Chapter 240: Reinforcing Aurors
"Boss, we've completely cleared out the vaults here!"
Approximately thirteen or fourteen minutes later, young Tom arrived with Heerbo and twenty Witch Heart Society members at Ethan's location.
Many of them had Dragonhide pouches tied to their waists.
During this time, Ethan hadn't encountered anyone trying to stop him.
He had just waited bored for more than ten minutes below until they had looted all the Level 1 vaults.
"Alright, come in!"
"As for the profits, we'll distribute them when we get back!"
Saying that, Ethan directly opened the box, allowing them to enter directly as they had come.
Before long, this spacious area was empty except for Ethan.
As for the three Goblins, Ethan didn't ask, and young Tomdidn't say, but Ethan knew that young Tom understood how to handle them.
Anyway, Ethan no longer sensed their aura.
It was just that he had caused such a huge commotion down here, yet these Goblins didn't come down. That was too cowardly!
Of course, Ethan also knew that Gringotts Goblins hadn't given up; they had simply moved the battlefield upstairs.
Looking at the surrounding Fiendfyre, Ethan fell silent for a moment.
It couldn't be wasted.
Immediately, he waved his wand, and the endless sea of fire began to spiral, until it formed a Giant fire phoenix circling above Ethan's head.
Ethan was becoming more and more adept at transforming the Fiendfyre Curse.
After all, as of today, Ethan's Transfiguration was already at maximum level.
As early as when he completed his Animagus form, Ethan's Transfiguration had jumped from Level 8 to Level 9, and in the past six months, Ethan had also taken some time to specifically train his Transfiguration.
Now, Ethan's Transfiguration skill was definitely stronger than Professor McGonagall's.
As for Dumbledore, that was uncertain, as the old schemer rarely made a move.
Ethan had never seen him seriously cast any spells, so there was no standard for judgment.
Transfiguration, at what Ethan understood as the highest level, mythical creature Transfiguration, Ethan had also done quite well.
Surtr, the mythical Fire Giant and guardian of Muspelheim, Ethan had already constructed quite realistically.
His panel had also changed quite a bit.
Name: Ethan Adrien
Age: 14
Bloodline: Dragon Vein Wizard 240
Talents: "Super Soul," "Strong Physique," "Dark Heart," "Focus," "Animal Affinity," "Fire Affinity," "Parseltongue," "Lightning Affinity," "Steadfast"
Spells: Killing Curse (10), Crucio (10), Imperio (10), Fiendfyre Curse (10), fire escape (10), Ancient Goblet Fire (10), Fiendfyre Shield (10), Fire God Opens the Way(10), Occlumency (10), Legilimency (10), Mjölnir (10), Gungnir (10), Armor Charm (10), Undetectable Extension Charm (9), Siphon Energy (10), Shadow Stealth (9), Pack of Wolves (10), Crow Storm (8), Apparition (9), Transfiguration (10), Potions (8), Alchemy (9), Ultimate Flash (7), Nibelungen (9), Helheim (8), Patronus Charm(8)…
Besides that, the biggest difference was the amount of magic.
At the end of each school year, there was a magical power increase.
The bonuses from various buffs, as well as the massive increase again after consuming Magic Blood and then undergoing bloodline awakening.
Now, Ethan's magical power was absolutely terrifying, showing a very clear upward trend every year.
Even after quickly clearing two vaults and releasing such a large amount of Fiendfyre, Ethan's magical power was still abundant.
Standing atop the fire phoenix, in just a moment, Ethan reached a position close to the cave entrance. He didn't encounter any mine carts along the way.
There was more than one mine cart track beneath Gringotts. In the past, whether going down or up, he would encounter many mine carts, but now there wasn't a single one, indicating that the area had been cleared.
"All Spells End!"
Before Ethan could even fly to the cave entrance, shouts came from above.
Then, the entire pit was covered by a layer of red light, like a red transparent lid placed over it.
Due to the cave structure beneath Gringotts being narrow at the top and wide at the bottom, and with only one exit, they only needed to block the opening at the top like this, and the people inside would have nowhere to escape.
Facing such a situation, Ethan did not choose to force his way through.
From his perception, there were over a hundred magical power sources outside, meaning over a hundred Wizards.
He just didn't know how many were actively casting spells and how many were spectators.
If they were all using All Spells End, forcing his way through would definitely be a disadvantage.
After all, All Spells End was inherently quite effective against some spells.
Ethan also didn't want to expose too much, and he had a rather suitable identity: the identity he used during the 'black-on-black' incident, fighting Lord Voldemort.
Although only Dumbledore knew that identity.
Standing at the entrance of the cave, an old Goblin with completely white beard and eyebrows looked inside. Seeing that there was no movement for the time being and the bandit was not forcefully charging, he breathed a sigh of relief. He was the head of Great Britain Gringotts.
After Fulen's group was completely wiped out, he decisively contacted other Gringotts branches in Europe, requesting their assistance.
Not only that, but he also contacted the British Ministry of Magic.
When faced with such a situation, the Ministry of Magiccould not ignore it.
Therefore, the longer the delay, the more reinforcements they would get, and the greater the chance of catching the fellow inside.
This was also why he chose not to send anyone else down.
As long as they concentrated all their strength to trap the person below, no matter how many Galleons he took down there, he would have to spit them all out, principal and interest.
The people above weren't anxious, and Ethan below wasn't anxious either.
Although he wasn't forcing his way through the barrier, it didn't prevent him from increasing the power of the Fiendfyre Curse.
Everyone knew that the Fiendfyre Curse had an extremely high temperature and was difficult to extinguish, but it also required the support of combustibles.
Of course, the best combustible for it was the magical power of the Wizard using the Fiendfyre Curse.
And Ethan's magical power was beyond mention; there were also so many spirits in Nibelungen as backup for magical power recovery.
Ethan could guess some of the situation above.
He immediately manipulated the fire phoenix beneath him to split apart, forming smaller fire phoenixes that crashed into the doors of the various vaults.
These vaults couldn't be opened by ordinary means, but that didn't include the high temperature of Fiendfyre.
It just needed a little time, so if they weren't in a hurry, Ethan wasn't either.
Anyway, all the losses here would be paid for by the Goblins. It's just that the compensation ratio for non-Level 1 vaults wasn't as high, so ultimately, the Goblins would still be at a disadvantage.
Ethan also made time to visit Vault 713, Dumbledore's vault.
But there was truly nothing inside, not even a single strand of hair.
Ethan had never seen such an empty vault.
As time passed, Ethan could clearly sense that the magicreactions outside were increasing, already exceeding two hundred.
Unfortunately, Imperio couldn't control them here; otherwise, All Spells End would have been broken without a fight.
But it didn't matter; the fiery golden liquid on Ethan's side was also increasing, and a lot of lava was gathering around, like a giant burning slime.
"Mr. Robert, Norris Pierce is in there. He has already killed ten Goblins. Please make sure to deal with him."
The head of Gringotts, the old Goblin with completely white beard and eyebrows, smiled and greeted the burly middle-aged man wearing the Ministry of Magic's uniform, who was accompanied by fifteen Aurors.
Just now, many reinforcements arrived from other Gringotts branches, though this was only a part of their security forces. They couldn't possibly disregard their own safety for the sake of reinforcing Great Britain, could they?
No one knew if this was an enemy ploy to draw all security forces to Great Britain before attacking other Gringotts branches, so only a small portion went.
Even with just a small portion, due to the large number of Gringotts branches that came, it was still a considerable number.
However, despite the large number, no one was willing to go in first to subdue the culprit.
Some people knew the fate of the first wave of cannon fodder, and no one wanted to follow in their footsteps.
But if they didn't go in, All Spells End could only provide a defensive effect and seal the opening. It was impossible for it to spread inside, as the space within was simply too vast.
So, a few Goblins had been arguing outside about who should go in.
The Great Britain Gringotts branch believed that they had suffered heavy losses and could not afford any more.
Meanwhile, the Gringotts security personnel from other countries stated that if their own branch wasn't anxious, why should they be?
Reinforcing was done according to internal Goblinregulations, but the losses were their own.
Although other Gringotts branches would help with compensation, it all had to be repaid, with principal and interest.
If you couldn't pay it off, your entire Goblin branch would have to repay it, and if that wasn't enough, the next generation would continue until the principal and interest were fully repaid.
How could they possibly help others without compensation?
These Goblins remembered every Knut clearly; how could they use their own money to clean up someone else's mess?
Even if it was their own kin.
But now there was no problem; the Aurors from Gringotts had arrived, and they were professionals in this field.
Moreover, they had no reason to refuse.
Even though Fulen confirmed that this Norris Pierce was fake, we don't have to know that!
Now, the one inside is Norris Pierce, a Death Eater, a wanted target of the Ministry of Magic.
Capturing him is the Aurors' duty.
When requesting assistance from the Ministry of Magic, he also used this pretext.
Otherwise, he was truly afraid that the Ministry of Magicwould be uncooperative and just send a few people to deal with it.
As expected, once it was said to be a Death Eater, the Ministry of Magic's elite Auror force arrived.
And it was three squads, fifteen people.
Even if he didn't want to admit it, he knew in his heart that the Auror squads were far more elite than his own security team; the two were not on the same level.
"Alright, I understand!"
David Robert scanned the surrounding Goblins and finally nodded in agreement.
He naturally saw that these Goblins were using him as a pawn.
But not going in was not an option; the Ministry of Magichad been greatly embarrassed recently.
Fudge was just the most prominent one, but the Aurors weren't doing much better.
The mastermind behind the Quidditch World Cupdisruption was captured by Ethan; they couldn't even claim that credit for themselves.
Because there were other witnesses at the scene of the incident.
And they hadn't caught a single Death Eater who caused less significant disturbances.
Both incidents, no matter which one, were considered serious derelictions of duty for their Aurors.
Now that a Death Eater on the wanted list had finally appeared, it was naturally impossible to let him go.
As long as he was caught, many charges could be placed upon him.
This was also the reason why this group of people appeared here; otherwise, to reinforce the Goblins, they would only need to dispatch a team of hit-Wizards to deal with it.
However, in their impression, Norris Pierce shouldn't be that strong!
Many people had fought him during the Wizarding War, and he was only at the level of an elite Auror.
After the two sides discussed for a few more sentences, All Spells End opened a gap under the control of a group of Goblins.
David Robert also led fifteen Aurors into it.
Immediately upon entering, they felt an unbearable heat, and the group instantly cast a spell to isolate the heat from the surrounding environment.
Following the tracks, they soon saw the culprit, Ethan, standing atop a fiery phoenix.
Beside him were two giant slimes, one resembling orange-red lava, the other like liquid gold.
The orange-red lava-like slime was constantly melting the surrounding rock walls, and its size was increasing every moment.
As for the liquid gold-like slime, its size increased by a fraction every time a golden fiery phoenix crashed into it.
Undoubtedly, the other party was preparing something.
But at the same time, he also discovered that this person was definitely not Norris Pierce.
His physique, demeanor, and preferred magic were all different.
But now was not the time to go out and confront the Goblins.
Similarly, Ethan also recognized these Aurors; more than half of them he had seen that night.
The one leading them was following Rufus Scrimgeour at that time.
The reason he didn't recognize Ethan now was that Ethan had used Transfiguration to change his physique slightly, and his current demeanor was also different from before.
Transfiguration can be applied to oneself, but it still has to obey the laws of Transfiguration.
One must have a sufficiently deep understanding of the object they are transforming into.
Slightly changing one's physique is possible; at this moment, Ethan's physique is closer to the image he had during his last battle with Lord Voldemort.
But to transform into Norris Pierce without Polyjuice Potion.
It requires careful observation and sufficient understanding of him. Ethan would be crazy to observe and understand a man when a Potion could solve the problem.
At the same time, since these Aurors had arrived, Ethan had no need to hold back.
After all, it was just a fleeting acquaintance.
Chapter 241: Gringotts Turned to Ashes
"What's the situation inside now?"
The old Goblin with white eyebrows and beard started pacing anxiously after David Robert had been inside for several minutes.
The truth was, after those Aurors went in, not a single message came out.
This made him have some unpleasant thoughts.
Even if they had transmitted some shouts of battle, or the sound of explosions from clashing spells, it would have made him feel a little better.
But it was this quiet atmosphere that made him particularly panicked.
"Dobbin, why don't you go in and take a look?"
A Goblin leading the reinforcement team from ParisGringotts glanced at the head of Great Britain Gringottsand said with a hint of mockery.
In the Wizarding World, Wizards from France and Great Britain disliked each other and enjoyed belittling each other whenever they had the chance.
Among Goblins, the situation was no better.
He was eager to see the other party suffer misfortune.
If the other side declared bankruptcy and couldn't repay their debts, allowing their branch of Goblins to take over Great Britain's Gringotts business, that would be even better.
"Shut up, Barnaby!"
"If the Aurors can't solve the problem, then we will need to go in."
Dobbin didn't tolerate him at all, immediately scolding him with a stern face.
Three Auror squads, this was already a considerably good force in the Wizarding World; they could usually solve most problems.
For such a scene to occur, either there were enough people from the other side who infiltrated Gringotts to instantly subdue the Auror squads with a human wave tactic.
Or, the strength of the two sides was not on the same level, and the Aurors were easily dealt with, preventing them from even sending a message.
Regardless of which, it was not good news.
Another point was, he didn't know what the situation was like inside, but maintaining All Spells End like this was very draining on magic.
Even if they wanted to switch people to continue using All Spells End to seal this place later, there would inevitably be a slight oversight in the middle. If the opponent seized this opportunity, it would be quite troublesome then.
While the Goblins outside were anxiously pacing, Ethan was cleaning up the spoils of war.
Aurors generally carried many Alchemy creations, some they prepared themselves, and some were uniformly procured by the Ministry of Magic.
This was also to increase the Aurors' survival rate, as they were the Ministry of Magic's guarantee of force.
Now, these items were all benefiting him. It was not good to openly use these Alchemy tools in the Witch Heart Society in Great Britain.
However, Slytherin, who operated internationally, did not have this concern. Capturing Animals was also quite dangerous for them, and their equipment naturally couldn't compare to the regular army's Aurors.
These could be used by them, which could be considered a benefit since Ethan took over.
Dealing with these Aurors just now was also quite simple.
He directly used Imperio to control half of them. Their alert target was Ethan, and they had no guard against their companions who could entrust their backs to each other.
Facing companions who suddenly turned on them, they barely resisted and were directly taken out in one wave.
Then the remaining ones, under Ethan's control, ended their own lives.
If Ethan's Death Eater identity had been here, they might have been wary of Imperio and also more vigilant towards their companions, but unfortunately, this was a completely new identity.
These Aurors had no intelligence whatsoever.
One could only say that Imperio was truly effective, even more insidious in some aspects than Avada Kedavra.
It truly lived up to its name as one of the Three Unforgivable Curses.
He just wondered when someone would invent Alchemyequipment that could prevent being controlled by Imperio.
Unfortunately, until now, Ethan had never heard of the existence of Alchemy tools with similar effects.
Currently, the only method was to increase resistance.
After being hit by Imperio multiple times, one would gain a certain resistance and might be able to break free from Imperio.
Overall, it was still related to mental power.
However, this attribute could only grow naturally; there was no training method to strengthen it.
After throwing sixteen corpses into Fiendfyre, using them as fuel.
Ethan once again floated to the top of the fiery phoenix.
The preparations were almost complete. All nearby vaults had been burned by Ethan, melting everything inside, and now all these molten metals were with Ethan.
And the lava slime had grown even larger; if the space weren't sufficient, it wouldn't even fit here, as it only needed to devour the surrounding rock walls to grow.
Pulling out his wand, violent magic began to surge around Ethan, even the fiery phoenix beneath him became unstable, with flames darting everywhere.
And this fiery red lava slime and the golden slime were intermingling. After being covered by a layer of burning golden liquid on its surface, its overall shape began to elongate.
It became a super giant python, a thousand meters long and tens of meters thick, with burning, seemingly golden flames in its eyes.
From its open maw, one could also see the continuously flowing lava within.
The image Ethan referenced was Yemengade, but unlike Surtur, this Yemengade was merely a form.
The reason Surtur wasn't used was that he couldn't unleash his full power in this environment; this Yemengade was sufficient for the task.
All Spells End primarily targets the effects of some spells, especially those in energy form, by counteracting their energy.
However, Transfiguration has a medium, so while All Spells End is effective, it's not overwhelmingly so.
The counter-spell for Transfiguration is the Revealing Charm.
This is useful not only for Wizards who have taken Polyjuice Potion but also for Animagus transformations, as it's specifically designed for Transfiguration, its purpose being to revert objects to their original state.
But the Revealing Charm cannot be used in conjunction like All Spells End, and if one's skill is insufficient, it won't have much effect on Transfiguration.
Therefore, Ethan didn't care much about the Goblins outside; they simply didn't have the power to break Ethan's Transfiguration.
Besides, Ethan was right there; could he really stand by and watch them act without doing anything?
Just as the Giant python Yemengade took shape, it stretched its body, then charged headfirst towards the red transparent dome in front.
"What's that sound?"
As several Goblins were discussing whether to send another team in to investigate, a sudden rumble echoed from within the cave.
And the sound was getting closer and closer.
It was as if the tunnel inside was collapsing, from the very end all the way to the entrance of this cave.
"Stay alert! This commotion could be his doing. Everyone be careful."
A cave collapsing wouldn't be such a coincidence; there was only one explanation: it was caused by the culprit inside.
It was unclear if this commotion was to create an escape route from the large hole inside or if he intended to blow up the cave to escape.
"Barna, you take your men to…"
Before he could finish speaking, he saw the red magical barrier in front explode.
A massive golden-yellow snake head directly shattered the barrier and the surrounding rocks, instantly widening the cave entrance significantly.
And it burst out without stopping, rushing out of the cave, into the Gringotts hall, then the hall exploded, and the entire Gringotts was reduced to ruins by this single blow.
Some Goblins along the way were directly crushed into a pile of flesh and then incinerated by the flames surrounding the Giant python.
Watching the Giant python's body continuously emerging from the cave, the Goblins who had narrowly escaped trembled with fear, their faces unable to hide their terror.
Of course, Wizards outside Gringotts also knew about this commotion, as Gringotts had directly exploded, and the massive, burning golden snake head was hovering in mid-air.
Having already heard the alarm inside Gringotts, many Wizards had gathered around after the incident.
And due to the existence of the wizard mailbox, news spread extremely quickly.
Some Wizards from other parts of Great Britain also rushed over using fireplaces or Apparition, just to watch the spectacle.
After all, robbing Gringotts was something they might never witness a second time in their lives.
Moreover, judging by the scale of it, this was completely different from the anticlimactic event a few years ago.
This also resulted in Yemengade directly crushing some innocent bystanders who were watching the show when it burst out.
"Go!"
"Run!"
"Help!"
"Ahhh…"
In the chaotic and tumultuous scene, almost all Wizards were fleeing for their lives.
The owners of some surrounding shops didn't even care about their storefronts anymore and immediately turned around and dove into a fireplace.
In the current situation, Galleons were nowhere near as important as their lives.
This was not an isolated incident; shop owners throughout Diagon Alley were fleeing, and even Knockturn Alley was affected.
"Quick, contact Dumbledore. Only he can resolve this."
A white-haired Witch leaning on a cane tugged at the Wizard robes of another Witch beside her, who was at least over sixty years old.
She had also come to watch the commotion; she had heard her parents talk about the Goblin wars and had no fondness for Goblins.
So, upon hearing the news, she had her daughter bring her, wanting to see how the Goblins would suffer.
As it turned out, this spectacle was not pleasant to watch!
"I'll take you away first."
Saying that, she pulled her by the sleeve and walked towards a nearby shop.
Now was not the time to contact Dumbledore.
It wouldn't be too late to notify Dumbledore once they reached a safe place; after all, if this Giant python moved a few times, Diagon Alley would be finished. A little earlier or later wouldn't make a difference.
0 Fresh Flowers 0
Soon, the two arrived at a nearby shop, where several people were using Floo powder, and it wasn't long before it was their turn.
The main reason was that her elderly mother was too old; not everyone was a Wizard like Dumbledore. Age had a significant impact on strength, and the body was especially fragile, making even controlling magic quite difficult.
Naturally, she couldn't use Apparition, and even taking her along was too risky, fearing some accident during the process.
Only after safely returning home did she breathe a sigh of relief.
Then she quickly pulled out her wizard mailbox to contact Dumbledore; almost all of these old survivors had Dumbledore's wizard mailbox as a friend.
After Yemengade had completely exited the cave, Ethan also followed closely behind, riding the Fire Phoenix.
Upon seeing the scene, he was somewhat surprised. Where the hell did all the Goblins go?
At least a third of Diagon Alley had become ruins, and this was without Ethan actively controlling Yemengade to cause high destruction.
If it were to roll around a few times now, Diagon Alleywould probably be completely gone.
At the same time, Dumbledore, who was processing documents in his office, fell silent as he watched the wizard mailbox on his desk constantly flash.
What had happened again?
Just now, when Gringotts encountered robbers, many people had sent messages to Dumbledore, asking if he would go.
However, Dumbledore had not received an invitation from the Goblins or the Ministry of Magic, so he naturally wouldn't go easily.
Moreover, he was really busy during this time.
As the host of the Triwizard Tournament, Hogwarts had a lot to consider and prepare.
Plus, school was about to start, and arrangements needed to be made for Harry, so there simply wasn't enough time. He couldn't be as leisurely as those retired old folks going to watch the excitement.
So what was going on now?
Messages kept pouring in, one after another.
Putting down his quill, Dumbledore opened his wizard mailbox.
Just one glance, and his brows furrowed deeply.
Although there were no photos to see the scene, the descriptions alone indicated that the matter was absolutely not small.
Dumbledore still had considerable trust in these old folks.
"Fawkes, to Gringotts!"
As Dumbledore's voice fell, Fawkes, standing on a nearby perch, spread his wings and flew with a cry, then a burst of fire appeared, and Fawkes, grabbing Dumbledore's shoulder, vanished from the Principal's office.
Then, Ethan, who had just emerged from the cave and hadn't yet left, saw Dumbledore appear from the fire.
The two immediately made eye contact.
Dumbledore immediately recognized him as the culprit, and he looked so familiar.
Ethan didn't want to fight Dumbledore right now, so the Fire Phoenix beneath his feet immediately exploded, turning into a sea of fire that spread outwards with explosive speed, even engulfing Dumbledore himself.
Then he pointed his wand at Yemengade.
The massive snake body began to twist and deform, and in just a moment, it transformed into a Giant hundreds of meters tall.
Its entire body glowed with scorching eyes, and golden patterns slowly flowed across its surface, especially around its eyes, where its golden-yellow pupils were filled with majesty and madness.
In its hand, it held a massive sword of fire that emanated endless light and heat.
As Dumbledore emerged from the Fiendfyre and saw this form, he remembered where he had seen this person before.
It was he who had fought Lord Voldemort, and if he hadn't arrived, Quirrell, as a vessel, would have been exhausted to death by their battle.
Only now, this fire Giant was much stronger than before.
The fastest solution was naturally to catch the leader first; as long as this Wizard was apprehended and made to lift his spell, that would be the best and quickest way.
Otherwise, even if he intervened, the destruction to the surroundings would be immense.
But just then, Ethan directly transformed into a wisp of black smoke and shot straight into the sky.
Dumbledore only thought for two or three seconds before choosing to give up. He knew this spell; it was the Flying Charm used exclusively by Lord Voldemort and the Death Eaters.
It was incredibly nimble, and countless Death Eaters had relied on it to escape.
Even if he wanted to catch him, it would take a lot of time, especially since the opponent was very strong.
He couldn't allow this fire Giant to continue its rampage now.
After thinking clearly, Dumbledore sighed and landed directly on the roof of Ollivander's wand shop.
He could only be grateful that this shop hadn't been destroyed; otherwise, next year's new students would have some trouble choosing wands. This was Ollivander's family's accumulation of several hundred years.
Chapter 242: The Galleons are Mine
September 1st, the opening day of Hogwarts.
On this day, Hogwarts students would go to Platform 9 3at King's Cross Station to take the Hogwarts Express to school.
Although a shocking event that affected the entire Wizarding World occurred yesterday, causing some losses to many Wizarding families.
But for Hogwarts, this was just something to talk about; it wouldn't affect its normal opening procedures at all.
After all, Hogwarts' funding relies on the support of its school governors; it itself has no profit-making measures.
It even has many welfare measures, essentially subsidizing students' education, though this all comes from the governors' money.
This meant Hogwarts had virtually no savings in Gringotts; even if it did, it would be the private funds of governors or Professors, unrelated to Hogwarts.
And for the vast majority of students, even if there was an impact, it would be resolved by their parents, at most just a little less pocket money.
But there were some exceptions, for example, Ethan used his wizard mailbox to ask Dumbledore for leave.
He would not be taking the Hogwarts Express to school this year; he would go on his own after dealing with the Gringotts matter.
Dumbledore did not refuse, only asking Ethan to return to school as soon as possible after resolving the issue.
Such situations were not limited to Ethan; Harry was also in a similar situation, as were other Wizards.
These were mostly orphans who could manage their family's assets independently and had to handle the matters themselves.
Ethan, a Muggle-born Wizard, was unique among Hogwarts students for having deposits in Gringotts.
After bidding farewell to Cassandra and others at the entrance of King's Cross Station, Ethan took a car alone to the Leaky Cauldron, which was not far.
Although Cassandra and her companions had also earned a lot of Galleons with Ethan, Ethan did not let them deposit all their Galleons in Gringotts.
Mainly, for a Class One vault, their Galleons weren't worth the cost.
Class Two and Three vaults weren't fully reimbursed, and Ethan wasn't willing to make a special trip. In the end, if it was perfectly preserved, there was no profit or loss, but if it was lost, they would lose money, so it was better to do nothing.
As a result, they still started school as usual.
This morning, Ethan naturally also read The Daily Prophet and understood the impact of yesterday's events.
Firstly, fifteen Aurors were confirmed to have sacrificed their lives, for which the Ministry of Magic would hold a memorial service a week later.
As for Goblin losses, the current death toll exceeded one hundred and ten. The reason it's
The others, having retreated a distance, were not immediately affected, mainly because Ethan had not given an attack order at that time.
So, most of the onlookers were fine.
Besides that, there was the extent of the damage to Diagon Alley.
Over eighty percent of it had become a lava field, and Knockturn Alley was also partially affected.
According to the magical photographs in this morning's The Daily Prophet, apart from a small section of buildings, the rest of the area was a churning, hot lava field.
This was all caused by Surtur's battle with Dumbledore.
After Surtur transformed, without Ethan's control, he only received a final command.
Without subsequent magic support, he was eventually dealt with by Dumbledore.
But even so, Dumbledore expended a great deal of effort, and even when he was interviewed, his back was bent in the photograph.
Ethan naturally knew that this didn't mean an uncontrolled Surtur had almost killed Dumbledore.
At the same time, The Daily Prophet also published a statement that the Goblins were already discussing the reconstruction of Diagon Alley, right on its original site.
The reconstruction project would be entirely handled by the Goblins.
As for the losses incurred by the shopkeepers, the Goblins were only willing to cover a portion of that.
This was the result of their discussions with the Ministry of Magic, and it was estimated that the shopkeepers and the Goblins had a fierce argument at the time.
Furthermore, the Goblins also stated that they would be responsible for the losses of all Gringotts account holders this time, but the compensation ratio would be based on previously established regulations.
All Wizards could go to the Leaky Cauldron to handle it with their Gringotts magic contract and proof of identity.
The main reason was that Gringotts was gone, and that area was still a hot lava field.
Even though this was the Wizarding World, it was still difficult to quickly restore the environment and then build a large building.
Fortunately, Gringotts rented out the Leaky Cauldron as a temporary office, which was quite something.
The part of Diagon Alley that was preserved was painstakingly saved by Dumbledore, but the Leaky Cauldron was completely ignored and yet wasn't significantly affected, which could only be attributed to good luck.
Also, this compensation covered all Great Britain Gringotts account holders, even though Ethan only plundered the first-level vault and melted down parts of other vaults.
However, the main battleground between Surtur and Dumbledore was on the ruins of Gringotts.
Dumbledore also firmly contained him, preventing him from destroying other areas.
This led to further severe losses in the vaults below.
Especially when Dumbledore depleted a lot of his magicand completely dispelled his Transfiguration, the falling Surtur was like a volcanic eruption.
The moment he fell into the Gringotts vault, it made a complete mess, and there was no need for rescue or excavation.
As a result, while the Goblins hated Dumbledore, they also had no choice but to fully compensate all account holders.
Getting out on the street near the Leaky Cauldron, Ethan noticed many Ministry of Magic personnel standing guard around the perimeter.
As for Muggles, not a single one was found.
Undoubtedly, this area had been subjected to a Muggle-Repelling Charm.
Upon arriving at the entrance of the Leaky Cauldron, there were many Wizards coming and going, and outside, a large group of people were gathered, discussing something.
"Harry, what's the situation now?"
As expected, Ethan met Harry here.
Yesterday, after learning the news, Harry had contacted Ethan; he knew that Ethan had a large sum of Galleons stored here.
They talked a lot at the time, and Harry even offered Ethan advice on what to do.
Hearing the voice, Harry turned his head, saw Ethan, pointed to the announcement board nearby, and said:
"Today is for compensating first-level vault holders. Other account holders are not being served. They will start processing second-level vault holders in two days, which requires registration. First-level vault holders don't need to register."
"Mine is scheduled for the day after tomorrow, so I'll come back then!"
Harry said somewhat helplessly.
He was still very much looking forward to the annual opening ceremony.
Before coming, he had planned that after dealing with this, he would either go to Hogwarts with Ethan or ask Sirius.
Unfortunately, it wasn't his turn today, and to avoid coming out again in two days, he could only go to school in two days.
Luckily, his was still relatively early. If his level was lower, he might have to wait one or two months, but in that case, he wouldn't just wait foolishly outside.
"I see! I'll go take a look!"
Saying that, Ethan walked over to the announcement board.
No wonder this group of people was gathered outside instead of queuing inside.
It turned out that even business transactions involved discrimination.
However, Ethan could understand the Goblins' reasons for doing so.
Ultimately, the decision-makers in the Wizarding Worldwere that small group of people, and these people were often concentrated in the major pure-blood families. To avoid offending them, the Goblins certainly had to resolve their issues as quickly as possible.
"By the way, Harry, how much do you have deposited in Gringotts?"
Ethan was still very curious about Harry's family fortune.
Logically speaking, as the long-standing Potter Family, their fortune should be substantial.
But they only had one vault, and the Galleons inside, though appearing like a small mountain, the mountain was not truly large.
Especially after Ethan had seen a small mountain of fifteen million Galleons.
Therefore, Ethan thought of a speculation he had seen before.
Dumbledore's Order of the Phoenix and Lord Voldemort's Death Eaters all relied on the support of their members to survive.
It was well known that maintaining a large organization was quite expensive.
For example, Ethan's Witch Heart Society initially relied on collecting protection fees in Knockturn Alley, which barely sustained it. Ethan never took a single Knut from it, and now he had to inject a large sum of Galleons.
And the Order of the Phoenix, in its early stages, was supported by the Potter Family. James's father died early, so James was in charge of the Potter Family.
This led him, as a young and naive person, to spend a large amount of Galleons on the Order of the Phoenix, so much so that in the end, only this portion was left for Harry as an inheritance.
Later, when the Order of the Phoenix was restarted, again because of Harry, Sirius inherited the Black Familyfortune and also strongly supported the Order of the Phoenix.
All in all, the Order of the Phoenix spent Harry's Galleons.
"There's still one hundred thirty-seven thousand Galleons, besides some Silver Sickles."
Harry said somewhat helplessly.
This was a complete undeserved misfortune for him; he lost over ten thousand Galleons for doing nothing, which was almost enough to buy three rockets.
"So what are you planning to do now?"
As he spoke, Ethan glanced at the large black dog squatting at Harry's feet.
He wondered how Sirius planned to claim the compensation; he was still wanted by the Ministry of Magic, and there were many Aurors and Hit-Wizards on alert here.
"I plan to stay home for two more days."
Harry also followed Ethan's gaze to Sirius, but unfortunately, Peter had escaped back then.
Otherwise, if Sirius's wanted status had been cleared, he could have handled it himself as Harry's godfather.
"Then I'll go in first. See you at Hogwarts!"
"Alright, see you at Hogwarts then!"
After parting with Ethan, Harry didn't plan to stay long. He hailed the Knight Bus with the large black dog.
Upon entering the Leaky Cauldron, Ethan realized that it had been completely transformed into an office space, no longer resembling its previous messy tavern appearance.
"You're here too!"
Amos Worre, who had just emerged from a private room, took two steps forward to greet Ethan after seeing him.
Although he was heartbroken that his little darling had left him, he couldn't stop it, so he could only accept it.
Besides, his own 'cabbage' was practically throwing herself at this 'pig'.
The 'tigress' at home had also approved, leaving him no room to object.
Finally, thinking about Ethan's excellence, especially from the Bones Family, she had to try every means to build a good relationship, and suddenly she felt relieved.
Now, the more he looked, the more pleasing he became, mainly because he brought him great face.
"Yes, this is fifteen million Galleons for me!"
"How could I let the Goblins get off easy?"
Ethan spoke quite casually, without any of the nervousness one might feel facing a father-in-law.
"Fifteen million!"
Even though the Worre Family had a substantial fortune and had earned a lot after partnering with Ethan, hearing the figure of fifteen million still made him click his tongue in amazement.
Earlier, many of them had discussed how many Galleons Ethan would deposit in Gringotts.
They never expected it to be everything. These Goblins were truly miserable, a massive bleeding.
Regarding Ethan's fortune, people outside had generally figured it out.
It was simply the income from his cooperation with the Worre Family and his earnings from betting at the Quidditch World Cup, the latter of which had long been completely revealed by the Goblins.
"By the way, if I'm not mistaken, this should be Ministry of Magic working hours!"
Currently, all Ministry of Magic staff were swamped, all thanks to Ethan's actions yesterday, which affected not only Gringotts and the Goblins!
"The Galleons are mine, after all."
Amos smiled, then looked towards the stairs.
Ethan followed his gaze and saw old Barty Crouchdescending the stairs with his stern face.
Clearly, he had also come to handle compensation business, but he chose a private room on the second floor.
Two department heads, both chose to deal with their personal matters first.
And these were two departments that should have been quite busy: the Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes and the Department of International Magical Cooperation.
It seemed they all had their priorities straight.
Galleons were personal, while the Ministry of Magicbelonged to everyone.
They were quite clear about what was more important.
"Alright, I won't chat with you anymore. There's still a lot to do at the Ministry of Magic."
This year, things were exceptionally busy, and many matters concerned his department.
Although he had come to handle his personal affairs first, the accumulated problems still needed to be resolved. If he didn't want to work overtime, it was best to get back quickly.
After taking a couple of steps, Amos turned back again.
"By the way, when you have time later, take Cassandraback to stay for a while."
Amos was quite displeased that his daughter had barely been home for a few days this summer.
"Got it, take care!"
Ethan watched Amos walk out of the Leaky Cauldron's door before turning and entering the private room he had just exited.
Chapter 243: Dumbledore's Perception
About an hour later, Ethan left the private room, seeing off the Goblins with a bitter expression.
He also had fifteen million Galleons on him.
Once Gringotts in Diagon Alley was rebuilt, Ethan could still choose whether to continue storing his Galleons in Gringotts.
The vault he had opened was still valid.
Moreover, the vault's time would not be counted during the reconstruction period.
The reason he was able to get the Galleons so quickly was that the Goblins had already prepared a large sum of Galleons for compensation immediately after the incident yesterday.
It wasn't that they were particularly proactive.
Rather, this matter couldn't be delayed.
What Ethan Adrien did yesterday was a first in the history of Gringotts.
In the past, there were many Wizards who coveted Gringotts, and theft and robbery occasionally occurred, with a few successful examples.
However, this was the first time someone like Ethan Adrien had directly destroyed an entire Gringotts branch.
If the Goblins failed to handle this properly, it would prove their lack of risk resistance, and it would inevitably lead to a large number of depositors withdrawing their Galleons.
After all, the culprits who robbed Great Britain Gringottsand burned it to the ground are still at large.
Who's to say that after robbing Gringotts in London, they won't go to Gringotts in Paris or New York?
If there's a risk in keeping money at Gringotts, and they can't compensate, why keep it there?
The Goblins understood human nature to some extent.
Perhaps, Wizards would even take this opportunity to establish their own financial institutions.
The Goblins dared not gamble on this at all.
That's why they immediately mobilized funds to fully resolve this matter, minimizing the impact as much as possible.
Although Great Britain Gringotts lost a considerable amount of Galleons this time, it was not an amount that the Goblin race couldn't afford.
After all, Galleons were made by them, and all finance-related industries were monopolized by them.
No one could accurately say how many Galleons the entire race possessed.
Leaving the Leaky Cauldron, Ethan Adrien also ran into Lucius.
The two simply nodded to each other and then parted ways, without much conversation.
On the night the Quidditch World Cup ended, a few Death Eaters caused some commotion.
Now, Lucius and those who had been whitewashed with him were once again targeted by the Ministry of Magic.
Ethan Adrien didn't want to get involved in that mess.
Walking on the street, Ethan Adrien was somewhat puzzled as to why there was no achievement completion prompt yet.
Having plundered his own vault, plus the Lestrange Family's vault, the amount of Galleons had already exceeded eighteen million.
Now, after Gringotts compensated him fifteen million Galleons, the total directly reached thirty-three million. Was this amount still not enough?
Walking to a shadowy corner of the street, Ethan Adrienvanished with a 'pop'.
It wasn't that he didn't want to Apparate directly when leaving, but the area around the Leaky Cauldron was full of Ministry of Magic personnel. Breaking the law in front of them wasn't asking for trouble?
When he reappeared, he had arrived at the Witch Heart Society's base in Knockturn Alley.
Although Knockturn Alley was partially affected, this base was located a bit further inside, so this area was still fine.
Many shops in Knockturn Alley were still operating normally today.
Only those affected areas had to be dealt with by themselves.
The Goblins were responsible for the reconstruction of Diagon Alley, but they ignored Knockturn Alley.
After Ethan Adrien entered, he just greeted a few people and didn't pay much attention.
Today, they were still doing what they usually did.
Not many people knew about yesterday's operation.
Besides a few responsible individuals, only the twenty tool-people chosen by Tom knew.
After all, the more people who knew, even if they were tight-lipped, it would be difficult to avoid exposure.
Once this matter exploded, the Ministry of Magic would certainly not let it go, especially since fifteen Aurors were a significant loss for the Ministry of Magic.
Regardless of the reason, they would not tolerate such behavior, especially for Aurors and Hit-Wizards. At that time, it might be a full-scale targeting of the Witch Heart Society.
Currently, Ethan Adrien did not have the intention of directly confronting the Ministry of Magic like Lord Voldemort.
Besides, if the Goblins knew the culprit, they would not let it go either.
"Boss, this is your share."
Tom had already sorted all the gains and separated Ethan Adrien's share immediately after returning yesterday.
And after that, he had been waiting here.
Of course, this was also to wait for hufflepuff's cup.
Every residual soul absorbed would make him stronger.
The pleasure in that process was absolutely addictive.
"How many Galleons are here?"
"Twenty-five million three hundred seventy thousand Galleons. Besides that, there are some ornaments and various Alchemy tools. I haven't categorized these in detail; I've just sorted them by quantity."
To handle all this, even with the aid of magic, Tom spent several hours.
Tom also gave some rewards to the twenty members who participated in the operation.
Unlike the main soul, he still understood rewards and punishments.
It was the same when the Death Eaters were first formed, but his personality became increasingly twisted later, making him so neurotic and cruel.
"Alright, I'll take it."
Ethan Adrien didn't suspect Tom of playing any tricks here and directly put the dragon-hide pouch from the table into his pocket.
As soon as he put it away, the achievement completion prompt finally appeared.
So, this time, the threshold was fifty million Galleons.
It seems this amount is the limit, or even if it's not, it's probably unrealistic to try to earn more Galleonachievements later.
After collecting the Galleons, Ethan Adrien, under Tom's expectant gaze, pulled out a cup with two finely crafted pure gold handles, shining with dazzling golden light, and a cup body covered with exquisite patterns.
To be honest, Ethan Adrien still didn't know what the purpose of hufflepuff's cup and slytherin's locket was.
ravenclaw's diadem could increase wisdom, gryffindor's sword was forged by Goblins, possessing the ability to absorb a portion of the power of creatures it killed, and could automatically go to the Wizard it recognized.
But hufflepuff's cup, even in the legends of Hogwarts, was just a vessel used to assist House-elves in transporting magic food.
As for slytherin's locket, there were even fewer legends about it; it was basically just for decoration.
After Ethan Adrien got it, he didn't find any use for it. Besides using it once to claim a reward, it had been left aside to gather dust.
Extracting the residual soul of Lord Voldemort from it was something Ethan Adrien was already incredibly skilled at.
In a short while, Ethan Adrien pulled out a deformed, ugly infant and threw it to Tom.
Tom, upon receiving it, eagerly absorbed it immediately.
"This is the last one. There are no more Horcruxes outside for now."
Ethan Adrien didn't intend to reveal the news that Harrywas also a Horcrux.
What if one day Tom couldn't resist and killed Harry just to absorb the tiny residual soul of Lord Voldemort hidden in his soul?
At that time, Dumbledore, whose plan would be shattered, would probably go crazy.
After absorbing, Tom heard Ethan Adrien say this and immediately asked:
"Are there more later?"
After all, Ethan Adrien said "for now" instead of directly saying "no more."
"After Lord Voldemort revives, he will certainly continue to make them."
In the original work, after Lord Voldemort revived, he made one Horcrux.
But at that time, only Lord Voldemort's diary Horcruxwas destroyed; the other Horcruxes were still intact, so Lord Voldemort wasn't too panicked.
But now, all of Lord Voldemort's known Horcruxes are gone, and only Harry, the hidden Horcrux, remains.
Feeling insecure, he might go on a rampage making more Horcruxes.
Ethan Adrien had asked Hezper the Vile about the specific number of Horcruxes to make; he had initially believed it shouldn't exceed six.
Splitting the soul too much might lead to some unknown risks.
But Ethan Adrien believed that Lord Voldemort, whose mind was already problematic, might not fear these risks.
To ensure his own life, he would absolutely be capable of making more Horcruxes on a large scale.
The truth is, compared to others, he didn't have much advantage, relying solely on the immortality of his Horcruxes.
Otherwise, he wouldn't even dare to show his face in front of Dumbledore.
Although he would lose the advantage of foresight at that time, if he wanted to find them, there would still be opportunities.
As for Lord Voldemort's main soul, Ethan Adrien really didn't dare to let Tom devour it.
Otherwise, Ethan Adrien truly couldn't be sure whether it would be the twisted Lord Voldemort or the current Tomat that point.
After giving a few more instructions, Ethan Adrien sent Tom away from the secret room where they divided the spoils.
He focused his attention on the panel, and the two gleaming achievements made Ethan Adrien's heart itch.
Now, earning achievements was becoming increasingly difficult.
[Richer Than a Nation]
Galleons, the mark of wealth. One by one, piece by piece, piled into a mountain of gold, shining with endless riches. The torrent of wealth rushes endlessly, forging a glorious epic of legend.
Achievement Goal: Possess Galleons (50,000,000 / 50,000,000)
Achievement Reward: Talent "Insight"
This was quite consistent with the wealth Ethan Adriencurrently possessed.
Fifty million Galleons, wasn't that richer than a nation?
Some smaller Wizarding nations, even with all their Wizards including the Ministry of Magic combined, truly couldn't produce fifty million Galleons.
It also confirmed Ethan Adrien's guess: this was the last achievement related to Galleons.
[Collector - Hufflepuff's Relic]
The earthy yellow glow symbolizes loyalty. The patterns on the cup tell stories of the past. It has witnessed glory and endured trials. The golden cup is like a lighthouse, guiding the steps forward.
Achievement Goal: Obtain hufflepuff's cup (1 / 1)
Achievement Reward: Talent "Earth Walk"
This was another different reward.
ravenclaw's diadem, the achievement reward was an increase in wisdom, which meant an improvement in thinking, learning, and mental aspects.
slytherin's locket, the reward obtained was Potion.
Now, hufflepuff's cup's reward was different again, granting a new talent.
There was no doubt about this; there were no weak talents, and this was the kind Ethan Adrien most hoped to obtain.
Of course, the first two rewards weren't bad either, especially the increase in wisdom.
Now, among the four Founders' relics, only gryffindor's sword had not yet been obtained.
If it were obtained, it would likely be a physical reward, without surprise.
It's just that this item is currently in Dumbledore's hands, not in some other place.
It would be somewhat difficult to obtain.
However, it wasn't impossible to get; it could still be managed, but not through aggressive means.
Speaking of which, wouldn't gryffindor's sword be easier to obtain after Dumbledore passed away?
Dumbledore, who was processing documents in the Principal's office at Hogwarts, suddenly shivered, then looked around.
There was nothing there!
But with his legendary experience, he knew that if his body was fine, this might be a premonition.
The more powerful a Wizard, the more they trust their intuition.
Dumbledore was like this at the moment; he felt like someone was watching him.
He just didn't know who was watching him, or what their intentions were.
Speaking of which, the Wizarding World hasn't been peaceful these past few years, with powerful Wizards appearing one after another.
His student, Ethan Adrien, goes without saying; at such a young age, his strength is terrifying. He has already become formidable, and reaching Dumbledore's level is only a matter of time, and he won't need many years of growth.
The Death Eater from the Witch Heart Society in Knockturn Alley, I haven't directly fought him, but he is proficient in the Three Unforgivable Curses, and according to the information received, the Werewolfcommunity was eradicated by him.
It's highly probable that he was also responsible for the disturbance on Trick Island, as there were sightings of creatures like Specters, and it's known that the Witch Heart Society possesses a few of them.
From my estimation, his strength should be on par with Lord Voldemort, and even I would find it difficult to suppress him.
Recently, another Fiendfyre appeared, yes, the one who robbed Gringotts.
His strength is also increasing rapidly; it took a lot of effort to deal with that Giant yesterday, and that's also why he didn't intend to fight me.
Otherwise, I definitely wouldn't have been able to protect Ollivander's wand shop, and it's possible that the spells set up in Diagon Alley and Knockturn Alley would have been shattered, directly exposing the Wizarding World to Muggles.
That's right, Dumbledore wasn't confident in taking down the Fiendfyre; he is extremely proficient in the Fiendfyre Curse and Transfiguration, and his magic is quite profound.
It's even possible he's hiding other trump cards.
Even now, Dumbledore is still relieved that the Fiendfyre ultimately chose to leave; otherwise, the situation today might truly have become unmanageable.
But out of these three individuals, who exactly is targeting me?
The reason Ethan was included was because Dumbledorebelieved Ethan was not someone to be taken lightly, whether it was his actions at Hogwarts or the events that transpired at the Quidditch World Cup, it was always the case.
It's entirely possible that he's targeting me now.
As for Lord Voldemort, he hasn't been resurrected yet, so it couldn't be him.
Other Wizards aren't qualified enough.
Many have targeted me, but only those of equal strength, or with a not-too-significant power gap, can give me a premonition.
However, Dumbledore doesn't know who it specifically is.
Lost in thought, Dumbledore set down his quill and leaned back in his chair, deep in contemplation.
Chapter 244: Triwizard Tournament
After handling the matters, Ethan did not immediately rush to Hogwarts.
Anyway, Cassandra and the others were still on the train, so even if Ethan went to the school, he would just be waiting bored for the welcoming feast.
And on the train, due to its constant movement, Ethan couldn't Apparate directly to it.
Therefore, he found a place to test the two talents he had just drawn.
Although, after accepting these two talents, Ethan's mind was filled with basic information about them.
But without applying them in reality, it's impossible to truly master them.
The talent 'Penetration' is just as its name suggests.
It enhanced Ethan's observational skills; his senses, already quite keen from learning the Super-Sensing Charm, were now even more acute.
He could even predict an opponent's next move based on their actions, achieving the effect of subduing the enemy.
This was tested on Heerbo.
This is different from Legilimency, as Legilimency can still be resisted through Occlumency.
However, this prediction is not restricted by that.
But limitations still exist.
Initially, he could indeed predict Heerbo's attacks, but it wasn't long before Heerbo noticed something was off.
If it were a crushing defeat due to sheer power, there would be nothing to say, that's normal.
But every time, he would precisely dodge his attacks or neutralize his spells.
After confirming that his Occlumency was active, Heerbohad some suspicions.
The subsequent battle evolved into a mutual guessing game, designed to confuse the opponent.
When the opponent is unaware, launching a surprise attack is still very effective.
If the opponent is prepared, this prediction has little effect.
Overall, the effect of this talent is not bad.
It should have some of the effects that Cho Changexperienced after consuming the Magic Blood.
However, because Ethan has accumulated enough buffs, and is stronger in terms of physical fitness and magic, the effect is also superior to hers.
Ethan experimented with the 'Earth Walk' talent, and it only activates when he is standing on the ground.
Whether flying with a Flying Charm or riding on Animals, this talent showed no reaction whatsoever.
Of course, wearing shoes still allows this talent to be activated; it doesn't require bare feet on the ground.
The effect is also simple and direct: increased movement speed on the ground, though this isn't particularly useful.
Mainly because, what Wizard runs anyway!
It only has some utility for dodging attacks, but typically, spells are used for defense or in magical duels. Only ordinary Wizards truly need to maneuver.
Look at Dumbledore; he never maneuvers.
Another effect is that when standing on the ground, stamina and magic recovery speed become incredibly fast.
When manipulating the earth with Transfiguration, it also becomes more effortless and consumes very little magic.
Ethan speculates that when standing on the ground, this talent also likely includes an effect of Earth Affinity.
It's just a pity that there are very few spells related to the ground, and they are all quite ordinary.
To develop in this area, one either needs to draw ancient spells or invent new ones.
However, Ethan currently does not lack offensive means, so he'll just leave this to fate.
After testing the two talents, Ethan had no reason to stay.
He immediately Apparated to Hogsmeade.
Upon arriving, Ethan cast several spells on himself.
By the way, it seems that on every opening day, Hogwarts never has good weather.
It's always windy and rainy, and today was no exception.
Despite the harsh weather, there were still a considerable number of Wizards coming and going on the streets, especially around the pubs.
Although today wasn't Hogsmeade Day for Hogwarts, many people chose to come here due to the destruction of Diagon Alley.
However, Ethan wasn't very interested in this, so he immediately disappeared into the darkness.
By the time he arrived at the grounds outside Hogwarts' main gate, the area was already filled with Thestralcarriages.
Undoubtedly, Cassandra and the others had already arrived.
Ethan didn't linger outside; he stepped onto the stairs, preparing to enter the Castle for the welcoming feast.
"Professor McGonagall, hello."
Upon entering the main door, the first person he saw was still Professor McGonagall.
Ethan still held Professor McGonagall in high regard; she had helped him a lot when he first enrolled and even gave him private lessons.
Seeing that it was Ethan, Professor McGonagall's face showed a slight smile, and she immediately asked with concern:
"How did the Gringotts matter turn out?"
Dumbledore had told her about Ethan needing to arrive late.
Professor McGonagall also expressed understanding, after all, it was such a large sum of Galleons.
Not only that, during the Quidditch World Cup, Professor McGonagall had also made a small profit with Ethan.
As a staunch supporter of Quidditch, Professor McGonagall naturally wouldn't miss the Quidditch World Cup.
In addition, as a Scot, Professor McGonagall was also a fervent supporter of the Scottish team.
But in several previous matches, Professor McGonagallhad lost a lot.
Fortunately, thanks to Ethan, she managed to recover her money and even made a small profit.
That's why she was particularly concerned about Ethan's situation at this moment.
"It's been settled. Gringotts compensated fifteen million Galleons."
Ethan saw no need to hide this information.
"Good that it's settled. You go on in; I still need to welcome the new students here."
Although she was somewhat surprised by the number, Professor McGonagall didn't show it and spoke with her usual composure.
"Alright. Oh, by the way, Professor McGonagall, Harrywon't be back for another two days."
"Okay, I know!"
After parting ways with Professor McGonagall, Ethan walked directly into the Great Hall.
As always, the Great Hall was specially decorated on the first day of school each year.
Hundreds of thousands of candles floated in mid-air above the tables, making the golden plates and goblets shimmer.
The ceiling was enchanted, looking just like the sky Ethan had seen outside, with a raging storm and black and purple clouds swirling above. As another thunderclap sounded outside, a forked lightning bolt streaked across the ceiling.
The long tables of the four Houses were anything but quiet at the moment; the young Wizards were all discussing the Quidditch World Cup and the attack on Gringotts.
At the head of the Great Hall, at the fifth table, the faculty sat side by side, with Dumbledore still in the center. They were also conversing, only Snape remained cold-faced and silent.
However, as Ethan walked in, the eyes of most Wizards turned to him, and the noisy scene quieted down.
Ethan was already used to this kind of attention; he walked directly to the Ravenclaw long table.
Once Ethan sat down, the chatter resumed.
However, Ethan, with his keen senses, noticed that there was now an additional topic of discussion: himself.
They were discussing how he accurately predicted the winning team at the Quidditch World Cup, and how many Galleons he received in compensation from Gringotts.
Terry was also the first to ask Ethan these questions, as he was Muggle-born this summer.
Even though he and Michael had earned some Galleons by making Baffling Brain Elixir with Ethan, enough to buy tickets for a few matches, they hadn't gone.
They only learned about the match situation through the Wizarding newspapers in Diagon Alley.
As for Gene, Ethan had seen him at the match and had even helped him win a few games.
Facing Terry's questions, Ethan chose to share what he could.
Not long after, the Great Hall doors opened, and the noisy hall instantly fell silent.
Professor McGonagall led the long line of new students to the very top of the Great Hall, where they stood in a row along the staff table, facing the entire school.
They were all soaked, as if they had swum across the Black Lake.
And they were all trembling, whether from cold or nervousness, it was hard to tell.
Next was the usual routine, the Sorting Ceremony.
After the Sorting Hat finished its song, Professor McGonagall called out a name, and that person would go up, put on the Sorting Hat to be sorted, and then each House would welcome their new students with applause.
As the last new student, Kevin Whitby, was sorted into Hufflepuff, the Sorting Ceremony came to an end.
Just then, Dumbledore stood up.
He smiled at all the students, opening his arms in a welcoming gesture.
"I have only two words to say to you," he said, his deep voice echoing through the Great Hall, "Eat up!"
At the long tables of the four Houses, and at the Professors' table, a sumptuous dinner simultaneously appeared.
Everyone could choose their favorite food according to their preference.
Since it was opening day and they had been traveling all day, coupled with the weather, everyone was too busy eating to talk much; filling their stomachs was the priority.
After dessert, the meal concluded.
Dumbledore stood up once more, smiling at everyone. The buzzing chatter in the Great Hall immediately ceased, and only the howling wind and the drumming of heavy rain could be heard.
"Alright!"
"Now that we are all fed and watered, I must once again ask for your attention as I have a few announcements to make."
"Mr. Filch, the caretaker, wishes me to inform you that several more items have been added to the list of prohibited objects in the Castle this year. They are Screaming Yo-yos, Fanged Frisbees, and Ever-Bouncing Boomerangs. A full list can be found in Mr. Filch's office for those who are interested."
As he said this, Dumbledore's lips couldn't help but twitch a few times.
It seems that every year at the start-of-term feast, Dumbledore has to lay down a few rules targeting certain young Wizards.
And it's always after Filch complains to Dumbledore.
However, this is almost over; there are only two more years, just bear with it.
"As before, I must remind everyone that the Forbidden Forest on the grounds is off-limits to students, and Hogsmeade is forbidden for all students below third year."
"Finally, I must regrettably inform you all that the Quidditch Inter-House Cup will not be held this year."
"What?"
Gasps came from below; there was no doubt about these students' love for Quidditch.
They could skip practicing magic, avoid the library, and even plagiarize last night's assignments, but Quidditchcould not be skipped.
This was the behavior of a significant portion of Hogwartsstudents.
Now, suddenly hearing that the Quidditch Inter-House Cup was canceled, how could any of them remain calm?
Especially after just experiencing the Quidditch World Cup, many young Wizards had learned a few tricks or figured out some strategies during the matches and were preparing to show off this year.
As a result, it was directly stillborn.
Dumbledore ignored the commotion below and continued speaking to himself:
"This is because a large event will begin in October and continue throughout the entire school year, occupying much of the teachers' time and energy, but I believe you will all have a great deal of fun."
"Therefore, I am very pleased to announce that this year at Hogwarts—"
Before Dumbledore could finish speaking, a deafening clap of thunder sounded in the sky, and at the same time, the Great Hall doors were slammed open.
A man stood at the entrance, leaning on a long staff, wrapped in a black traveling cloak.
The young Wizards in the Great Hall also turned their heads to look at this sudden stranger, and at the same time, a fork of lightning flashed across the ceiling, illuminating the stranger.
He pulled down his hood, shook out a long head of grizzled hair, and began to walk towards the staff table.
With every step he took, a hollow thud echoed through the Great Hall.
At this moment, the young Wizards also saw his appearance clearly; his face seemed to be carved from a piece of decaying wood, every inch of his skin appeared scarred, his mouth was like a crooked gash, and where his nose should have been, there was nothing.
But the most terrifying thing was his eyes; one of his eyes was small and black, looking somewhat normal, though rather ugly.
The other eye was large, round like a coin, and a vivid bright blue.
That blue eye moved unceasingly without blinking, rolling up, down, left, and right; then the blue eyeball flipped, disappearing into the man's head, leaving only a large white eyeball visible.
Upon seeing this, many people gasped.
Most people did not know his identity, but everyone could be sure of one thing: this was definitely the new Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor.
A new Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor every year was already the norm, and there were no new faces at the Professor's table just now, so anyone arriving at this time could only be the Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor.
After the new Defense Against the Dark Arts Professorarrived, he exchanged a few words with Dumbledore, then found an empty seat and sat down.
Then he took a small knife from his pocket, poked it into one end of a sausage, and began to eat.
His normal eye stared at the sausage, but the blue eye continued to roll around in its socket without stopping, surveying the Great Hall and the students.
Many young Wizards were complaining in their hearts, even if this Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor was a 'disposable' type.
They shouldn't have found such a creature!
One look and you knew, this was not a normal person.
They had heard rumors that Dumbledore went back to Azkaban to find a Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor; it seemed this rumor was not false, and this new Professor must have come from there.
"Please allow me to introduce our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher," Dumbledore pleasantly broke the silence, "Professor Moody."
Normally, when a new teacher met everyone, they would applaud in welcome, but now, apart from Dumbledoreand Hagrid, no teacher or student applauded.
Compared to Lupin back then, this was even more dismal.
Of course, Moody didn't care.
He ignored the large jug of pumpkin juice on the table, reached into his traveling cloak, pulled out a curved flask, and took a large swig.
When Ethan saw this, he knew that this should still be the fake Moody.
What he was drinking now was, in all likelihood, Polyjuice Potion, stored in a flask for convenient consumption at any time.
Seeing this, Dumbledore also gave up the idea of introducing Moody, immediately cleared his throat, and continued the topic that had just been interrupted.
"In the coming months, we will have the great honor of hosting a very exciting event, an event that has not been held for over a century: the Triwizard Tournament will be held at Hogwarts this year."
Next, Dumbledore introduced the Triwizard Tournamentto everyone.
He emphasized that only those who were seventeen years old, meaning adults in the Wizarding World, could sign up for the Triwizard Tournament.