Black Panther Bows Its Head

The first week of school has ended. The little wizards are welcoming their first Saturday.

In Chamber of Secrets.

This Chamber of Secrets is different from the one Skylar visited last time. During the summer vacation, Skylar had sent Dobby here to do renovations.

Beneath the statue of Salazar Slytherin, a newly erected platform appeared, in front of which stood seven tiers of steps covered with a red carpet, upon which sat a solitary, imposing throne.

At this moment, Skylar was sitting on this throne, the back of which was inlaid with a bead that shimmered with a light green halo. Under the green glow, Skylar's face appeared both mysterious and somewhat sinister.

On the first step down the stairs stood two people: on the left was Daphne Greengrass, the eldest daughter of the Greengrass Family; on the right was Morrie MacDougal, a fourth-year student from Ravenclaw.

Standing before the platform were Dobby, House Elf, and a sixth-year Slytherin girl. They had to look up to meet Skylar's gaze, putting them at a disadvantage from the start.

"Master, Dobby has brought the person to you." Dobby's voice was no longer as frivolous as before, but much more composed.

"Well done," Skylar's voice came from the high platform.

"This is Dobby should do; Dobby doesn't dare take credit," Dobby said, bowing his head earnestly.

"Are you from the Wakanda Family?" Skylar asked the female student.

The female student proudly puffed out her full breasts, revealing the tribal emblem on her robe: a Black Panther's head with bared fangs, below which were written "Wakanda Forever".

"I am Narelle of the Wakanda Family, and I greet you, Mr. Malfoy," said Narelle Wakanda.

Are you here representing yourself personally, or your family?

"Narel is the only daughter of the family's direct line and has already received authorization from the family. She has come with sincerity and genuinely hopes to form an alliance with your family."

The Wakanda Family is not on the list of the Sacred Twenty-Eight, but their power is not too weak, roughly equivalent to that of the Goyle and House of Crabbe. Mrs. Wakanda works in the Ministry of Magic as a member of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, and her position is quite high—two years ago, after Umbridge was promoted to Senior Undersecretary, she also took over the position of Director of the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office.

(Note: The original Book 7 does not directly mention Mrs. Wakanda's department, but the fact that she and Mr. Weasley took the elevator from the same floor indicates that she belongs to the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.)

This position doesn't have much power; its daily operations mostly consist of sending warning letters to underage wizards who secretly cast spells during summer vacation.

In theory, this position can control and prosecute all wizards who violate the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy. However, adult wizards generally have backers in the Ministry of Magic, and the collusion and mutual checks and balances between various departments result in very limited room for actual action.

For example, the day before school started (September 1st), just a few days ago, Mrs. Wakanda received a report that Mad-Eye Moody had violated the International Statute of Secrecy because his trash can had caused a commotion in the sight of Muggle, even attracting the attention of Muggle law enforcement.

This was originally a significant matter, but because someone within the department tipped them off, the Mrs. Wakanda had barely assembled their forces when Arthur Weasley from the neighboring office—the "Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office"—stolen the matter first.

Arthur Weasley appears to have little ambition for power, always staying quietly in the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office, far removed from the center of power and largely ignored. But in reality, he's incredibly popular, always going out of his way to help his colleagues and cultivating an image of a perfect gentleman.

Not long ago, he helped Ludovic Bagman resolve the troubles of his brother Odo Bagman, and as a result, he was given a first-class ticket to the Quidditch World Cup, not only camped in the first section but also able to sit in the VIP seats to watch the game.

The Mrs. Wakanda didn't believe that Arthur was really as simple as he seemed, a genuinely honest and kind man. So even Arthur had clearly crossed the line regarding Moody, she chose to remain silent.

Although the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office faces many constraints in reality, it is a position that Skylar greatly covets. The person who controls this position will essentially control the map-like surveillance tool, the Trace, and will also be able to cast spells outside of school.

Skylar's face betrayed no emotion as he said, "The Wakanda Family is so sensible; I certainly welcome your joining us, however—"

Narelle frowned and asked, "But what?"

"I think there's no doubt that the House of Malfoy is stronger than you. Calling it an alliance is really just a euphemism for you asking to submit to the House of Malfoy— " Seeing Narelle hesitate, Skylar said firmly, "You don't need to argue. The elders behind your family must have sensed something, which is why they sent you. I think, shouldn't you show a little more sincerity in this alliance?"

"Mother has already agreed to cooperate with you within the Ministry of Magic to shield all the junior wizards on your list from Trace senses," Narelle said. "Isn't that enough? What more sincerity do you want?"

"Don't misunderstand, I'm very satisfied with these conditions, but I would like to add one more," Skylar's eyes were bright and piercing, as if a strange magic pierced directly into Narelle's mind, causing her will to crumble invisibly, and she could no longer muster the will to resist.

"I heard—you and Irina Selwyn from your year are good friends, like sisters?" Skylar's voice sounded very gentle, but Narelle felt a chill hidden in his tone.

The thing she feared most had finally arrived. Narelle gritted her teeth and replied, "Yes, Irina and I have known each other since childhood and have a good relationship." Faced with Skylar's intimidating gaze and aura, all she could do was apologize to Irina in her heart.

"I think you've probably guessed it by now—" Skylar sneered, "That's right, Lestrange was my doing... Your family isn't too stupid; knowing they're too deeply involved with the House of Selwyn and not wanting to become the next casualty in this conflict, they even knew to surrender to us beforehand. I advise you to put aside your personal feelings and put your family first!"

The Wakanda Family's hidden agendas could not escape Skylar's notice. They were simply intimidated by Skylar's reputation and methods.

This is why Skylar constantly tried to increase his reputation at the beginning of the game.

Prestige may seem useless in normal times, but it can snowball and grow bigger and bigger. When the entire wizarding world is in turmoil, no one can remain unscathed unless they flee abroad. Every power, every family, and even every individual must choose a side.

Skylar's current influence is at its peak. He has not only manipulated public opinion and successfully cultivated the image of a future power, but has also appropriately revealed his influence in the business and political circles. Just by looking at how well-known wizarding companies actively seek Skylar out when they need financing, and how politicians deliberately try to win him over, one can see the extent of his power.

With this shift in power, the House of Selwyn, who relied solely on mysticism, lost ground in terms of momentum. Coupled with Skylar's carrot-and-stick approach, using Lestrange as a scapegoat, it was not surprising that the Wakanda Family would make this choice.

The Wakanda Family, the Nott Family, and the Greengrass Family are just the beginning.

When the chaos truly begins, many neutral forces that have been observing, testing, and waiting will surely choose sides. Who will they choose then? It all comes down to which side has the stronger momentum and the greater benefits. Once the forces gathered are large enough, they will become a force to be reckoned with, and neither Dumbledore nor Voldemort can be taken lightly.

Skylar's eyes flashed coldly. "You guessed right, I'm going to deal with the House of Selwyn. So I need you to be my inside man, to monitor Miss Selwyn's every move at Hogwarts, and then await my next instructions. Do you understand?"

"I understand." Now that things had been said this far, Narelle couldn't bring herself to back out even if she wanted to.

"Remember, your actions determine the fate of your family. Don't let a moment of weakness lead you to do something you'll regret." Skylar's tone softened, the coldness disappearing. "Don't forget, if anything happens to Irina, her Prefect position will probably be yours..."

Skylar and Narelle both knew that among the sixth-year Slytherin girls, only Irina and Narelle were truly qualified to be Prefect; the others were far inferior in terms of family background or ability. When Narelle heard this, her delicate body visibly trembled, and some long-dormant thoughts slowly began to resurface in her mind.

She nodded. "I understand. Well then, Narelle will take her leave." At Skylar's signal, Dobby took Narelle's hand and Apparition away.

[The Wakanda Family, our "ally," has been acquired!]

Skylar snapped his fingers, and with a crackling sound, a House Elf appeared out of thin air.

"Dino, keep an eye on Narelle for me. I'm worried about her. If anything seems amiss, immediately team up with Dobby and Winky to capture her and bring her to me." Dino accepted the order and left.

Only Skylar, Daphne, and Morrie remained in the Chamber of Secrets.

Each of the three had their own thoughts, and for a moment, silence fell over the room.

Skylar broke the silence first, speaking, "Daphne, Morrie, this is the path I must take. The path to glory is paved with sacrifice and blood, and intrigue and betrayal will be the constant companions along the way..." At this point, a barely perceptible tremor appeared in Skylar's voice, "If you can't accept it, I understand..."

"Stop talking, Skylar!" Surprisingly, it wasn't Daphne who interrupted, but Morrie, her eyes flashing with unwavering determination. "Since I've decided to support you, I will stay with you to the very end. Perhaps I dislike these things, these power struggles, these intrigues, but I will never leave you—never!"

Daphne laughed, "Skylar, my entire family has pinned their hopes on you. Even if I wanted to turn back, it would be too late—I know I haven't misjudged you. I trust my judgment, and I believe you won't let us down." She gave a mischievous look, "I just hope you remember our kindness and don't add any more sisters to our family!"

"Ah!" Skylar stammered, "No, no! I have you all, that's enough!"

Fortunately, this embarrassing topic was interrupted by a crackling sound.

It was Winky; she Apparition and respectfully presented Skylar with the latest issue of the Daily Prophet. The headline on the cover read, "Puddlemere United Chaser Mysteriously Disappears During Match."

"Master, the results of this morning's game are in. As you predicted, Virda Griffith, the new Chaser recruited by Puddlemere United, mysteriously disappeared halfway through the game. Because Gwenog Jones, the captain of Holyhead Harpies, had issued death threats to Virda before the game due to her betrayal and departure from the team, Gwenog is now in the custody of the Ministry of Magic to assist in their investigation."

Verda Griffith was a star player poached by Puddlemere United after Skylar's investment, and her transfer fee alone broke the historical record of the British and Irish Quidditch League, reaching as high as one thousand Galleon.

The mysterious disappearance of such a player will undoubtedly cause significant losses for the team, and it seems Philbert Devril is in for a tough time. Since Skylar had signed an insurance agreement beforehand, he doesn't need to pay for any accidents involving the player, meaning the majority of the team's losses will fall on Devril, the unfortunate victim.

Another person to worry about is Horace Slughorn, whose beloved student has been imprisoned by the Ministry of Magic, and Devril has suffered heavy losses, will obviously not let her go easily. There will definitely be a conflict between the two sides.

After a moment's thought, Skylar made up his mind.

He wrote two letters, one to Slughorn and the other to Devril, asking them to put aside their conflict and let Skylar try to find the missing Velda Griffith.