Archaeologists at Hogwarts

427 Ancient Magic and Dark Magic

Office of Ancient Magic.

An owl flew in from the window and landed on the desk covered with manuscript papers.

Toby conjured up a small dish of water and handed it to the owl, then took the letter it carried, unfolded it and read it carefully.

After a while, another person came into the office - Angela opened the door and walked in. She shook off the dirt on her shoes and complained: "The centaurs in the Forbidden Forest still don't welcome you, even if Hagrid is with you."

It’s useless for me to say nice things - they can’t accept the fact that you will become the principal - I’m talking to you, do you hear me?”

Toby's reaction was very calm. He said without raising his head: "I heard it, but even Firenze doesn't welcome me? He should be the centaur who has the best impression of me."

"Firenz?"

Angela turned her head in confusion, and Al, who was sitting on the flying carpet and humming, floated in. He put the small shovel he used to show off back into his belly pocket and said in a dull tone: "Yeah.

"

[Fierenze knows your temper very well. He knows that if you don't like it, they will be driven out of the Forbidden Forest, but he cannot completely become your tool and become the next leader of the centaurs. He has not yet

Tolerant to this extent.]

Angela's eyes gradually became weird: "When did you talk about these things? Why did you talk secretly behind my back?"

Al gave her a simple response: If I tell you, how can I use you as a shield? What should I do if everything is exposed?

"How could I possibly?" Angela couldn't help but feel guilty as soon as she made the tone. She glared at Al angrily, then simply walked up to Toby and snatched the letter paper from his hand - there were a total of

It was only two lines, but Toby had been reading it for several minutes.

"Severus Snape?" Angela looked at Toby after reading and asked, "He rejected your invitation and is unwilling to return to Hogwarts?"

Toby leaned back on the chair and turned around unconsciously.

"I guess he's had enough." Toby said softly, as if talking to himself.

"No matter what Severus has experienced, he has now fulfilled his ultimate wish, which is to get Lily back. But Lily is destined to never belong to him, so Severus has no need to live well.

, he is free, completely free."

"But besides Lily, there is one thing that he loves deeply - dark magic. Severus has always refused to give up dark magic, just like I refuse to give up ancient magic - and unlike me,

I see ancient magic more as a tool to become powerful, but his genuine love of igniting evil emotions fits him perfectly."

"Unless he can live again, Severus will not give up this path."

Angela blinked curiously.

"Then what will he do?" she asked.

"I don't know." Toby shook his head slowly and said, "And to be honest, I don't really want to know, lest I can't help but feel guilty because I couldn't stop him after he dies.

.It’s very contradictory, but I can’t help it, after all, he was the one who rejected me first.”

Angela stared at Toby silently for a while, and Al quietly jumped on Toby's shoulder, fiddling with his hair.

"You care about Snape?"

"Well, I didn't have many friends when I was in school. He was also one of the few people I would be willing to help plan a murder. The other one was Lily."

"It seems that your popularity is not very good."

"At least other people are afraid of me, and that's enough for me."

"You are really cold-blooded."

Toby opened his eyes and stared at Angela: "Otherwise, what do you think I rely on to prevent me from reuniting the Dumbledore family? I am really cold-blooded."

"As long as you don't be cold-blooded to me." Angela sighed and said, "Don't lie to me anymore. You deceived me so miserably last semester."

"But we still know your true identity." Toby also sighed and said: "Although the result is not good, at least we know it."

"By the way, there's one more thing."

Toby stood up with a headache.

"I have to visit our old headmaster. Ever since McGonagall decided to leave Hogwarts, he doesn't trust me very much."

——

Slughorn was sitting on the comfortable sofa. He also had a headache.

On the coffee table in front of him lay the latest issue of the Daily Prophet that had just been delivered this morning, as well as the Quibbler, which was turned to the first page—the front page.

The two most influential newspapers and magazines published the same article - "Toby Highmore - the new headmaster of Hogwarts".

Judging from the specific content of the article, it is difficult to say whether their editor-in-chief approved it in advance - although the content of the description is slightly different, the method is extremely concise - McGonagall is leaving Hogwarts, and her position

Toby will officially take over.

This is definitely not good news for Slughorn.

He would be happy to see his favorite disciple in a high position, as long as it was not Toby.

In other words, as long as it's not someone who would put in the effort to resurrect Voldemort.

He was one of the few people who knew the news last year because he recognized the man trapped in the armor, and Toby later admitted it.

The results of it?

The result was that after Toby told Dumbledore not to act rashly, even McGonagall was kicked out of Hogwarts.

No need to ask who is next?

The only one with the most seniority is himself.

Although Slughorn himself was reluctant to leave the campus where he felt good, for the sake of safety, he submitted his resignation as soon as possible, hoping to retire safely.

Don't involve him, don't involve him.

The doorbell rang.

Slughorn turned his head in horror. He heard a very familiar voice coming from outside the door.

"Dean, are you at home? It's me, Toby Highmore, your favorite student here to see you."

Toby, Angela, and Al were waiting outside the door.

Not a single movement could be heard from inside the door.

Angela asked Toby with her eyes if he had come at the wrong time.

Toby shook his head, and a trace of black mist spread from his fingertips, extending along the crack of the door like a spider web.

"Don't greet me with this thing!"

The door was finally opened, and Slughorn stood angrily at the door, glaring hard at Toby who had taken the devil back.

"Okay, now you are eager to attack me." Slughorn shouted angrily: "You can't even let me leave decently? You must force me to choose between you and Albus.

Which one can satisfy you?"

"Look what you said." Toby felt as comfortable as returning to his own home. He walked into the house and extended his hand to greet Angela and Al to come in together.

"I wouldn't treat my old dean like this - why haven't you touched the mead I gave you last time?"

Toby pointed to the bottle placed in the corner of the room and asked, "Didn't you say you wanted to keep it for yourself?"

"Because I regret it." Slughorn completely regarded Toby as a broom star: "Take it away quickly, you don't need to give me any gifts in the future - it's best not to have any contact with him."

The expression on Toby's face became more and more strange.

"Your reaction was not so great last semester. What happened? Did someone say something bad? Tell me that person's name——"

"There is no such person at all." Slughorn interrupted: "Never, I only saw you driving McGonagall away - first Albus, then McGonagall, and then there will be

——”

"By the way." Toby also interrupted: "Do you know the news that Lily is still alive?"

"What?" Slughorn was stunned for a moment: "How could she still be alive?"

Toby picked up the magazine on the coffee table and opened it a few times: "There is another news that has not been reported. Dumbledore will return to Hogwarts next semester. It is probably because he has not yet reached an agreement with the ministry.

The announcement of the news has been postponed to a later date, but this is something that Dumbledore and I have already discussed."

"Is there still such a thing?" Slughorn was stunned again.

"That's right." Toby sighed and said: "In addition, Severus also refused the invitation for the position of vice principal for some reason - this position will be vacant as long as I take office, I don't know about you -

—”

"I'm not interested." Slughorn shook his head like a rattle, and his belly trembled violently: "I have no interest in power at all, so don't even think about trying to get me to join you."

"That's it!"

Before Slughorn could react, Toby stepped forward, grabbed his hand and shook it hard: "Then you can continue to go back and be a potions professor. If you are really so uninterested in power, I will

You can also serve as the dean of Slytherin at the same time - I will pretend that I have never seen the resignation letter, and hope to see you again when school starts."

"Hey!" Slughorn shouted at Toby's back: "I didn't promise you!"

"I know." Toby said with a look of no regrets on his back: "But you also said that you don't want to choose someone to take sides, so if you don't want to be recruited by the Order of the Phoenix, then you have no choice but to go back to

It's Hogwarts. Trust me, no one will force you to do anything there, and Dumbledore has no control over my school."

After they were far away from the house, Toby explained to Angela: "The old dean felt the same way, and he thought he would be treated the same as McGonagall. From this point of view, Dumbledore still

It's a good thing that we didn't contact him in advance, so let him retire peacefully at Hogwarts."

Angela doesn't really care about school affairs.

"Where are we going next?" she asked nonchalantly: "Are we going to visit Flitwick or Dean Sprout?"

"They have Mag to comfort them, so I don't need to worry about them."

Toby turned to look at Al: "You should still remember what I said when I first came back to school, right?"

Al felt Toby's thoughts and couldn't help but become excited.

"It's time to explore this school."

Toby tilted his head and showed a satisfied smile to Angela: "The castle has existed for thousands of years, and has gathered so many great wizards and students. Now, I can finally return to my old profession, but here

Before that, we have to go to Gringotts."

"I remember that I only had two of my most precious collections left there, and it was time to take one of them out."

——

Gringotts.

Five of Toby's seven collections have been taken out - the magic ball, the Pharaoh's mask, the scepter, the devil transformed by Andros, and the Goblet of Fire.

It is worth mentioning that although Herbo and Voldemort managed to escape at the end of last semester, they were eager to destroy the Resurrection Stone and did not have time to spend time in the secret room, so they did not lose the few things in it.

——Except for the plant Animagus, which has become Halbo's temporary body, no one knows where he is hiding.

When Toby and his friends arrived at Gringotts, they received a warm welcome.

Toby recognized the goblin Griphook.

At this time last year, Griphook had a brief chat with him about the law of conservation of magic, and was especially worried about the future situation of the goblins.

This time, Griphook's condition seemed much calmer.

"Dear guest, follow me."

He jumped into the narrow trolley first, and then made room for Toby and Angela to sit in. Al was covered by Toby's collar to prevent it from being blown away or stealing something.

thing.

The cart started moving down the aisle.

"Can I ask about the last time we were in the Strange family's vault-"

"cannot."

Facing Griphook's temptation, Toby decisively refused: "You'd better not ask anything."

This has to do with the Golden Cup.

In order to easily obtain Hufflepuff's golden cup, Toby once made a deal with the goblin Griphook on the news about the law of conservation of magic - telling them that the news was correct.

By the way, Toby also told Griphook a fact - under the influence of this law, it is difficult for the goblins to find allies with whom they can join forces.

Griphook was silent for a while. He grabbed the handle of the cart and suddenly turned around and shouted: "The elders think we can cooperate with you, but you must show your sincerity and ability to match in advance, otherwise we will not be able to trust you."

Toby sarcastically said: "This is the last idea you came up with? Asking for help from a curse-breaker who has resigned?"

"It's cooperation." Griphook corrected forcefully: "And we have already inquired, and all the goblins who have cooperated with you said that your professional ethics are very good and you will never let us do loss-making business."

Angela, who was sitting in the back, laughed and said, "I didn't expect you to use all your popularity in a place like this."

"Money is always better measured than feelings." Toby stared at Griphook and said, "But what kind of remuneration can you pay me? I have never been cheap, and to you I am no longer just

He is an ace curse-breaker, but he is also an ace wizard."

Griphook paused, but he didn't pause for long.

It seemed that he had already negotiated a suitable price with the other goblins.

"William, we know that he is yours, and we are willing to give him a seat at the elders' table."

"No, this is not enough." Toby immediately refused: "You have no idea what I want. I died once, Griphook, and I almost could die willingly, but I couldn't.

.”

"I also have a good friend who chose to pursue his own ideals, which inspired me a lot - let me tell you now, Griphook, what I want is to make the magical world become something I like.

look like.”

"When the time comes, it will be up to me to decide whether there will be a place for you."

"Do you understand?"

Griphook shouted angrily: "You are crazy!"

Toby looked at him coldly.

"Otherwise, why do you think I didn't die?"