Harry nodded and considered the matter for a moment before continuing, "In that case, I'll have Lucius make the necessary arrangements. By taking control of the Daily Prophet, we can shape public opinion. That should prevent any serious problems."
Mr. Weasley finally relaxed. "That's wonderful. Lucius may not be much of a person, but no one can deny that he's capable. With him handling this, we won't have to worry about it.
"Speaking of which, I never asked you this before. When did you reach an agreement with Lucius and those other pure-blood families? They used to be so loyal to Voldemort, yet now they're willing to betray him for you."
The question had troubled Mr. Weasley for a long time. From what he knew of Lucius's personality, the man should never have betrayed Voldemort and defected to Harry's side.
Yet events had unfolded in a way that completely defied his expectations. Lucius truly had betrayed Voldemort.
Harry smiled. "Mr. Malfoy and I spoke at length. Eventually, he realized that even if Voldemort seized power, someone as selfish as Voldemort would never allow the pure-blood families to profit very much.
"Money makes the world go round. I promised to support his bid to become Minister for Magic, and in exchange, he agreed to do everything in his power to introduce Muggle technology into the wizarding world.
"In truth, it's nothing more than a transaction. Lucius doesn't actually care that much about the supposed honor of pure blood. What he truly values is his family's prestige, along with his own power and wealth."
Mr. Weasley completely accepted Harry's explanation. He nodded and said, "Yes, that makes sense. So that's what happened. Now that sounds like the Lucius I know."
Harry calmly continued eating without revealing anything. The truth was entirely different from what he had told Mr. Weasley. He had used binding contracts to force Lucius and the members of the other pure-blood families to serve him.
Naturally, Harry would never tell anyone about that, not even Dumbledore. After all, controlling people through magically enforced contracts sounded far too much like something a demon would do.
After spending another three days at the Burrow, Harry and Ron departed for Hogwarts.
There was still more than a month before the beginning of the school year, and Harry had no intention of wasting that time.
He planned to spend most of it absorbing the Soul King's authority, while using the remainder to upgrade Hogwarts.
However, shortly after arriving at the castle, he received a piece of news he had never expected.
...
The moment Harry pushed open the door to the headmaster's office, warm golden light enveloped him.
Dozens of enchanted candles floated beneath the vaulted ceiling, their flames flickering quietly without dripping a single drop of wax. Their light filled the entire room with a comforting warmth.
Although Muggle technology could now be used within Hogwarts, and even the castle's permanent wards had been modified so they no longer interfered with technological devices, the elderly wizard before Harry still refused to use electric lights. Instead, he continued to rely on traditional enchanted candles.
It was not difficult to understand why. Technological devices primarily benefited the countless ordinary witches and wizards who lacked exceptional magical ability. For a wizard of Dumbledore's caliber, technology was not even as convenient as his own magic.
Dumbledore sat behind his desk, amusing Fawkes, who was perched on top of it.
At the faint creak of the door hinges, Dumbledore looked up. The blue eyes behind his half-moon spectacles curved into cheerful crescents.
He did not rise. He merely smiled and tilted his chin in greeting while reaching into a desk drawer with his other hand. He withdrew a tin decorated with delicate silver patterns.
"Excellent timing, Harry," he said, his voice as warm and clear as milk stirred with honey. "I've just received some new sweets from Honeydukes. There are lemon drops and coconut ice that actually hops. Which would you like to try?"
The instant he opened the tin, a sweet fragrance drifted through the room.
Apparently attracted by the scent, Fawkes flapped his wings and flew onto Dumbledore's shoulder, nuzzling his head against the side of the old wizard's neck. Dumbledore raised an eyebrow, selected a sweet wrapped in gold foil, and offered it to Harry.
Harry accepted the gold-wrapped sweet. The wrapper still carried a faint chill from the tin.
He gently unwrapped it, releasing the fresh scent of lemon mixed with honeyed sweetness. Only after placing the sweet in his mouth did he look at Dumbledore, his expression curious but serious.
"Professor, you asked me to return before the holiday ended. Has something important happened?"
Dumbledore lightly tapped his fingertips against the desk. Fawkes hopped down from his shoulder and landed on the corner of the desk, where he began preening his feathers.
Dumbledore removed his half-moon spectacles and gently polished the lenses with a velvet cloth. In the candlelight, his blue eyes looked especially kind.
"There's no need to rush, Harry. Finish your sweet first." He put his spectacles back on and regarded Harry with a faint smile. "Some matters require us to sit down and discuss them carefully."
Judging by Dumbledore's unhurried reaction, the matter was probably not urgent. Alternatively, it might have been extremely urgent, but nothing they did in the immediate future would make any difference.
Harry allowed the sweet to dissolve in his mouth as the tart and sugary flavor of lemon slowly spread across his tongue.
He leaned back in the chair beside the desk and watched Fawkes finish preening his feathers before hopping over to peck at a tiny breadcrumb. Only then did Harry turn back to Dumbledore.
"So what exactly happened, Headmaster?"
The smile on Dumbledore's face gradually faded. He gently patted Fawkes on the head, allowing the phoenix to settle on his shoulder, while his fingers unconsciously traced the edge of the tin.
Warm golden candlelight danced across his silver beard, but the kindness it had illuminated earlier was gone.
The blue eyes behind his half-moon spectacles darkened, and when he spoke again, his voice was lower, carrying a barely perceptible gravity.
"It concerns two objects, Harry. The Resurrection Stone and the Elder Wand."
He paused. When Harry's expression instantly tightened, Dumbledore continued.
"They've been stolen. Someone is deliberately gathering the Deathly Hallows, and now... only your Invisibility Cloak remains."
As his words fell, the candle flames throughout the office seemed to tremble. Fawkes uneasily rubbed his head against Dumbledore's neck and released a quiet trill.
Harry frowned in confusion. "Was it Voldemort? Who besides him would be after the Deathly Hallows? More importantly, who else could steal them from you?"
Dumbledore slowly shook his head, causing his silver-white beard to sway gently.
He rose and walked to the window, looking out over Hogwarts beneath the night sky. Moonlight streamed through the glass and fell across his body, making his silhouette appear even more solemn.
"I examined the magical traces throughout the castle. The thief's methods were highly unusual. He possesses a special power capable of bypassing the defensive magic I placed around the Hallows. He moved like a phantom and left no trail whatsoever.
"Voldemort is certainly powerful, but his instinct is to break through defenses with overwhelming force, not bypass them in this manner.
"This ability seems more like an innate gift for concealment, or perhaps a form of ancient magic that remains unknown to us."
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