Walking on the way back to Hogwarts, Lynn's outfit was certainly an eye-catcher.
Lynn walked in front, one hand in his pocket and the other holding his wand, the tip of which trailed behind him like a dog leash, dragging the string of Death Eaters along.
There weren't many people on the road, but every passerby who saw him had a spectacular reaction.
Some were dazed.
Some were calm.
And there was no shortage of those who were confused.
"Ly... Lynn... behind you... those... are they people?"
Lynn stopped and glanced at the girl who had asked him the question.
"Those aren't people," he said. "They're Death Eaters."
The girl's face turned green instantly, and she ran away without saying another word.
Lynn watched the girl disappear into the distance and shook his head.
He had thought he could at least scare one or two people into crying.
Were the students' psychological qualities so good nowadays?
Just as he was about to continue forward, a burst of red fire suddenly exploded in front of him.
Fawkes appeared from within the flames.
Dumbledore stood beside it, one hand resting on Fawkes's back and the other holding his wand.
His expression was calm, not shocked in the slightest by Lynn's actions.
"Mr. Lynn, you've returned."
Lynn looked at him and didn't speak.
Dumbledore glanced at the string of Death Eaters, then back at Lynn.
"You dragged them back?" he asked.
"Dragged them back," Lynn said.
Dumbledore was silent for a second, then reached out and grabbed Lynn's shoulder.
"Let's go," he said. "We'll talk when we get back."
Fawkes gave a clear, melodious cry, spread its wings, and the light flared up again.
That light enveloped Lynn, Dumbledore, and the long string of unconscious Death Eaters behind them.
Then—
Everything vanished in an instant.
Headmaster's Office
Lynn sat opposite Dumbledore and briefly recounted what had just happened in Hogsmeade.
He spoke very quickly.
He arrived, saw the Death Eaters, dealt with them, saved Karkaroff, and dragged them back.
That was it.
After Dumbledore finished listening, he remained silent for a long time.
Lynn sat in his chair with his legs crossed, watching Dumbledore's thoughtful expression, with only one thought in his mind.
When can I leave?
He really had nothing to talk about with this stubborn old man lately.
Every meeting consisted of the same few lines.
"Child, power cannot solve everything."
"Child, you should be gentler."
"Child, compromise is sometimes necessary."
Over and over again, the same old platitudes.
Lynn was tired of hearing it.
It was a testament to his good temper that he could restrain himself from pulling the man's beard in the Headmaster's Office.
Dumbledore finally withdrew his gaze and looked at Lynn.
"The Ministry of Magic..."
"Headmaster."
Lynn stood up and straightened his robes.
"If there's nothing else, I'll be going back. I won't worry about those Death Eaters. Have someone go collect them. Karkaroff is there too, probably still alive."
Dumbledore opened his mouth.
"Good night."
After Lynn finished speaking, he turned and left.
His pace was very fast.
Dumbledore only managed to say "Lyn—" before the door closed behind him.
...
Hufflepuff Dormitory
When Lynn pushed open the dormitory door, Edgar was lying on his bed, holding a Quidditch magazine, staring blankly at a recruitment advertisement for a team on one of the middle pages.
William and Ollie were sitting at their desks, writing furiously, likely doing homework.
Hearing the door, the three of them looked up at the same time.
Lynn walked in and closed the door behind him.
He didn't greet anyone.
He walked straight to his desk, sat down, and pulled the glass bottle out of his pocket.
The glass bottle shimmered transparently under the light.
At the bottom of the bottle, the beetle was curled into a ball, its six legs tucked against its sides and its wings hidden under its shell, motionless.
If its wings weren't still trembling slightly, Lynn would have almost thought it was dead.
Edgar poked his head out and saw the glass bottle in Lynn's hand.
His eyes lit up as he got off the bed, walked over to Lynn in a few steps, leaned down, and peered closely at the beetle inside the glass bottle.
"Lynn, when did you pick up a hobby of keeping exotic pets?"
Lynn glanced at him.
"Bah!"
"Is this an exotic pet?"
Lynn picked up the glass bottle and shook it.
"This is an Animagus."
As soon as he said that, William and Ollie also put down their books and walked over from the window.
The three of them gathered around Lynn's desk, eight eyes staring at the glass bottle as if it were some rare treasure.
"Is this really an Animagus?"
There was a hint of doubt in Edgar's voice.
It wasn't that he didn't believe Lynn, but...
A beetle?
An Animagus?
A magic that less than a dozen wizards in the entire British wizarding world had mastered?
A beetle?
Lynn didn't answer with words.
He proved it directly with action.
He pulled out the cork.
The moment he pulled the cork, Lynn was ready to strike at any time.
If this beetle transformed, attacked, or tried to escape the moment the cork was pulled, he would immediately let it know the meaning of regret.
But the beetle didn't move.
It just stayed curled at the bottom of the bottle, motionless.
Lynn waited for a while, but the beetle still didn't move.
"You..."
Edgar's voice rang out again.
"Are you sure this is really an Animagus? It's not just a regular beetle you caught to make up the numbers, is it?"
Lynn's face darkened.
He drew his wand and pointed the tip at the beetle that was still playing dead in the glass bottle.
A small bolt of lightning shot from the tip and struck the beetle's back precisely.
Zzz—
The beetle's body jerked violently.
Its six legs snapped out from its sides and kicked wildly in the air, while its wings flapped frantically under its shell, making a buzzing sound.
It looked almost half-dead.
Edgar watched the twitching beetle that had been electrocuted, his mouth twitching.
"Is... is it still alive?"
Lynn didn't answer.
He stared at the motionless beetle in the bottle, his gaze turning cold.
"Don't play dead with me. I'll count to five, and if you don't reveal yourself, I'll slaughter you."
As soon as he finished speaking, Lynn began the countdown.
"Five..."
Rita Skeeter felt like dying at this moment.
She was truly paralyzed by the electricity.
"Four..."
"Three..."
"Two..."
Finally, just before the last second's count fell, she forced her body to move again and flew out of the glass bottle.
"One!"
Zzz!
A bolt of lightning flashed, hitting Rita Skeeter just as she transformed into her human form.
Her body jerked violently, and she fell straight onto the floor.
Edgar, William, and Ollie stood by, watching this scene, their mouths hanging open wide enough to fit a goose egg.
It really was an Animagus.
But why did this person look a bit familiar...
"Rita Skeeter!" Edgar exclaimed directly.
Lynn rubbed his ear, which had been bothered by Edgar's shouting, and looked at Rita Skeeter, who was still twitching on the floor.
"I remember warning you," his voice was calm. "Write again, and you're toast."
Rita Skeeter's body shuddered violently.
She shrank further onto the floor, wishing she could hide in the cracks between the floorboards.
"A misunderstanding!"
Her voice was shrill and high-pitched, carrying a terrified sob.
"It's all a misunderstanding! Mr. Lynn—it really is a misunderstanding!"
Lynn didn't speak.
He just looked at her, waiting for her to continue.
Rita Skeeter took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down.
"I... I just wanted to go shopping in Hogsmeade today."
Her voice trembled.
"Really. I just wanted to buy some things and relax. I didn't expect to run into you, let alone those Death Eaters. I—I just saw some excitement and—and—and couldn't help—"
As she spoke, her voice became smaller and weaker.
She probably knew that the excuse "I couldn't help watching the excitement" wasn't a good reason for someone who had been warned, "Write again and you're toast."
But she had no other reason.
She was simply nosy and meddlesome.
When she saw news, she couldn't help wanting to write.
This was her professional instinct, something etched into her bones that she couldn't change.
"I didn't intentionally follow and report on you," she added, her tone earnest. "I really didn't. I was just—just—just passing by. Then I saw you there and—and—and got curious."
Lynn looked at her.
"Taking pictures—"
Lynn only said two words, but Rita Skeeter's expression changed repeatedly.
"I just wanted to photograph the wretched state of the Death Eaters at the time."
Her voice was fast and urgent.
"There isn't a single image of you. Really, not one. You can open my camera and check."
As she spoke, she hurriedly pulled a small magic camera from her robe pocket and held it out to Lynn with both hands.
The camera was silver, with many scratches on the surface, likely having been used for many years.
Lynn took the camera, flipped it over in his hands, and then looked into Rita Skeeter's eyes.
His gaze wasn't heavy or cold, but Rita Skeeter felt as if her soul were being peered through by something.
Legilimency was quietly activated.
After a moment, Lynn withdrew his gaze.
Good.
It seemed this woman still had some memory.
"No need."
He handed the camera back.
Rita Skeeter took the camera.
Although her hands were still shaking, the expression on her face clearly relaxed.
She took a deep breath, slowly exhaled, then looked up at Lynn with a fawning smile on her face.
"Since I've explained everything clearly to you..."
Her voice held a hint of testing.
"Then can I—"
She didn't finish the sentence, but her meaning was clear.
She wanted to leave.
"Want to leave?"
Lynn's voice was calm, completely unrevealing of his attitude.
Her heart rose again, even higher than before.
She nodded frantically, her face full of pleading.
Lynn looked at her and was silent for a while.
"It's not impossible."
Rita Skeeter's eyes lit up.
"Since you're already here and you've taken the photos, write an article before you leave. The title will be—"
"What Is Fudge Hiding?"
---
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