talk without the slightest bit of nervousness or panic under the gaze of so many people means that you have extremely strong psychological quality.

In addition, many adult wizards may not be able to think clearly and speak fluently, not to mention a freshman who has just entered school.

Watching Zuo Si on the podium, he began to divide the complex process of making magic scrolls into several parts in an orderly manner, and then explained them one by one from simple to complex. An old man sitting in the front row, whose hair and beard had turned white, couldn't help but smile slightly. He sighed: "I thought that the description of this young man in newspapers and magazines was a bit exaggerated, but now it seems that it is indeed worthy of the name. Congratulations, Dumbledore. You have successfully cultivated a genius who can change the existing pattern of the wizarding world. .”

"No, old friend. It's not my fault."

Dumbledore smiled and shook his head.

"After all, no matter how powerful I am, I can't turn a child who knows nothing about magic into what he is now in just a few months. Most of Soth's achievements stem from his own ability. A frightening amount of talent and intelligence. Plus, of course, a dash of the rich collection of books in the Hogwarts library."

"You mean...this technology of making magic scrolls and even magic storage items comes from his self-study?"

The old man's eyes widened in surprise, as if he couldn't believe what he heard.

"That's right. In fact, I have never taught Soth any magic or knowledge. He can get to where he is today thanks to his own efforts. It's incredible, isn't it?"

When he said these words, Dumbledore's eyes flashed with deep light.

"Yes, it's a pity that he is not a student of Durmstrang Magic School." The old man sighed regretfully.

Because he understood that with such an outstanding young man in Hogwarts, his alma mater might not be able to compete for the qualification of the best magic school in Europe for a long time to come.

While the two were chatting in low voices, Zuo Si had unknowingly completed the explanation of the rune system, ink mixing, parchment processing and other preparatory work for making a magic scroll.

Because he himself has a bit of obsessive-compulsive disorder, he strives to be precise in every word to ensure that there will be no ambiguity. Sometimes if there is no appropriate word in English, he will directly annotate it in French or Latin.

This ability to switch freely between different languages ​​surprised many wizards from other countries on the European continent, especially France.

At this moment, no one doubted that the slightly thin figure on the podium would become a great wizard leading the times in the future.

No!

Rather he already is.

Especially when it came to tracing the origin of spells and when the concept of "stabilizing spell structures" was proposed in public for the first time, many famous wizards who were proficient in magic spells and alchemy showed expressions of sudden realization on their faces.

Just like Nico Flamel's reaction back then, they finally realized the real reason why they had never been able to create relatively cheap magic storage items before.

Although the invention of the wand brought more convenient and easier-to-use spells to the entire Europe and even most of the wizarding world, it also made the spell structure too simple to exist independently of the wand.

It is for this reason that although wizards create many impressive things, their requirements for materials are often extremely demanding.

Take the flying broom as an example. The better the broom is, the rarer and more precious the materials it uses tend to be.

Only in this way can the effect of the spell be maintained as complete and long-term as possible.

And strictly speaking, most magic items in this world are not permanent, but have a certain useful life.

When the power of a spell weakens over time, it becomes inevitable that it will fail.

Only the Deathly Hallows made by the most powerful wizards like the Elder Wand, or the Philosopher's Stone successfully created by Nico Flamel, can remain in their original shape for hundreds or even thousands of years.

This is exactly the opposite of most magical items in Faerun, which can still be used after being dug up even if they have been buried underground for hundreds or even thousands of years.

Of course, except for those "quasi-magical items" that relied on Mythra's core in the Netherese era.

In order to let these conservative "old antiques" understand the importance of innovation, Zuo Si concluded in a solemn tone at the end: "For the production of spell storage devices, the traceability of spells is the most important part, and it is also the most worthy of study. part.

Because it not only helps us gain a deeper understanding of the complex principles behind those magics that only require a few syllables.

At the same time, you can get more inspiration from it, and then change or even reshape the entire spell structure, so as to obtain a variant that is more suitable for each person's magical characteristics.

Due to the large number of spells currently available in the wizarding world, it would be difficult for just a few people to complete this large-scale work.

So I think the International Wizarding Organization should take the lead, and the Ministry of Magic of each country should send people to join in.

If possible, it's a good idea to give each spell a certain bonus.

When someone is the first to complete the tracing of the spell and be recognized, he or she will receive enough rewards to encourage capable wizards to participate.

Trust me, this is a good thing for the wizarding community as a whole.

When the spell tracing work is completed, not only will the invention of new spells reach a peak, but the difficulty and cost of making magic items will also be greatly reduced.

It has even ushered in a period of rapid development similar to the Industrial Revolution in the Muggle world.

By then, every wizard can benefit from it. "

As the last word came out, the entire Charms classroom burst into applause.

Many wizards with considerable influence throughout Europe were very interested in Zuo Si's proposal.

Even Dumbledore stood up and gave a very rare look of approval.

From this speech, he could hear his extraordinary vision and his expectations for the future development direction of the magic world.

In particular, he had never seen the pattern displayed by Wu Zizhen hiding his research results, but instead calling on everyone to participate. He had never seen it in any other wizard.

You must know that in the magical world, there have always been many bad habits spread.

Among them, it has become a tacit secret among many powerful wizards to treat their research results on magic and spells as a secret.

The reasons are often very complex.

Some of them are because the research direction belongs to the field of black magic, so it is impossible and there is no way to share it;

Some involve certain specific interests. For example, a workshop that makes flying broomsticks will never publish the spells they add to new products;

The latter type stems from the tradition of pure-blood families, who will hide the best knowledge, treasures and powerful spells and leave them only to the true heirs of the family.

As a centenarian, when Dumbledore was pursuing knowledge and power when he was young, he had seen too many magics that were eventually lost due to the above situations. He also understood the arrogance, arrogance and shortsightedness of pure-blood families. .

Because of this, he finally parted ways with Gellert Grindelwald and chose to stand on the opposite side.

In fact, it is different from what many people think. Strictly speaking, Albus Dumbledore is very similar to Harry Potter. His father is a wizard from an ancient pure-blood family, while his mother is a Muggle. wizard.

According to the views of pure-blood families in the past, he himself was technically a mixed-blood.

Only the offspring born from the marriage between pure-blood families and pure-blood families can be called true pure-bloods.

However, as the number of half-blood wizards and Muggle-born wizards increased, as long as both parents were wizards, they would be regarded as pure blood in a broad sense.

At least they won't suffer from all kinds of implicit discrimination or exclusion like the first generation of Muggle-born wizards.

Of course, anyone with a little common sense knows that although wizards rely on blood inheritance to obtain magic power, pure blood does not necessarily mean that they are more powerful than half-blood or Muggle-born wizards.

The upper limits reached by Dumbledore, Voldemort, Snape and others all prove that the best half-bloods are far better than pure-blood wizards.

Harry's mother Lily and Hermione, who is in her first year at Hogwarts, have also proven that Muggle-born wizards are no worse than purebloods in learning and mastering magic.

In fact, blood is just an introduction, a necessary prerequisite for becoming a wizard.

As long as you have this prerequisite, you are on the same starting line.

There is no essential difference between pure blood, half blood, and muggle birth.

The only advantage of a pure-blood family lies in the knowledge and wealth accumulated over a dozen or even dozens of generations, as well as the network of connections formed by long-term marriages.

As for talent, there is no evidence that purebloods are better than half-bloods and Muggle-born wizards.

Just when Dumbledore was habitually thinking about the impact that scrolls and spell storage technology would have on those conservative pure-blood families, the applause around him finally subsided.

Zuo Si began to call names one by one, asking those who raised their hands to stand up and ask questions, and answered them one by one.

The whole process lasted for about twenty minutes, until the last old man sat down with satisfaction. This public class sponsored by the British Ministry of Magic finally came to a successful conclusion.

Many well-known wizards who came from all over Europe got the answers they wanted, and at the same time they were full of praise for Zuo Si, a rising star.

And Cornelius Fudge also achieved the political achievement he desired most, with a smile on his old face like a blooming chrysanthemum.

Because during his tenure as Minister of Magic, such a genius emerged from the British wizarding world, and he deserves a share of the credit no matter what.

What's more, Zuo Si is still so "sensible" that he never forgets to mention to the distinguished guests that he has received funding from the Ministry of Magic.

If all Hogwarts students had this kind of grateful heart and ideological awareness, Fudge felt that it was entirely possible for him to compete for the title of the greatest minister in the history of the British wizarding world.

But what Fudge didn't know was that the reason Zuo Si did this was to take advantage of his weakness for fame and fortune to gain some privileges.

Just like when he originally chose to cooperate with the major families behind the control of the Amn government, there is no essential difference.

In addition, the current Minister of Magic Fudge is much easier to deal with than those shrewd Amn nobles and wealthy businessmen.

Many times, as long as you satisfy the old man's vanity a little and give him full respect, he will immediately reciprocate the favor.

Looking at the license in his hand that had been signed by the Ministry of Magic and authorized to raise some relatively dangerous magical animals for research in mountainous areas far away from Muggles, Zuo Si's eyes flashed with a trace of unnoticeable amusement, and he immediately asked Kang Nellie Fudge bowed slightly and said, "Thank you very much for your support of my research. Please rest assured, I promise there will be absolutely no accidents."

"You are so kind, kid. I have always been very happy to help all young people who can bring progress and prosperity to the magical world. I hope you will continue to work hard and perfect this promising technology as soon as possible. I believe that when that day comes , you will surpass everyone and become the greatest wizard of our time."

As he said that, Cornelius Fudge gently patted Zuo Si's shoulder to show encouragement, and at the same time, he did not forget to glance at Dumbledore not far away with a guilty look.

Regarding this boring little test, the latter didn't even show the slightest hint of anger. Instead, he smiled and nodded in agreement very generously.

"You are too generous. I am just standing on the shoulders of giants. Without the research results left by so many great wizards and the rich collection of books at Hogwarts, even if I have any ideas and inspiration, I will not be able to do anything." It’s impossible to put it into practice.”

Zuo Si deliberately pretended to be humble.

After all, he didn't want to leave a arrogant and arrogant impression on these old wizards who had a certain status and reputation in the magic world.

It turns out that no one dislikes a young man who is smart, intelligent and humble.

After a while, Zuo Si, the "protagonist" of today's open class, received a lot of praise, and even exchanged addresses and contacts with many important members of the Merlin Order, the Wizengamot, and the International Federation of Wizards. Way.

Just as Zuo Si was having friendly exchanges with these wizards from all over Europe, Snape couldn't help but sigh slightly: "Only at this time does he look like a real Slytherin."

"No, you are wrong, Severus. Thos has always been a Slytherin, and his thoughts and personality are even closer to Salazar himself than most students in Slytherin House." Dumbledore's eyes Shining with wisdom.

"Oh? What do you mean?" Snape had a curious look on his face.

Dumbledore explained casually: "All students chosen to enter Slytherin House have one thing in common, and that is ambition.

It's just that some people's ambition is power, some people's ambition is knowledge of black magic, and some people's ambition is power, reputation and status.

Soth may not be very interested in the latter, but his desire for the former is visible to the naked eye.

And he is trying to push and change the entire magical world.

Although I'm not sure if this was accidental or planned. "

"Speaking of this, I remembered it. Some time ago, Quirrell gave Soth a book that recorded a lot of black magic. If nothing else, that person should attack him soon. Don't you think Aren't you going to stop it?" Snape asked meaningfully.

Dumbledore chuckled and shook his head: "There's no need. Believe me, if Tom really does that, all he can gain is humiliation. And I'm also looking forward to seeing these two... What kind of sparks will be created when Slytherins who are very similar to some extent but completely different meet."

Upon hearing this, Snape frowned subconsciously: "Is there really no danger? Don't forget, that person will not show mercy just because the other person is a Slytherin genius."

"About this, I don't have anything to worry about. Because Soth has enough self-protection ability, and the power of some spells he masters, even I have to be careful to deal with it. What's more, Tom is just a ray attached to The remnants of other people's souls, with Quirrell's level of spells, would probably be defeated neatly if he really tried to use them."

Dumbledore adjusted his glasses and stared at the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor hiding in the corner not far away with a very covert gaze.

"Well, I hope you're right. If something goes wrong, I won't stand idly by. After all, I am the Head of House of Slytherin, and I will never sit back and watch someone hurt my students."

After that, Snape turned around and left the classroom without looking back, disappearing at the end of the corridor.

As for Zuo Si, he stayed with the Minister of Magic Fudge and pretended to be socializing for more than forty minutes. He was able to escape after all the foreign guests were sent away.

Just when he was about to return to the dormitory, he suddenly found a middle-aged man with long pale blond hair in the corner who looked very similar to Master Malfoy, as if he was waiting for him.

I saw this guy wearing a finely crafted robe and holding a cane with a metal silver snake on the front. He looked proud and arrogant.

You don't need to ask to know that he is none other than Draco's father, the current leader of the Malfoy family, Voldemort's most trusted subordinate and one of the leaders of the Death Eaters, the master of left and right jumps, the famous Lu Xiu Malfoy.

By amassing money by any means necessary while Voldemort was in power, Lucius successfully expanded his family's wealth and collection more than ten times, and also eradicated many enemies with the help of other Death Eaters.

When Voldemort lost power, he claimed to be under the Imperius Curse, successfully jumped to the other side, and betrayed other Death Eaters who had committed serious crimes to ensure that he and his family allies would not be prosecuted and sent to Albany. Zikaban.

When the storm subsided, Lucius used the huge wealth he had accumulated to bribe and bribe Ministry of Magic officials, especially the fame-hungry Minister of Magic Fudge. Not only did he restore the reputation of the Malfoy family, but he also gained considerable power.

It can be said that except for the fact that he did not expect Voldemort to return from death, the man in front of him almost managed to play Voldemort and Dumbledore at the same time.

It's a pity that in the magical world, the wizard's strength always comes first.

Power, wealth, and social status are like castles on the beach that collapse in the face of real power.

When Voldemort was resurrected and returned, no matter what methods Lucius had, he could only obey orders honestly in the end, and even his most beloved son almost got involved.

The two looked at each other for ten seconds, and finally Zuo Si was the first to break the silence: "Are you here specially waiting for me?"

"Yes." Lucius nodded slightly. "There were too many people in the classroom just now. I think you didn't want to meet me under Dumbledore's nose, so you came out early and waited on this necessary road. I believe the letter Draco sent you before , you should have seen it, right?"

"Yeah, I've seen it."

Zuo Si gave a straightforward affirmative answer.

"Then your response is..." Lucius tried in an uncertain tone.

Zuo Si refused without hesitation: "I'm sorry, I'm not interested in you, or should I say, your proposal.

I don't think that just a few pure-blood families can control today's magical world.

The most important thing is that you have completely ignored the objective fact that the technology in the Muggle world is developing rapidly.

In less than twenty years, cameras and surveillance equipment all over the streets and the Internet will make it impossible for wizards to avoid the sight of Muggles as easily as they do now.

Perhaps the Muggle Expelling Curse and the Oblivion Curse can still have a certain effect, but it is only a matter of time before that barrier is broken.

Therefore, the magical world should be prepared to embrace the future, rather than continue to be complacent and want to live its own life behind closed doors using the so-called secrecy law.

Oh, I almost forgot to tell you that the master you were loyal to before did not really die.

It won't take long for it to be resurrected.

Considering your behavior of betraying your companions, I think you'd better start thinking about how to explain it quickly.

As far as I know, he is not a person who easily forgives betrayers. "

"What?!" Lucius suddenly showed an expression of disbelief. "How do you know this?"

"Of course I know. Because not long ago, he personally gave me a notebook."

Zuo Si took out the note that Voldemort gave to him through Quirrell's hand, took it out and waved it in front of the other party's eyes.

When Lucius saw the cover of the note, his pupils instantly dilated, contracted, and then dilated again, and his heart beat wildly.

With just one glance, he recognized that this thing was exactly what Voldemort used to recruit his subordinates, deliberately compiled and left in Hogwarts school.

Many Death Eaters became more and more obsessed with it precisely because they saw those notes about dark magic, and eventually fell at the feet of the Dark Lord.

Fortunately, Lucius's psychological quality was quite good and he did not show the tension, fear and trembling emotions in his heart on his face. He lowered his voice and asked: "You mean...he is in Hogwarts right now." In the castle?"

"That's right. So let's make a deal now. If you do things for me, then I promise to ensure the safety of your son Draco after he returns." Zuo Si suggested calmly.

"How do I know if this is true?" Lucius questioned very vigilantly.

He has a suspicious personality and will not easily believe other people's words.

Zuo Si smiled and responded: "You should know best whether it is a lie or not.

After all, it would be strange for a black magic master like that not to master one or two ways to escape death.

What's more, I don't need the allegiance of you and the families behind you, I just want to make a deal with you alone.

As for after completing this transaction, it doesn't matter whether you go back to Voldemort and beg for his forgiveness and play a loyal servant, or you continue to stand on my side.

Because I know that you are a typical opportunist and have never been loyal at all.

There is always only one thing you are loyal to, and that is profit. "

"You seem to know me very well?" Lucius frowned subconsciously.

Although he had predicted when he came that Zuo Si would be like Voldemort when he was a student, he would have maturity, ambition and a smart mind that were not commensurate with his age.

But he never expected that the other party would see through his true nature as soon as they met.

“Not understanding, but character analysis through a series of actions.

In fact, what you did is not uncommon among families with a certain history in the Muggle world.

Only in this way can the family survive crisis after crisis through repeated leaps and successfully continue the family for hundreds or even thousands of years.

In my opinion, it is not shameful to act according to the wind and decisively choose to escape when a ship is about to sink, and it is nothing to despise.

On the contrary, this is a very test of wisdom.

A wise person will choose the right moment to make it look like he made a choice out of desperation without any moral blame.

But those who are not so smart will look like shameful traitors.

Tell me, which category do you think you belong to? "

Zuo Si meaningfully issued a soul torture.

Lucius was silent for a long time, and finally bowed deeply with one hand on his chest: "I'm sorry, please allow me to apologize for my temptation and rudeness just now. Compared with that person, you are the one truly worthy of loyalty. object."

"What, you don't plan to stick to your family's pure-blood concept now?" Zuo Si asked with a half-smile.

"I believe that in your body, there must be the blood of some noble wizard family, just like that person. After all, the Sorting Hat will not make mistakes in this kind of thing." Lucius replied without thinking.

"What if Voldemort comes back one day?" Zuo Si continued to ask.

"It depends on whether you can compete with him with the strength and influence you have by then. We are not one of those families loyal to Dumbledore who would foolishly risk our lives and wealth to be on the front line."

After realizing that his thoughts had been exposed, Lucius stopped being secretive and simply tore off the pretense of a generous showdown.

Zuo Si nodded slightly and reminded: "You should understand that I will not guarantee the interests of pure-blood families like you, and will even stand on the opposite position."

"It doesn't matter. The Malfoy family has already obtained enough benefits from the last time they chose sides. What I want to do now is just to keep what I have while ensuring the survival of the family, especially Draco's safety. In addition, you The biggest difference from that person is that he is very reasonable and will not use death threats or violence to force me to do anything. So from now on, the Malfoy family will serve you wholeheartedly, Master."

As the last word blurted out, Lucius bowed deeply again, showing no embarrassment at all in swearing allegiance to a boy about the same age as his own son.

"You are good at talking. In that case, let's find a place to talk about cooperation. You know, I have a lot of things that I am interested in, and I need some special channels to purchase them."

After saying this, the two people quickly disappeared into the dark passage...