The Appearance of Fire Shield, an Unknown Faction

"What is a Malfoy family trade card? Is it important?"

Several young wizards asked in confusion, while a few wizards nearby explained.

"A Malfoy family trade card is only given to people with potential who have yet to rise to prominence."

"It's a rather unconventional form of investment, but it's indeed rare for someone to receive a Trade Gold Card at such a young age."

Many of the first-year students around them came from pure-blood families and had heard of the Trade Gold Card.

No one had expected an orphan like Lyon to receive one. It could only mean that Lyon himself was exceptionally capable.

Even students as proud as those from Slytherin House respected someone who possessed such formidable abilities at such a young age.

Many people turned to look at Draco Malfoy.

Draco Malfoy was probably utterly humiliated this time. His face was bright red, and if he backed down now, he would definitely become the laughingstock of the entire school year.

And it would also be like telling everyone that he was inferior to Lyon!

Malfoy's face was flushed crimson.

No, he had to think of something!

"Anyway, what you did just now was unfair! That was a sneak attack!"

Lyon smiled at that, looking at Draco with an amused expression. "Then what do you want?"

Draco's eyes shifted. Suddenly, he grinned. "Of course, we compete fairly!"

"Goyle and Crabbe both want to be prefects. We can go one at a time."

"If you've got the guts, duel us properly. Goyle goes first, then Crabbe, and then me."

After saying that, Draco wore a confident smile. Goyle and Crabbe might have been stupid, but they had learned a few Dark Magic spells before school began.

Lyon was only good at the Fiendfyre Curse. He definitely would not dare use Fiendfyre in front of so many teachers and students.

"No need to make it so troublesome. The three of you can come at me together."

Lyon tilted his head slightly. Draco stared at him in disbelief, while murmurs rose from the surrounding crowd.

"Mr. Lyon, although your spells are powerful, Slytherin will not be as reckless as Gryffindor..."

Snape remained expressionless, but anyone with eyes could tell that he was taking Lyon's side.

Lyon shook his head and smiled at the three Malfoys. "I just don't like trouble."

Malfoy felt as though he had been humiliated. Lyon's gaze was like a blade slicing through his pride.

He exchanged a furtive glance with Goyle and Crabbe.

"Many Bullets Blazing!"

"Leg-Locker Curse!"

"Freezing Curse!"

In an instant, under everyone's shocked gazes, three spells shot toward Lyon at once!

They had actually launched a sneak attack!

Lyon was not even holding a wand. At a moment like this, he was most likely to get hit!

Many people below the stage tensed up, and Snape's pupils contracted. His hand had already reached for his wand, ready to intervene!

Yet Lyon showed no sign of panic. Under everyone's astonished gazes, he even raised his hand.

"Fire Shield!"

Instantly, black-red flames ignited wherever Lyon's fingers passed!

The flames became a wall of fire in an instant, forming a circle around him!

The three spells had already reached the fire wall, but the moment they touched it, they suddenly vanished.

The fire wall was like a beast that devoured anything in its path. It swallowed everything that came near, and even Snape beside them did not dare make a move at that moment!

"Fiendfyre Incineration!"

Before anyone could react, three pillars of flame flew onto Malfoy and the other two, immediately setting their clothes ablaze!

Snape's eyes widened as he stared at the fire wall in disbelief. That was Grindelwald's signature technique!

But he had no time to think about that. Lyon had just used the Fiendfyre Curse on Malfoy and the other two!

Without master-grade control over the Fiendfyre Curse, Malfoy and the other two would be burned to death in mere seconds!

But it was already too late!

"Ah! Dad! I'm going to burn to death!"

"Help! Mom!"

"I'm going to die! I haven't even eaten my pumpkin pie yet!"

Malfoy and the other two rolled around on the ground in terror. Everyone below the stage wore expressions of disbelief. A few people recognized the spell—it was the Fiendfyre Curse!

It was over. Malfoy and the other two were done for this time!

But to everyone's surprise, they discovered that the flames had actually gone out!

Fiendfyre could be extinguished?

They looked incredulously at Lyon in the center. Lyon smiled elegantly and calmly at Snape. "Professor Snape, I believe I won this duel?"

Snape opened his mouth and looked at Malfoy and the other two.

Yet he found that aside from being burned down to their underwear, they did not have a single injury on their bodies!

Master-grade Fiendfyre Curse?!

This... could Lyon be a genius?

Still, judging by Malfoy and the others' mental states, they probably would not be attending class tomorrow.

Snape swept a disgusted glance over their equally soaked underwear. "Send the three of them to the Hospital Wing."

"From today onward, Lyon will be the first-year prefect."

The other freshmen did not dare utter a word of objection. They were still shocked by Lyon's Fire Shield and Fiendfyre Curse.

And he was supposed to be a first-year student?

If Lyon had not held back, Malfoy would already have been reduced to ashes by those flames.

"All right, everyone else return to your dormitories and sleep. Mr. Lyon, come to my office."

The crowd dispersed and returned to their dormitories, but no one was in the mood to sleep.

Every dormitory was discussing what had just happened with Lyon.

In Snape's office, Snape casually waved his wand, and a stool slid over in front of Lyon.

Lyon sat down, and Snape's voice followed.

"What is your relationship with Lucius Malfoy?"

Lyon raised an eyebrow and smiled at Snape. "Just an ordinary business partnership."

"A business partnership? Lucius is not someone who casually gives a Trade Gold Card to others."

"But I want to warn you about one thing."

Snape's expression turned serious. "A person like Lucius only pursues profit."

Lyon looked directly at Snape and thought for a long time. "Why are you telling me this?"

Looking at Lyon, who carried such a mature air, Snape felt as though he were speaking to an old hand who had spent years navigating Wizarding Society.

"As the leader of the Razor Gang, you should have sensed that there has been a faction moving recently, shouldn't you?"

Lyon frowned. "Go on."

Snape stared at Lyon for a long time. "The Ministries of Magic in Austria and Russia have lost contact with the British Ministry of Magic. Recently, many people in Diagon Alley and Knockturn Alley have been buying up shops. Some are your people, while others belong to that unknown faction."

"You have met Dumbledore. I can only tell you that I am not your enemy."

Snape's words were meaningful, leaving Lyon deep in thought.

Could it be Voldemort? No, that did not seem right. Voldemort was still clinging to the back of Quirrell's head.

Austria... Russia...

He seemed to remember something.

Durmstrang Institute, one of the three great schools, should be in Russia, shouldn't it?

And what was in Austria?

Anything capable of becoming a faction was something he should know about. How could he possibly know nothing about this unknown force?

Wait, he had a guess.

Was Nurmengard, where Grindelwald was imprisoned, located in Austria?

He was not familiar with Europe's geography. In his previous life, he had never bothered remembering place names while reading novels.

"Professor Snape, is Nurmengard located in Austria?"

"How do you know about Nurmengard?" Snape frowned. Only older-generation wizards should have been familiar with that place.

"So it is in Austria?" Lyon did not answer and instead asked another question.

"Yes. Could it be that you mean..."

Snape trailed off, feeling that the thought was absurd.

Was Lyon referring to Grindelwald?

Grindelwald no longer had any magic. How could this possibly have anything to do with him?

The Saints had been scattered more than a decade ago. Those who could be captured had been captured, and those who could be killed had been killed. There should still have been some operating in secret, but if Grindelwald had not recovered his magic, those people probably would not return to him.

"That is not a problem you need to face right now."

"You are a smart person. I do not want you to become someone like those Gryffindors, a baboon who only knows how to wave a wand around."

"And..."

The coldness in Snape's gaze lessened as he looked at Lyon, and he continued.

"If anything happens, you can come to me."

"All right, you may leave."

Author's Note: I've recently read many readers' comments, so I'll give a unified reply here. I personally love the original work very much, and I do not wish to use my clumsy writing to turn the story of Harry Potter into something unrecognizable.

The reason I added some original settings is that everyone likes the Harry Potter story, but the original plot has already been completed. So, if I want to create something new based on it, I have to add certain elements. Of course, so long as it does not affect the plot, I will take everyone's suggestions into consideration.

My abilities are limited, and there are many places where I have not written well enough. Please feel free to point them out. Next, I will be posting more chapters. For the sake of my daily meals, dear readers, please send a few free gifts, hhh.

Life really is stressful. I do the hardest work for the lowest pay. I did not update yesterday because I could not afford the rent and had to go work a part-time job. I hope this book can at least help me barely survive.

Thank you to everyone who has read this far. Please tap for more updates and leave a book review. It is very important to me. Thank you!