The High Inquisitor

Skylar did not look at the book "The Truth Beyond," because he knew that the most precious things behind the Gate of Truth were already deeply stored in his mind.

He carefully sealed the book with powerful magic and then placed it in his pocket space. The concept of "the outer heavens" mentioned by the Gate of Truth violated basic wizarding common sense; its pronouncements were too horrifying and could even overturn the entire wizarding world.

Wizards have always considered themselves the most favored and advanced species in the world, beings who have been able to rival Ancient Divine Dragon and Ancient Giant since the dawn of life.

All of this is because of the existence of magic!

This is a consensus among almost all wizards, and it is the foundation upon which wizarding society stands.

If people were to learn that there are forces more wondrous and powerful than magic, it would only cause panic and destruction.

If possible, he hoped the contents of this book would never be disseminated.

He glanced at the Marauder's Map on the table.

Before today, he had read through all the books about the "Homonculous Charm" and carefully studied the countless experimental records accumulated by the Dragon Soul Team, memorizing every piece of data and failure case.

Finally, after Flitwick answered his key questions about the name- Tracking Magic that day, all the pieces of the puzzle were finally pieced together in his mind. At this moment, he had a clear direction and knew how to proceed with the next step.

He took out a map of Hogsmeade Village, unfolded it, and laid it flat on the desk, his gaze deep and focused. He slowly drew his wand, tapped it gently, and the parchment trembled slightly, as if it could already sense the magic he was about to cast.

He began to chant a carefully crafted incantation in a low voice, his tone like a deep chant, or the murmur of an ancient covenant:

"All traces of human activity are now revealed; my surveillance is omnipresent."

Silvery-white magic flowed from the tip of the wand, dancing across the map's surface like mercury, outlining hidden runes. The runes flickered for a moment, then slowly disappeared into the parchment, as if merging with the map itself.

However, this is far from enough.

Skylar took a deep breath, gently closed his eyes, and with a thought, a wisp of almost imperceptible soul power slowly separated and flowed into the map along his wand. Instantly, the entire map glowed with a faint, eerie light, trembling slightly as if some kind of life had been awakened.

His consciousness briefly entered a strange state where he "saw" the map itself establishing some kind of connection with him, as if it were an extension of his perception, reflecting the streets and buildings of Hogsmeade... and even the creatures that roamed among them.

Skylar's pupils narrowed, transforming into Snake Eyes, and a torrent of magic poured from his wand. He roared, "I have seen, and you have seen. The vast sea of humanity is revealed in this picture!"

In an instant, the ink on the map slowly flowed, and tiny black dots appeared out of thin air, evenly scattered throughout Hogsmeade Village. These black dots moved slowly, representing the wizards active in Hogsmeade Village, and next to each black dot, a corresponding name automatically appeared, like Ghost, then slowly settled, marking their exact location.

Skylar lowered his eyes, his fingertips slowly tracing the surface of the map, watching the constantly moving black dots, each marked with a clear name, like an invisible net, taking in every move of Hogsmeade.

His gaze swept across the Three Broomsticks and he saw the name "Honey Rosmerta" constantly moving back and forth, clearly busy serving customers. The black dot on the map was almost never still, occasionally approaching another black dot marked "Barbara of Oettingen-Oettingen," perhaps talking to a part-time waitress at the bar.

Moving further downstream, Skylar's gaze fell upon the dilapidated sheep pen in the backyard of the Hog's Head Inn, where a single name was marked— Aberforth Dumbledore. His black dot remained almost motionless, the only change being that it would occasionally shift slightly, moving closer to a small, unmarked dot—a goat.

Skylar pondered for a moment, wondering what Mr. Dumbledore was doing at that moment, but he had no doubt that what was happening in this sheep pen was probably not worth investigating.

His gaze shifted eastward, settling on the room of the Miraculous Alchymia. A black dot sat quietly before a cauldron, next to which was the name Phoebe Delacour. Her black dot was almost motionless, clearly focused on concocting Potions. Skylar couldn't help but smile slightly, guessing that she was most likely preparing some kind of Cosmetic Potion.

The entire Hogsmeade Village lay clearly before him, like a chessboard, with everyone transformed into black pieces, moving slowly under his gaze. Skylar tapped his fingertips lightly on the map, a meaningful smile playing on his lips.

"Indeed, this is what it feels like to be in control."

Next, he took out maps of Diagon Alley North Street, Diagon Alley South Street, and Knockturn Alley, and used the same method to cast the Homonculous Charm on each of the three maps.

Small black dots appeared on all four maps—a satisfied smile curved Skylar's lips as he gently ran his fingers across the map's surface, feeling the vibrant magic within.

This was his own Marauder's Map, and from then on, every corner of these four locations, like Hogwarts Castle, was under the surveillance of the Sleeping Dragon Society.

That's not all.

He infused each map with a trace of consciousness, giving it a certain degree of independent thinking ability.

As soon as he asks a question, Marauder's Map will respond with sound, providing him with the information he needs.

Like the Safe House Warning Clock in Ella Cottage, these maps are linked to Skylar's watch.

Once a suspicious person or unusual movement appears on the map, it will immediately trigger an alert mechanism and transmit the alarm to Skylar's watch via a magical link, ensuring that he receives the notification immediately and can respond quickly, no matter where he is.

[Obtained from the Diagon Alley North Street "Marauder's Map!]

[Obtained from the Diagon Alley South Street "Marauder's Map!]

[Obtain the "Knockturn Alley" Marauder's Map!]

[Obtain the Marauder's Map for "Hogsmeade Village"!]

Two days later, on Monday, September 9th.

Mrs. Norris's death did not cause much of a stir among the students. It was already unpopular, and now that it had disappeared without a trace, the students were not only not saddened, but secretly relieved. No one really cared where it went, let alone investigate the reason for its disappearance.

As for Filch, although many students and professors noticed that he had become more irritable and easily angered, often flying into a rage at students over trivial matters, no one noticed his real change—he was increasingly muttering to himself, sometimes forgetful and absent-minded, his gaze wandering, as if his soul had been ripped away.

At breakfast time in the Great Hall, just as the messenger owl flew away from the milk jug, Hermione gasped. She unfolded the newspaper, revealing a large photograph of Dolores Umbridge. She smiled broadly, winking at them repeatedly; the headline read:

"Ministry of Magic Seeks Educational Reform: Dolores Umbridge Appointed as First High Inquisitor"

"Umbridge —a 'High Inquisitor'?" Harry said, frowning, a half-eaten piece of bread slipping from his fingers. "What does that mean?"

Hermione shook her head and read aloud from the newspaper: Due to Hogwarts' worrying decline, the Ministry of Magic passed Educational Decree Number Twenty-Three last night, appointing a High Inquisitor to Hogwarts to review her faculty colleagues and ensure they meet teaching standards.

The current Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor, Umbridge, was given this position.

The newspapers also reported that the Ministry of Magic's new measures received enthusiastic support from Hogwarts students' parents. Rumors also Albus Dumbledore, once the Grand Master of the International Confederation of Wizards and the Chief Warlock of Wizengamot, was no longer capable of managing the prestigious Hogwarts school.

It even quoted a source within the Ministry of Magic as saying that appointing a High Inquisitor is the first step in ensuring Hogwarts has a headmaster whom everyone can trust. The implication is clear: the Ministry of Magic's ambition to replace Dumbledore is blatantly obvious.

Gershilda Marchbanks and Tiberius Ogden Old Grindelwald of Wizengamot, resigned in protest against the appointment of investigators to Hogwarts. But this was to no avail, as reports of Marchbanks's secret collusion with the Goblin Subversion Group Green Demon appeared on page seventeen of the newspaper.

The report quickly spread among the students, and many were discussing it.

The young Slytherin wizards had no idea what was going on; most of them had already known the information the night before.

Percy Weasley reported this matter in an urgent, confidential letter to Skylar with utmost respect.