Chapter 717: The Meeting
Chapter 717: The Meeting
The distance from the small hill where the guests were accommodated to Gringrass Manor was not very far. Only five minutes later, Ryan and the others had crossed the vast lawn and arrived in front of Gringrass Manor.
The first thing that caught their eye was a Bronze-Gilded Gate, adorned with numerous intricate relief carvings. As Ryan and the others approached the gate, a figure resembling a powerful wizard in one of the carvings turned to look at them.
"Visitors, state your names and the purpose of your visit", a slightly magnetic middle-aged man's voice emanated from the relief carving. Although the voice was monotone, much like a common Artificial Intelligence, the Master's choice of this voice still managed to evoke a sense of warmth.
"It's time to show our strength after demonstrating our friendliness", Liam smiled at Hermione, then pressed his right hand, which was radiating a pink glow, against the gate. After just a few seconds, the face in the relief carving broke into a smile. "Ah, noble guests from afar, please come in. I have already informed the Master, and he will be waiting for you in the living room."
"Don't look at me, we're not here for a surprise attack. It's only natural to inform the Master and have him welcome us", Liam whispered to Hermione, who had abruptly turned to look at him. "Besides, Sky City is on the highest alert, ready to dimension-hop at any moment. Even if the Dark Lord is hiding in the Greengrass household, we have nothing to worry about."
Just as Liam finished his explanation, the gate creaked open. Behind it lay a French-style garden, filled with shrubs meticulously pruned into various geometric shapes and animal forms.
At the center of the garden stood a fountain, featuring a statue of a maiden holding a water bottle. A clear stream of water spouted from the bottle, forming a floral pattern in the air before cascading into the pool, creating a melodious tinkling sound.
Behind the garden, a three-story, cream-colored building stood, its bronze roof oxidized to a greenish hue that harmonized beautifully with the cream-colored structure. As they drew closer, Ryan and the others noticed that each column was topped with a complex, gilded statue, adding a touch of grandeur to the entire building.
"This place feels a lot stronger than Malfoy Manor", Hermione remarked. As a wizard, she wouldn't judge a place solely by its appearance. However, upon entering the manor, Hermione, who was in a state of readiness, could sense numerous intricately designed magic traps protecting the area. Compared to Malfoy Manor, while the latter had a greater number of defensive systems, the quality was inferior.
"That's to be expected", Liam explained in a low voice. "Don't forget that the Greengrass Family is one of the 28 oldest pureblood families in the British Wizarding World, while the Malfoy Family are merely upstarts from France. Even though the Malfoys are among the wealthiest in the British Wizarding World, there are things they can't obtain."
Stepping onto the hard, smooth black marble platform, Ryan and the others approached a large, dark red door. Before they could knock, the heavy door swung open, revealing a House-Elf who appeared only slightly more mature than Dobby.
"Welcome, welcome, noble guests to Gringrass Manor", the House-Elf bowed deeply, her nose almost touching the floor.
She then raised her hand in a gesture of invitation, indicating that Ryan and the others should follow her, and spoke in a sharp but quiet voice. "Mr. William is waiting for you in the reception room. The mistress and the young ladies are asleep, so please be as quiet as possible."
After speaking, the house-elf led Ryan and the others down a side corridor that looked like it was rarely used. Similar to Malfoy Manor, the stone floor was covered with a luxurious carpet. However, unlike the predominantly silver and green decor of the Black or Malfoy families, the colors here were mainly blue, white, and yellow, giving the place a much lighter and less somber feel.
Perhaps for safety reasons, Mr. William Greengrass, the head of the family, had chosen a room that was seldom used. Along the way, Liam even noticed that there were no portraits of pure-blood wizard families, which were usually a common sight.
"Sir, I have brought the guests", the house-elf said as they reached the end of the corridor, addressing a brown door. Soon, a somewhat weary voice of a middle-aged man replied from inside. "Thank you, Kari. You can go about your business. Don't come back until I call you."
"Yes, sir", Kari bowed and then disappeared with a pop. At the same time, the door at the end of the corridor opened silently.
Liam and Hermione entered the reception room, a small but exquisitely decorated space. A middle-aged man with blond hair was seated in a red velvet high-back chair by the fireplace. Upon seeing Ryan and the others enter, he gestured for them to sit on the sofa opposite the coffee table in front of him.
Neither of them said a word as they took their seats. William Greengrass then prepared three cups of black tea, handing two to them and keeping one for himself.
For several minutes, the room was filled with an eerie silence, broken only by the occasional sound of sipping tea and the gentle clink of cups and saucers.
Finally, William Greengrass, the head of the family, could no longer bear the silence. He put down his teacup and broke the stillness. "I really didn't expect you to find me so quickly."
"That's not much of an achievement", Liam replied, placing his teacup down. Although he had initially leveraged the other's urgency to his advantage, he dared not be complacent when facing the head of a pure-blood family. "Don't forget, I can face that person directly. The clues you left were more than enough for me."
"You're right", William nodded after a brief pause. "That's why I chose to share this information with you. Only you and Dumbledore can stand against the Dark Lord's next move, but compared to Dumbledore, I prefer dealing with you."
"Is it because I'm younger and easier to deceive?" Liam asked, adopting a proud expression. To his surprise, the head of the Greengrass family did not show any signs of anger or embarrassment, but instead responded in a calm and matter-of-fact tone.
"No, I wouldn't deceive you", William shook his head. "For wizards, power is everything. Deceiving a wizard of your caliber would bring endless calamity to me and my clan, so I wouldn't do that."
William Greengrass knew he had to provide an explanation to Liam today, or Liam would never believe what he was about to say. After assuring him that he was not lying, he continued, "You and Dumbledore are very different. The headmaster would sacrifice anyone, even himself, to achieve justice. Many documents from the last war in my possession confirm this."
"You, on the other hand, are willing to protect those who seek your shelter. For example, the Malfoy family. Even if the Dark Lord wants them dead, he can't touch them."
"Another reason", Mr. Greengrass paused for a few seconds, then spoke candidly, "is that your previous actions against those who killed Muggles frightened me. My main purpose in informing you is to protect my clan and my family."
(End of Chapter)
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