Self-Approval

After finishing a piece of meteorite, Usachi rolled around contentedly and crawled into Tom's pocket to fall asleep.

Mrs. Greengrass began to explain to Tom the precautions for using the Portkey.

Portkey are a common method used by wizards when traveling long distances, allowing them to quickly move from one place to another fixed location.

Although there are more convenient spells like Apparition and Disapparition, not all wizards can master them, and even if they can, they can't move very far.

The Portkey Portkey doesn't teleport instantly; it's a high-speed flight that carries the person who touches it quickly to their destination.

When the speed exceeds 1,000 miles per hour, the ride will be very bumpy, so be prepared.

The Ministry of Magic strictly controls cross-border Portkey; applications must be submitted at least two weeks in advance, and permission must be obtained from both countries' Ministry of Magic before use.

Tom originally planned to fly to United States, since as a minor, applying for Portkey at the Ministry of Magic would be asking for trouble and would likely be rejected.

Unexpectedly, Mrs. Greengrass took care of it for him directly. No wonder, she is the Department of Magical Transportation.

While others struggled with complicated matters, she wrote the reports and approved the notes herself, all in the blink of an eye.

"Oh, by the way, Auntie, could you get me two more Portkey in France from the United States? I'm going to see Nicolas Flamel in August."

Tom suddenly remembered his holiday plans and casually mentioned it.

"Okay, I'll contact them." Mrs. Greengrass agreed with a smile.

"After you register, they will give you the return Portkey, so you can go directly from the United States to France without having to take a detour."

"Thank you so much, Auntie!"

"Don't be so polite with your aunt," Mrs. Greengrass said with a smile. "Lunch has started, eat your fill. These dishes were specially made for you by Parla."

After the luncheon, Daphne pulled Astoria along, saying she wanted to take Tom to see the unicorns on the estate.

As a result, Mrs. Greengrass suddenly invited Tom to her study, so the two little girls had no choice but to pout and go back to take a nap, promising to go together again in the afternoon.

Tom followed Mrs. Greengrass upstairs. The castle had an absurd number of studies, with the first to third floors on the east side essentially forming a large library.

She took Tom to the private study on the fourth floor, the master suite, where privacy was paramount.

Several portraits hung on the wall, the people in the paintings all pretending to be asleep, but their eyelids were moving, clearly eavesdropping.

The two sat down facing each other at a huge desk. Mrs. Greengrass waved her wand gently, and two steaming cups of tea immediately appeared on the table.

"Tom, how much do you know about the Blood Curse of Astoria now?"

Tom didn't hold back and told all the information he had heard from Gellert Grindelwald and Albus Dumbledore.

Upon hearing Albus Dumbledore's name, Mrs. Greengrass frowned slightly, but quickly regained her composure and spoke softly.

"You already know everything. This curse specifically devours life force, and no generation can escape it. My sister and my aunt were both victims of this Blood Curse."

Her voice was calm yet sorrowful, "But what can I do? After I gave birth to Daphne, I had to have another one for the sake of the family's continuation."

"And one of my flesh and blood will surely suffer greatly." She paused, her eyes filled with gratitude as she looked at Tom.

"Tom, thanks to you, Astoria has been able to have a few comfortable days."

"Our ancestors long ago wanted to borrow the Philosopher's Stone from Nicolas Flamel, but this great alchemist never revealed the Elixir of Life to anyone."

Her gaze fell on Tom's face. "I'm very surprised that you were able to get the Philosopher's Stone."

Tom chuckled and waved his hand. "Nicolas Flamel felt he'd had enough of life and lent the Philosopher's Stone to Albus Dumbledore as bait."

"I got it by chance, I was just lucky, I stumbled upon a bargain."

"Being able to 'get a bargain' from Albus Dumbledore is a skill in itself." Mrs. Greengrass didn't take his modesty seriously.

Especially considering Tom's name, the fact that he could obtain the Philosopher's Stone right under Albus Dumbledore's nose is something no ordinary wizard could do.

She sat up straight, her expression turning serious. "Tom, I will open up all the Greengrass family's treasures and resources to you."

"To help you reach the pinnacle of magic as quickly as possible, I have only one request: I hope that you can find a way to completely break the Blood Curse, within your capabilities."

Tom shook his head, his tone sincere. "Auntie, you don't need to do that. For Daphne's sake, I'll do my best."

"When I first entered the Wizarding World, Daphne helped me a lot. If I didn't want to help, I wouldn't have taken out the Philosopher's Stone."

He was only half telling the truth; he would indeed help Daphne, but what he really wanted was to learn how to use the Blood Curse.

If anyone gets upset, just cast a Blood Curse on them to sever their family's lineage. After all, aside from a few lunatics, Pure-blood value their bloodline the most.

He asked Gellert Grindelwald, but unfortunately, the Blood Curse that guy knew were all pretty useless.

No wonder, those who can concoct such insidious curses are all thoroughly dark wizards.

How could someone with such a narrow mind easily pass on their spell?

"You value loyalty, and we Greengrass are not ungrateful people either," Mrs. Greengrass smiled.

This was the key reason she decided to invest in Tom; Daphne had only given him a thousand Galleon, which wasn't even enough to cover the castle's monthly expenses.

But Tom's return far exceeded that amount.

Wizards are all idealists, and their personalities are difficult to change unless they undergo major upheavals. If they don't change them properly, they may even lose power. It's like you can tell what a person will be like at three years old.

Thanks to this principle of judging people, Greengrass has never made a major mistake over the years. Even when he occasionally misjudged someone, it was only because he didn't choose the winning side.

They won't be liquidated; at most, they'll just get a smaller share of the profits.

"Tom, you might think that magic ultimately depends on oneself, and that others can't help much."

Mrs. Greengrass stood up and walked to the bookshelf filled with parchment. "I may not be capable, but the family's resources can still lend you a hand."

Her fingers slid across several books, using her special magic to open a hidden compartment on the bookshelf.

He took out a stack of yellowed parchment, walked back to his seat, gently pushed it in front of Tom, and asked with a smile.

"Do you know why Greengrass has been able to maintain its prosperity for so long, holding so much wealth, yet no one dares to covet it?"

Tom thought for a moment. "Because your family has a wide network of connections and abundant resources?"

He really couldn't understand how a middle-aged beauty, two young beauties, and even the elderly, weak, sick, and disabled could live such a carefree life without hiding their talents at all.

Why aren't those families who've gone mad with Dark Magic envious or trying to steal it?

"That's the result, not the cause," Mrs. Greengrass said calmly.

"This is our family's top secret, but those ancient Pure-blood actually know it all."