Feeling the Hogwarts Board of Governors badge losing its magic, the once confident board members were now in a panic.
Why did they spend thousands and thousands of Galleons and countless resources every year to maintain their positions on the Hogwarts Board of Governors? Was it not for the sake of this very badge?!
Hogwarts, as the only magical school in all of Britain and one of the oldest in the world, has always been a cradle of exceptional witches and wizards, producing many top professionals in various fields of the magical world.
Holding a position on the Hogwarts Board of Governors was like having a ticket to network with elite individuals across society. It provided endless invisible wealth for various families and crucial support for expanding their social circles.
This is also one reason why many top wizards, at the height of their careers, choose to return to Hogwarts to teach, not just because it is their alma mater.
The Board of Governors badge was a significant symbol of the board, closely tied to the magical system within Hogwarts Castle, and had a unique function in making centralized decisions about the school's development.
In essence, governors with the badge were the behind-the-scenes managers of Hogwarts, while those without it were merely a group of investors with no benefits!
Seeing the magic of the badge gradually fade, the board members were panic-stricken.
"Why is this happening?!"
"This isn't right! There must be something wrong!"
Lucius, looking at his badge losing its glow, was also thrown into confusion. He suddenly looked up at the figure beside the round table, who was smiling with a hint of mockery.
"Dracula, what have you done to our badge?" he asked, forcing himself to stay calm.
"So, it's not just your eyesight that's poor, but your hearing isn't that good either," Dracula said with a faintly mocking smile. "I made it very clear: the Hogwarts Board of Governors has been dismissed!"
"Why? I refuse to believe that Hogwarts' rules can be controlled by one person!" the irate old board member looked at Dumbledore, as if grasping at a lifeline, and shouted, "Dumbledore, as the headmaster of Hogwarts, how can you allow someone to control the only magical school in Britain!"
He looked at Dumbledore with hope, expecting the legendary wizard to stand up decisively and use absolute power to imprison Dracula in Azkaban, just as he had once imprisoned Grindelwald in Nurmengard.
But he was destined to be disappointed.
Dumbledore merely smiled and said in a gentle tone:
"Mr. Yaxley, I am just an ordinary headmaster wanting to retire at Hogwarts. Managing the school and recruiting professors keeps me busy enough; changes in the Board of Governors are really outside my scope of responsibility."
The old board member known as Mr. Yaxley's expression grew cold.
"Dumbledore, the outside world is right! The comfortable life at Hogwarts has turned you into a coward who only seeks pleasure!" he said angrily.
He then secretly made a gesture to several surrounding board members.
Seeing this, the other board members who had initially agreed to dismiss Dracula exchanged furtive glances and then quietly drew their wands.
"Since you are unwilling to deliver justice, I will personally deal with this pest affecting Hogwarts' development!" Yaxley declared.
He raised his wand and struck first, aiming at Dracula.
"Take that parchment from him, and the position of the Hogwarts Board of Governors will still be ours!"
Several board members, following the prestigious Yaxley of the pure-blood family, eagerly cast various spells at Dracula.
Not only did the board members who had voted for the dismissal take action, but even some of those who had been observing couldn't resist raising their wands. Each of them had their own motives.
After all, it was clear to everyone that the key to the matter was the parchment in Dracula's hands!
Whoever defeated Dracula first would certainly get their hands on the parchment that could sever the connection between the Board of Governors badge and Hogwarts Castle's magic. Thus, they would have the power to allocate the spoils!
Seeing this, Lucius also hurriedly picked up his wand from the table and pointed it at Dracula.
"Dad, don't!" Draco, seeing Lucius's action, anxiously grabbed his father's arm. "Don't be impulsive. Professor Dracula caught a powerful spell from an entire year without using any spells himself. You guys are no match for him!"
Although Lucius was reluctant to believe his son, his long-standing indecisiveness made him hesitate.
At that moment, a dark round moon quietly appeared in the meeting room, absorbing all light sources and leaving only a faint, pale moonlight.
The spells cast by the board members abruptly halted in the dark moonlight.
The next moment, the spells reversed suddenly, their power doubled by the dark moon, and struck heavily at every board member who had raised their wand.
The meeting room was filled with the sounds of agonizing screams. Some of the board members who used particularly vicious dark magic were in severe pain, with some nearly losing their lives!
"So, it turns out that you wizards not only have poor sight and hearing but also lack in strength," came a contemptuous sneer from the pale moonlight.
As the moonlight dissipated, Dracula's silver hair reappeared in the eyes of the onlookers. But this time, the silver seemed as distant and cold as the moonlight, making it hard for anyone to feel any emotional touch.
Lucius, holding his wand, swallowed hard, stiff and unmoving. He had not even noticed that he still held his wand pointed at Dracula.
At this moment, Dracula looked over and gave Lucius a curious, amused smile:
"Mr. Malfoy, do you have any other matters?"
Lucius then noticed his own actions and broke out in a cold sweat.
However, as the heir of the longstanding Malfoy family, Lucius was not easily intimidated.
He quickly composed himself, holding his wand with both hands.
"Mr. Dracula, this is a unique wand style crafted for me by an excellent wandmaker. I came here today specifically to show it to you!"
He said with a feigned respectful demeanor.