Mysterious Journey
Chapter 728 The Time for a Showdown Has Arrived
"...Let Father and Mother reconcile with Uncle Black?"
Draco Malfoy looked at Hermione blankly, repeating the question in confusion.
Just a moment ago, he had secretly resolved that he would do anything, even study dangerous dark magic and become a sharp blade in Hermione's shadow, as long as it could free his parents from the Dark Lord's control.
"That's right. If you can achieve that, it means you are qualified to face the magical world."
Seeing the astonished expression on Draco's face, the third-generation Dark Lord couldn't help but smile.
"Draco, do you know why Tom Riddle failed? As a wizard, he went down the wrong path from the very beginning. Magic was never meant to pursue power. If Voldemort doesn't understand anything, it's this. His spells are nothing more than witchcraft, and they can never be called magic from beginning to end..."
"But, what does all this have to do with Father, Mother, and Uncle Black..."
Draco Malfoy frowned.
Hermione raised an eyebrow, shook her head with a faint smile, and said meaningfully.
"That's a good question, but I don't plan to tell you the answer directly. Not today, not ever. You will understand someday... Considering this diary, I can give you a little hint: recall what Professor Apocalis said in his first Defense Against the Dark Arts class... Now, you should go home..."
As she spoke, Hermione pursed her lips and smiled slightly, raising her right hand and lightly snapping her fingers.
"Strive to grow, Mr. Malfoy... I look forward to meeting you on the bridge of the Hyperion one day."
Accompanied by a sound like a bubble bursting, a small patch of space shimmered by the window of Flourish and Blotts, gradually revealing the figures of Hermione and Draco. The noisy sounds of the crowd on the surrounding streets seemed to suddenly draw closer.
At the same time, a heavy metal badge fell into Malfoy's palm.
[Hogwarts - Trainee Investigator - Draco Malfoy (D-Level)]
"Hyperion? What's that? Oh, and what's this..."
Draco Malfoy was stunned, not even noticing the change in Hermione's address to him.
However, before Malfoy could finish speaking, the elfin figure had scattered in the afternoon sunlight, like fireflies in the midsummer night sky, appearing beside a girl at the Flourish and Blotts checkout counter, a dozen meters away.
Judging from the expressions of the surrounding pedestrians, no one seemed to have noticed the conversation that had taken place in this corner.
If it weren't for the vanished diary, the sudden appearance of the mysterious metal badge, and the lingering faint fragrance in the air, Draco Malfoy would have almost thought that everything before had been his illusion.
Judging from Hermione's performance, this "secret rendezvous" should be over.
Except...
Draco Malfoy gripped the metal badge in his hand, looked up at Hermione, who was chatting intimately with a strange young witch not far away, and was unsure whether he should just leave or go up and ask for clarification.
"Hey! Snapped out of it, newbie—"
Just then, a voice suddenly rang in his ear, startling him.
A strange young red-haired wizard was standing in front of him, tall with long hair tied back in a ponytail. He wore an earring with a small fan-like trinket hanging from it.
In short, from any angle – a very "cool" wizard.
Draco Malfoy noticed that on the red-haired wizard's left chest pocket, which was covered with various decorations, was a metal badge similar to the one in his hand, but the content was slightly different, and the style was also slightly different.
[Gringotts Wizarding Bank - Senior Researcher - Bill Weasley (B-Level)]
"Malfoy? Hey—"
The red-haired wizard sized up the metal badge in Malfoy's hand, raised an eyebrow curiously, then straightened his expression, stood up straight, and proactively extended his right hand to Draco Malfoy, solemnly saying.
"Let me introduce myself, Bill Weasley, B-level personnel, your guide. For the next period of time, I will be responsible for all questions, onboarding guidance, and tasks. As for formal explanations and Q&A..."
Bill Weasley looked up at Malfoy's back and curled his lips with a playful look.
"Obviously, now is not a suitable time. See you on the train tomorrow—"
"But... Mr. Weasley, I—"
Draco Malfoy frowned, preparing to ask a few more questions.
"Draco! Where did you run off to? And you, stay away from my son!"
Draco was startled. Lucius Malfoy was walking over angrily, one hand on his shoulder, pulling him away from Bill Weasley, with a clear expression of rejection and disgust on his face.
At the same time, the warm smile on Bill Weasley's face gradually disappeared, replaced by a hint of mockery.
"Dad!" Draco said in alarm, somewhat flustered, "I just wanted to find a book in the bookstore... It's nothing..."
"Draco, be quiet! I'll talk to you about your affairs later!"
Lucius Malfoy glanced at his son, his nostrils flaring as he puffed out air.
"Wait... I remember you... Weasley's eldest son..."
Lucius Malfoy paused, looked up and down at the red-haired wizard in front of him, narrowed his eyes slightly, and said slowly and coldly in his usual, somewhat arrogant tone.
"Whatever you plan to do, I advise you to stay away from my son—"
"Of course, I'll keep your advice in mind... Goodbye, Mr. Malfoy."
Bill Weasley nodded politely and grinned at Draco Malfoy.
Then, without saying anything more, Bill Weasley turned and walked straight into the crowd in Diagon Alley.
As one of the wizards invited back to Hogwarts for "further study" this year, he had plenty of time to familiarize the new recruits with the organization, and there was no need to waste time arguing with Lucius Malfoy.
"Hmph, Draco—in the future, have less to do with the Weasley family. I've told you several times before—"
Lucius Malfoy said, his pale eyes shifting to Draco.
"This family of dregs in the wizarding world has almost fallen to the extreme. I don't want the Malfoy family to have the disgrace of a Sirius. After half a summer, I think you've seen how dilapidated the Black family has become."
"Don't worry, Dad, I won't let that happen..."
Although he didn't yet understand how vast the world behind Hermione was, he could be certain from the decline of the Black family that neither following Voldemort nor opposing Voldemort was a wise choice.
If he wanted to free his parents from the shadows of the past, there was only one way—eliminate it.
Draco Malfoy took a deep breath and repeated earnestly.
"Absolutely, absolutely not!"
…………
At the same time, outside the Malfoy father and son's line of sight.
With the help of the goblin Douglas and Hermione, Irina Ivanovich finally put the large stack of books neatly into her newly purchased cauldron and followed the crowd out of Flourish and Blotts, supporting her increasingly heavy trolley.
"Books, potions, clothes, equipment..."
Standing on the street to the side of Flourish and Blotts, Hermione carefully checked Irina's list.
"So now all that's left is your wand—oh, that's right! I almost forgot, speaking of which... I've specially prepared a small gift for you regarding wands, as a special option for the first Hogwarts specially admitted student—"
Irina waved her hand somewhat awkwardly.
"No need, I actually—"
"Don't rush to refuse. It's like this, I plan to lend you a wand temporarily, an old wand. If nothing goes wrong, it shouldn't be so easy to use, and it won't be able to fully exert your talent. If you go to Ollivander's Wand Shop, you can definitely find a wand that suits you better, and one that will belong to you alone forever."
"Eh?!"
Irina was slightly stunned, looking at Hermione with a puzzled expression.
A wand—this is the most important, most precious partner of every wizard. In a way, every wand sold in the magical world is almost equivalent to a part of a wizard's life.
"I know you must have a lot of doubts now, listen to me finish..."
Hermione said softly as she pushed the trolley, "I've learned a part of your family's situation from Mr. Newt Scamander—if you temporarily hide or discard the surname 'Ivanovich', with your talent, knowledge, and hard work, you can completely start a new life at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."
"Hermione, I don't understand what you mean..."
Irina said somewhat stammeringly, sounding a bit like Professor Quirrell before.
"Serena, Serena Krum. What do you think of this name?"
Hermione's voice became even gentler, with a hint of strange emotion in her tone.
"This is the new name and identity I've prepared for you in advance. If you're willing, you can use this name to register your wand, and Gringotts Wizarding Bank will help you change all the information—a slight deviation during the translation of Russian to English is very normal."
And as she spoke, they had arrived in front of a small, dilapidated shop.
The gold sign on the door had been re-framed, reading: [Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C.]. However, the dusty door frame still made the entire shop look old and dilapidated.
In the dusty window, a single wand lay forlornly on a faded purple cushion.
"This is the legendary best wand shop in all of England. Mr. Ollivander of this generation can be said to be one of the top wand craftsmen in the world today. You only need to step into this wand shop to have a new wand that is perfectly suited to you."
Hermione slowly stopped, pointed to "Ollivander's Wand Shop" a few meters away, and said softly.
"Or..."
Hermione said, taking a long, narrow paper box from the inside of her robe.
"You can choose to continue to bear the surname 'Ivanovich' and use this less handy wand to overcome and subdue those peers who are no weaker than you in Hogwarts full of thorns, and become a great witch."
"Of course, if you can complete some small tests, then I can also lend it to you permanently."
In the paper box lay quietly a black wand, like black obsidian glass, covered with various scratches and wear marks, looking as if it had been used for a long time and had undergone many fierce battles.
"This—"
The moment her eyes touched the box in Hermione's hand, Irina Ivanovich seemed to be pricked by a needle, letting out a strange cry like a small animal. The girl covered her mouth, her eyes fixed on the wand in Hermione's hand.
For Irina, this wand was all too familiar.
In her most beautiful memories, she had seen her grandfather waving this wand countless times, directing the tea sets to dance on the dining table in the living room, or conjuring up lively little animals and colorful flower clusters in front of her.
Except...
"Impossible! It, Grandpa—the Ministry of Magic, those people aren't—"
"Oh, indeed, it took a lot of effort to get it out."
Hermione shrugged, saying casually.
"Fortunately, the Soviet Ministry of Magic Internal Affairs has been disbanded, and the Russian Ministry of Magic officials who just took over this part are obviously much easier to talk to... Compared to letting it gather dust in the Ministry of Magic's cabinet, earning some extra money to subsidize the family is definitely more cost-effective."
"...Grandpa."
Irina bit her lip and carefully took the wand from Hermione's hand.
In the lower right corner of the wand, near the end, there was a shallow dent, as if it had been gnawed by some rodent—that was when she was five years old, she had been angry with her grandfather and deliberately bit the wand, leaving the mark.
This was something even her father didn't know, a little secret that belonged only to her and her grandfather.
"This is not Hogwarts, Hogwarts would not do such a dangerous thing."
Irina took a breath, gently wiped the corner of her eye, carefully put the wand in her close-fitting pocket, turned to look at the white-haired little devil standing next to her, took a deep breath, and a firm look appeared on her face.
"Anyway... Thank you. Ms. Hermione Kaslana, although I don't know what you and the forces behind you hope to get, but Grandpa once said that there will never be free gifts in this world."
"You have put in so much thought and arrangement—then, what is the price? And... what are the tests you mentioned?"
"That's surprising. Frankly, I didn't expect you to be so—unique."
Hermione raised an eyebrow somewhat unexpectedly, looking at the Russian little witch in front of her with interest.
According to her original idea, she just wanted to put a reliable little catfish in Hogwarts, but judging from the current situation, perhaps she could consider cultivating a potential adjutant.
Whether it was Hermione, Hannah, or Luna, their personalities were ultimately a little weaker. They were more suitable to act as spokespersons in some sunny occasions.
"As for the price..."
Hermione's eyes flickered, and she said meaningfully.
"Don't worry, Irina, we are not bad people. We just have different ideas and styles of doing things from some old rules."
"Don't be anxious, first accompany me on a date... on the Hyperion... then, you will understand what the essence of magic is..."
…………
Russia, the other side of the world.
Outside St. Petersburg, the Lomonosov family home.
Old Lomonosov sat on the sofa in the bedroom, looking at the familiar room, imagining how he had gradually arranged the furniture in the bedroom, which decorations had been updated, and which things had remained unchanged.
As one of the last evacuees, he had plenty of things to remember.
In the living room, a somewhat familiar voice came upstairs.
"Mr. Lomonosov, it's almost time... You should leave!"
This was the wizard commissioner from the Destiny Group, responsible for the transfer of this batch of old guys. These days, he and several other young men had been helping his family deal with their property and arrange for contact.
Although the old wizard disguised himself well and changed his appearance a lot.
But...
From the second day he arrived at this house, Old Lomonosov recognized his identity—
Decades ago, in the ruins of Moscow, in the ruins of St. Petersburg, he had fought against that fanatical follower of Gellert Grindelwald, a staunch member of the Saints, Kurt Mael.
Old Lomonosov took a deep breath and slowly stood up, leaning on his cane and walking towards the living room downstairs. A dull ache began to appear in his chest again, becoming more and more frequent these days, and his energy was getting worse and worse.
"Wizard's Bane" had almost completely spread, and he didn't have much time left.
If nothing unexpected happened, soon, he would be able to go and argue with Novart Ivanovich again.
And before that...
The time had finally come to call their hand...
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Big chapter! Gu Ya!
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