Hogwarts: I graduated before the system came

"Mr. Lupin, this matter is... complicated and very... dark.

And the people who knew about this were limited to a few people in the entire Ministry of Magic and the Unspoken Man in the Department of Mysteries.

Of course, apart from that, only Douglas knows part of it.”

Isabella sat at the table with her arms folded across her chest.

Her hazel eyes were now covered with a shadow. It was obvious that she had heard about this plan and hated it.

"simply put."

She spoke, her voice a little deeper than usual.

"Some lunatics in the Vatican are trying to play God."

Douglas finally turned around, his expression calm, but his eyes sharp as a knife.

"Isabella is partially right, but the idea of ​​them playing God probably underestimates their ambition, or rather, their arrogance."

Douglas' voice was clear and calm, but his words were chilling:

"Based on the scattered clues I encountered while in Rome, I can roughly analyze that their core philosophy stems from the Vatican's extreme interpretation of original sin and redemption.

They believe that werewolves, vampires, and even those of us who wield magical powers are, in some way, imperfect creatures, beings who have strayed from the divine blueprint.”

Lorenzo added palely:

"We've intercepted some encrypted communications that repeatedly mentioned terms like Blood of Grace, Firstborn Earth, and the Seal of the Seventh Angel.

Expert interpreters at the Department of Mysteries believe this may point to some kind of transformation ritual based on ancient magical and religious symbolism."

Isabella said with disdain:

“In fact, their methods are almost the same as those of the dark wizards. Last time, wasn’t it that the cardinal secretly controlled a dark wizard organization and secretly studied some dark magic rituals?

According to the information he left behind, he was only a part of Adam's plan."

Douglas patted Lupin's shoulder soothingly, signaling him to calm down.

He turned to Lorenzo, a hint of a smile on his lips:

“Not bad, it seems you have a lot of information, no wonder you informed me as agreed.

I thought you didn't want an Englishman like me to get involved in your affairs.

Is this invitation yours?"

Lorenzo smiled bitterly. It seemed the other party had guessed the purpose of this invitation.

"Well, you figured it out?

This was what we agreed upon at the beginning, and this matter itself is related to you. Otherwise, if they really succeed, the first step might be to go to the UK to retaliate against you.

I think at that time, even with Dumbledore in charge, it would be difficult to stop them."

Douglas rolled his eyes. If the Vatican really succeeded, the first to be destroyed would probably be the Italian Ministry of Magic.

He didn't bother to argue with him, so he looked up at Isalabe and then at Lorenzo.

"Let's continue with the situation with the Ember Claw."

Lorenzo walked to the map and pointed his wand at a canyon area in the middle of the Apennine Mountains. A clearer red mark immediately appeared there.

"This is the Ash Claw tribe's current known hideout, an abandoned Roman-era mine complex. As for the experimental site..."

He then tapped on a remote mountain about 30 kilometers southeast of the red dot, and a faint blue light began to flicker.

"This is the area we infer based on scattered intelligence. It's extremely dangerous, and is said to be heavily guarded. There may even be... well, unconventional guardians."

"An unconventional guardian?"

Douglas frowned.

"You mean... an angel? Or something else?"

In Italy, the Vatican's cards are always full of mystery and unpredictability.

Lorenzo shook his head.

"I'm not sure. But intelligence indicates that there were powerful fluctuations of holy light magic there, as well as... some signs of biological activity that didn't resemble humans."

Douglas pondered for a moment, tapping his fingers lightly on the table.

He was quickly analyzing the situation: a desperate werewolf tribe, a mysterious and dangerous Vatican experiment site, the ambiguous attitude within the Ministry of Magic, and potential unknown threats.

Eat your food bite by bite and walk your road step by step.

He thought for a moment and said:

“Lorenzo, I need a few things from you.

First, more detailed information about the Ash Claw tribe, including their membership composition, combat effectiveness, and relationships with other surrounding forces, especially their history and current status of conflict with the vampire tribe.

Second, second, all known information about the suspected Adam Project experimental site, no matter how fragmentary.

Thirdly, thirdly, if I decide to go, I need a relatively safe route, and the minimum amount of... unofficial assistance the Ministry can provide if necessary."

Lorenzo breathed a sigh of relief.

Douglas suddenly mentioned his own handiwork just now. He thought the other party would be angry about this calculation. After all, he arranged this trip without informing the other party in advance.

Now that there is no direct rejection, this is already the best outcome.

“There’s no problem with these.

As for the Ash Claws, they have a feud with the Crimson Noble Vampire Council entrenched in Tuscany, and several small-scale conflicts have broken out between the two sides in order to compete for hunting grounds and hidden habitats in the Apennine Mountains.

The most recent loss was two months ago, when the Ash Claw lost three warriors.

As for the information about the experimental site, I will have the people from the Department of Mysteries compile a copy for you.

As for the route, Isabella is more familiar with those mountain trails than I am, and she can give you some suggestions."

Chapter 378: You won’t block the door of the Holy See again

When Isalabei heard herself being mentioned, she quickly said:

“I can plan a route for you that avoids the regular patrol routes of the Ministry of Magic and the Church.

However, the terrain deep within the Apennine Mountains is complex, the magical fluctuations are chaotic, and many ancient magical traps still exist, so you must be extremely careful."

Douglas turned to Lupin. "Remus, what do you think?"

Lupin said without hesitation: "Douglas, I will go with you. Whether they need potions, combat experience, or just someone to listen, I am willing to do my best. Moreover, if the Church is really conducting such evil experiments, we must stop them."

Douglas nodded slightly, seemingly not surprised by Lupin's answer.

He stood up, walked to the window, and looked out at the magical projection of the city of Rome, or perhaps even further away.

There, Capitoline Hill and the Vatican further away appeared solemn and majestic in the sunlight.

But beneath that sacred light, there are countless unknown shadows and filth hidden.

Then, he turned around, a hint of insightful smile flashed in his eyes, and his tone was a bit playful:

“Lorenzo, you just said that Minister Alberti was being strategically vague about my arrival.

Did he also hint vaguely that he would be happy if I could cause some minor trouble to the Vatican?"

The corners of Lorenzo's mouth twitched, revealing a knowing smile.

"Mr. Minister simply hopes that... order in the Italian wizarding world can be maintained, and that all magical creatures can...

Well, survive reasonably.

As for the Vatican...if some of their excesses could be corrected, I think the Minister would be happy to see it happen."

Douglas naturally understood the subtext of this diplomatic rhetoric.

As long as the other party's bottom line does not exceed the last time, it will be fine. We can't block the door of the Vatican every time.

"Very well, Isabella. Please prepare a detailed map of the mountains, marking all known danger zones and possible supply points. Lorenzo, the sooner the better. We must depart tomorrow at the latest."

At this moment, a sharp magic alarm broke the silence of the conference room!

Lorenzo's face suddenly changed, he stood up suddenly, and looked at Douglas nervously.

Isabella subconsciously placed her hand on the wand at her waist.

Douglas was speechless:

"Are you guys getting all nervous? This is in your office, at the Ministry of Magic. Change that lousy sound of yours next time."

Douglas' words made the two of them feel a little awkward.

I was so engrossed in what I was saying just now that I forgot this isn't the front line, it's the Ministry of Magic.

Lorenzo opened the conference door, tried to keep his voice steady, and returned to his desk.

"Who?"

A slightly shrill voice came from outside the door: "Deputy Director Dino, this is me, Piero from the Law Enforcement Department. The Minister has an urgent matter, and I need you to come over immediately. And... Professor Holmes and Mr. Lupin, if it's convenient for you, the Minister would also like to see you."

Lorenzo exchanged glances with the three people who came out.

It seems that Minister Alberti does not intend to remain vague.

It seems that this game of cards is about to come to a head early.

Lorenzo's face looked a little grim. He said to the outside of the door with forced composure:

"Got it, Piero, we'll be right there."

Douglas raised his eyebrows slightly and whispered:

"Didn't you say only a few people knew about it? What's going on with this Piero?"

Lorenzo lowered his voice:

“It seems that the Minister doesn’t want us to be too free.

Piero is his confidant, responsible for handling some... difficult matters, so he must know about this matter, and we must handle it carefully."

Isabella also frowned:

"This fellow Piero has a nose sharper than the Niffler, and he has a deep prejudice against werewolves. The minister sent him here, and I'm afraid he has bad intentions."

Douglas seemed unusually calm, even with a playful smile on his face:

"Don't be nervous. Since the Minister wants to meet us, there's no harm in going. Perhaps he can bring us some surprises?"

Lupin took a deep breath and nodded.

He knew that no matter what challenges lay ahead, he and Douglas would have to face them together.

Several people walked out of the conference room and found a thin wizard wearing meticulous dark magic robes waiting outside the door.

His hair was combed sleekly, and he wore a pair of gold-rimmed glasses on his nose. His eyes behind the lenses were as sharp as a hawk, and he was observing everyone who came out of the room without leaving any trace.

This is Piero.

When his eyes fell on Lupin.

He adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses, his eyes behind the lenses full of scrutiny, his nostrils twitching rapidly, as if he smelled something that made him uncomfortable, although he quickly covered it up with a professional smile.

His sharp eyes swept over Lupin, from his slightly worn but neat clothes to his gentle but slightly tired face.

When he realized that the person in front of him was the rumored werewolf who came with Douglas Holmes and was said to be the first werewolf to be successfully cured, his face visibly darkened.

His nostrils twitched slightly, and a trace of undisguised disgust and suspicion flashed across his eyes, as if Lupin's existence itself was a blasphemy.

It is a prejudice so deeply ingrained that even claims of a cure cannot easily shake it.

"Deputy Director Dino."

Piero's voice was just as Lorenzo had described, slightly shrill and with a cold, businesslike air.

"The Minister is waiting."

Piero turned to Douglas and forced a professional smile on his face:

"This must be Professor Holmes. I've heard a lot about you."

Then, he looked at Lupin again, this time with a more direct gaze, and a subtle difference in his tone:

"And this... Mr. Lupin, right? The Minister specifically asked that you come along as well."