Chapter 716: A Night Visit
Chapter 716: A Night Visit
After explaining the usage and dosage of the elixirs to Healer Mayren, Ryan and the others left the Hogwarts Hospital Wing. As they stepped out of the Hospital Wing, an owl flew over and dropped a letter into their hands.
"It can't be that sneaky guy from last time, can it?" Hermione asked, looking at the envelope in Liam's hand. "Can someone who does such secretive work be so impatient? Even if the Dark Lord's soul is severely damaged and he's not as cunning as before, such frequent communication would be hard to hide from him and his followers."
"Oh, no, of course not", Liam showed the envelope to Hermione. "This is from Neville. Mrs. Molly must have written to him while we were treating the patients."
Liam then opened the envelope and found the content was very simple. On the entire parchment, apart from the usual heading and closing, a single word was written in an oversized letter: "Thank you." The paper was torn from the force of the writing, and there were tear stains, showing how moved Neville was when he wrote it.
"As heroes, they deserve a much better ending", Hermione whispered, leaning over to read the parchment with Liam. "We're just doing what we should."
"Alright, can you now tell me who sent us that anonymous letter and the wizard's fairy tale book?" After returning to their Manor, Hermione couldn't contain her curiosity any longer. "Since we're going to visit them tonight, you should tell me who's behind all this."
"Alright", since Hermione asked, Liam decided to share his findings. "Based on my previous tracking, I found that the person who left the book last appeared near a Greengrass Family Manor."
"Greengrass? Why them?" Hermione asked, puzzled. "If I remember correctly, the Greengrass Family is considered even more noble in bloodline than the Malfoy Family, one of Britain's top Sacred Twenty-Eight Families. I find it hard to believe they would choose to side with us at this time."
"I find it strange too", Liam shrugged. "But the evidence I have points to them. To find out more, we need to visit them tonight."
Around five in the afternoon, Sky City arrived near Ryan and the others' Manor in the sky. After carefully checking the city's condition and activating full defenses, Ryan and the others spread their wings and flew away from the Magic Castle, accompanied by the patrolling steps of their puppets.
"Ah, the feeling of spreading my wings in the sky is incredible. By the way, why don't we just take out the Dark Lord now?" Hermione asked through the Phoenix Mark as they flew back to the Manor. "With your strength and this Sky City, even the Dark Lord wouldn't stand a chance, right?"
"You're right", Liam replied, "but since the Dark Lord almost got caught by Headmaster Dumbledore during his attack on Hogsmeade, he hasn't appeared in public again. A Wizard of his caliber can hide himself very effectively. It's like how we managed to avoid them during our previous raids."
"So, it comes down to luck", Hermione sighed. "We need to find a battlefield where the Dark Lord can't escape quickly, then summon Sky City to deliver the final blow. But that also means we need to be cautious when using Sky City in future battles to ensure its existence remains a secret from the Dark Lord."
"So, you're saying that if we use it, we need to make sure that the witnesses can't spread the information, right?" Liam summarized Hermione's suggestion. A few years ago, she would never have come up with such a bloodthirsty plan. But after experiencing so many battles and with Liam's deliberate guidance, the current Hermione is vastly different from her former self.
"Yes", Hermione replied, sounding a bit unhappy. "This damned war forces us to sometimes take extreme measures to ensure victory. But for a fairer, more vibrant new world, I believe it's all worth it."
"You're right. This war isn't just about good triumphing over evil; it's also our war. To achieve our goals, we always have to bear more than others", Liam concluded.
After dinner, they sat for a while before Ryan and the others went back to their rooms to rest. It wasn't until 11:30 PM that the two of them opened their eyes on schedule, got up, and prepared their gear for the journey.
Tonight, both of them were wearing a set of leather armor reinforced multiple times through alchemy, adorned with various magic artifacts. After all, they weren't going to someone's house as honored guests but for a covert infiltration. It was even possible that the entire situation was a trap, with a large group of Death Eaters or Voldemort himself waiting for them. Therefore, they chose attire suitable for battle.
"Let's go!" After confirming that Hermione was ready, Liam took her hand and apparated. With a soft pop, they appeared on a small hill about ten meters high. Using their enhanced night vision, they saw that the hill overlooked a flat, emerald-green meadow, with a manor standing in the center.
"No wonder they're called the Greengrasses", Hermione murmured, looking at the vast green meadow, which was rare even in Britain. "Are we just going to walk in?"
"Of course", Liam replied confidently. "Malfoy already told us the exact location of the Greengrass Manor. We didn't teleport directly into the manor but chose to apparate at the guest entrance to show our willingness to negotiate."
"Our goal is to dismantle the rule of these Pureblood Families, who dominate every aspect of the British wizarding community. Now that we have decisive power, why are we trying to win them over?" Hermione asked as they walked along a gravel path toward the Greengrass Manor.
"There are several ways to dismantle their rule. A complete purge is a means, not an end", Liam said with a slightly awkward smile. He began to wonder if his aversion to Hermione's liberal tendencies from his previous life while reading Harry Potter had made him subconsciously try to steer her in a different direction. Now, it seemed he might have overcorrected.
Especially considering Hermione's naturally stubborn personality, this led her to handle problems with a focus on efficiency, sometimes making her methods quite radical. For example, she favored targeted eliminations to address the various issues caused by the Pureblood Families, as it was the most efficient way.
"Okay, you're right", Hermione nodded. "I trust you can control the situation."
"Of course, I have confidence in that. The war will take some time to end. I believe that by the time it does, we will have weakened the Pureblood Families' power and increased the influence of Muggle-born wizards, reducing the threat they pose to the minimum", Liam said firmly.
(End of Chapter)
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