Return of Salazar Slytherin

Once the final subject had been completed, the fifth- and seventh-year students finally let out a sigh of relief. The fifth-years could relax for a short while, while the seventh-years began sending out applications and continuing their communications with major companies or the Ministry of Magic.

Percy was among the happiest group of people.

Although it would still take some time for the results to be officially released, he knew very well that he had performed exceptionally well, perfectly meeting Mr. Jamison Greengrass’s expectations.

This was confirmed the very next day after the N.E.W.T. exams ended—Jamison once again invited him out from Hogwarts.

“Congratulations, Weasley. Although this is a bit against procedure, I still want to welcome you in advance to the Ministry of Magic, as one of its members,” Jamison said, taking the initiative to extend his hand and shake Percy’s.

Upon hearing Mr. Jamison’s words, Percy felt as if he had suddenly forgotten how to breathe.

It took him a few seconds to react. He had been accepted by the Ministry of Magic? He was about to become a Ministry employee with a bright future ahead of him?

“Of course. Strictly speaking, the transcripts won’t be released for a while yet, but it’s not difficult to find out someone’s results. You passed. Every subject was an Outstanding. Well done!”

Percy opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but found that his mind was completely blank, unable to form a single word.

“However, I believe I’ve already told you that your training workload will be extremely demanding.”

Percy nodded.

Jamison then revealed the real reason for his visit. He hoped Percy would not waste any time and would go with him immediately to begin the Ministry’s training program.

After all, time waits for no one.

Percy had no reason to refuse at all. He wished he could join the Ministry of Magic and start working immediately.

“Very good. Full of drive,” Jamison praised Percy. “I’ll submit an application to Professor Dumbledore.” He had originally thought that the young man would want to relax for a while first and spend some time with his family. He had not expected Percy to be willing to throw himself straight into work. It was a most pleasant surprise.

“For now, sign these documents first. I’ve applied for something good for you.” As he spoke, Mr. Jamison took a small box from inside his robes and slid it across to Percy with a mysterious air.

“This is…?” A flicker of curiosity rose in Percy’s heart, along with a faint instinctive sense of warning.

“A Time-Turner.” Mr. Jamison’s expression turned serious.

He told Percy that there was simply too much material he needed to make up for, so the Ministry of Magic had decided to allow him to use a Time-Turner to shorten the duration of his training.

This was also the challenging part of the job.

“No problem. I will definitely complete your assignment,” Percy said, a trace of solemn, almost sacrificial resolve appearing on his face.

At this moment, his blood was surging with excitement, as if the entire Ministry of Magic were resting on his shoulders.

“What a fine young man!” Mr. Jamison praised him lavishly. Percy swiftly signed a thick stack of guarantee forms and then received a brief training session on using the Time-Turner.

“Under no circumstances let your past self discover your future self. Do not expose yourself. Remember this, remember it well,” Mr. Jamison warned him repeatedly.

“Mm.” Percy understood the necessity of this very well and nodded seriously.

After that, Mr. Jamison helped Percy take care of the formalities for leaving school early and handed over the materials for the first stage of his training.

The materials were packed into a small satchel enchanted with an Undetectable Extension Charm. Every time the bag moved, it made sounds completely mismatched with its size.

Percy had to finish reading this entire stack of materials before July and then undergo the Ministry of Magic’s assessment. This was the first step he needed to take in order to integrate into the Muggle government.

Percy accepted the task with a face full of excitement and left together with Mr. Jamison.

He had no idea what awaited him in the future.

…

Like Percy, Cedric did not get any real rest after the O.W.L.s exams ended either. He was immediately drafted by his professor.

While making components, he noticed that the door of a cabinet in his professor’s office was always kept closed, which inevitably stirred a bit of curiosity in him.

What was stored inside that cabinet?

When he asked his professor about it, Helga always brushed it off vaguely, unwilling to tell him, only saying that it was a secret.

Since his professor put it that way, Cedric did not press the matter further, merely burying the question in his heart.

Time passed quickly. Before long, the end-of-term exams organized by Hogwarts also came to an end. Daphne and Astoria likewise became part of the drafted workforce, staying in Professor White’s office and “tightening screws” together.

Two days later, Hermione was also dragged over by Rhys, under the pretext of “improving her studies.”

That was not him talking nonsense. This really was a practical skill. Once learned, providing after-sales services to the major families in the future would allow one to live extremely comfortably.

As a result, even after the end-of-term exams were over, everyone’s days were still extremely “fulfilling.”

However, Helga was not a stingy person. The subsidies she gave the children over these few days were enough for them to buy first-class tickets to the Quidditch World Cup Final.

These days went on for several more days. Just when Daphne and the others had grown used to it, Helga suddenly told them one morning that she would be going to the Ministry of Magic for a meeting together with Professor Dumbledore.

“Professor White, what kind of meeting are you going to?” Daphne asked, her bright eyes wide with curiosity.

“A secret. You’ll find out next term. It’s something very interesting~” Helga winked at Daphne and showed her a mysterious smile.

“Huh?” Daphne’s curiosity was instantly piqued, but unfortunately Professor White refused to reveal a single word more.

“Alright, I’m heading off. I’ve put the materials for the puppet components in the cabinet. If you need them, just help yourselves.”

Leaving those words behind, Professor White departed, leaving a group of children behind in the office.

After she left, Daphne originally wanted to slack off a bit and take it easy, but she soon discovered that even Rhys was seriously working on crafting puppet components. With that, she could only grit her teeth and start making components as well.

As everyone worked with great enthusiasm, the raw materials were consumed very quickly. Before long, the mithril used for engraving ran out.

“I’ll go get some mithril,” Daphne said as she stood up and walked over to the most conspicuous cabinet in the office. Just as she was about to open the cabinet door, Cedric called out to her.

“Daphne, there probably aren’t any raw materials in that cabinet.”

Daphne paused and looked at Cedric curiously.

“Professor White said what’s inside is a… secret,” Cedric said, his expression turning a little strange as he repeated his professor’s words.

“A secret?” Daphne narrowed her eyes. What a coincidence. Professor White had gone to a meeting today because of a “secret” too!

Now she wanted even more to open the cabinet door and see what was inside.

____

Daphne tugged on the cabinet door, but it did not budge in the slightest. It looked like Professor White had sealed it with a spell.

“Hey, you—” Seeing that Daphne was ignoring his warning, Cedric immediately stood up, trying to stop the overly curious young witch.

“Aren’t you curious about what’s inside the cabinet?” Daphne shot back. “It might even be related to the secret Professor White went to discuss!”

Cedric fell silent at once, because he really was quite curious about what was inside the cabinet. The flame of curiosity had already been burning in him for several days.

His patience had long since reached its limit. Now that Daphne had stirred him up, he was finding it hard to hold back.

Astoria had intended to stop her sister, but after glancing at Rhys and seeing that he too looked thoroughly interested, she gave up the idea.

It seemed Rhys, like her, was also very curious about Professor White’s “secret.”

Since everyone wanted to see what was inside the cabinet, why stop her sister? Even if Professor White came back later, it would be Daphne alone who got punished. Astoria thought this rather darkly.

It was clear that there was more than one “clever person” in the room. The young witches and wizards who had developed a strong interest in the cabinet’s contents were all hoping Daphne would be the one to reveal the answer.

Only Hermione still retained a trace of rationality.

“Isn’t this a bad idea…” she said hesitantly.

“Is there any school rule that forbids it?” Rhys asked her, instantly leaving the young girl speechless.

After Rhys voiced his stance, Daphne had even fewer reservations. At the very moment he spoke, she had a sudden realization: Professor White had said those words, yet had not left behind any instruction absolutely forbidding them from opening the cabinet. That meant she was hinting that they definitely should open it!

Daphne felt as though she had seen through everything.

‘A thoughtful little witch like me really deserves a proper reward!’ Daphne praised herself smugly in her heart.

Not only did she think this, she even said her reasoning out loud.

Cedric, Hermione, and Astoria all fell into silence at the same time, while Rhys was wrapped in shock.

‘Legilimency? Or did someone use Polyjuice Potion? Where is the real Daphne?’ A string of thoughts flashed through his mind.

But remembering that the Daphne before him had not drunk anything for several hours, Rhys could only accept reality. Daphne had really guessed Helga’s intentions.

No matter how winding the path, the destination was the same.

After a deathly silence, the young witches and wizards present gradually began to be swayed. After thinking seriously for a moment, they realized Daphne’s reasoning actually sounded fairly convincing.

Seeing that everyone had tacitly approved her actions, Daphne no longer hesitated and directly drew her wand.

“Alohomora!” With a crisp click, the cabinet door sprang open.

Cedric had originally been only half-convinced by Daphne’s words, but when he saw the cabinet open with such a simple spell, he suddenly felt that Daphne might actually be right.

Everyone present, including Rhys, craned their necks to peer into the cabinet.

Then they saw a puppet clad in chainmail.

Seeing that Daphne had finally opened the cabinet as guided, Rhys secretly let out a sigh of relief. Excellent. Without this girl, he would have had to think of other methods. Daphne had truly done him a big favor.

Daphne, who stood closest to the puppet, saw the clearest. That suit of chainmail was far too familiar to her. The moment she saw it, her abdomen began to ache faintly.

Just then, the puppet exposed to the air suddenly opened its tightly shut eyes.

In an instant, the originally ordinary glass eyeballs were shrouded in a layer of blood-red light, looking incomparably eerie. A single glance was enough to stir an inexplicable agitation deep in one’s heart.

Rhys shot to his feet.

He lunged forward in a single stride, grabbed Daphne by the collar, and flung her backward. Before the other young witches and wizards in the office could react, he roared, “Down!”

What followed was the explosive whistle of something heavy tearing through the air, a thunderous boom that made the castle tremble, and the shattering crash of glass. The office instantly descended into chaos.

When the others came back to their senses, they discovered that a gigantic sphere of sand, nearly reaching the ceiling, had abruptly appeared inside Professor White’s office.

The sand sphere radiated extremely powerful magical fluctuations, and Rhys was nowhere to be seen.

“Rhys? Where are you?” Daphne shouted loudly.

“Here.” Rhys’s somewhat muffled voice came from inside the sand sphere.

“Great, I’ll—” Daphne immediately drew her wand, a faint red glow already gathering in her other palm. She was about to rescue Rhys from the sand sphere.

“Don’t worry about me. You all go after that puppet immediately. It must not be allowed to escape Hogwarts. That is extremely important! Use whatever methods you have, at any cost! I’ll be fine here!”

“But—” Daphne still wanted to say something, but Rhys inside the sand sphere ordered her to act at once.

Astoria was the first to react. In a few quick strides, she rushed to the window that had been smashed open by the puppet.

She saw that the puppet had already landed lightly on the ground like a large bird and was now sprinting toward the Forbidden Forest.

“Go, quickly! Once I deal with this spell, I’ll come meet up with you!” Rhys’s repeated urging rang in her ears. Astoria no longer hesitated and jumped straight out through the broken window.

Hermione followed right behind her. She ran to the window, took a deep breath, and leapt down.

Seeing both Hermione and her sister move, Daphne could only suppress her worry for Rhys and jump out through the broken window after them.

Cedric: ???

He hurried to the window and discovered that they were gliding through the air, rapidly closing in on the fleeing puppet. Seeing this, Cedric sucked in a sharp breath.

Since when did all three of them know flying magic?!

An awkward expression flashed across Cedric’s face, because he seemed to be the only one present who could not use flying magic.

It seemed to be a side effect of his domain. In any case, he felt as if he were “stuck” to the earth itself, completely unable to lift off. Even though his control over magic was already as smooth as flowing water, he still could not take to the sky using flight magic.

“Sigh…” After letting out a breath, Cedric jumped straight out of the window.

However, the moment he touched the ground, the earth seemed to turn into liquid, allowing Cedric to “sink” into it.

With more than half his body submerged in the soil, Cedric shot toward the Forbidden Forest at high speed like a swordfish.

Once all the young witches and wizards present had gone off in pursuit of the puppet, Rhys stopped pretending.

His domain spun up at full speed, causing the moisture in the air to cling to the sand’s surface.

Very quickly, the sand was completely eroded away, and he freed himself from the sand sphere.