Hogwarts: I graduated before the system came

"Well, Professor Holmes, Mr. Lupin."

Minister Alberti readjusted his sitting position and leaned back.

"I've said everything I need to say. I wish you all the best."

His tone was smooth and profound, typical of a politician, making it hard to tell how much sincerity and calculation lay beneath his words.

Douglas and others left the minister's office along with Master Antonio.

As I stepped out of the minister's office, the air mixed with the bitterness of espresso and invisible pressure seemed to be isolated behind me, and even the breeze flowing in the corridor seemed a little freer.

Lorenzo and Isabella exchanged glances. The former nodded slightly to Douglas and Lupin, and with a hint of unfulfilled worry, he hurried away with Isabella to prepare for the follow-up matters.

Master Antonio did not leave immediately. He walked for a short distance with Douglas and Lupin.

"The nights in the Apennine Mountains are different from those in the Forbidden Forest at Hogwarts. The magic there is older and more...wild. Be careful, child."

He patted Douglas's shoulder, his eyes gentle but firm, and nodded to Lupin.

"My potions and herbs are still waiting for me, so I'll take my leave now.

If you need anything, you can contact the Mountain Contract through that letter and find me at any time."

"Thank you for your advice, Master. We will be careful."

Douglas nodded and watched the respectable old man disappear around the corner of the corridor.

At this moment, a slightly hoarse and somewhat unhappy voice sounded from behind him, breaking the temporary peace. "Mr. Holmes, the minister has new instructions."

Piero followed out at some point, his small but sharp eyes on his expressionless face staring at Douglas.

Douglas turned around, raised his eyebrows, and said calmly:

"Oh? Minister Alberti, do you have any other instructions?"

Piero's face was still gloomy, and he said in a rigid tone:

"Mr Holmes, Mr Lupin.

The Minister is very concerned about your safety in the Apennines, especially considering your important status, Professor Holmes.

Therefore, the Minister decided that I would lead an elite team to provide the necessary support and security for your inspection.

The Minister wants to ensure that everything goes smoothly and to avoid any incidents that could have a negative impact on the Italian wizarding community."

His gaze paused meaningfully at the words support and security.

Chapter 381 I really want to see how the Holy See will help me eliminate these enemies!

Lupin frowned slightly when he heard this.

Douglas had a playful smile on his face and stared at Piero.

"Director Piero, we appreciate your kindness, but this is a private event after all, and it would be inconvenient if there were too many people."

"Besides, Lupin and I are capable of handling most emergencies. I think we've made some progress compared to five years ago, right? So, there's no need to bother the Ministry of Magic, especially Mr. Piero, with this."

Piero's face was gloomy:

"Mr. Holmes, this is not a request, but an order from the Minister. It is the Ministry's responsibility to ensure the safety of important guests while in Italy."

Douglas chuckled and said mercilessly:

"Oh, duty? Then when the St. Benedict wolf hunters of the Vatican were threatening the lives of werewolves by not dispensing Silver Net Holy Water in the Apennine Mountains, where was the Ministry of Magic's 'duty'?

When the Werewolf Separation Act becomes a tool for certain forces to oppress werewolves, where is the 'fairness' of the Ministry of Magic?"

His voice was not loud, but every word was clear, leaving Piero speechless for a moment.

Several Ministry of Magic staff passing by also looked sideways and talked in low voices.

Piero's voice was a little irritated.

“Watch your words!”

Douglas spread his hands and said helplessly:

"I have always been very careful with my words, Signor Piero.

We appreciate the Minister's kindness, but we do not really need an escort.

If the Ministry of Magic really wants to do something, it might as well pay more attention to the living conditions of werewolves in the mountains, or... investigate whether certain religious groups are overstepping their boundaries.

That way, perhaps the Ministry of Magic's responsibilities and fairness can be better reflected."

After saying that, Douglas ignored Piero, whose face turned pale, and walked towards Lorenzo's office with Lupin.

Piero stood there, his fists clenched tightly, his chest heaving with anger.

He knew that Professor Holmes was determined not to accept his protection.

But he also knew that the minister's orders had to be carried out.

Piero's face turned from ashen to cold and calm, and he looked at Douglas deeply.

"I hope your private investigation goes well, Mr. Holmes."

He muttered to himself word by word, then whispered something to the air, and an almost imperceptible magical wave blended into the surrounding environment.

He turned and walked away, his steps steady, but every Ministry employee who passed by could feel the chill emanating from him.

After Douglas and Lupin left Piero, they went to Lorenzo's office and told him about this.

Lupin whispered:

"This Chief Piero seems to be unusually hostile towards us, or rather, towards werewolves..."

Douglas remained noncommittal.

After meeting Lorenzo and processing some necessary documents, Lorenzo lowered his voice with a worried look on his face:

"Douglas, regarding Piero...his targeting of werewolves wasn't entirely due to Ministry of Magic regulations.

Many years ago, his beloved aunt was accidentally attacked by an out-of-control werewolf... and ultimately could not be rescued.

Since then, he has been very kind to all werewolves..."

Lorenzo sighed, "In short, you must be careful of his hidden interference during this trip."

Lorenzo looked at Lupin again and explained:

Leaving the Ministry of Magic, the sunlight in Rome was a bit dazzling.

Douglas declined Lorenzo's invitation to accompany him.

Then Lupin and I found a nice Chinese restaurant on the streets of Rome.

He needed to relax before leaving.

The restaurant owner looked at a foreigner in surprise, ordering food in fluent Chinese.

“Fried spring rolls, cucumber salad, husband and wife lung slices, West Lake beef soup…”

Lupin rarely came to the Muggle world, and given his previous status, he would not have noticed the Chinese cuisine in the Muggle world.

"If you hadn't told me, I would have thought this was run by a house elf who graduated from the Hogwarts kitchen."

"Also, I now understand your operation a little bit."

Douglas fiddled with a bowl of Yangzhou fried rice and said vaguely:

"Tell me!"

Lupin skillfully wrapped the Beijing-style shredded pork with bean curd sheets. He liked the sweet taste of it.

"First, let me arrange for Marcus to gather the werewolves and promote the new potion among them. After all, he has great prestige among the many people who accidentally became werewolves.

Then, use me to lure Greyback to Italy, the forbidden land of werewolves... even, your target is not just him... right! "

Douglas looked at Lupin and smiled.

"I imagine there are some werewolves out there who are trying to take a risk and get the new potion for free from you, right?"

Lupin hesitated and said:

"So, your original intention was to divert the attention of the Holy See?"

Douglas said with a sneer on his face:

"I really want to see how the Holy See will eliminate these enemies for me."

Then he changed the subject:

"However, it won't be easy for you either. I think the people in the Vatican already know that you and I have come to Rome."

"I think your past has been laid out on the table for those people. Based on your personality, they will infer that you are here to help werewolves, and I am here to sell the new wolfsbane potion."

Lupin asked doubtfully:

"Why are you so sure you're here to sell potions, and not... well, it seems you had some unpleasantness with the Vatican before."

Douglas's mouth curled up into a calculating arc:

"Those old-timers in the Vatican are always a step behind in getting news. In their eyes, I'm probably still that little idiot who collected a lot of unclaimed treasures in Europe a few years ago and occasionally messed with the wallets of some of their devout believers.

They probably don't know yet that the title of Wolfsbane Healer is sometimes more valuable than Sherlock Holmes."

Night fell quietly, shrouding the city of Rome in a hazy glow.

An inconspicuous-looking Muggle off-road vehicle quietly drove out of the bustling city without alerting anyone and merged into the road leading to the Apennine Mountains.

Inside the car, Lupin looked at Douglas in the driver's seat with a hint of confusion:

"Douglas, why don't we use the Floo Network or Apparate? That would be much faster."

Douglas stared ahead, his fingers tapping lightly on the steering wheel:

“Those guys in the Vatican have very keen noses, especially around what they consider to be holy places.

I had some minor disagreements with them in my early years. Within a hundred miles of the Vatican, my magic signature is probably more conspicuous than that of a Thestral.

Although the Italian Ministry of Magic will not cooperate with them openly, who knows if there is any intelligence sharing in secret.

The fewer people who know about our operation this time, the better. We should avoid their surveillance network from the source, and driving is the safest way."

Chapter 382: Just a Hound on a Leash

Douglas paused, his tone mixed with a joking tone that only Lupin could understand:

"Besides, even if someone in the Italian Ministry of Magic really wanted to tip off the Vatican, the most they would find out is that we stayed in an ordinary Rome hotel."

Douglas steered the car very steadily, with a faint smile on his lips.

“The phantom magic circle I left behind may not be considered earth-shattering, but it’s more than enough to fool those Vatican spies who have poor eyesight.

After all, they don't want to offend me openly... As a current professor at Hogwarts, I have to do my best to save face, right?"

Lupin sat in the passenger seat, chuckled, and didn't say anything else.

As the off-road vehicle drove away from the glow of the city and plunged into the deep night of the Apennine Mountains, he entered a state of high alert.

The air outside the car window seemed to come alive, full of primitive and restless vitality.

It was the low growl of nocturnal animals moving through the forest, the breathing of thousand-year-old trees in the wind, and even more so... a subtle pulsation of indescribable, unique magical power.

Lupin even had an illusion that there were countless pairs of eyes in the darkness, curiously and greedily watching the two uninvited guests who had entered their territory from behind the layers of tree shadows.

Douglas held the steering wheel, his expression seemingly focused on the road conditions, but the corner of his eye quietly glanced at the rearview mirror.

Sure enough, several black shadows that almost blended into the night were following the car not far away, like a thorn in the flesh.

The people under Director Piero are so dedicated that it's really touching.

Douglas lowered his voice, as if stating something insignificant:

"It seems that we are following very closely."

Lupin looked at Douglas's calm expression and suddenly realized:

"So, you insisted on driving Lorenzo, this Muggle car, just to lure them out?"

He knew in his heart that with Douglas's ability, if he really wanted to get rid of the tail, there were a hundred ways to make the other party not even smell the exhaust fumes.

Douglas stepped lightly on the accelerator, and the SUV bumped lightly on the rugged mountain road, like a child playing hopscotch.