The curly-haired old man squinted at Fudge, who was standing behind the podium in the Quidditch stadium, and said in a flat tone, "Yes, someone like Cornelius can become the Minister of Magic, and before that, Voldemort had them in utter chaos—British wizards are so fallen they don't even dare to say his name aloud."
"Decades ago, Grindelwald made me think the wizards were going to rise again, but who would've thought it would be the last echo of the magical world," the old man shook his head, clearly looking down on modern wizards.
"Fortunately, those four founders are long dead. It's hard to believe that just four people could stir up a 'Ragnarok.' If they were still alive today, our plan would be nothing but a pipe dream, an illusion," said the witch.
She briefly imagined the founders still alive, and the thought made her shudder.
If they were still around, the organization's plan would be nearly impossible to execute.
"What are you thinking?" the linen-robed wizard scoffed, glancing at the witch. "Who can live for a thousand years? Relax, Virgo. The power of the Secret Order is stronger than you think. Even if those old relics came back from the dead, they'd just be remnants of a bygone era. They probably couldn't even withstand a single arrow from me."
Rhys, who had been eavesdropping on their entire conversation from the shadows, showed no change in his expression.
Often, arrogance and ignorance go hand in hand like inseparable twins. When one appears, the other isn't far behind.
When children misbehave, a good spanking teaches them.
The witch named Virgo and the curly-haired old man both frowned upon hearing their companion's words. Sagittari (the wizard in the linen robe) was always so confident, overly so—he lacked the most basic respect for ancient wizards.
More importantly, if you're going to belittle the four founders of Hogwarts, what does that make the gods they killed?
The linen-robed wizard cleared his throat, signaling his companions to shut up and quietly observe the ceremony below.
Seeing the trio stop talking, Rhys also turned his attention, somewhat disinterested, to the experiment taking place on the Quidditch pitch.
The experiment had already begun. Under Minister Fudge's orders, Lupin and another werewolf were brought to the center of the field.
Although both of them were volunteers, they were tightly bound with numerous chains, and their feet shackled with heavy iron cuffs — the Ministry's treatment of them seemed to clash with their supposed volunteer status.
Of course, none of the wizards present thought this was a problem: after all, they were dealing with werewolves, and it was always wise to take extra precautions.
Mr. Jamison Henry Greengrass and Lockhart were already prepared.
Today, Mr. Jamison wore a black wizard's robe with silver-green embroidery symbolizing Slytherin House on the cuffs, and a Greengrass family crest pinned to his chest. Lockhart, on the other hand, wore a forget-me-not blue robe and had carefully styled his hair.
Internally, he was a nervous wreck, but outwardly, he maintained his composure, even managing to force what he believed was a charming smile.
Snape entered the pitch, holding two goblets. He poured the potion into the mouths of the two werewolves, then asked Lockhart if he needed potion assistance.
Lockhart hesitated for a moment before accepting Snape's help. Over the past few days, he had studied the Human Restoration Charm that Jamison had published in the Daily Prophet and thought that with the help of the new Wolfsbane potion, he might just be able to pull it off.
The sun gradually sank below the horizon, and the moon began to rise into the night sky.
Under the moonlight, Lupin and the other werewolf started to transform, but the effects of the potion were immediately apparent. Once the two wizards in the field had fully transformed into wolves, they both rolled their eyes and promptly passed out.
Instantly, the audience in the stadium stood up, creating an overwhelmingly noisy scene. Everyone was astonished by the effectiveness of the potion.
Even if the subsequent Restoration Charm didn't work, the invention of the Wolfsbane potion alone was enough to be considered groundbreaking. With this potion, werewolves could remain harmless during the full moon, a huge relief for the wizarding world.
Jamison Greengrass gestured toward Lockhart, signaling him to proceed, before stepping forward to stand in front of the wolf that Lupin had become. Drawing his wand, he cast the Human Restoration Charm.
Under the influence of the spell, Lupin's thick fur gradually receded, and his limbs slowly transformed back into human form. Within about a minute, Lupin had fully reverted to his human self.
Even under the moonlight, he didn't transform back into a werewolf.
The stadium erupted into cheers.
Next, thousands of eyes focused on Lockhart, making him feel incredibly anxious.
Nervously gripping his wand, he mimicked Jamison's actions and cast the 'Revert to Human Charm' he had 'created' on the wolf lying on the ground.
Nothing happened.
Lockhart was completely frozen in place, mechanically waving his wand, attempting the Revert to Human Charm a second and third time.
Though wizards are generally atheists, if given the chance, Lockhart would have gladly prayed to Lady Luck at that moment.
Unfortunately, even if the elusive gods did cast their gaze upon Lockhart, it wasn't Lady Luck smiling at him, but rather the god of mischief.
Lockhart's spell took effect — the wolf on the ground suddenly opened its eyes.
Lockhart: "!"
Rhys, watching from the stands, was equally stunned. 'This is unbelievable. Could Lockhart's spell actually counteract the effects of the Wolfsbane potion?'
The awakened wolf, still groggy but now alert, instantly locked its eyes on the closest human — Lockhart.
Baring its fangs, it leapt at Lockhart's throat.
"A—A save me!"
In the next instant, several ropes appeared out of thin air, binding the wolf tightly and slamming it back to the ground.
Dumbledore, now standing in the center of the field, glanced briefly at Lockhart, then gave a flick of his wand.
"Watch carefully. This is how you cast the Human Restoration Charm!"
The werewolf, which had been struggling and writhing on the ground, suddenly stiffened, and its thick fur began to recede. Eventually, it reverted back into the timid-looking Ministry employee.
The audience in the stands finally reacted. They applauded Dumbledore enthusiastically, though many of them shot curious and skeptical glances toward Lockhart.
From this day forward, Lockhart's reputation would spread throughout the wizarding world—exactly in the way he least wanted.
Lockhart collapsed to the ground in a daze, but no one was paying attention to him anymore. All eyes were now on Dumbledore, who had begun to speak.
After casting a Sonorous Charm on himself, Dumbledore's voice echoed across the stadium: "Ladies and gentlemen, we have just proven that Mr. Jamison's Human Restoration Charm is indeed effective!"
The stadium erupted into thunderous applause.
But what Dumbledore did next made everyone freeze in shock—he stretched out his hand, firmly scraped it against Lupin's teeth, and blood began to flow from the back of his thin, frail hand.
Gasp!
——
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