Chapter 664
Discussion on Parchment
Chapter 664 Discussion on Parchment
[Antoine: Hahaha, so they were checking things out. I thought it was strange that they were preparing for the competition now, with two weeks to go.]
On the parchment, Antoine's handwriting exudes a sense of exuberance.
[Antoine: Did you find anything unusual?]
Wade glanced out the window; dusk had enveloped the Salem College plane, with only a few windows still lit.
He lowered his eyes and wrote new words on the parchment:
[Wade: I don't think so. The school was as peaceful as ever today.]
[Antoine: I don't know about other schools, but I can at least guarantee that no students at Salem College have been replaced.]
[Wade: Because you've been watching them?]
Antoine: No, because the spirit of this academy cannot be faked by simply changing one's appearance.
[Antoine: And the students in Salem are very united, like family. You know what? On the day the warriors were selected, I didn't see jealousy or resentment on any of the children's faces.]
[Antoine: So if someone here has been replaced, they'll definitely notice immediately—even confusion spells and memory-altering spells won't help.]
After thinking for a while, Wade put pen to paper again:
[Wade: Actually, I've been thinking lately that the reason the deceased was murdered might not be because he was being impersonated, but because he discovered some secrets of the killer?]
[Antoine: So the skeleton wasn't deliberately buried there, but rather he walked into Hogwarts on his own while he was still alive?]
[Antoine: Maybe that unfortunate fellow intended to tell Dumbledore about his discovery, but unexpectedly got intercepted halfway... and then was exonerated and turned into an unidentified skeleton?]
[Antoine: Your speculation is very interesting; I now think this is the truth.]
Yes, that's what Wade was thinking.
He couldn't help but get up and walk around the room twice. His heart suddenly started beating very fast, and he had a faint feeling of his scalp tingling.
When he put pen to paper again, he could feel his blood rushing through his veins.
[Wade: But that would create a new problem...]
[Antoine: How did the killer gain the victim's trust?]
[Wade: If he were to relay a major secret, he would be extremely nervous and wouldn't easily trust others.]
Antoine: If a stranger... or someone of questionable identity approaches, he will naturally be extremely vigilant. That way, he won't be easily and silently killed so close to the castle... while the headmasters of all the magic schools are at Hogwarts.
[Wade: So the killer must have gained his trust first, by getting close to him.]
[Antoine: And at a time like this, the person trusted by the deceased must be someone from Hogwarts… perhaps even one of Dumbledore's most trusted.]
[Wade: But they weren't replaced.]
Antoine: Are you sure?
[Wade: Confirmed.]
After a long while, new words appeared on the parchment.
[Antoine: In that case... wouldn't things be even more interesting?]
Wade could almost see the expectant, playful smile on his face.
It wasn't malicious, but it was like a child who was born with a penchant for destruction, anticipating the moment when a beautiful scene would be utterly destroyed.
After a long pause, Wade wrote: "This is just speculation between you and me."
[Antoine: Indeed (laughs).] [Wade: Rather than believing that a professor was controlled or bribed, I'm more inclined to believe that the killer is actually hiding in other schools... like Durmstrang.]
[Antoine: Of course, that's quite possible. Dumbledore can't exactly search other people's schools, and the Aurors are bound to be constrained; they can only observe from the shadows.]
[Wade: So your idea is...]
[Antoine: I don't think you're the kind of person who would keep deceiving yourself (laughs).]
Wade's nostrils twitched rapidly as he stared at the line of text on the paper, remaining silent for a long time.
If there was no substitution, could the murderer be a professor at the school?
Whom could he suspect?
As is customary, the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor should be mentioned at this time.
But he looked at it again and again, and Moody was still Moody, not something like "Barty Crouch".
Alastor Moody is a warrior who would rather die than bow down to a dark wizard.
Moreover, Barty the Elder has not returned since leaving Hogwarts last time... Even when it comes to communicating matters related to the competition, it is Ludo Bagman who travels between Hogwarts and the Ministry of Magic.
Could that skeleton be Old Barty?
but……
Although Hogwarts has many talented professors, there are not many who can use dark magic... to kill others silently.
To be precise, besides Dumbledore, only the four house heads, Professor Murray, and Professor Moody possess this level of skill.
If it were Harry, he would have immediately locked onto the target – "It's definitely Snape, I knew he was the one with the problem!"
Wade could almost picture in his mind the expression on his face when he said those words, as well as the reactions of the people around him.
But because he understood the plot, Wade knew perfectly well that Snape was one of the least likely people to betray him.
Because he knew the plot, he also knew that Snape was not only a Death Eater, but also deeply trusted by Voldemort, and even personally taught magic by the Dark Lord in the original books...
When it comes to his understanding of dark magic, he is undoubtedly one of the best among the school's professors.
Professor Morrie...
It's unfair to put him on the suspect list.
Because Professor Morrie had never demonstrated any significant combat prowess. All Wade knew was that he was extremely knowledgeable in alchemy and possessed knowledge of many ancient scripts unknown to most people.
But then again, since we've never seen Professor Morrie fight in person, how can we be sure that he isn't a hidden master?
Given Professor Morrie's age and intelligence, Wade believed that if he wanted to, he could certainly achieve a profound level of expertise in dark magic.
After a long silence, Wade finally responded to Antoine:
Check on two people for me... see if they've shown any unusual behavior recently.
[No problem.] Antoine replied almost instantly: [Three days at most, wait for my reply.]
[Wade: Thank you... I'll leave it to you then.]
Putting away the Book of Friends, Vader sat alone at his desk, extinguishing most of the magic candles, leaving only a flickering flame that cast a wavering shadow before him.
Outside the window, the shadows of the Forbidden Forest trees twisted into eerie shapes in the wind, reminiscent of the moment when the giant trees suddenly came to life. Durmstrang's ship rocked on the water, the lake water splashing against the shore.
Suddenly, his eyelids twitched, and he abruptly turned his head, instinctively holding his breath—
On the distant shore of Black Lake, a figure suddenly entered his line of sight. The person stood quietly by the lake, their outline blurred by the night mist, with only their silver-white hair shining faintly in the darkness.
(End of this chapter)