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

Especially for wizards who held a certain status in organizations such as the Wizengamot, the International Confederation of Wizards, and the Order of Merlin, he did not dare to show even the slightest neglect. He stayed by their side with a smile almost the entire time, without any airs of a British Minister of Magic at all.

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

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

Unfortunately, he couldn't get a word in when these people were discussing professional knowledge about esoteric spells, potions, alchemy, etc.

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

Such a large number of unexpected visitors undoubtedly sparked heated discussions among the students.

Especially those lower grade students who knew nothing were asking around to find out what had happened that attracted so many foreigners and the British Minister of Magic.

"You know what? I just heard someone say that the reason these people came to Hogwarts was to discuss with Headmaster Dumbledore about holding a Quidditch League. Maybe next semester, we will not only hold competitions between the four colleges, but also with other magic schools in Europe."

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

"Really?!" Harry's eyes lit up slightly.

But unfortunately, before Ron could reply, Hermione, who was reading a book next to him, couldn't help but interrupt him and said, "Of course it's fake!

Think carefully, if we really want to hold a Quidditch league with other European magic schools, how to solve the venue problem? Which house will represent Hogwarts in the game?

What about the other three teams? Most importantly, do you think that a Quidditch match between students would attract so many important members of organizations such as the Wizengamot, the International Confederation of Wizards, and Merlin's Order?

Don't be silly! There are a lot of people here who you couldn't invite even for the Quidditch World Cup."

"Then what do you think is going on?" Ron asked 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 unhappily.

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

Looking at the silly guy in front of her, Hermione couldn't help but sigh and explained, "Sos is not an ordinary student. He invented the epoch-making product of the magic scroll in his first grade.

You have to know that before this, no wizard had been able to store spells in a very cheap way for emergency use.

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

Moreover, Soth also discussed alchemy with Dumbledore's friend, Nicolas Flamel, the creator of the world's only Philosopher's Stone.

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

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

moment!

Ron's pitiful self-esteem suffered a critical blow. He was suddenly speechless and his face turned red, not knowing whether it was because of 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 not far away and handed Hermione a card with an exquisite pattern printed on it. He lowered his voice and said, "This is the admission ticket to the Charms classroom later. Don't tell anyone. You know, Fred and I spent a lot of effort to get this thing."

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

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

If you fail to handle it properly, it will cause very serious diplomatic problems, and you may have to go to Azkaban for a few years.

"Hey, don't worry, we're not stupid enough to go after targets that are likely to cause trouble. In fact, we secretly forged this admission ticket, but I've tried it just now, and the guy guarding the door couldn't tell the difference at all." George's eyes flashed with pride.

Of course, he had every reason to be proud of himself for having fooled a group of adult wizards.

You have to know that it is not an ordinary card, but a magical item with a large number of anti-counterfeiting marks and identity identification.

"Damn it! You guys are crazy! If you want a ticket, why don't you just ask Soth for one?"

Hermione obviously couldn't understand the twin brothers' train of thought, but George responded nonchalantly, "Thoth is 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. Anyway, you can use this ticket with confidence. Remember, the venue is in the Charms classroom, starting at 9 am."

After saying this, he blinked mischievously, then disappeared at the end of the corridor on the right without even looking back.

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

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

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

"For me?!" Hermione was immediately surprised.

"That's right. I hope you can sit in the corner and keep quiet the whole time after you enter. Because there will be many respected wizards like Headmaster Dumbledore present, and I don't want to see you bring shame to Hogwarts and Gryffindor House." Professor McGonagall warned in a serious tone.

Hermione nodded vigorously and said, "Understood! I promise to only use my ears and not my mouth, and I will definitely not make any sound."

"Very good. This is a very good learning opportunity, I hope you can seize it. You should know that among all the students in the school, you are the only one who is qualified to enter."

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

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

After Professor McGonagall walked away completely, Hermione let out a long sigh of relief, immediately threw the fake certificate George gave her into the trash can beside her, and happily walked towards the Charms classroom with the real ticket.

But the girl didn't know that as soon as she left, Harry stared at the cards in the trash can in a daze. After a full minute, he couldn't help but ask, "Ron, do you want to attend South's class?"

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

Ron was clearly having a tantrum.

"In that case, I won't hesitate to give you this admission ticket."

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

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

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

More than ten minutes later, when Hermione discovered that several students including Harry and the Weasley twins had used "fake certificates" to deceive the Ministry of Magic staff guarding the door and then swaggered in, her jaw dropped.

She couldn't believe it even in her dreams that these guys were so bold.

The girl also noticed that when Professor McGonagall saw this scene, her eyes revealed naked and undisguised anger.

If the Minister of Magic and many distinguished guests were not present, she would probably rush over and grab these little bastards by their ears and drag them out one by one.

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

Not only her, but many people also noticed the sudden appearance of several students.

After all, teenagers can stand out among a group of middle-aged and elderly people.

Fortunately, George and Fred, who were usually calm, noticed in time that something was wrong with the atmosphere, and quickly pulled a group of classmates who had sneaked in with fake IDs into a corner and kept silent.

Obviously, this was not a place to have fun or make trouble as they had imagined.

Especially Professor McGonagall's sharp eyes, which naturally have a huge deterrent effect on bad students who like to play mischief.

Just when the twins and a group of students began to hesitate whether to sneak away, the whole classroom suddenly became quiet.

Zuo Si, wearing a black robe, walked slowly to the podium, put his hand on his chest and bowed gracefully.

"Good morning, everyone. Welcome to Hogwarts, where you have come from afar to listen to me, a student who has just entered the wizarding world, explain my understanding of magic.

Rest assured, I promise to explain in plain language how to trace the source of the spell and how to store it in a scroll.

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

First of all, I don't want anyone to interrupt me while I'm speaking.

If you have any questions or find something you think is wrong, please be patient. I will give everyone enough time to ask questions at the end until all questions are answered.

Secondly, when the question-and-answer session begins, please raise your hands one by one, otherwise I won’t be able to hear so many people’s questions clearly at the same time.

The last and most important point.

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, while also explaining the idea of ​​tracing the origins of spells.

If anyone would like to discuss anything else, please come to me privately after class.

Thank you very much for your cooperation, distinguished guests. Now we will start the class. "

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

Being able to speak freely under the gaze of so many people without feeling nervous or flustered means that one has extremely strong mental qualities.

In addition, he has clear thinking and fluent speech, which is something that not only a freshman who has just entered school, but even many adult wizards may not be able to achieve.

Watching Zuo Si on the podium methodically divide the complicated process of making magic scrolls into several parts, and then explain them one by one from the simple to the complex, an old man with white hair and beard sitting in the front row couldn't help but sigh slightly: "I thought the descriptions of this young man in newspapers and magazines were a bit exaggerated before, but now it seems that he is worthy of the reputation. Congratulations, Dumbledore. You have successfully cultivated another genius who can change the existing situation in the wizarding world."

"No, old friend. This is 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. All of Soth's achievements are due to his own terrifying talent and intelligence. Of course, there is also a little bit of the rich collection of books in the Hogwarts library."

"You mean... this technique of making magic scrolls and even magic storage items all came from his self-study?"

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

"That's right. In fact, I never taught Soth any magic or knowledge. He has come this far through his own efforts. It's incredible, isn't it?"

As he said this, Dumbledore's eyes sparkled deeply.

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

Because he understood that with such an outstanding young man in Hogwarts, his alma mater would probably 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 talking in low voices, Zuo Si had unknowingly completed his explanation of the preparatory work for making magic scrolls, including the rune system, ink mixing, and parchment processing.

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

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 who led the times in the future.

No! To be exact, he already is.

Especially when talking about tracing the origins of spells and proposing the concept of "stable spell structure" in public for the first time, many famous wizards who were proficient in spells and alchemy showed expressions of sudden enlightenment on their faces.

Just like Nicolas Flamel's reaction at the beginning, they finally realized the real reason why they had never been able to produce relatively cheap magic storage items before.

Although the invention of the magic wand brought more convenient and easier-to-use spells to the whole of Europe and even most of the magical world, it also caused the spell structure to be too simple, so that it was impossible to exist independently of the magic wand.

It is for this reason that, although wizards have created many extraordinary things, their requirements for materials are often extremely demanding.

Take a flying broom as an example. The better the broom, the rarer and more precious the material used is.

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 lifespan.

As the power of a spell weakens over time, it is inevitable that it will become ineffective.

Only Deathly Hallows like the Elder Wand, made by the most powerful wizards, or the Philosopher's Stone successfully created by Nicolas Flamel, can remain in their original form 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 out even after being buried underground for hundreds or even thousands of years.

Of course, this does not include the "quasi-magical items" of the Netheril era that rely on the Core of Mysera to function.

In order to let these conservative "old antiques" understand the importance of innovation, Zuo Si concluded in a serious tone: "For the production of the magic storage device, the origin of the spell is the most important part, and it is also the part that is most worth studying.

Because it not only helps us gain a deeper understanding of the complex principles behind the magic that can be unleashed with just 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 variants that are more suitable for each person's magical characteristics.

Given the large number of spells currently available in the magical world, it would be difficult for just a few people to complete this massive task.

So I think the International Wizarding Organization should take the lead, and the Ministries of Magic of various countries should send people to join in.

If you can, it's best to give each spell a certain bonus.

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

Believe me, this is a good thing for the entire wizarding world.

Once the work on tracing the origins of spells is completed, not only will the invention of new spells usher in a peak, but the difficulty and cost of making magic items will also be greatly reduced.

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

Then every wizard will benefit from it."

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

Many wizards who have considerable influence throughout Europe are very interested in Zuo Si's proposal.

Even Dumbledore, who rarely did so, stood up and gave him an approving look.

From these speeches, he heard extraordinary vision and expectations for the future development direction of the wizarding world.

In particular, he did not hide his research results to himself, but instead called on everyone to participate. He had never seen such a vision in any other wizard.

You know, in the wizarding world, there have always been many bad habits.

Among them, it has long been a tacit understanding among many powerful wizards to keep their research results on magic and spells a secret.

Some of them are because their research direction belongs to the field of black magic, so it is impossible and there is no way to share it; some of them involve certain specific interests. For example, a workshop that makes flying brooms will never publish the spells they cast on their new products;

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

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

It is because of this that he eventually parted ways with Gellert Grindelwald and chose to stand on the opposing camp.

事实上与很多人认为的不太一样，阿不思·邓布利多严格意义上来说跟哈利·波特非常相似，父亲都是古老纯血家族出身的巫师，而母亲则是麻瓜出身的巫师。

按照过去纯血家族的观点，他本人严格意义上来说算是混血。

唯有纯血家族与纯血家族之间联姻诞生的后代，才能被称之为真正的纯血。

不过后来随着混血巫师和麻瓜出身的巫师数量越来越多，只要父母双方都是巫师，也会在某种程度上被视作广义的纯血。

起码不会像第一代麻瓜出身的巫师那样受到各种各样的隐性歧视或者排挤。

当然，稍微有点常识的人都知道，巫师虽然是靠血脉遗传来获得魔力，但纯血并不意味着一定比混血或者麻瓜出身的巫师更厉害。

邓布利多、伏地魔、斯内普等人所达到的上限，都证明了最优秀的混血远比纯血巫师更加出色。

而哈利的母亲莉莉和正在霍格沃茨读一年级的赫敏，也同样证明了麻瓜出身的巫师在学习和掌握魔法方面，一点也不比那些纯血差。

事实上，血统只是一个引子，一个成为巫师所必须的前提条件。

只要拥有这个前提条件，那么就相当于站在同一条起跑线上。

纯血、混血、麻瓜出身并没有本质的差别。

纯血家族唯一的优势就在于十几代人乃至几十代人积累的知识、财富，还有长期以来互相联姻所形成的人脉网络。

至于天赋，并没有纯血比混血和麻瓜出身小巫师更加优秀的证据。

就在邓布利多习惯性思考卷轴和储法技术会给那些守旧派纯血家族带来怎样冲击的时候，周围的掌声终于渐渐平息下来。

左思开始一个接一个点名，让那些举手的人起立提问，并且逐一做出解答。

整个过程大概持续了二十几分钟，直到最后一名年迈的老人心满意足坐下来，这堂由英国魔法部出钱举办的公开课总算是圆满落幕。

不少从欧洲各地远道而来的知名巫师，都得到了自己想要的答案，同时对左思这个后起之秀赞不绝口。

而康奈利·福吉也收获了最渴望得到的政绩，苍老的脸上笑得如同一朵盛开的菊花。

因为在他担任魔法部长期间英国魔法界出了这样一位天才，无论怎么说都少不了一份功劳。

更何况左思还是如此的“懂事”，每次都不会忘记向尊贵的客人们提一句自己曾经获得过魔法部的资助。

如果所有霍格沃茨的学生都有这份感恩之心和思想觉悟，福吉觉得自己完全有可能竞争一下英国魔法界有史以来最伟大的部长这一称号。

但福吉不知道的是，左思之所以会这样做，就是在利用他贪图名利的弱点，以此来获取一些特权。

就如同他当初选择跟控制安姆政府背后的各大家族合作一样，并没有本质上的区别。

另外，现任魔法部长福吉可比那些精明的安姆贵族和富商好对付多了。

很多时候，只要稍微满足一下这位老人的虚荣心，充分给予其尊重，那么他就会立刻投桃报李。

看着手中那份经过魔法部签字授权，可以在远离麻瓜居住的山区饲养一些相对比较危险的神奇动物进行研究的许可证，左思眼睛里闪过了一丝不易被察觉到的玩味，立马向康奈利·福吉略微欠了欠身说道：“非常感谢您对于我研究的支持。请放心，我保证绝对不会出现任何意外。”

“你真是太客气了，孩子。我一向非常乐意给所有能够为魔法界带来进步和繁荣的年轻人帮助，希望你再接再厉，早日完善这项前途无量的技术。我相信当那一天到来的时候，你将会超越所有人，成为当代最伟大的巫师。”

说着，康奈利·福吉轻轻拍了拍左思的肩膀以示鼓励，同时还不忘用心虚的眼神瞥了一眼不远处的邓布利多。

对于这种无聊的小试探，后者仅仅没有半点生气的意思，反倒是十分大度的微笑着点头表示赞同。

“是您太过奖了。我也仅仅只是站在了巨人的肩膀上而已。如果没有那么多伟大巫师留下的研究成果，以及霍格沃茨丰富的藏书，就算我有什么想法和灵感，也不可能付诸实践。”

左思故意装出一副谦逊的姿态。

毕竟他可不希望给这些魔法界拥有一定地位和名望的老巫师留下一个目中无人的狂妄印象。

事实证明，没有人会不喜欢一个聪明、才智过人且低调谦逊的年轻人。

没过一会儿功夫，作为今天这堂公开课的“主角”——左思，就收获了大量的赞誉，甚至与不少梅林爵士团、威森加摩和国际巫师联合会重要成员交换了地址跟联系方式。

正当左思游刃有余与这些来自欧洲各地的巫师们进行友好交流的时候，斯内普不由得微微感叹道：“只有在这种时候，他看起来才像是一名真正的斯莱特林。”

“不，你错了，西弗勒斯。索斯一直都是个斯莱特林，其思想和性格甚至比大多数斯莱特林学院的学生都更接近于萨拉查本人。”邓布利多眼睛里闪烁着睿智的光芒。

“哦？怎么说？”斯内普脸上浮现出好奇的神情。

邓布利多漫不经心的解释道：“所有被选择进入斯莱特林学院的学生都有一个共同点，那就是野心。

只不过有些人的野心是力量，有些人的野心是黑魔法知识，还有些人的野心是权力、名誉和地位。

索斯或许对于后者的兴趣并不高，但对于前者的渴望却是肉眼可见的。

而且他正在尝试推动并改变整个魔法界的格局。

虽然我不确定这究竟是无意的还是有计划的。”

“说起这个，我倒是想起来了。前一段时间，奇洛给了索斯一本记载了许多黑魔法的书籍。不出意外的话，那个人应该很快就要对他下手了。你难道不打算阻止吗？”斯内普意味深长的问道。

邓布利多轻笑着摇了摇头：“没有那个必要。相信我，如果汤姆真的那样做了，那么他所能收获到的只有自取其辱。而且我也十分期待，看到这两个在某种程度上十分相似，但又截然不同的斯莱特林相遇，会擦出怎样的火花。”

听到这句话，斯内普下意识皱起了眉头：“真的不会有危险吗？别忘了，那个人可不会仅仅因为对方是一个斯莱特林的天才就手下留情。”

“关于这一点，我倒是不没什么好担心的。因为索斯有足够的自保能力，他所掌握某些咒语的威力，甚至就连我都要小心应付。更何况，汤姆现在只是一缕附着在别人身上的残魂，以奇洛的咒语水平，真动起手来恐怕会被干脆利落的击败。”

邓布利多扶了下眼镜，用十分隐晦的目光盯着不远处那个躲在角落里的黑魔法防御课教授。

“好吧，希望你是对的。如果真出了什么问题，我可不会袖手旁观。毕竟我可是斯莱特林的学院长，绝不会坐视有人伤害我的学生。”

说罢，斯内普头也不回的转身离开教室，消失在走廊的尽头。

至于左思，始终陪伴在魔法部长福吉的身边装模作样应酬了足有四十多分钟，等把这些外国来宾全部送走，这才得以脱身。

正当他打算返回寝室的时候，突然发现在角落里有一个留着淡金色长发、长相跟马尔福少爷有着七八分相似的中年男人，仿佛正在等候自己。

只见这家伙穿着一身做工精细的长袍，手里紧握一根前端为金属银蛇的手杖，神态看起来既骄傲又自大。

不用问也知道，他不是别人，正是德拉科的父亲，马尔福家族现任的领导者，同时也是伏地魔曾经最信任的手下和食死徒的首领之一，左右横跳大师，大名鼎鼎的卢修斯·马尔福。

通过在伏地魔掌权期间不择手段的敛财，卢修斯成功实现了让自己家族财富跟收藏膨胀了好十几倍，并且还借其他食死徒之手铲除了许多的敌人。

等伏地魔失势，他又对外宣称中了夺魂咒，成功跳反到另外一边，并且大肆出卖其他犯下严重罪行的食死徒，以此来确保自己和家族盟友免于被控告和送进阿兹卡班。

当风波平息下来，卢修斯便借助之前收敛的庞大财富贿赂、收买魔法部官员，尤其是贪恋名利的魔法部长福吉，不仅恢复了马尔福家族的名誉，而且还获得了相当大的权势。

可以说除了没有预料到伏地魔还能从死亡中归来这一点，眼前这个男人几乎做到同时耍了伏地魔和邓布利多。

只可惜，在魔法界，巫师的实力永远是第一位的。

什么权势、财富、社会地位，在真正的力量面前就如同沙滩上的城堡，被轻轻一冲就垮掉了。

When Voldemort was resurrected and returned, no matter what means Lucius used, he had to obey his orders obediently in the end, and even his beloved son was almost killed.

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

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

"Yeah, I've seen it."

Zuo Si gave a straightforward affirmative answer.

"Then your response is..." Lucius asked tentatively 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 also don't think that just a few pure-blood families can control the current magical world.

Most importantly, you have completely ignored the objective fact that the Muggle world is developing technology at a rapid pace.

In less than twenty years, with cameras, surveillance equipment and the Internet throughout the streets and alleys, wizards will no longer be able to easily avoid the sight of Muggles as they do now.

Perhaps the Muggle Repelling Charm and the Memory Charm can still have a certain effect, but it is only a matter of time before that barrier is broken.

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

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

It won't be long before it's resurrected.

Since you betrayed your companions, I think you'd better start thinking about how to explain it.

From what I've heard, he's not one to easily forgive betrayers."

"What?!" Lucius instantly 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 notes that Voldemort had given him through Quirrell and waved them in front of the other party.

When Lucius saw the cover of the notebook, his pupils instantly dilated, contracted, and then dilated again, and his heart was beating wildly.

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

Many Death Eaters became more and more obsessed after seeing those notes on dark magic, and eventually completely fell at the feet of the Dark Lord.

Fortunately, Lucius was mentally strong enough to not show his nervousness, fear, and trembling on his face. He lowered his voice and asked, "You mean... he is in the Hogwarts castle right now?"

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

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

Being a suspicious person, he would not easily believe someone else's one-sided words.

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

After all, it would be strange if a master of black magic like that didn't know one or two ways to escape death.

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

As for after completing this deal, it doesn't matter whether you return to Voldemort to beg for his forgiveness and play the role of a loyal servant, or continue to stand on my side.

Because I know that you are a typical speculator and you have never been loyal.

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

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

Although he had already anticipated when he came that Zuo Si would be like Voldemort in his student days, with maturity, ambition and intelligence that were disproportionate to his age.

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

“It’s not understanding, it’s character analysis through a series of behaviors.

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

Only in this way can one survive crisis after crisis by repeatedly jumping around and successfully continue the family for hundreds or even thousands of years.

In my opinion, it is not shameful or despised to change course with the wind and decisively choose to escape when a ship is about to sink.

On the contrary, this is something that requires a lot of wisdom.

A smart person will choose an appropriate time to make it look like the choice was made out of desperation and without having to bear any moral blame.

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

Tell me, where do you think you belong?"

Zuo Si posed a soul-searching question in a meaningful way.

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

"Why, you don't intend to uphold your family's pure-blood concept now?" Zuo Si asked with a smile.

"I believe that you must have the blood of some noble wizard family flowing in your body, just like that person. After all, the Sorting Hat will not make mistakes in such matters." Lucius answered without hesitation.

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

"That depends on whether the power and influence you possess by then can contend with him. We are not those families loyal to Dumbledore who would foolishly gamble their lives and property to rush to the front line."

After realizing that his thoughts had been exposed, Lucius stopped trying to hide them and simply dropped his disguise and laid his cards on the table.

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

"It doesn't matter. The Malfoy family has gained enough benefits from choosing sides last time. Now all I want to do is to keep what I have and ensure the survival of the family, especially Draco's safety. In addition, the biggest difference between you and that person is that you are very reasonable and will not force me to do anything through death threats and violence. So from now on, the Malfoy family will serve you wholeheartedly, master."

As the last word came out of his mouth, Lucius bowed deeply again, showing no embarrassment at swearing allegiance to a boy who was almost the same age as his son.

"You're 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'm interested in, and I need some special channels to purchase them."

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

(End of this chapter)