[The Room of Requirement]
The crowd drifted away, chatting and laughing.
As for today's self-study gathering, they were overall quite satisfied.
They might really not have learned much of anything, but at least they had a great time.
Especially those fake Galleons Link gave out at the end, they gave them a kind of fresh, thrilling feeling.
Link estimated that the next time he held a gathering, the number of people would still decrease, but things would stabilize much more compared to now.
Of course, there were also some people who were way too excited.
Like George and Fred.
Those two brothers were a bit unwilling to accept that people like Sigefin and Newland could also stay by Link's side, and they kept fooling around and sticking around the Room of Requirement, refusing to leave.
Thankfully, Hermione and Ron were sensible. When the two sides were about to get stuck in a stalemate, they stepped in and dragged the twins away.
Watching their departing backs, Link shook his head.
George and Fred were indeed considered talented.
In a certain sense, their talent in alchemy development was even stronger than the Kennedy siblings'.
Unfortunately, they were members of the Order of the Phoenix.
Link could not possibly allow people with an Order background to join his inner circle.
Even Harry and Hermione were no exception.
Turning his gaze back, Link snapped his fingers lightly.
The Room of Requirement instantly shifted form, turning from the earlier spell-training room into an ancient-looking, all-stone conference chamber.
After it finished transforming, Link even specially set up a layer of Muffliato around the entire room to seal off the sound.
He motioned for everyone to sit, then picked up the other Extension Charm pouch and poured it out on the table.
Ding-ling-ling!
Another series of crisp clinks.
Everyone looked at the things that fell out of the pouch, and all wore disappointed expressions.
Because they were still gold coins, and almost exactly the same as the ones given to the outer DA members just now.
Seeing this, Link hadn't said anything yet, but the Kennedy siblings instead exploded in anger.
Big Kennedy stood up, grabbed a coin, and shouted, "Open your eyes and look carefully! These were painstakingly made by us, they're completely different from what you saw earlier!"
Hearing this, John picked up a coin and examined it for a long while, still confused as he said, "Uh… how is it different? I really can't tell."
"Ah! You're really stupid."
A soft, frail voice came from behind Big Kennedy.
It was Little Kennedy speaking.
Everyone's face showed a flash of surprise.
Because ever since the DA was founded, this was the first time they had heard Little Kennedy speak.
Unfortunately, the moment she saw everyone looking at her, she instantly returned to her original socially-anxious state and shrank behind her brother.
Everyone found it amusing and was just about to tease this cute girl when Link cut in, "That's enough, stop messing around. Let me explain."
Link picked up a coin and flicked it between his fingers, "This batch of coins was also something I commissioned the Kennedy siblings to make, but these are the special version."
"Aside from having all the basic functions of the normal ones earlier, I also added a voice-transmission feature based on Auror equipment, as well as a location-warning function."
"From now on, we can use this to communicate remotely in real time."
"Of course, this is only Version 1.0. If more new features are developed later, I'll have them added for you."
Hearing this, everyone's view of the coins immediately changed.
If it was really as Link said, then aside from lacking passive protection, this coin was practically better than an Auror's gear in every other way.
Without needing Link to say anything, Cedric and the others immediately each grabbed one.
To avoid mixing this important coin with the fake Galleon or real Galleons and accidentally spending it, they even took out all the other gold coins on them and carefully separated them.
Watching Cedric and the others trying hard to mark their coins, Newland expressionlessly tucked his coin straight into his shirt.
Worries like that never occurred for him.
Because he didn't have any real Galleons to mix with the fake ones anyway.
Even though he was already frugal enough, and occasionally received a few side jobs from Slytherin classmates.
Trying to maintain the expenses of advanced NEWT-level courses was still far too difficult for a half-blood wizard raised in a Muggle family like him.
Fortunately, that was all going to change soon…
Thinking this, a faint, barely noticeable smile slowly appeared on Newland's lips.
Just then, Cedric nudged him lightly with an elbow.
He withdrew his expression, raised his head in confusion, and only then noticed that everyone present, including Link, was giving him strange looks.
"Newland, what were you thinking about? You were zoning out. Link's called you several times."
Good-guy Cedric reminded him again.
Hearing this, Newland turned to Link and said, "Sorry, Mr. Link Flamel, I was distracted."
"Newland, let me ask you," Link asked directly, "how is the task I gave you coming along?"
Newland probably knew Link didn't like his trademark fake smile, so he stepped forward a few steps, face blank, and said, "I already told Umbridge about the founding of the DA as you instructed. The reason she suddenly issued Educational Decree No.24 today is because she wrote to Fudge to report it, and that's how she obtained that authority."
At this point Newland paused, hesitated a moment, then continued, "I promised to help Umbridge gather people and carry out tasks, so now she treats me as one of her own. And precisely because of that, I obtained a piece of information."
"This achievement earned Umbridge a promotion, and Fudge is preparing to further increase her authority at Hogwarts."
"There's a chance he'll give her unrestricted disciplinary power over everyone in Hogwarts, even the professors."
As soon as he said this, everyone's expressions changed drastically.
Right now, Umbridge was already causing this much trouble with just her positions as High Inquisitor and Defense Against the Dark Arts professor.
If she was given power to punish anyone freely, wouldn't all of Hogwarts basically become hers?
And more importantly, Link had deliberately leaked the DA matter earlier.
They didn't know what Link's goal was, but when Umbridge started purging people, the first ones she would deal with would definitely be them.
But unlike the others, Link simply nodded lightly and said, "Looks like you did well."
Newland immediately lowered his head, though in his heart he understood perfectly, this test, he barely passed.
He absolutely did not believe Link wouldn't have someone monitoring him secretly.
Link asking him to report today was basically just a formality.
Link continued, "So, as a reward for passing the test, you and Sigefin should get ready. During the Christmas holiday, I'll take you two on a mission. While we're on the mission, I only have three requirements, look more, learn more, and talk less. Understand?"
"Understood! Mr. Link Flamel!"
Before Link even finished speaking, Sigefin immediately performed a knight's salute, his old-fashioned chuunibyou behavior left people unsure what to say.
But Newland stood there frozen, saying nothing.
Seeing this, Link asked, "Newland, do you have an objection?"
"It's not really an objection, just…" Newland's eyes flickered toward Link, and after a moment of hesitation he gritted his teeth and said, "I have other things to take care of on Christmas night!"
"Oh? What things?"
Emily leaned against Link's back, hands on his shoulders, speaking in a probing tone.
"You're not planning to dress up as Santa and give gifts to kids, are you?" Sigefin added mockingly. "Ha! No way, no way! You're a snake from the mud, remember!"
But Newland didn't answer. He only lowered his head even more.
Seeing him like this only made Sigefin more annoyed.
He really feared Newland would do something bad on Christmas, and he genuinely believed Newland was capable of it.
But Link lifted a hand to stop him and said to Newland, "Don't worry, our mission is during the day. It won't affect your Christmas night."
Newland, whose head had been lowered, suddenly jerked it up and stared at Link in shock.
Then quickly lowered it again, noticing his own improper reaction.
Link ignored him and continued, "I'll send you the exact gathering time separately through the DA coin. Just come find me in Diagon Alley then. Alright, dismissed."
Hearing this, Cedric and the others immediately took their leave. After everyone cleared out, Emily said worriedly, "It's starting, isn't it?"
"We've done so much preparation, of course it's time to move." Link gently stroked Emily's cheek to reassure her.
"But don't worry. I've called back all the people we'd stationed outside. With just the goblins in Gringotts, nothing will go wrong."
Emily pressed down on Link's hand and said, "What if Voldemort finds out too?"
Link froze for a moment, then sneered, "Then I'll drag the Ministry of Magic and the Order of the Phoenix in too, and blow the whole thing wide open. After all, destroying a Horcrux isn't my responsibility alone."
Emily sighed, looked toward the spot where Newland had been standing, and said, "Those two, Newland and Sigefin, are you really planning to rely on them more?"
"It doesn't really count as relying on them," Link said.
"At most I'm just showing them some muscle, letting them understand what kind of organization they've joined."
Emily narrowed her eyes, "I won't say anything else, but you need to be careful with Newland. Based on my observations, he's been imitating Voldemort's rise. And in his dealings with Umbridge, he's been… well, in short, be careful not to turn him into a hidden threat."
"You can rest even more assured about that. He's not Voldemort, and I'm not Dumbledore. Besides, Newland's greatest weakness is already in my hands."
Link laughed as he said, "His mother lives in Manchester."
Emily frowned, "You captured his mother?"
"Of course not. What do you take me for?" Link explained. "I just know this information. I haven't done anything at all. But that alone is enough."
"Heh, you probably didn't know, did you?"
"Newland puts on a fierce front, but in private he's a total mama's boy. Or more politely, a deeply filial son."
"People like that… all you need to do is treat them sincerely."
As he finished, he suddenly remembered something and burst into loud laughter.
Emily could only roll her eyes at him in exasperation.
———
In a castle a thousand miles away, another meeting was taking place.
Three figures shrouded completely in black robes sat around a round table, each keeping a distance of at least three meters from the others, as if guarding against one another.
And around them were countless ghosts drifting through the air.
These souls, long dead yet trapped here, stared at the three with greedy eyes, as if longing to rip them into pieces.
Because of their presence, the entire atmosphere of the chamber was sinister and terrifying.
BOOM!
A large hand wrapped in black mist slammed down onto the table with a heavy thud.
The ghosts scattered instantly in panic.
But the other two at the round table merely shifted their gaze over calmly.
"He's not coming back. Let's just start."
Said the owner of that hand.
But the other two still didn't speak, only shook their heads.
Seeing this, the man leaned forward and said, "Don't tell me you still don't know? That guy has been leading Death Eaters in constant battles with Dumbledore's Order of the Phoenix lately!"
" Just last month, we lost nearly sixty elite fighters because of him! Sixty! These were skilled members we painstakingly recruited, not Imperiused cannon fodder!"
Bang!
Before he even finished, the shadow slammed the table again.
This punch was so strong that a deep fist mark appeared in the solid wooden surface.
"He's doing this for the greater picture," said the figure opposite him. "If Dumbledore really finds a Horcrux, we'll be the ones suffering, won't we?"
"Bullshit! I only look at results! And the result is that ever since he took charge, our elite forces have been dying in batches, and even after paying such a heavy price, we still failed to protect the locket! One of our brothers died! I can feel it!"
"You can't blame all that on him, you..."
Woom!
A violent shockwave swept across the entire chamber.
The two who had been arguing quickly grabbed their hoods to keep them from flying off. After the shockwave settled, their glowing red eyes stared at the shadow seated at the head of the table.
"Have you two forgotten something?"
A blurry, hoarse voice came from the figure at the head.
Hearing it, the other two immediately lowered their heads, though their glowing red eyes still showed deep resentment.
"The ones we need to watch aren't the Ministry of Magic, nor Dumbledore and the Order of the Phoenix."
"It's Link Flamel."
"Hehehe… do you know what he's been doing lately?"
The two shook their heads quickly.
Only then did the shadow speak, "He's gathered all the Hunters scattered outside and brought them all back into the UK. What do you think he's planning?"
The shadow stood up, tilted its head, and said coldly, "Go finish your own tasks first."
"Then… prepare to receive the Christmas present he's sending."