Hogwarts: This Dark Lord is so evil

Night.

Hogwarts' Great Hall was as bright as day.

Headmaster Dippet stood at the podium at the front and began his speech before dinner.

“I never like to talk too much before dinner, but… please allow me a few extra words today.

Yes… perhaps some of you have already noticed that Professor Dumbledore is not present at the staff table.

Yes, he has some matters that require him to go to America on official business for a while.

During his absence, your Defense Against the Dark Arts class will be temporarily taught by Professor Hicks.”

Headmaster Dippet turned to look at Hicks, “Thank you for your trouble, Professor Hicks.”

“It’s nothing, Armando.

Albus told me about it before he left,” Professor Hicks said with a smile.

Below the stage, the students began to buzz with discussion about the reason for Dumbledore's departure.

These discussions were quickly amplified after Headmaster Dippet announced the start of the meal.

Tom and Leander exchanged a look.

Tom said using a whispering charm, “It seems your plan is starting to work.

Grindelwald has successfully lured Dumbledore away from Hogwarts… Can you not look at me when you use the whispering charm?

It looks too strange!”

Leander had no choice but to turn his head, pretending to fully concentrate on the lamb chop in front of him, “America, huh… It seems Grindelwald still has some attachment to the Magical Congress of the United States.

After all, I heard that President Picquery of the Magical Congress of the United States initially arrested him and imprisoned him for a full six months.”

“Is there such a thing?” Tom asked in surprise.

In his opinion, someone as powerful as Grindelwald should not have been captured so easily.

“Of course.”

“Since he was caught, why was he only imprisoned for six months?

If he had been imprisoned all along, wouldn't there have been so many fewer troubles?” Tom asked, puzzled.

“Only imprisoned for six months?

Of course not!

Grindelwald incited the Aurors who were guarding him in the prison, and then he ran away during the transport to Europe for trial.”

“He’s quite patient then,” Tom said, “If it were me… Humph humph… I would have slaughtered them until corpses littered the field long ago.

Why would I wait until today to plan my revenge?”

“He wants to do great things, how can he have such a small scope like you?

He ran to participate in the election for the President of the International Confederation of Wizards a few years later.

If he took revenge immediately, what would be the point of the election?

Moreover… there wouldn't be a situation where corpses litter the field, because he won't kill too many wizards unless it's absolutely necessary.”

“Why do you always say that I have a small scope?”

“Then why don't you ask yourself why your scope is always so small?”

“You son of a…”

…

Dumbledore's departure did not seem to have much impact on the teaching work at Hogwarts.

Even Professor Hicks, who was temporarily holding two teaching positions, could barely maintain her state.

Before long, the events that happened in the Magical Congress of the United States were transmitted to Britain.

Because the Daily Prophet finally received the news and reported it.

Continuous disappearance events…

Moreover, after Dumbledore arrived, the situation was not quickly resolved.

Instead, the missing people spread from the staff of the Magical Congress to ordinary wizards…

Just by looking at the news brought by the Daily Prophet, Leander could guess how overwhelmed Dumbledore was right now.

Not only Dumbledore, but the Magical Congress of the United States also issued requests for assistance to the magical departments of other countries.

For a time, Aurors from various countries, as well as some righteous and powerful wizards, began to gather in the United States…

Different from the bustle on the side of the Magical Congress of the United States, Hogwarts was still as calm as ever.

“This is the calm before the storm!

Are you really ready?”

In History of Magic class, Tom asked while reluctantly helping Leander copy notes through gritted teeth.

“Don't worry, he won't take action so quickly.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“Have you not noticed Annie's recent whereabouts?”

“She has been a bit mysterious lately.

Could it be… that Grindelwald hasn't determined the exact location yet and intends to let her scout the way?”

“Tom!

You've become smart again!

That's right!

If Grindelwald had already confirmed the location, why would he let Annie inquire around?”

“What if… Annie never finds the location?

Wouldn't your plan never be able to be realized?”

“Don't worry, Annie is also a very capable girl, she will be able to find the location soon.”

“Anyway, I have no clue about this,” Tom frowned.

There was not a single clue, only knowing that it was underground…

Hogwarts has so many secret passages, Tom put himself in their shoes and had no idea how to start.

“If it were you… how would you find it?”

Leander smiled, “I just praised you for becoming smart, and you can't take the praise.”

“Can you stop making fun of me?

Tell me quickly!

Otherwise, I'll deliberately copy a few notes wrong!”

“…Since you sincerely asked, then I will mercifully tell you.” Leander said, pointing the tip of his quill at Professor Binns, who was slowly and methodically reading the textbook on the podium.

Professor Binns is a ghost and also the only ghost professor at Hogwarts who doesn't need to be paid…

“Do you mean to start with the ghosts?” Tom suddenly realized.

If you want to say who knows Hogwarts best, it's not Headmaster Dippet, nor Dumbledore, but these ghosts who have been wandering around Hogwarts for many years!

Ghosts don't need to walk when they want to wander around a castle; in fact, they don't even need to follow routes.

After all, they can not only fly but also pass through walls!

Plus, these ghosts have been in Hogwarts for a very long time. Are there any secret places in the castle that they don't know about?

In other words, as long as Annie thinks of this and asks some ghosts for information, she will definitely be able to find the exact location.

"So, the day Annie finds the exact location is the day the Purist Party attacks…" Tom said slowly.

"Actually… that's not for sure. What if Grindelwald and Dumbledore are having too much fun playing hide-and-seek in America? You know, they used to be each other's beloved…" Levid said with a wicked smile.

"Beloved?" Tom widened his eyes, "Don't tell me… they… they… ugh… disgusting!"

"It's okay, this is the national condition of England, after all." Levid smiled.

Upon hearing this, Tom moved half a step to the side without making a sound.

"Tom, is your action of moving half a step to the side serious? If anyone should be wary, it should be me wary of you, right? You're the Brit!"

…

The disappearances in America continued, and even many Aurors from other countries who came to help disappeared.

But Levid didn't think that these missing people were in any life-threatening danger.

Because even if Grindelwald launched a wizarding war, he couldn't possibly kill so many wizards so unscrupulously.

He would only kill innocent Muggles.

So, those missing wizards… either they were caught and hidden, or… they were members of the Purist Party themselves!

Time quickly came to mid-March.

The disappearances began to gradually decrease, and Dumbledore finally found Grindelwald hiding in the shadows, and it was said that they almost had a big fight…

Unfortunately, the magic of the two was too powerful. After they met, the wizard reporters who were following them couldn't keep up with their pace at all.

And in Hogwarts, Tom, who had been secretly observing Annie for a long time, finally discovered that she had begun to talk to the ghosts in the school.

In other words, she would soon be able to find the place that Levid had specifically prepared for them.

Tom immediately went to find Levid, who was brewing potions in the Room of Requirement, and told him the news.

"Not easy, she's finally about to find it. However, the timing is just right." Levid said, handing over the newspaper that recorded Dumbledore and Grindelwald meeting and almost having a big fight.

"Why do you say that?" Tom asked.

"Dumbledore and Grindelwald seem to have met, and they almost fought several times, which means that Dumbledore has confirmed that Grindelwald is in America."

"Dumbledore confirmed that Grindelwald is in America? Are you saying… Grindelwald wasn't in America at all? This is a trick to make Dumbledore mistakenly believe that he himself is in America?" Tom asked.

"If Grindelwald was there, it wouldn't be almost a big fight, but already a big fight. After Dumbledore was fooled, of course, he wouldn't dare to let Grindelwald run rampant in America, so he was naturally tied to America. In other words, from today onwards, the real Grindelwald will start to act at any time. Get ready, young man."

After Tom pondered for a while, he asked again: "What if Dumbledore receives the information and comes back immediately? You know, wizards can travel very fast."

"When the time comes to act, they will naturally find a way to cause trouble and hold Dumbledore back… Even if Dumbledore is not held back and ignores the affairs in America, and wants to return to Hogwarts, Grindelwald will not suffer. You don't think that he is doing so many things over there just to hold Dumbledore back, do you?"

"Are you saying that if Dumbledore really leaves, then the actions of the American Magical Congress will become real?"

"There has never been a so-called fake action, Tom… So far, so many disappearance cases have occurred, do you know how many vacancies there are in the American Magical Congress?" Levid said leisurely: "People are missing, but the positions can't be vacant all the time, of course, people have to be added, and how do you know if these newly appointed people are members of the Purist Party? As long as Grindelwald deliberately releases a few more people back… How do you know if those who are released back have been developed into the Purist Party? These Purist Party members who control high positions can do a lot of things. Regardless of whether Dumbledore comes back or not, the American Magical Congress will be severely infiltrated by Grindelwald's Purist Party."

Tom asked in surprise: "So… Grindelwald is preparing to seize the power of the American Magical Congress, and then incidentally, use this matter to attract Dumbledore over. And Dumbledore, no matter what, will not be able to change this fact?"

"At least in Grindelwald's eyes, that's the case." Levid smiled. "He wants the power of the American Magical Congress, and he also wants the magical power here! Tom… take notes, the strong never make choices, because they choose to have it all!"