It Had to Be That Old Fudge's Doing!
Lucius gripped the Potions tightly until he felt his palms getting hot and his whole hand was sweating before finally letting go.
The Potions remained shiny and clear, untouched by fingerprints, palm prints, or sweat.
He looked at the House-elf beside him and said, "Bring me some dust."
The House-elf was quick; in no time, he returned to Lucius, carrying a handful of blackened ashes. "Master, please..."
Lucius held the cap of the Potions and slowly brought it close to the ashes. Before the ashes could even touch the bottle, they flew up as if repelled by some force.
Examining the Potions in his hand, he muttered to himself, "It possesses the characteristics of Goblin artifact... but why does it look like..."
He seemed to have thought of something and ordered his House-elf, "Bring me my most precious piece of silver!"
As the House-elf disappeared and reappeared, a transparent glass box appeared before Lucius.
He removed the silverware from the bottle and compared it to the Potions.
"The patterns are equally exquisite... but the bottle bestowed by the Dark Lord seems more pleasing to the eye..."
"The material... this is silver, while what the Dark Lord bestowed... seems to be only iron, but it's exquisitely crafted..."
"Dust removal function..." Lucius grabbed a handful of furnace ash and sprinkled it directly above the silverware. The silverware instantly swirled away the dust, with an effect even more noticeable than that of the Potions.
"So that's how it is! Is this why the Dark Lord returned to school?" He took a deep breath. "Possessing artifacts similar to Goblin Craft... this is what's meant to replace the Goblin!"
"No wonder the former Goblin had a grudge against Godric Gryffindor. It turns out he used the forging of the Sword of Gryffindor to study and steal the Goblin's craftsmanship!"
"What a pity! Those Gryffindor don't like to go into the library, so this secret wasn't discovered by Dumbledore, but by the Dark Lord!"
"Lucius?" Narcissa's voice rang out. "Why are you covered in furnace ash? Clean it up right now!"
"Yes!" the House-elf immediately responded, cleaned the entire living room, and then disappeared from their sight.
"I just found a nice item," Lucius said with a smile, "So I decided to give it a try..."
Narcissa glanced at the Goblin Silverware beside her. "Are these also made by Goblin?"
"I'm still working on it." Lucius hugged Narcissa. "I'm fine now, don't worry."
Narcissa nodded. "The Parkinson Family sent a letter; it seems they want to invite you over to discuss some things."
"The Parkinson Family?" Lucius murmured. "I remember Draco saying that Pansy seemed to have made some mistake... Could it be that they were discussing those things?"
"Perhaps?" Narcissa responded, patting Lucius on the shoulder. "Lunch is ready, hurry up and come to the dining room! Set a good example for Draco!"
"Of course, I'll put them away and then I'll go!" Lucius nodded and put the Goblin Silverware back in the glass case.
"Soul Soothing Potion?" He unscrewed the Potions, his eyes gleaming as he looked at the liquid inside.
"Is this meant to put my mind at ease? Don't rush things... after all, this technology hasn't been fully understood yet..."
Dobby integrated quickly, not only taking care of Wizet and the others' daily lives, but also learning to care for various Magical Plants with Luna's help.
After placing the ham, fried eggs, and toast on the table, Dobby turned Dobby to the side and asked softly, "Mr. Lovegood, does the black tea suit your taste?"
"I'll have a sip!" Xenophilius put down his pen and paper, picked up his black tea, took a sip, and couldn't help but exclaim, "Ah! Is this what life is like for the Pure-blood Family? The taste is just right!"
Dobby cheerfully replied, "Okay! Then I'll add sugar to this sweetness level next time."
Luna called out, "Dobby, come and eat too!"
A few days ago, Dobby would probably have sobbed for a while and choked out a bunch of things.
Now he has finally adapted somewhat and is able to sit on the stool naturally and eat with everyone.
A knocking sound came from outside the window. Wizet looked in the direction of the sound, flicked her fingers, and used magic to open the window, allowing the owl to fly in smoothly.
Even though he saw Wizet doing this every day, Xenophilius's brow twitched, as if he wanted to say something but hesitated.
This is the owl that delivers the Daily Prophet. Wizet unfolded the newspaper, and upon seeing the headline, his brow immediately furrowed.
The cover features a close-up of the towers of Hogwarts Castle, with Dumbledore in the Headmaster's Office faintly visible through one of the windows.
However, Dumbledore's sharp back in the photo, accompanied by the flickering lamplight, gives off a hunched and evil vibe.
The cover title is also full of malice: [Dumbledore's Unsuppressed Nature Revealed: His Forbidden Magic Experiments at Hogwarts (1)!]
[Reported by Rita Skeeter, Special Correspondent for The Daily Prophet]
As is widely known, Albus Dumbledore, widely regarded as the greatest wizard of his time, has lived a secluded life and rarely appeared in public since defeating the Dark Wizard Gellert Grindelwald in 1945.
What's even more perplexing is that he repeatedly refused the position of Minister of Magic, yet clashed with the Board of Governors, rejecting many valuable suggestions that would benefit Hogwarts.
This strange behavior inevitably raised doubts among the crowd: was Albus Dumbledore, with his numerous accolades, truly brilliant, and was he merely providing talent to the wizarding world without any personal motives?
[His repeated clashes with the Board of Governors raise the question of whether he intends to control the Board of Governors and turn Board of Governors into Albus Dumbledore's personal fiefdom. What exactly is he hiding within Hogwarts Castle?]
Recently, I received several anonymous letters from students' parents, revealing a series of horrifying events that have occurred within Hogwarts, all pointing the finger at Albus Dumbledore!
[Despite the long and joyful Christmas holidays, Hogwarts has been plagued by numerous unexpected events. This castle, which should have been a place of learning and nurturing, may have become a prison—a prison specifically built for the study of Dark Magic!]
Starting tomorrow, I will be tracking down those anonymous letters, exposing the deepest evil hidden within Hogwarts, from the outside in. Stay tuned!
"That's Rita Skeeter's style!" Xenophilius abruptly. "I knew it! The Ministry of Magic was going to target Headmaster Dumbledore!"
"This must be the work of that Old Fudge! He'd love for Headmaster Dumbledore to be reduced to this state, belittled to nothing, so it won't affect his position Minister of Magic!"