The Return to Hogwarts

"Oh, it looks like it's following the procedure perfectly—"

A portly Muggle official mumbled something incoherently and then left with his inspectors.

Turning around, Remus smiled as he looked at the shocked Percy and the equally bewildered Penelope.

"When doing business outside, flexibility is essential."

Immediately, Remus's expression turned serious again.

"We don't have any extra time to waste; we need to get the stuff onto the Hogwarts Express as soon as possible."

The Muggle train started up quickly and then slowly again, eventually stopping in a shed for inspection, where the Hogwarts Express, disguised in disguise, had been waiting for some time.

At a command, many small but exceptionally agile goblins sprang out of the Muggle train carriages, maneuvering heavy wooden crates that flew over the platform and landed in the Hogwarts Express carriages.

The fairies acted swiftly, and within just half an hour, all the 'goods' had been moved.

"Let's go!"

Remus cautiously surveyed the dim surroundings, and after confirming that no one was watching, he waved his hand. The goblins and the loyal escort workers selected from the Learning Machine Workshop and trained by the Learning Machines quickly jumped onto the train. With a loud whistle piercing the night, the Hogwarts Express slowly pulled away from the platform.

The train sped across the endless fields of the plains, traversed mountains and rivers, and pierced through the thin mist tinged with pale gold by the morning light. After a journey of four or five hours, it finally stopped at Hogsmeade Railway Station.

On the platform, Amostella, who had been eagerly waiting all night, finally breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Remus jump off the Hogwarts Express as it slowly pulled into the station.

"Was the journey smooth?"

Amosta strode towards Remus, noticed the heavy dark circles under his eyes, and couldn't help but chuckle.

“You’re overreacting, Remus.”

"Oh, are you too nervous?"

Upon seeing Amosta, Remus, whose nerves had been on edge for two days preparing for the mission, finally relaxed. He said wearily...

"My eyes haven't left those boxes for a second! You should have come in person for such an important mission. I've never been so nervous in my life—"

“I have full confidence in your abilities, Remus.”

Amosta smiled slightly, his gaze passing over Remus's shoulder to Percy, who stood a few dozen feet away, looking on shyly and hesitant to approach. He chuckled.

"What, you don't want to say hello to me, Percy?"

"Oh, no--"

Percy said in a panic, "I'm going to go forward, but after taking two steps I'll go back. I'll wave to the carriage door and a moment later a girl with a blushing face will jump off the train."

The young couple, hand in hand, quickly approached Amosta.

Time seemed to rewind to a year and a half ago, to the Three Brooms Bar, where the young couple who were about to part ways looked completely lost.

"Long time no see, Penelope--"

Amosta smiled with satisfaction as he watched the couple holding hands.

"So, you two are back together?"

Percy grinned, while Penelope said shyly,

“It’s been a long time, Professor Blaine. Thank you for bringing Percy back to my side.”

“Oh, this isn’t my fault, Penelope—”

Amosta said humorously, then smiled and asked again.

"Speaking of which, do you have any plans to get married? I need some time to prepare a wedding gift."

Penelope lowered her head even further in embarrassment, but then, when she looked up, a hint of sadness appeared on her face.

"Percy's mom probably doesn't like me very much, so..."

"Don't talk nonsense, Penelope."

Percy's smile vanished instantly, replaced by a serious expression as he spoke.

"Mom is just not happy that I moved out of the house, and she's holding a grudge against you for it. Oh, but I was going to move out sooner or later, wasn't I? Just give her some time, and she'll see."

Chapter 1030 The Turbulent Times Are About to Begin

2024-07-14

The golden dawn, like ripples on water, swept away the thin mist that shrouded the verdant mountains, making Hogwarts, which stood on the cliff and was shrouded in mist, appear and disappear.

Early in the morning, the tranquility of Hogsmeade Station, staffed only by two or three people, was broken by a train that was not on schedule.

The fairies acted swiftly, unloading the large wooden crates sealed with magic from the train in just over ten minutes and loading them onto the carriages usually used by the young wizards.

The Thestrals pulling the carriage reared up and neighed twice before pulling the creaking carriage toward Hogwarts.

After a brief chat, Remus, Percy, Penelope, and the workshop workers boarded the Hogwarts Express for their return journey.

Before arriving at Diagon Alley Station, they had enough time to rest and relax after two days of intense stress.

Amosta escorted the entire convoy toward Hogwarts all by himself.

The convoy did not stop at the great iron gates of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, but drove directly into the campus and stopped at the marble steps in front of the castle, where Professor McGonagall and Hagrid had been waiting with the kitchen elves for quite some time.

The sight of more than twenty carriages, each carrying a heavy box, neatly parked in front of the gate was quite a spectacle; at least, both Professor McGonagall and Hagrid showed expressions of shock.

"Oh, Amosta!"

Professor McGonagall hurried down the steps to Amosta, who had nimbly jumped down from the car roof and was brushing the morning dew from her hair.

"all these are?"

Professor McGonagall stretched out a hand, her fingertips touching the box, and the wrinkles on her face smoothed out considerably.

"Well--"

Amosta stretched, looking relaxed.

“That’s right. Most of the gold that came from the American magical community is still at the Gringotts World Bank headquarters in Paris. I haven’t withdrawn it all, and there’s enough gold here to keep the school running for about a year without any problem.”

Professor McGonagall blew her nose loudly, looking both surprised and touched.

But then, Professor McGonagall crossed her fingers over her chest, revealing a hint of unease.

“But this is all your gold, Amosta. I’m not sure if this is appropriate.”

“Oh, my own gold, Professor McGonagall.”

Amosta gave Professor McGonagall a reassuring smile.

I don’t know where you got this misunderstanding from.

This gold came from the profits of the Learning Machine Workshop, and the invention of the Learning Machine was inseparable from the efforts of the Hogwarts professors.

It uses your 'knowledge,' so this money actually belongs to all the professors, oh, if you're unwilling to put it into the school's operations.

“Oh, what nonsense are you talking about, Amosta?”

McGonagall smiled, her lips pursed.

“Of course we would love to. Ah, but I certainly don’t object to slightly increasing the professors’ salaries.”

Three people burst into hearty laughter from the bottom of the marble steps.

For a long time, the Board of Governors has been like a heavy mountain weighing down on Hogwarts. However, for nearly half a century, Albus Dumbledore has been the headmaster of Hogwarts. His enormous prestige has made the Board of Governors hesitant to interfere too much in Hogwarts' internal affairs.

However, from time to time, the school board always steps forward to make its presence felt, dragging the school down.

Now, the professors are happy to see this mountain removed from their heads.

“You are simply omnipotent, Professor Blaine.”

Hagrid also said in a muffled voice,

"If someday you would allow me to keep a fire dragon, then..."

“That’s against wizarding law, Hagrid.”

Professor McGonagall said sternly.

“It’s not impossible, Hagrid—”

Amosta, however, smiled calmly.

“We could establish a dragon nature reserve in the Forbidden Forest, both as a tourist attraction and to broaden the horizons of young wizards. Oh, of course, now is not the right time to do that.”

The sky was already bright, and the sound of early-rising young wizards coming downstairs could be heard from inside the castle. Under Amostah's command, the house-elves began to move.

House-elves, capable of Apparition within the school, simply vanished through the doorway carrying boxes.

As previously agreed, this batch of gold will be stored in the basement where the professors hid the Philosopher's Stone a few years ago.

Before long, the house-elves had carried away most of the boxes, leaving only one behind.

Professor McGonagall waved her wand to remove the latches from the box.

Wow!

The moment the box was opened, a large number of Galleons, which were piled up inside, clattered and fell out of the box.

The gold coins, piled up like small hills and as big as hubcaps, radiated a breathtaking golden glow in the morning light!

"Oh my goodness!"