The Prisoners of Hogwarts

Chapter 53 Zhang Xin

Lynch leaned back in his high-backed chair, his fingertips holding the letter delivered by the barn owl; the coolness from the English Channel seemed to still cling to the paper.

He read the news from Paris word by word:

"Lynch, my progress in Paris is going smoothly, and the plan is progressing steadily."

The French Ministry of Magic provided significant assistance through the connections made by those pure-blood families.

The location of the Chamber of Commerce's branch venue has been determined. It is located above Place Furstenberg, adjacent to the French Ministry of Magic, a place where wizards gather.

Various merchants have already started to move in, and the branch venue is scheduled to open at the end of the month, at which time it will replace the current small shop.

The scale and influence of the Chamber of Commerce's branch venues will be incomparable to what they were before.

Also, I have made contact with Nicolas Flamel as planned. He is now using the pseudonym Edward Carter and occasionally comes to Paris to see operas. Thanks to the warning I received last time, my communication with him went relatively smoothly.

Currently, I consider myself a fellow opera enthusiast of his, and we often go to see operas together. He hasn't realized that his true identity has been exposed yet, and things are proceeding as we expected.

Mr. Lemaître... or rather Mr. Carter, in his conversation, revealed not only a genuine love for opera but also a pure passion for alchemy, which is good news for us.

I will gradually reveal our purpose to him over the next few months, and I hope that, as you said, he will agree with our ideas.

In addition, Lucius Malfoy just sent me a message saying that because of your lectures at Hogwarts, there has been quite a stir within the pure-blood family.

Some people believe that ignoring it and suppressing related news is sufficient, arguing that your influence is limited to the classroom and cannot cause any significant disturbance.

But many more people—and their voices are growing louder—are determined to teach you, a mere schoolteacher, a profound lesson. They see your remarks as provocative, a direct insult to their ancient authority.

Since gaining the upper hand in the struggle for power within the Chamber of Commerce, these people have become increasingly reckless in their actions, and their arrogance has grown day by day.

Lucius made a request to me, and he and the purebloods behind him wanted to use the power of the Merchant Guild to find some... well, 'professionals' from outside the British wizarding world to send to Hogwarts to shut you up once and for all.

I need to know your thoughts, how much effort the Chamber of Commerce should put into this matter.

Lin Qi held the letter in his hand, deep in thought.

"Coo-coo..." On the window frame, the barn owl that had completed its long flight seemed a little impatient, letting out a short coo as it preened its somewhat disheveled feathers with its beak, breaking the silence of the room and waking him from his deep thoughts.

He looked up at the messenger by the window, the deep calculation in his eyes vanishing instantly, replaced by his usual gentle calm.

"I'm sorry, hardworking messenger, I forgot to reward you." His voice carried just the right amount of apology.

Lin Qi put down the letter and gracefully raised his hand.

The cupboard door slid open silently, and a few pieces of dried meat and a small bowl filled with water flew steadily to the windowsill and landed in front of the owl.

"Enjoy it; it's what you deserve."

Seeing the owl immediately bury its head in the food and water, Lin Qi turned his attention back to the desk.

He pulled out a brand new sheet of paper, and the quill pen automatically dipped twice into the black ink.

He hesitated for a moment, then lowered his pen and began to write:

"Reggie, my dear friend."

I was delighted to receive your letter, and even more pleased to know that all your work in Paris is going so well.

The choice of location at Forstenberg Place was quite insightful.

This is not just a branch venue or a bridgehead, but also allows us to better understand the movements of the French Ministry of Magic.

Well done! I offer my heartfelt congratulations.

However, please remember our original plan – we only need the Chamber of Commerce to have a stable and influential branch in Paris, not one that excessively squeezes the survival of local shops. You need to carefully grasp the balance; the key is to find the right measure.

Convincing Lemaître is our primary objective for going to Paris, and I don't need to emphasize its importance to you again. There's no need to rush things; time is on our side, and I'll be waiting for your good news at Hogwarts.

As for the small requests from those pure-blood families…” Lin Qi paused slightly as he wrote this, a mocking smile playing on his lips. “My stance is: I will fully support them.”

Since they wanted to give a warm response to what I had said.

Then let's lend them a hand.

Give people when you need them, give money when you need it; don't be stingy.

Our dear Mr. Lucius, having just become the leader of a small group and taken the position he had always dreamed of, desperately needs some "achievements" to prove his abilities, consolidate his leadership, and also to... better serve us.

An old Eastern proverb says it well: "Whom the gods would destroy, they first make mad."

These pure-blood families, indulging in the glory of their ancient lineage, are arrogant, greedy, and short-sighted without realizing it.

We don't need to suppress them; we just need to give them a push from behind so they can stand even higher.

By making these purebloods feel an unprecedented surge in their power and influence, and by indulging them in a false sense of strength, we can eliminate them more thoroughly and efficiently in the future.

So remember to do your best, Reggie.

Use the chamber of commerce's channels to find them some truly skilled people.

I am very much looking forward to seeing how our dear Headmaster Albus Dumbledore will react when these pure-blood wizards trespass into Hogwarts territory.

Let's wait and see...

Your friend, Lynch.

Lynch put down his quill and gently folded the letter.

He took out an envelope, stuffed the letter inside, and with a flick of his finger, a wad of sealing wax appeared out of thin air, sealing the envelope.

Next, he quietly watched the owl on the window frame, waiting for it to finish eating.

......

A new week has begun.

When the first-year Gryffindor students found a new notice posted in the common room, they all began to groan – they were going to have to take flying lessons with the first-year Slytherin students.

Clearly, the lion cubs and the snakes are natural enemies.

Harry tucked his textbook under his arm and walked with Ron to the next classroom.

Ron kept rambling in his ear about his childhood, the story of how he almost crashed into a hang glider while riding his brother Charlie's broken broom.

Everyone from the wizarding family was constantly talking about flying and Quidditch.

This became the center of their conversation over the next few days.

Clearly, the opportunity to learn to fly excited them, especially after their first magic study class, when everyone longed to return to the skies.

When Harry thought of Magic Studies, he thought of Professor Lynch.

Unlike the rest of the castle who always wore wizard robes, he always wore an exquisite suit, making him stand out from the crowd.

He also often wandered around the castle, and Harry saw him several times examining the tapestries on the walls, as if searching for something.

What is Professor Lynch looking for?

This question flashed through Harry's mind.