"Harry Potter- Ravenclaw"Chapter 28: That Old Toffee Must Be Behind This!
Lucius gripped the potion bottle so tightly that his palm grew hot and sweaty before he finally let go.
The bottle remained spotless—gleaming as if freshly polished, with not a single fingerprint, palm print, or bead of sweat to be seen.
He glanced at the house-elf beside him. "Fetch me some dust."
The elf was quick, soon returning with a handful of sooty fireplace ash. "Master, here you are…"
Lucius took the bottle by its cap and slowly brought it close to the ash. Before the dust could even touch the metal, it scattered, as if repelled by an unseen force.
Turning the bottle over in his hands, he murmured, "It has all the hallmarks of goblin craft… but why does it look…"
A thought struck him. "Bring me my most prized piece of silverware!"
The house-elf vanished and reappeared, this time with a transparent glass case in hand.
Lucius removed the silverware and compared it to the potion bottle.
"The patterns are equally exquisite… but the bottle bestowed by the Dark Lord is somehow more pleasing to the eye…"
"The material—this is silver, but the Dark Lord's bottle… seems to be iron, yet it's been refined to perfection…"
"As for the dust-repelling property…" Lucius grabbed a handful of ash and sprinkled it over the silver. The dust was instantly swept away, the effect even more pronounced than with the potion bottle.
"So that's it! Is this why the Dark Lord returned to Hogwarts?" He drew a sharp breath. "He's creating artifacts with goblin-like craftsmanship… meant to replace the goblins themselves!"
"No wonder the goblins once feuded with Godric Gryffindor—he must have used the forging of Gryffindor's sword as a pretext to study and steal goblin secrets!"
"What a pity! Those Gryffindors never cared for libraries, so Dumbledore missed the secret—and the Dark Lord found it instead!"
"Lucius?" Narcissa's voice called from the other room. "Why are you covered in ash? Clean yourself up at once!"
"Yes!" The house-elf responded instantly, tidying the entire sitting room before vanishing from sight.
"I just found an interesting artifact," Lucius replied with a smile. "I wanted to test it out…"
Narcissa noticed the silverware nearby. "Is that another goblin-made piece?"
"I'm still investigating," Lucius said, giving her a brief hug. "Don't worry about me. I'm fine."
Narcissa nodded. "There's a letter from the Parkinson family. It seems they want to invite you over to discuss something."
"The Parkinsons?" Lucius mused. "I recall Draco mentioning that Pansy got herself into some trouble… I suppose that's what they want to discuss."
"Perhaps." Narcissa patted his shoulder. "Lunch is ready. Come to the dining room, quickly! Set a good example for Draco!"
"Of course. I'll put these away and be right there!" Lucius replied, returning the silverware to its case.
"Draught of Peace?" He unscrewed the potion bottle, peering at the shimmering liquid inside. His eyes flickered thoughtfully.
"So, this is to put my mind at ease, is it? Don't be hasty… this craft hasn't been fully deciphered yet…"
Dobby adapted quickly to his new life—not only tending to Wyzett and the household, but also learning to care for magical plants with Luna's help.
He set out ham, fried eggs, and toast, then turned slightly and asked in a gentle voice, "Mr. Lovegood, is the tea to your liking?"
"I'll give it a try!" Xenophilius set down his pen, took a sip, and sighed in delight. "Ah! So this is how pure-blood families live? The taste is just right!"
Dobby beamed. "Wonderful! I'll sweeten it just like this for you next time."
"Dobby, come eat with us!" Luna called.
Had this been a few days ago, Dobby might have burst into tears and stammered out a dozen emotional words.
Now, he'd finally begun to settle in, able to sit at the table and eat with everyone naturally.
A tapping came from the window. Wyzett looked over, flicked his finger, and used magic to open it, letting the owl swoop in.
Even though he saw Wyzett do this every day, Xenophilius's eyebrow still twitched, as if he wanted to say something but thought better of it.
It was the owl delivering the latest issue of The Daily Prophet. Wyzett unfolded the paper, and his brow furrowed immediately at the headline.
The cover showed a dramatic close-up of Hogwarts' towers. Through one window, you could just make out Dumbledore in the headmaster's office.
But in the flickering lamplight, Dumbledore's silhouette looked hunched and sinister.
The headline was pure venom: [Dark Nature Unleashed: Dumbledore's Forbidden Magic Experiments at Hogwarts Revealed (Part 1)!]
[Special Report by Rita Skeeter for The Daily Prophet—]
[As everyone knows, since defeating the dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald in 1945, Albus Dumbledore—considered the greatest wizard of our time—has lived in seclusion, rarely appearing in public.]
...
[Even more puzzling, he has repeatedly refused the post of Minister for Magic, yet clashed with the Board of Governors, vetoing many valuable proposals for Hogwarts' benefit.]
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[Such odd behavior inevitably raises doubts: Is Albus Dumbledore truly the paragon he appears to be? Is he really serving the wizarding world, or does he have a hidden agenda?]
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[His repeated conflicts with the Board—does he seek to control it, turning it into his own personal court? What secrets is he hiding within the walls of Hogwarts?]
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[Recently, this reporter received several anonymous letters from parents, revealing a series of shocking events inside Hogwarts—all pointing directly at Albus Dumbledore!]
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[What should have been a long and joyful Christmas holiday has been marred by incident after incident. The castle, meant to be a place of learning, may have become a prison—a prison dedicated to the study of Dark Magic!]
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[Starting tomorrow, this reporter will follow up with more investigations, exposing the deepest evils hidden at Hogwarts, one anonymous letter at a time. Stay tuned!]
"That's classic Rita Skeeter!" Xenophilius burst out. "I knew it! The Ministry's finally making a move on Headmaster Dumbledore!"
"That old toffee must be behind this! He'd love nothing more than to see Dumbledore dragged through the mud—if Dumbledore's reputation is ruined, it won't threaten his job as Minister for Magic!"
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