Three Broomsticks (Thanks to Feifeifei Nuonuo for Another Showcase! Thank You, Boss!)

Hogsmeade was still the same. Flowerbeds along the street were filled with flowers of all colors, and bees buzzed among the blossoms. The distant mountains had turned from the gray-brown of winter to a bluish-green, and new buds were sprouting on the trees on the hillsides. The waters of the Black Lake shimmered with tiny golden lights in the sunlight.

When Su Yu came out of the side gate of the castle, Kurama and Ginny were skipping and jumping along the path chasing butterflies. Every now and then, Ginny would pick a flower and put it in Su Yu's hair.

As a return gift, Su Yu also wove a flower wreath for her and Kurama and put it on their heads. Ginny's happy laughter echoed in the woods. The sunlight shone warmly on them. Birdsong came from the direction of the Forbidden Forest, one after another, like someone playing an unseen instrument playing a tune without beginning or end.

Three Broomsticks stood in the center of town, the brown stone walls glowing warm in the sun, the windows half-open, the wind billowing the curtains, and the sign above the door was spotless, depicting a kindly smiling witch holding a beer mug.

Su Yu pushed open the door, and a wave of heat mixed with the sweet aroma of Butterbeer hit him. Because of the incident that happened some time ago, the Ministry of Magic had not yet lifted the lockdown on Hogsmeade Village. Only a few Hogsmeade villagers remained in a corner, chatting quietly with their glasses in hand. The whole bar was deserted.

Su Yu glanced around, found an empty seat next to the bar, and ordered two Butterbeer and a glass of milk. Kurama- Tailed Fox squatted on the bar, sipping the milk.

Madam Rosmerta was quietly wiping glasses behind the bar. She wore a light green robe, and her blonde hair was piled on top of her head. There were only a few regular customers in the shop, so she was quite free today.

"Mr. Sue Fuli," Madam Rosmerta looked at Su Yu and put down her glass, "You're not here for a drink today, are you? Hogwarts students can't come to Hogsmeade Village these days."

Su Yu chuckled, neither denying it nor denying it. "There's something I'd like to ask about."

"Speak."

"Lodgok."

Madam Rosmerta's expression remained unchanged, but her gaze swept over Su Yu and Ginny's faces, lingered for a moment, and then she turned around, took out an unopened bottle of Firewhisky from the liquor cabinet, poured two glasses, and pushed one towards Su Yu.

"Where did you learn this name from?" Madam Rosmerta picked up her glass and took a sip.

"Dumbledore." Su Yu didn't change his mind.

Madam Rosmerta paused, her glass clinking softly against the bar. "That old man's never had a moment's peace," she said, setting the glass down and crossing her hands on the bar. "Lodgok certainly comes here often."

"Is he here today?" Ginny asked quickly.

Madam Rosmerta gestured with her chin toward the corner.

Su Yu followed her gaze and looked at the table in the far corner, the one closest to the window. Sunlight streamed in through the window, casting a rectangular patch of light on the table.

A Goblin sat in a dark spot, leaning against the wall and facing the tavern. He wore a faded old robe, his hair was gray and messy, and on the table in front of him was a glass of mead, with droplets of water sliding down the side of the glass.

"That's Lodgok," Madam Rosmerta said, her voice lowering. "He comes three or four times a week, sits there alone, doesn't say much, and occasionally nods to acquaintances."

Su Yu watched for a while longer, then put down his wine glass and walked over to him. Ginny followed Su Yu and walked over as well.

Su Yu and Garrett sat down opposite each other. Lodgok looked up from his glass and stared at Su Yu.

"Are you students of Hogwarts?" Lodgok's voice was hoarse, as if he hadn't spoken to anyone in a long time.

"Yu-Su- Fuli, Slytherin third year." Su Yu placed Kurama on the table. Kurama squatted down, his amber eyes staring at Lodgok for a moment. "This is Ginny Weasley."

Lodgok glanced at Ginny, nodded, and then looked at Su Yu.

What brings you here?

Su Yu leaned back in his chair, finding a comfortable position.

"About your brother."

Lodgok's hand remained on the rim of the mead glass. He didn't move for a while before letting go.

"Dumbledore sent you?"

Su Yu didn't answer, but simply said, "Then what do you know?"

Lodgok remained silent for a long time, so long that Kurama shifted his position on the table several times.

Just as Ginny was about to speak, he slowly picked up the mead, took a sip, then raised his hand to rub his temples before speaking slowly, his tone full of emotion.

"My brother and I grew up together and should be connected by blood, but in the end, we've become like strangers."

He paused, gazing out the window at the streets of Hogsmeade, his eyes gradually drifting into the distance.

"In his eyes, all wizards are selfish. For thousands of years, Goblin have been suppressed and despised. He is determined to break free from these constraints and even wants to use the power of Ancient Magic to overturn the existing order and fight for so-called hegemony for Goblin."

He looked away and sighed softly.

"But I don't think so. Wizards and Goblin are not inherently opposed. The way to long-term harmony is for them to coexist peacefully and each do their own thing. I don't want to see him stir up trouble for his obsession and drag the entire Goblin race into war."

"Later, he became obsessed with finding the Ancient Magic Vault, determined to control that power. I knew a lot about it, but I deliberately kept it from him and refused to help him. I knew in my heart that if he succeeded, the peaceful magical world would be thrown into turmoil."

"When he discovered that I knew the truth but deliberately concealed it, and that I did not agree with his radical ideas, he concluded that I had betrayed my tribe and my bloodline. From then on, he completely broke off relations with me and never wanted to have any contact with me again. The two of us brothers were thus completely cut off from each other."

"What is a magic vault?" Ginny asked, puzzled.

"The Vault of Magic, officially called the Ultimate Repository Chamber of Secrets hidden deep beneath Hogwarts Castle. It was crafted by the Goblin craftsman Bragbor and was specifically designed to store and seal Ancient Magic —the most primal, powerful, and untamed magical energy."

"It is the source of Ancient Magic, powerful enough to threaten the entire magical world. My brother wants to find it, unleash all the Ancient Magic within, and use it to wage war against the wizards and reclaim the Goblin ' 'rights'."

Su Yu continued to ask.

"So how does he plan to get his hands on the secret vault?"

Lodgok lowered his voice, his tone tense.

"He had planned this all along. First, he allied himself with a dark wizard who claimed to be from Hell, using Hell's power and the dark wizard's information to help him find clues to the Vault. Second, he led his Goblin, using a giant magical drill to dig all over the Scottish Highlands, relentlessly digging for the entrance to the Vault, almost drilling through Hogwarts' underground. Third, he had been searching for the Bragbor's Journal and the key to open the Vault. Unfortunately, he and that man in black stole the logbook from me a few days ago. Now, he lacks nothing; he wants to absorb all the Ancient Magic into himself and become invincible."