The Return to Hogwarts

Some people around noticed the commotion, but no one was surprised by what had happened, nor did anyone want to approach and find out what had happened. Just as the skinny bamboo wizard had said, in this lawless land, excessive curiosity could kill you at any moment.

A silver light flashed across the dark air as Amosta summoned the mithril covered in teeth marks from his flesh, cleaned it thoroughly, and then casually tucked it into his pocket, feeling exceptionally happy.

After a crisp snap of the fingers, golden demonic fire suddenly ignited on the pus and shattered flesh of the old wizard and the thin bamboo pole. In just a few breaths, the flames cleaned the filthy ground and destroyed the last traces of the two people in the world.

If you take something from someone else, you should help them with their affairs afterward; this is called public morality.

"It seems I've missed a good show, Mr. Golden Viper?"

Amostah turned his head to look at the source of the sound. A middle-aged wizard with blond hair and black eyes, and a friendly appearance, was standing under a tall notice board, smiling at him.

"Perhaps you've narrowly escaped a lot of trouble."

Amosta nodded in acknowledgment, his tone indifferent.

The visitor was named Kakus Foley, a well-known broker in the underworld, from the Foley family, one of the Twenty-Eight Sacred Races.

This family was once renowned in the magical world. At its peak, the head of the family even served as Minister of Magic, making them one of the most powerful and influential families.

Unfortunately, Hector Foley, the Minister for Magic at the time, lacked a strategic vision that transcended reality. He ignored Albus Dumbledore's warning and misjudged the extent of the damage that the then-powerful First Dark Lord, Gettler Grindelwald, would inflict on Britain and the entire European wizarding world. As a result, he was ousted from his post by angry wizards.

The Foley family, having lost the protection of power, suffered a severe blow and gradually disappeared from the British wizarding world.

For two or three generations, the declining Foley family has been seeking a way to return to the center stage. They have tried many things, but always failed, because no matter which path they take, there is always a figure that is absolutely insurmountable in the current era.

In fact, Albus Dumbledore never targeted the declining Fry family. However, the wizarding world will not forget that it was because Hector ignored Dumbledore's warnings that the British wizarding world suffered heavy casualties in the later battle against Grindelwald.

Fifty years have passed, and people's anger towards the Foley family has gradually dissipated, but Albus Dumbledore is still alive!

The current leaders of the Ministry of Magic have always treated the centenarian at Hogwarts with the utmost caution. They have no reason to risk offending the greatest wizard of our time for a speck of dust that should have long been buried in the annals of history.

Ultimately, the Foley family, having no other choice, decided to turn to the shadows.

They sent out one of the few most respectable members of the family, willing to risk retaliation by showing his face in the public eye, to operate in the underworld, diligently accumulating wealth and connections, and silently waiting for the opportunity to return to the world of light.

Chapter 3 New Commission

Amosta weighed the bag in his hand, which had been expanded by the Unseen Stretch Charm. Even after the weight was weakened by the Constant Levitation Charm, the still heavy feeling made him extremely happy.

Seven hundred Galleons—this was the reward he earned after enduring hardship and hunger for half a month in the old forests of the Jura Mountains in France. It was enough to equal the annual salary of a full-time faculty member at Hogwarts or a senior official of the Ministry of Magic.

After inspecting the heart of the chicken-bodied, snake-tailed monster brought by Amosta and finding nothing wrong, Kakus, sitting opposite him, closed the rough wooden box and smiled with satisfaction.

"Your reputation is the brightest light in the underworld, Mr. Golden Viper. Every transaction with you is a perfect experience!"

Amosta silently put away the money pouch, ignoring Kakus Foley's praise. Everyone's just out here for the golden Galleons, so it's best not to get involved in any personal relationships unless necessary.

"Any decent commissions coming up lately?"

"You are as hardworking as ever, Mr. Golden Viper."

Amosta's indifference did not displease Kakus. In fact, most people who frequented this place were cautious in their words and actions, and his polite and enthusiastic manner made him an anomaly.

Kakus's smile remained unchanged as he subtly flattered Kakus while pulling out a notebook from his pocket and flipping through it.

"What are your requirements regarding the type of task and compensation?"

“My habits haven’t changed, Kakus. Don’t waste each other’s time,” Amosta said coldly.

“Of course, of course, how could I forget your requirements—no commissions targeting wizards or Muggles, commissions of 500 Galleons or more, and the task must be completed as quickly as possible. I won't forget any client's habits, Mr. Golden Viper. But,”

Kakus flipped through the notebook in his hands, muttering to himself, but his brows gradually furrowed. Even after turning to the latest page, he still couldn't find a task that met Amosta's requirements.

"Well, I'm afraid I have to apologize to you, Mr. Golden Viper. Missions that suit your habits are usually in high demand. There was a mission before that involved providing raw materials to concoct a magic activity inhibitor, worth 550 Galleons, but unfortunately, it was taken by someone else three days ago."

Upon hearing this, Amosta stood up, turned around, and was about to leave, displaying a decisive and efficient demeanor.

"Please wait a moment, Mr. Golden Viper!"

Having already laid the groundwork, Kakus immediately intervened. Facing Amostella's unfriendly gaze, Kakus's forehead veins throbbed, fearing that the man in front of him would pull out his wand and pin him to the ground with a spear, just like he had done to the unruly werewolves.

"Unintentional offense,"

Kakus quickly explained, "I don't have any commissions that match your requirements, but I do have some very lucrative commissions, though they are high-risk. I wonder if you would be interested in hearing about them?"

"High risk?"

For Kakus Foley, a veteran of this place, to rate a high-risk mission as something so simple, it couldn't be a low-level job like smuggling. Amosta hesitated, but after a moment's thought, he sat back down and nodded to Kakus.

"Tell me about it first."

Kakus subconsciously breathed a sigh of relief. Earning a commission from dangerous wizards like the Golden Viper was no easy task. You never knew where you might inexplicably anger them and end up losing your life, so you had to be prepared to run away at any time.

The reward for the first commission is 20,000 Galleons.

Upon hearing the amount of the commission, Amosta's brow twitched immediately, and he held his breath.

"--The client sent me a magical contract from Albania. He hopes someone can help him rescue the Lestranges and Carol siblings from Azkaban--What do you think of this request?"

"Hmph, I'm not that stupid, Kakus. I refuse this commission."

Amosta refused without hesitation.

If it were just about saving people, Amosta might hesitate for a moment, considering the amount of Gallon he was willing to give. Although the Dementors of Azkaban were dangerous, they weren't insurmountable for him.

The real danger of this mission lies in the fact that the people being rescued may be problematic.

No one in the wizarding world is unaware that the Lestranges and the Carrow siblings are the most radical Death Eaters. If someone were to rescue them, it's foreseeable that Dumbledore, who has spent the rest of his life battling Voldemort, would intervene in the investigation. Amosta doesn't want to waste the rest of his life on the run.

Moreover, Azkaban's location is top secret in the magical world, and finding it would take a very long time.

Kakus wasn't surprised by Amosta's straightforward refusal. In his opinion, the person who issued the mission had probably drunk too much fire whiskey and was not thinking clearly. After all, who would want to face a disgusting and terrifying creature like a Dementor?

"Your choice is very wise, Mr. Golden Viper. Now, let me think—there is another commission. Someone claims to have found the address of a magical ruin built by a powerful wizard in ancient times and hopes to recruit some skilled wizards as guards. The client says they can't offer a high commission upfront, but they are willing to share the discoveries in the ruins with the explorers. What do you think of this commission—"

Searching for ancient ruins can indeed yield high rewards, not only in the form of gold, silver, and gems, but also in the possibility of discovering many ancient spells that have been lost to time and are known for their power. If these spells can be learned and applied, they can greatly benefit one's own strength.

However, after a moment's thought, Amosta declined the commission.

It wasn't out of fear of risk; exploring ruins also required a lot of time to prepare, and the likely outcome would be nothing. Amosta didn't like to pin his hopes on unpredictable luck.

Kakus was very patient. He introduced several long-treasured commissions to Amosta, but each one was rejected because either the reward was disproportionate to the risk, or it would bring huge trouble upon completion.

In the end, even Kakus was troubled by Amostella's pickiness; he sat there deep in thought, silent for a long time.

"There's one more, the last one, Mr. Kim Kyu, if you're still not satisfied—"

After a long pause, Kakus craned his neck, his expression cautious. Although he couldn't see the expression behind the magical vortex on Amostella's face, he was still trying his best to observe the dangerous figure opposite him.

Have you ever heard of... Slytherin's Chamber of Secrets?

"The Chamber of Secrets in Slytherin?"

Amosta shuddered. Although he had lost most of his memories of the plot from his previous life, anyone who had attended Hogwarts would have heard that Amosta had fought with people in the Underworld. His spells and spellcasting habits were clearly the result of modern orthodox magical education, and there was nothing to hide.

"It's just a Hogwarts school legend, why bring that up?"

Seeing that Amosta had taken the bait, Kakus was secretly delighted, but remained expressionless.

"You don't stay in the country often, so you may not know, but although the Daily Prophet hasn't reported it, rumors are already rampant. It's said that the Chamber of Secrets has indeed been opened, and someone at Hogwarts is using its power to create widespread panic, and Dumbledore is powerless to stop it..."

"and many more!"

Amosta interrupted Kakus without hesitation, "What does this have to do with the commission? Did someone pay me to protect those kids at the school?"

"of course not!"

Kakus gave a sly smile.

"But Salazar Slytherin's name is indeed attractive enough, isn't it? The client believes that Slytherin left a secret treasure in the Chamber of Secrets, which was obtained by the so-called heir. Otherwise, how can you explain why even a great guy like Dumbledore couldn't find any clues?"

Amosta remained silent. He didn't remember much of the original book's plot, but at least he remembered that the secret chamber didn't seem to contain any wealth, magic, or powerful alchemical tools.

However, given the greedy nature of the wizards here, it's not surprising that they would make such a conjecture.

After all, the four founding figures of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry were all powerful wizards with verifiable historical records, possessing magical abilities that ordinary people could not even dream of. Once their legacy appears, people will surely flock to it.

Even if that's really the case,

Amosta remained unmoved. "Does anyone dare to rush into Hogwarts and steal from Dumbledore? It's safer to go to Azkaban and rescue those lunatics."

"It doesn't necessarily mean robbing, but rather using a more reasonable approach."

Kakus was in high spirits, seemingly determined to persuade Amosta.

"I can offer some assistance, for example, by allowing you to gain access to that school as an external investigator for the school board—"

Our esteemed wizards on the school board need to respond to the horrific events unfolding on campus in response to growing public discontent. However, they are also worried that the attacks will continue, and that the wizards they've sent out are proving ineffective, becoming a laughingstock.

But if there were reliable wizards, they would be willing to negotiate with Dumbledore—after all, Dumbledore's performance in this series of events had been disappointing, and they might think he was getting old and a bit slow-witted…”

"It seems you've been planning to target me for a long time."

If Amosta still hasn't realized this by now, then he's really being foolish. It's not that Kakus doesn't have suitable commissions; those high-risk missions he proposed earlier were just bait. His real goal is to get Amosta to take on this last commission.

Sure enough, he was seen through.

Kakus's heart tightened, and he gave a humble smile.

"After all, the selection of investigators requires Albus Dumbledore's approval, so wizards from Hogwarts are the first choice, and strength and reputation are also very important. Here, only you meet the requirements."

Amosta could not deny it.

"You should know how you're going to handle the issue of keeping my identity confidential; it will expose my true face."