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Chapter 566: Return to School
Chapter 566: Return to School (Please Subscribe, Favorite, and Vote)
Soon, a lavish feast was prepared and served by Mrs. Montgomery. The Montgomery family wasn't one of those ancient Pureblood families, so they didn't have a House-Elf and had to cook themselves. Of course, their financial situation was still far better than the Weasley family's, evident from the size of their manor and the room decorations. Liam suspected this was likely because both parents worked and they only had three children, which was much better than the Weasleys, who had one parent working and seven children.
After a quiet and quick meal, the group went upstairs to check on the little one. Once they confirmed that the child had fully transformed into a New Werewolf, Mrs. Montgomery stayed upstairs to care for her young son, while Mr. Montgomery and Liam returned to the living room to discuss future plans.
"I think, apart from our two daughters at Hogwarts, the rest of our family must leave Britain", Mr. Montgomery, an international trader, sighed. "This incident with my son being attacked by a Werewolf has made me realize that Britain is no longer safe. In fact, apart from Hogwarts Castle, where Professor Dumbledore resides, every other place could be a target for the next Death Eater attack."
Seeing Mr. Montgomery shaken by the events, Liam truly felt the helplessness and sorrow of an ordinary person in such a chaotic environment. After exchanging a glance with Liam, Professor Lupin extended an invitation on behalf of the group. "You can be with us. We, as New Werewolves, have a home in Northern Europe where we can provide your son with the necessary support. We also need international traders like you—"
"Already so many of you?" Mr. Montgomery said, somewhat shocked after hearing Professor Lupin's brief introduction. "Before my friend Clark told me about this, I never knew you had accomplished so much."
"Indeed, who would pay attention to us Werewolves?" Lupin chuckled self-deprecatingly, then looked at Mr. Montgomery earnestly. "You don't need to decide immediately. We'll wait for you. Just let us know when you're ready."
"No need to think about it further, we've decided to leave Britain, and the sooner the better. I'll send an owl to the Ministry of Magic tonight to resign", Mrs. Montgomery said, descending the stairs and standing beside her husband. She looked at Liam and the others, then turned to her husband. "Dear, we shouldn't hesitate any longer. I'm afraid the Death Eaters might attack again if they discover Andrew is still alive. Our manor won't stand a chance against them, and I don't want our son to suffer any more."
"You're right", Mr. Montgomery nodded, perhaps moved by the mention of their child. "But you love your work so much. I remember what you told me in your seventh year—"
"But nothing is more important than life", Mrs. Montgomery shook her head. As a mother, she valued her child's safety above all else. "I believe I can start anew elsewhere. Besides, now that our two daughters are at school, we have less financial burden, so we shouldn't worry about starting a new life in a new place."
"Alright, you've thought it through. Let's do it then", Mr. Montgomery made up his mind and turned to Lupin. "I'm willing to work for you. I only hope that in your place, our little son can grow up normally, free from these despicable attacks."
"Don't worry about that", Lupin reassured him in a gentle voice. "We have children there too. I'm sure Andrew won't feel lonely. Once you're there, you'll see that our plantation is producing more goods and our business is thriving. However, because we are Werewolves, many of us haven't received proper education, so we need people like you to help us. I believe you will find your value there."
Lupin then elaborated on the current trade connections between the plantation and the various wizarding worlds, particularly the Imperial Magic Community. Liam noticed that the Montgomerys' anxiety about moving to an unknown place eased as Lupin spoke.
After a brief discussion, Professor Lupin and Clark decided to stay at Montgomery Manor for the night to protect the Montgomerys, so that they could leave together the next morning once Andrew had fully recovered. Once everything was settled, Liam and Hermione bid farewell to the Manor's Master.
"We're heading back to Hogwarts now. The magical defenses there have been significantly bolstered recently, and we used Professor Dumbledore's fireplace to get here. So, we can't keep him waiting any longer", Liam explained to the Montgomerys.
"If that's the case, I won't detain you. But I truly cannot thank you enough for saving our child. If you ever need anything from us, please let us know, and we will do our best to assist you", Mr. Montgomery said, holding his wife's hand. "Wishing you all the best."
"Then, goodbye", Liam said, turning and stepping into the green flames of the fireplace. As he uttered "Hogwarts", he disappeared from Montgomery Manor.
"Good evening, Liam", Professor Dumbledore greeted him immediately as Liam stepped out of the fireplace in the Headmaster's Office. Dumbledore was busy manipulating a series of silver instruments that emitted smoke from his desk. "How is the child from the Montgomery family?"
"He's been saved; the child is no longer in life-threatening condition", Liam replied, using his wand to clean the soot off Hermione, who had just arrived. He then looked at Professor Dumbledore. "However, he has now become a werewolf, and I couldn't reverse the transformation."
"This is not your fault", Headmaster Dumbledore said, sitting down behind his desk. "The situation is becoming increasingly chaotic. Both the Order of the Phoenix and the Ministry of Magic are doing their best to maintain order and stability, but we can't protect everyone."
"Why not arm everyone, like providing combat training to the people, just as Liam did?" Hermione, who usually respected authority, couldn't help but speak up after seeing the victim's tragic condition. The sight had deeply affected her, and she couldn't contain her impulse.
"Child, we should not put innocent people in harm's way. War should be left to those who are involved in it, not to civilians", Dumbledore replied, looking at Hermione.
Dumbledore's view was a traditional one in the Wizarding World, where war was considered the domain of those directly involved, and civilians should be kept out of it. This perspective wasn't entirely wrong, as the Wizarding World's population was small, especially before the repeal of the Secrecy Act. Each war among wizards was limited, as the goal was to gain control of the Wizarding World, and a full-scale war could leave very few survivors.
However, Voldemort's madness, driven by his creation of Horcruxes, had shattered these rules. Despite this, Headmaster Dumbledore still viewed the current conflict through the lens of the past.
"But the Dark Lord's side has already drawn civilians into the war. They have used Imperius to control children to harm their own grandparents and ordered werewolves to bite children. Given this, it shouldn't be surprising if they commit any other evil deeds. In such a situation, I believe everyone should learn to protect themselves", Liam said, his voice tinged with urgency.
"Let's discuss this another time", Dumbledore said, placing his hands on the desk. "It's late, and I'm sure you're tired after a long afternoon. You should get back to your dormitories and rest."
"Then, good night, Headmaster", Liam said, noticing that Dumbledore didn't want to continue the discussion. He pulled Hermione along, bid Professor Dumbledore goodnight, and left the Headmaster's Office.
(End of Chapter)
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