Dumbledore's Army Is Formed

Skylar carefully took out a list of Order of the Order of the Phoenix members from his confidential folder. He found Yusof Kama's name in the long list, a cold glint in his eyes, and marked it with a red "X" with his wand.

This person's abilities are too dangerous; he must be eliminated as soon as possible.

Kama possesses an unknown Animagus transformation form, making him the perfect candidate for the Order of the Phoenix to use for surveillance and tracking.

If the person he was monitoring was Skylar himself, that would be fine. Skylar possesses powerful counter-tracking abilities such as Divine Insight of Amaterasu, the Magic Eye, and the Formless Phantom, making it unlikely that Kama could secretly monitor him without him noticing.

However, if Kama chooses to monitor Daphne, Astoria, and others, it will be difficult for them to detect her, which could potentially leak information about the Sleeping Dragon Society. Skylar has no better way to deal with this, so Kama's existence is a threat that cannot be ignored by the Sleeping Dragon Society.

Several thoughts raced through his mind, and a vague idea had already formed in his mind.

Then, he turned his attention back to the Marauder's Map.

At this moment, it can be basically confirmed that the students appearing in the Hog's Head Inn are the original members of "Dumbledore's Army". Skylar looked at the names marked on each small black dot and found that they were similar to the original members recorded in the original work, except that two people were missing - Luna Lovegood and Susan Bones.

Including the three Founders of Harry Potter and the Trio, there are a total of 26 people.

It seems that Harry's "Savior" reputation, coupled with Hermione's planning and Ron's help, is quite appealing.

Of course, strictly speaking, Cho Chang wasn't a member of the Dumbledore's Army. She was a spy he had deliberately planted there. With Cho Chang around, none of Harry's actions could be hidden from Skylar.

He looked at the small black dots on the map and scoffed disdainfully. The purpose of the Dumbledore's Army was not simply to learn Defence Against the Dark Arts, but also to help Harry build his power and recruit followers, and to fight against Umbridge's tyranny.

Therefore, this student organization was established as an underground secret organization. To ensure its absolute safety, the clever Hermione even set up a contract magic on the membership list, which would curse anyone who violated the rule and revealed the organization's existence.

Skylar maintained his disdain and shook his head. Hermione was ultimately inexperienced. Although the Hog's Head Inn was sparsely populated, the crowd was diverse, and everyone was veiled, making the quiet environment even easier for eavesdropping. Their sense of secrecy was clearly terrible. If it were Skylar, even if he didn't find a secluded Chamber of Secrets or private box, he would at least cast a soundproofing spell.

Many people in the Hog's Head Inn had already noticed their movements. Kama, who was overseeing them in place of the Order of the Order of the Phoenix, was one of them, and Willie Windsing, who had just left, was also monitoring them for Umbridge. Even if there were other surveillance agents from other factions there, Skylar wouldn't be surprised. Not to mention, there was Skylar himself, the behind-the-scenes monitor, who, using the Marauder's Marauder's Map, had directly obtained the identities and names of all the participants.

As night fell, candlelight flickered quietly in the Chamber of Secrets beneath the Miraculous Alchymia, casting dancing shadows on the stone walls. This place, connected to the Secret Passage on the fifth floor, had long been a secret stronghold of the Sleeping Dragon Society.

Tonight, all the group leaders of the Sleeping Dragon Society were present, sitting around a large conference table, exchanging hushed conversations until the door to the Chamber of Secrets slowly opened.

Skylar stepped in, with Phoebe beside him moving gracefully. Her icy blue eyes shimmered slightly in the candlelight, reflecting the curious or scrutinizing gazes of the crowd.

Tonight's meeting has two important purposes. First, to formally introduce Phoebe Delacour — Phoebe is not only Skylar's girlfriend, but her family is also his loyal ally. As the eldest daughter of the Delacour Family, her loyalty is beyond question.

Phoebe is already managing the Miraculous Alchymia for Skylar, so she won't be holding any position within the Sleeping Dragon Society. However, as the "gatekeeper" of the fifth-floor Secret Passage exit, it's still important to introduce her to the core members of the Sleeping Dragon Society.

Of course, there is another, more personal reason. As one of Skylar's official girlfriends, Phoebe will inevitably have to spend time with Daphne, Morrie, Astoria, Luna, and Cho Chang in the future, sharing a boyfriend. Therefore, mutual recognition is particularly important to ensure that Skylar will not face a situation of his harem falling apart in the future.

Phoebe surveyed the girls present, her gaze confident and composed, a smile playing on her lips. She didn't try to please anyone, but rather stood firmly beside Skylar with her own elegance and charm, without any fear.

The other girls always looked up to Daphne, and since Daphne chose not to speak, the other girls naturally didn't dare to say anything either.

After a brief introduction, Skylar led everyone into the Suitcase Space.

In the deep, dark land of dragons, the low roars of the Hebridean Black Dragon echoed through the air. Phoebe finally saw her own Black Dragon —its scales shimmered with a deep, obsidian-like luster, and its golden vertical pupils reflected her image, exuding a cold, majestic aura. Skylar stood beside her and said softly, "From today onward, this dragon is your partner. At the same time, you must also cultivate teamwork and coordination with the others. In the future, we will form a true Magical Dragon Rider Corps."

Phoebe chuckled, gently stroking the Black Dragon's nose with her finger, her eyes flickering slightly. "Don't worry, I definitely won't let you down."

Phoebe's innate bloodline talent allows her to easily charm other creatures, even Dragon. Taming a tamed Dragon is naturally a piece of cake for her.

Next, the meeting moved on to the second agenda item.

Thanks to Skylar's prior warning, everyone noticed that a large number of Hogwarts students had gathered at the Hog's Head Inn today, and Cho Chang was among them.

Therefore, everyone quietly turned their attention to Cho Chang, waiting for her report.

Cho Chang was about to speak when Skylar suddenly raised his hand to stop him.

"Stop!" His voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable authority that made her freeze in place.

Cho Chang paused, looking at him with a puzzled expression. Skylar said in a low voice, "Before the meeting ended, didn't Granger take out a piece of parchment and a pen and have everyone write down their names?"

"Ah!" Cho Chang seemed to realize something. "You mean, there was something tampered with on that paper?"

Skylar nodded and said in a deep voice, "Don't underestimate Granger. She's meticulous, cautious, and well-read, with expertise in many obscure and rare spells. To keep the organization's existence secret, she'll definitely have taken preventative measures in advance. I can confirm that."

Cho Chang frowned slightly, a vague unease creeping in. As the leader of the Dragon Soul team, she had always been responsible for creating various barriers and deciphering magic for Skylar, yet she had been negligent in this area. She felt she had let Skylar down. She lowered her head and said with shame, "I'm sorry, Skylar. I was careless."

Skylar smiled faintly and reached out to touch her black hair. "Don't feel sorry, just be more careful next time."

Only after seeing Cho Chang smile did he withdraw his hand and say seriously, "From the moment you signed that piece of paper, you were bound by the contract magic. The core of this magic is the leak punishment mechanism—if you reveal any information about the organization, even just a single word, you will suffer the backlash."

Cho Chang's expression immediately changed.

"H-How could this be?" she muttered unconsciously, Hermione's serious expression flashing through her mind, her heart pounding. She suddenly felt a little worried for her best friend Marietta Edgecombe, who was unaware of the curse and might suffer because of it. But she had just made a mistake, and Skylar hadn't punished her, so she dared not bring it up again.

"It's very likely that Hermione placed some kind of curse on the parchment you signed." Skylar crossed his arms, his tone devoid of emotion. "There are many kinds of this kind of magic, the most common being a variant of the 'Disfigurement Curse.' The caster can set trigger conditions, and if these conditions are violated, your face will be covered in permanent pockmarks—not only can they not be removed with ordinary magic, but they may even worsen over time."

Cho Chang couldn't help but gasp, reaching up to touch her face; her fingertips were slightly cold. She could almost picture the terrifying sight of her face covered in pockmarks, and a chill ran down her spine.

"So, I'd better check first." Skylar's voice was deep as he looked at her, his eyes narrowing slightly, and he raised his wand.

"The Hex Reveal!"

A pale blue light shone from the tip of Skylar's wand, flowing across Cho Chang's skin like transparent ripples. Everyone held their breath, watching as the light paused slightly on her cheek. A moment later, a small but twisted black rune slowly emerged, disappearing beneath her skin like a brand.

Cho Chang's eyes widened, a chill running down her spine. "Really...?"

"Of course," Skylar scoffed. "I never do anything I'm not sure I can do."

He raised his hand and chanted an ancient incantation in a low voice. A deep blue light flashed at the tip of his wand, the rune trembled slightly, and then suddenly shattered into specks of golden dust, dissipating into the air.

The curse is lifted.

Cho Chang could almost feel a sense of relief on her face, as if some invisible constraint had been released. She let out a long sigh of relief, though her heart was still beating a little fast.

"That's enough." Skylar put away his wand, looking at her calmly. "Now you can speak with confidence."

Although everyone here had witnessed Skylar's power, they still couldn't help but feel admiration and worship for his performance. He was able to deduce the existence of contract magic simply from Hermione's personality, and even find it in such a short time and break it cleanly and efficiently. His intellect and strength were truly admirable.

Cho Chang steadied himself, took a deep breath, and finally began his report.

"There were twenty-six people at the Hog's Head Inn party, mostly Gryffindor students, six Ravenclaw, and only four Hufflepuff..." Cho Chang spoke steadily, but her eyes still held a complex emotion of reminiscence.

"Hermione was in charge of overseeing the entire operation, maintaining strict discipline. She declared from the outset that this student organization must remain absolutely secret." Cho Chang paused. "She said this organization was to resist Umbridge's tyrannical rule and to ensure that Hogwarts students could truly learn useful Defence Against the Dark Arts."

"Harry was the nominal leader; he was responsible for recounting his past experiences fighting the Dark Arts, especially his encounter with Voldemort." She frowned slightly, her gaze complex. "He was standing in the center, looking somewhat nervous, but later, when he began to recount his duel with Voldemort in the Triwizard Tournament, his demeanor... became completely different."

Skylar's eyes flickered slightly, but his tone remained calm. "How is it different?"

"His eyes... saw a strange light." Cho Chang recalled, Harry's expression flashing through her mind. "When he spoke of how the Voldemort had returned through the resurrection ritual, his voice was deep and firm, even carrying a—" She hesitated, then continued, "A hint of excitement and longing."

A moment of silence fell over the Chamber of Secrets.

The gazes of everyone shifted slightly and converged.

"Continue," Skylar said calmly, tapping his fingers lightly on the table.

Cho Chang pursed her lips and continued, "Aside from Harry and Hermione, Ron's presence is relatively weak. Although he stands with Harry, he clearly doesn't have his own ideas and relies more on Hermione's arrangements."

"And then there are those who follow Harry," she whispered. "I can see that many people are filled with awe for him, even a bit of blind worship."

"Including you?" Luna suddenly asked, her voice leisurely.

Cho Chang paused slightly, then sneered, "He might be able to fool others, but he can't fool me." She looked up at Skylar, her gaze resolute, "Whether it's Quidditch or this 'army,' I see it very clearly— Harry doesn't have real leadership skills. His only advantage is his identity as 'Voldemort's enemy.' As for Hermione, she's trying to use her intelligence to mold a new Gryffindor leader."

She paused, her tone growing even colder. "Their goal is clear—if this so-called 'Dumbledore's Army' you speak of grows stronger, it will not only be a force against Umbridge, but also a political power within Hogwarts."

"... are also potential competitors of our Sleeping Dragon Society."

As soon as he finished speaking, the atmosphere in the Chamber of Secrets became noticeably more tense.

Skylar remained silent, his fingers tapping rhythmically on the table, as if deep in thought. After a moment, he smiled slightly, his voice low and deep. "Interesting."

"Skylar," Daphne began, "I've heard that Gryffindor's McLaggen has also started recruiting, and now Potter's 'Dumbledore's Army' has joined the fray. How should we deal with this?"

Skylar smiled, stood up from his seat, signaling the end of the meeting, and said softly, "What does this have to do with us?"

"But—" Daphne blinked, "Won't the sudden appearance of other student organizations at Hogwarts cause conflicts with us?"

"McLaggen represents Umbridge, Potter represents Dumbledore. You might as well think about what will happen once these two organizations eventually clash?" Skylar said with a smile, but a sharp glint was already flashing in his eyes.

Everyone fell into deep thought.

Umbridge actually represents the Ministry of Magic, which is Fudge's faction. Her only mission is to expel Dumbledore from Hogwarts.

Daphne muttered, then her eyes lit up. "Dumbledore!" she exclaimed abruptly.

"You're right, Daphne. Dumbledore can't possibly confront the Ministry of Magic head-on. Once he leaves..." Skylar gave Daphne an approving smile, then slowly, deliberately, said, "Hogwarts might very well be in my hands."