Response Strategy

Hagrid paused for a moment, then spoke again.

"Olympe believes that the attackers did not completely leave, or left some contingency plan; the ruins may have been used by them as some kind of anchor point or ritual site."

Anchor point? Ceremony venue?

Harry's heart sank.

This aligns subtly with the legends already deciphered, the information Gringotts may possess, and even Voldemort's consistent practice of using iconic locations for dark rituals.

The American Ministry of Magic appears to be more than just a location that was attacked.

"Thank you for telling us this, Hagrid," Harry said solemnly. "This is very important. Please give our thanks and regards to Madame Maxime."

Hagrid waved his hand, a worried look on his face. "You must be extremely Harry. Olympe said in his letter that she sensed something was very wrong in the America Magical World, a feeling that some danger was about to erupt. Along with it, many ancient families in Europe are also restless, and even Magical Creatures are starting to stir. Things may be more complicated and dangerous than we imagine."

"I understand, Hagrid." Harry nodded seriously.

When they left Hagrid's Hut, the sun was still shining brightly, but Ron and Hermione felt as if a shadow had fallen over it.

Even the cheerful barking of the Fang bidding them farewell couldn't dispel the lingering shadow.

"So," Ron broke the silence on the way back to the castle, "The Dark Lord and that mad Goblin not only caused chaos in America, but they also left homework in the ruins, right? What door are they trying to open?"

"It's hard to say." Hermione frowned. "Combining the Goblin runes, fragments of ancient maps, and the possible ritual site, they're likely searching for a special space or dimensional portal connected to the ancient history of the Goblin, or even the very origins of world magic. Voldemort is obsessed with immortality and absolute power, while Runcorn wants to restore the so-called pure glory of the Goblin and also covets the power of Ancient Magic. I think their goals may intersect on this level."

Harry thought about it and decided not to voice his possible guess.

To avoid offending these two good friends, it's just too shocking to one's values.

"That possibility can't be ruled out," Harry nodded. "Alright, this isn't something we should worry about. At least Voldemort won't be coming to Britain anytime soon. These things are for the Ministry of Magic of various countries to worry about—our most pressing task right now is to educate these students in the school properly, at least to give them some basic self-defense capabilities."

"Understood." Ron and Hermione nodded knowingly.

They were no longer the fearless Gryffindor they were in their first year; of course, they knew what was important and what was urgent.

In the afternoon, Harry received a text message from Veratia, telling him that there was a banquet in Vienna that evening and that he absolutely had to attend.

"You'll be in charge of tonight's training for now." Harry summoned the heads of each house. "As core members, you need to take responsibility." Ron, you should remember how to open the Room of Room of Requirement, right?

"I know," Ron nodded in response.

"Alright, have them practice dueling in the Room of Requirement tonight." Harry thought for a moment, then added, "Remember to have them practice the Protego and the Disarming Charm more thoroughly. These two spells are extremely important. I don't want to see anyone unable to perform a full Protego when I come back next time!"

"Understood," they all said in unison.

Before leaving, Harry went to Professor McGonagall's office to ask him to look after the students at the Dueling Club while he was away from school.

Nighttime, Vienna, Nurmengard Castle.

In the restaurant on the top floor, the Minister for Magic from various countries gathered together.

The layout here is completely different from that of the Great Hall at Hogwarts.

The tall, arched windows overlook the brightly lit city of Vienna under the night sky, with the shadows of snow-capped mountains in the distance. On the ceiling, a magically simulated starry sky slowly rotates, reflecting the starlight outside the window.

As the dinner was drawing to a close, the House Elf quietly cleared away the main course plates and replaced them with uniquely designed desserts.

But the atmosphere at the table had already changed before dessert was served.

Harry had just finished recounting Madame Maxime's experiences in America; his voice was not loud, but clear enough.

Beside him stood Veratia, dressed in a formal suit. After listening to his story, she did not offer any opinion but instead turned her gaze to the other side of the long table.

Seated there was Sirius, the Britain Minister for Magic, and his wife and secretary, Gemma Black.

In front of Gemma was a Dragonhide Notebook, clearly indicating that this seasoned Lady was ready to get to work at any moment.

Upon hearing Harry's words, her pen paused slightly, and she quickly jotted down a few keywords.

"Giants' footprints, and a key?" Sirius repeated softly. "This sounds more like something beyond the remnants of an ancient ritual; it sounds like they've actually Awakening something extraordinary."

"It's not just about Awakening or sacrifice, Mr. Black. Considering the fragmented information Cassandra may have leaked from her North America informants and Gringotts, they're conducting a massive locating and summoning operation." Veratia spoke softly, her fingertips lightly tapping the table before her. "According to Vienna's analysis, the markings on the Ministry of Magic ruins are part of a map, and those metal fragments might be fragments of some kind of key, or filler for keyholes. As for the giant footprints—"

She paused, a cold smile curving her lips.

Legend has it that some of the oldest Goblin lairs and the gates deep within the earth require the power of giants, or power cursed by giants, to be moved.

"Couldn't it be Runcorn's footprints?" Harry asked tentatively.

"We can't rule out that possibility, but we need to prepare for the worst." Veratia reached out and ruffled Harry's hair. "It's quite possible that they really are Awakening something extraordinary."

"Then it's not just about opening a door," Harry continued. "It means they may possess an army we know very little about, and one that is incredibly destructive—far more powerful than the Goblin and Troll that Runcorn had a hundred years ago."

"Times are changing, and our enemies are not static either," Veratia said meaningfully. "However, as the saying goes, justice will surely prevail over evil, and I believe we will achieve final victory."

The restaurant was quiet for a moment, with only the crackling of burning wood in the fireplace.

"Any new developments at Gringotts?" Veratia asked Harry, glancing at Gemma to indicate that she was also paying attention.

Harry gave a brief update on the meeting with Manager Scad —he had already discussed it with Veratia on his phone, but since this was a formal occasion, he felt he should reiterate it in front of everyone.

He began to recount what followed: the Goblin Council launching an internal investigation, beginning a limited search of ancient archives, a cooperation agreement being drafted, and the effects of his final reminder and hint.

"They were cautious, but they were in action. Before I left Diagon Alley, I sensed a subtle adjustment in the protective magic around Gringotts; it became more vigilant, and the frequency of various Banishing Charm increased," Harry concluded, ultimately praising the Goblin.

Although it is limited.

"The old foxes have finally realized that not only have jackals come to their lair, but they may also have hatched vipers in their own den." Sirius snorted, picked up his wine glass, and took a big gulp of red wine. "Cooperation is fine, but we must keep a close eye on things, my dear Harry. The Goblin contract will always leave a backdoor that is most advantageous to them."

"I know that," Harry said with a smile.

"Therefore, we now have several lines of work that need to be advanced simultaneously."

In her concluding remarks, Veratia concluded that she now possesses the remarkable strategic acumen of a politician, a trait that cannot be concealed despite her youth.

"First, Cassandra must continue to dig deeper into her North America informants and the Malfoy family's channels, closely monitoring all of Voldemort and Runcorn's actions; second, urge and assist Gringotts in completing its internal purge, ensuring smooth cooperation channels, and at the same time, extracting all records from them regarding everything we want to know; third, Hogwarts ' training cannot stop, and must be accelerated, especially in practical coordination and dealing with unknown dark creatures."

As she said this, she glanced at Harry.

"I have faith in you on that, Harry," she said with a chuckle. "While the students of Hogwarts may not be of much help in the fight against the evil duo of Voldemort and Runcorn for the time being, they need to learn how to protect themselves, since we can't be there for them every moment."

"I know," Harry nodded. "Before I School Opening, I urged Ron and Hermione to train the students, and of course—I'm also working on getting the second and third-year students on track."

"Yes, that's necessary," Veratia nodded. "Furthermore, we must widely inform all magic schools in various countries to strengthen their Defense Against the Dark Arts training. I don't want to hear news of students being killed during the holidays because they weren't skilled enough."

Ms. Rosier immediately bowed her head and took down the important instructions conveyed by Lady Minister.

Then, Veratia looked at Sirius: "The British Ministry of Magic needs to strengthen the monitoring and protection of known ancient ruins within the country, especially those locations that may be related to Goblin or giant legends."

Sirius nodded and said to Gemma, "Write this down and prioritize it tomorrow morning. Notify the Auror Office to increase patrol levels, especially in the Scottish Highlands and Wales, places with ancient legends—also, get those old guys in the Department of Mysteries moving around, instead of staring blankly at those Crystal Ball all day."

Gemma quickly took notes, while whispering a reminder: "Minister, there's a bilateral meeting with the French Ministry of Magic at 10 AM tomorrow. The topics include the cross-border management of magical creatures. Perhaps we can use this opportunity to gauge the French side's awareness of the 'abnormal giants' activities."

Upon hearing Gemma's words, Sirius rubbed his temples.

"I see. You always manage to integrate all the schedules so well, Gemma. I'm so glad I married you."

Those words were sweet, but also unsettling.

Gemma's cheeks flushed slightly, but she didn't stop recording at all.

Veratia watched this scene, smiled faintly without saying a word, then turned her head to look at Harry, who was grinning foolishly, and reached out to hold his hand.

"You'll stay in Vienna for now. We'll have preliminary conclusions on Cassandra's analysis tonight, and we need your help in assessing them. As for Hogwarts, Professor McGonagall and the core team are keeping an eye on things, so everything should be fine for now."

Harry knew that Veratia kept him here partly because of Cassandra, but also simply because she wanted him to keep her company.

But the last point should account for 99%, since Cassandra's analytical conclusions won't cause any problems even if they're not used.

Hey, just say it directly, why beat around the bush?

The House Elf appeared at just the right moment, removing the almost untouched desserts and replacing them with some drinks.

Sirius picked up his teacup and took a sip.

"Sometimes I feel that living like this is actually quite tiring. There are always attacks from the shadows, especially dangerous figures like Voldemort and Runcorn, who are practically terrorists."

"However, considering the size of the British wizarding world, Voldemort probably didn't even qualify as a terrorist; at best, he was just a local bully." Veratia's eyes revealed a faint smile. "Of course, that was before. Now Voldemort has spread across several countries, so he could barely be considered a terrorist."

Sirius was so amused by Veratia's village bully theory that he almost choked on his tea. He put down his teacup, coughed twice, and had a look of bewilderment on his face.

"The village bully—hey, you know what, when he first started causing trouble in Knockturn Alley and certain Pure-blood families cliques, he really didn't have much of a vision. Unfortunately, this village bully 'got smarter,' and learned to court outside help and engage in global terrorism."

"Did he become smarter on his own?" Veratia asked with a slight smile. "Isn't it because he couldn't beat Harry that he had to choose this path?"

Sirius thought about it carefully and realized that it did indeed make sense.

Given Voldemort's proud nature, he would hardly have left Britain or gotten involved with others unless he had been genuinely hurt by Harry.

"You know what, it's really true." Sirius laughed.

He wasn't sure if it was just his imagination, but after hearing that, he felt Voldemort's prestige instantly plummeted.

He used to be the Dark Lord, but now he's unbearable to look at.

You call him Demon King? He can't even beat a one-year-old child.

You could say he's not Demon King, but the things he did were certainly not things a normal person could do.

Diagnosed as a neurological disorder----