In the Headmaster's Office

Hogwarts main castle.

Transfiguration classroom.

Beside the fireplace, where the firelight flickered, Dumbledore was deeply sunk into a sofa, holding a thick, old book with one hand.

Next to him was an old-fashioned radio.

"Recently, Grindelwald and his Saints attacked the Austrian Ministry of Magic. Currently, the entire Austrian magical administration has been taken over by the Saints..."

"International Confederation of Wizards Vice-Chairman Matthew Peters is calling on everyone to restrain themselves, not to be blinded by hatred, and to actively engage in negotiations..."

"It is said that Hogwarts secretly helped the Austrian Ministry of Magic, but Headmaster Armando Dippet refused to answer this question. Is he tacitly acknowledging...?"

A hoarse broadcast came from the radio.

Dumbledore listened intently from time to time.

Behind the lenses reflecting the dancing flames, the blue pupils occasionally refracted the light of wisdom.

When the radio broadcast useless information, he focused his energy on the book in front of him.

The heavy book recorded profound magical knowledge.

It was the latest alchemical knowledge and ancient secrets that Nicolas Flamel had sent him a few days ago.

The novel knowledge brought Dumbledore a pleasant mood.

It formed a strong contrast with the upsetting news.

When he saw how ancient sorcerers used natural forces to release ultra-large-scale forbidden spells, he couldn't help but take a big gulp of the honey water at hand, slap the sofa armrest hard, and hum an unknown tune.

Dumbledore's musical taste was enough to make one's heart stop.

Fawkes, who was dozing off, could tolerate the hoarse radio but could not tolerate his 'noise' at all.

Unable to bear it, Fawkes raised its head, spread its beautiful wings, and flapped them hard, trying to attract its master's attention and make him see its dissatisfaction.

However, Dumbledore didn't pay any attention...

Finally, Fawkes' anger reached its peak.

It angrily flew off the stand.

The gusts of air above his head woke Dumbledore up.

He sensed Fawkes' dissatisfaction, but it was too late to say anything to appease it. In fact, even if he had time, Fawkes wouldn't listen...

Fawkes was already pecking at the top of Dumbledore's head with its beak, like a woodpecker pecking wood.

Although it didn't hurt, it gave Dumbledore a tingling sensation.

After a few breaths, Fawkes suddenly stopped moving.

It tilted its head and looked out the window with a puzzled expression.

After hesitating for a moment, it left the relieved Dumbledore and flew alone to the window.

Before long, Fawkes returned, with a silver-white bat in tow.

Dumbledore, in his moment of clarity, looked at the Patronus with a blank expression.

"Albus, something happened in Hogsmeade. I have arranged for the prefects of each house to investigate whether any students have not yet returned to Hogwarts. Come to the headmaster's office immediately."

A solemn male voice came from the bat, and then the bat dissipated into the air.

Dumbledore, in his moment of clarity, quickly regained his composure.

He quickly got up and waved his wand, turning the sofa back into a book, and at the same time, various scattered sundries returned to where they should be. Finally, he raised his hand and caught the coat that flew from the hanger.

He walked out the door while tidying up his clothes.

Dumbledore, who had stepped outside the door, was neatly dressed, and Fawkes had tacitly landed on his shoulder.

By the time Dumbledore hurried to the headmaster's office, in the headmaster's office, besides Headmaster Armando Dippet, there were also Deputy Headmaster Brandt Fergus, who had delivered the message to him, and the other three house heads.

The other teachers had taken advantage of the weekend to attend to their private affairs.

"Aren't you in a meeting?"

As soon as he entered the door, Dumbledore was surprised to find so many people there, and he asked puzzledly.

"We were in a meeting, but the director of the Ministry of Magic's Education Office suddenly said that a member of the Hogsmeade community had suddenly died. Because he had to deal with this matter, we had to come back to protect the safety of the young Wizards. So the meeting ended in a hurry."

Slughorn was covered in sweat. He was afraid of war. Seeing Dumbledore arrive, he told Dumbledore everything he knew in one breath.

"Ahem, the Aurors from the Ministry of Magic will arrive later. We'll wait for the prefects to report the numbers. If any students are still in Hogsmeade, we'll have to go and rescue them."

Seeing that the strongest core Wizards remaining at the school had arrived, the elderly Headmaster Armando coughed and said slowly in a hoarse, old voice.

"Can you tell me, what exactly happened in Hogsmeade?"

This… Dumbledore was still somewhat puzzled, why was there a need to rescue…

"Ah, apologies, old age, not enough energy, when I think, I become engrossed, a bit confused… Let me think…"

Headmaster Armando Dippet muttered incoherently, looking very abnormal in every way.

Dumbledore scrutinized him closely, up and down.

His magic-infused blue eyes seemed to emit laser-like beams.

However, to no avail.

After all, the four House Heads and the Headmaster and Deputy Headmaster were present. No one should be able to silently control Headmaster Armando Dippet, one of the strongest in the current wizarding world.

With doubts in their heart, but they couldn't question him without cause.

"Perhaps the school has too many affairs and the incident happened suddenly, making me a bit neurotic. The change Gellert spoke of… could it be this incident?"

Dumbledore withdrew their scrutinizing gaze and lowered their head to silently organize their thoughts.

The entire process was quick and covert.

Only Deputy Headmaster Brandt Fergus glanced at Dumbledore almost imperceptibly.

"Five o'clock in the afternoon is the time the school stipulates that students must return to the castle from Hogsmeade, except for specially approved upperclassmen."

After a pause, Armando Dippet glanced at Dumbledore and continued.

"Of course, there are always students who are later than the stipulated time due to various problems, we only deduct the corresponding House points, and we do not impose severe penalties on them."

"Returning from the Ministry of Magic, I wanted to confirm with the informants in Hogsmeade whether our students were affected. But I found that the means of contact had been cut off."

"House-elves…"

Hufflepuff's Head Bernice Leslie said, she looked like a kind old lady.

"I ordered more than one House-elf to investigate, but the House-elves that returned alive told me that they could not Apparate directly inside. No matter which direction, the entire Hogsmeade seemed to have a lid placed over it, preventing anything from entering or exiting. I suspect it is war magic, the kind of barrier that seals off a city."

"Still alive? Could it be?"

The Hufflepuff Head gasped.

"I gave them a death order, no matter what, they had to go in to find out the situation, at most one returned to report to me."

Headmaster Armando looked at her expressionlessly and nodded.

"Oh, my goodness!"

This time it was Horace Slughorn who exclaimed, he was the Head of Slytherin and also the walrus-like fat man.

Hufflepuff's Head Bernice Leslie couldn't help but speak again.

"Does that House-elf need treatment?"

"It was sent for treatment, otherwise you would still be able to hear its long-winded nonsense…"

After that, there was silence in the office… everyone was thinking… and also waiting for news…

In short, it was a relatively long period of silence.