The Prisoners of Hogwarts

Chapter 30 Injuries and the Pureblood Conference

Lin Qi felt as if his body was a piece of porcelain shattered into millions of pieces, which had been carefully pieced back together.

It's as if a single action, or even just the next instant, could cause it to fall apart completely.

He slowly extended his right index finger, and a Galleon appeared at his fingertip, slowly spinning.

With a thought, Galleon vanished, and a piece of dung appeared at his fingertips—the very one Snape had given him.

With a slight movement of the fingertip, the large chunk of dung was divided into several smaller pieces.

All the dung stones fell into Lynch's hands.

Maintaining a slow motion, Lynch put one of the pieces into his mouth.

Then he closed his eyes and tried to regulate his breathing.

After a while, he sensed his own condition again.

It still looked like a broken piece of porcelain, but this time, the cracks in the porcelain were filled with glue.

The tearing, pulling sensation inside the body was replaced by a sticky, stable feeling.

He slowly got out of bed, without using any more magic, and changed into his pajamas.

He swallowed the small piece of dung he was in, so that it could provide him with continuous protection, and then placed the remaining small pieces of dung on the bedside table where he could easily reach them.

Finally, he lay down on the bed and fell into a deep sleep.

The incessant knocking, growing louder and louder, woke Lin Qi from his deep sleep.

When he opened his eyes, he saw that the room was dark.

Only the sunlight seeped in through the gaps in the curtains, bringing a sliver of light into the room, indicating that the night had passed.

His mind was a complete blank, and for a moment he couldn't even tell where he was in the depths of his being.

I instinctively wanted to sit up.

Unexpectedly, it was fine when he lay still, but as soon as he moved, it felt like a giant axe had split his head open.

My head suddenly felt like it was splitting open.

Lin Qi couldn't help but let out a muffled groan.

Outside the bedroom door, Totz paced anxiously in circles.

Last night, Mr. Lin Qi said he wasn't feeling well and went back to his room to rest.

But he didn't show up until breakfast time this morning.

He assumed his husband wasn't feeling well and wanted to rest a bit longer, so he didn't pay much attention.

But to my surprise, it was almost dusk, and the gentleman was still nowhere to be seen.

This worried Totz terribly, so he mustered up his courage and knocked on the door, wanting to know how the gentleman was doing.

Suddenly, his enormous ears picked up a noise coming from inside the bedroom.

That was the suppressed cry of human suffering.

Upon hearing that voice, Totz's already heightened anxiety reached its peak.

He remembered the stone path that Mr. Lynch had specially laid out in the Forbidden Forest for his safety, and he remembered the respect his mother showed towards Mr. Lynch in her earnest teachings and admonitions...

The string of reason in his mind snapped.

At that moment, Torts forgot the rule that house-elves cannot use magic without their master's permission. Mr. Lynch's safety was more important to him than the millennia-old rules passed down by house-elves.

"Mr. Lynch!!"

He raised his arm and swung his slender fingers down sharply.

The door frame groaned under the strain, and the metal parts of the door lock twisted and deformed.

Lin Qi sat on the bed, let out a muffled groan, and then his rationality returned to his mind.

But the headache was so severe that he had to put one hand on his head and use the other to reach for a small piece of dung stone on the bedside table and put it in his mouth.

It was at this moment that he witnessed the entire process of his bedroom door flying off.

The heavy wooden door was forcefully knocked off from the outside, passing through Lin Qi's bedroom and slamming against the wall, causing wisps of dust to fall.

The airflow from the door as it flew through the bedroom hit his face, causing him to squint slightly.

He closed his eyes, then opened them again.

The door panel had been shaken off the seemingly indestructible stone wall made of white bricks and landed on the floor, with a large crack in the middle, making it unusable.

The air blasts from the door flying and landing lifted the curtains, causing them to sway and rise in the airflow, allowing more light to enter the room.

He watched as Torts rushed in from outside the door to his bedside, his face full of anxiety.

Whether it was the fecal stone in his mouth that had an effect, or the unexpected event caused by Totz that distracted him from the pain, he didn't know.

In short.

Lin Qi suddenly felt that his head didn't hurt as much anymore.

A fleeting smile crossed his lips.

"Tortz." His mouth was full of dung, and his voice was a little unclear, but it was calm and, despite its weakness, it was still undeniably authoritative. "Stop shouting...go get me a glass of water."

Totz ran into the bedroom and saw Mr. Lynch sitting on the bed in his pajamas, looking very pale, but not in any worse condition.

Immediately afterward, before he could say anything, Lin Qi assigned him a specific task.

Thus, the house-elves' natural instinct to obey once again took hold of his mind.

He hurriedly ran out of the bedroom to fetch water.

In the bedroom, just like the night before, Lin Qi swallowed the dung stone in his mouth again.

Feeling his physical condition, he stretched out his right hand and waved it weakly. The curtains were pulled apart by an invisible force, and the sunlight shone through the window, illuminating the entire bedroom.

Lynch looked at the clock on the wall; the hands pointed to the number five.

Did it sleep all day...?

The backlash from this potion is far too severe; it should not be used again unless absolutely necessary.

He silently made up his mind.

Just then, Totz returned with a glass of water.

Lin Qi picked up the water glass and brought it to his lips, taking small sips.

The bland, tasteless water suddenly became cool and sweet, entering his body through his throat and nourishing him.

Lin Qi finished the water in the glass in one gulp and put the glass down.

He looked at Totz.

The house-elf was staring straight at him, its large eyes filled with undisguised concern.

He smiled and said to Torts, "I'm fine, just a few minor issues."

After you deliver dinner as usual, you can return to the castle.

But remember one thing: don't mention my health condition to anyone.

Do you understand?

Totz didn't understand what Mr. Lynch meant, but he could guarantee that he would carry out Mr. Lynch's orders one hundred percent.

Remembering that his master had just told him to stop shouting, Totz kept his mouth tightly shut and just kept nodding vigorously.

Lynch leaned back against the headboard and waved for Totz to leave.

But after the little elf turned and took two steps, he said, "Remember to throw away this mess you created."

Only then did Totz see the door panel lying on the ground with a large crack, the metal parts scattered around the door frame, and the door frame itself, which was about to collapse.

The house-elf covered its mouth tightly with both hands to prevent the scream from escaping through the gaps.

A wave of overwhelming shame engulfed his small body.

Bad Tots! Bad Tots!

Look what you've done!

You've taken down Mr. Lynch's bedroom door!

The little elf stretched out his hands and lifted a corner of the door panel that was enormous to him. With a "snap," the door panel and he disappeared into the bedroom.

After a few brief, rapid "snap" sounds, the bedroom fell silent.

Lin Qi leaned against the headboard, watching the light outside the window gradually turn dim and then dark.

Feeling waves of excruciating pain coursing through his body, his gaze drifted into the distance as he reviewed the events of the previous night.

......

The night, as thick as it had been the night before, pressed down on the main castle of Malfoy Manor.

Dark clouds hung low in the sky, adding a heavy feeling to the hearts of everyone on earth.

Just like Lucius Malfoy's inner self.

At this moment, he sat quietly at the end of the long table.

This is the Malfoy family's meeting room. The dark oak table in front of you is centuries old and is one of the hallmarks of the Malfoy family's prestige.

His back was ramrod straight, just as every proud member of the Malfoy family should be.

The ebony cane with the silver snake head leaned quietly against the table, its emerald eyes occasionally flashing a dazzling green light in the firelight.

He wore a magnificent dark green velvet robe, the dark inner collar pressing against his chin, making his head tilt high.

He looked at the pure-blood family members arguing on either side of the long table with a mocking expression.

Foolishness, greed, irritability...and fear.

A variety of expressions appeared on their faces.

Lucius calmly observed them from the end of the long table, feeling the texture of something in the inner pocket of his robe, pondering how to complete the task assigned to him.

However, the unconscious tapping of his fingers on the table revealed that he was not as calm as he appeared.

"Lucius!" a sharp voice suddenly attacked him.

It was old Avery. At that moment, his already harsh face was contorted with excitement and fear, and he leaned forward, almost collapsing onto the table.

His narrow eyes were fixed on Lucius at the end of the long table. "Why did you have to bring us back! I've already crossed the Berlin border!" His voice rose, becoming even sharper and more shrill. "You swore on the honor of the Malfoy family that I came to this meeting! And now why are you sitting here without saying a word! What are you up to?!"

His words were like a stone thrown into water, instantly prompting several people to ask Lucius questions.

"That's right! Didn't you get the news? That thick fog last night...it was him! It must have been him! We were blind to have our eyes on his stuff! He'll definitely come for revenge!"

"None of the thirty-odd elite fighters returned! They were defeated without a shred of resistance! It must be him!"

They bombarded Lucius with questions, demanding to know the purpose of his meeting.

But before Lucius could speak, another person yelled at them.

Lucius looked over.

The one who spoke was Amicus Caro, a powerful wizard who was extremely loyal to the Dark Lord.

"You cowards! You fled in panic at the mere sight of a fog! That wasn't the Hangman! Use your brains! The Hangman never leaves anyone alive! Didn't any of you receive the news? Everyone we sent out last night is alive! They're all locked up by the Ministry of Magic! That wasn't the Hangman!"

The air fell silent for a moment.

I don't know if I was moved by Amycus's words or because I heard that name.

"Who else could it be but him! We've been keeping a close eye on all of Reggie's guards! He has no power he can mobilize! Who else but him could defeat so many elite wizards in such a short time! Reggie kept saying he was working for him! Damn it! He was actually telling the truth!"

Another person yelled at Amicus.

"Reggie must have been hiding his power! Just like his face, hidden beneath his robes, he's kept it concealed from the very beginning!"

"Where would I find it..."

Old Avery turned his head and called out to Amicus.

But before he could finish shouting...

A loud knocking sound came from the end of the oak table.

"Bang!"

The silver snake head on the cane slammed heavily onto the oak table, producing a dull sound that carried a strange penetrating force, resounding in everyone's ears.

All the arguing stopped, and their eyes turned to the person who had initiated tonight's meeting, wanting to know what he was really up to.

Lucius Malfoy's gaze swept across the faces of everyone present.

His words came out slowly and deliberately from his throat: "Look at you all, what kind of people are you?"

You have trampled the dignity of the pure-blood family under your feet.

"Just a name is enough to terrify you, causing you to flee across the border like stray dogs. It's truly..." He paused deliberately, a chilling smile curving his lips, "...utterly ridiculous."

Old Avery's face instantly turned a deep purplish-red, his lips trembling as he tried to retort.

But immediately he and everyone else saw Lucius's right hand, in a very deliberate gesture, reach into the inside pocket of his dark green velvet robe.

Every eye was fixed on his hand, understanding that this was the secret to how Lucius had gathered them together.

Lucius then pulled a roll of parchment from his sleeve.

A roll of parchment with a slightly dark yellow hue.

No one understood what he meant.

Lucius threw the parchment onto the table. The rolled-up parchment rolled a few times on the table and then unfurled into a half-open state.

Old Avery was nearby and caught a glimpse of something in the firelight.

With a mixture of surprise and doubt, he reached out, picked up the rolled parchment, and unfolded it to read it.

"This is!?"

He looked at Lucius, his voice filled with shock.

The others looked at him with utter shock, completely bewildered.

“That’s right, the transfer agreement for the factory and the house-elves,” Lucius said, meeting his gaze. “Reggie has conceded.”

"How...how is this possible?!" More than one person exclaimed in disbelief.

"Because I exposed his biggest lie—the 'hanger' who appeared in the factory was nothing but a bluffing imposter!" Lucius's voice carried a hint of victor's contempt. "So, he had no choice."

After all, he is a shrewd businessman who knows when to cut his losses and maximizes his profits.

He set some conditions, and I... agreed.

What followed was naturally a matter of course.

"How can you be sure that the one that appeared in the factory is a fake!" someone stared intently at Lucius's face.

Lucius slowly straightened the non-existent wrinkles on his cuffs: "This is my secret."

In short, I now have the most important card manufacturing plant and house-elves.

"The lifeline of the Stone Pagoda Chamber of Commerce is now in my hands!"

"Reggie...what conditions did he propose?"

Someone asked the question that everyone was concerned about, and it was also the question that Lucius wanted to hear at that moment.

"The factories and all the parts behind the chambers of commerce belong to us. He wants control of the market." After a pause, Lucius continued, "We have already seized control of the Tower Chamber of Commerce. Giving him control of the market won't hurt us."

This contract is the key to restoring the pure-blood family's prestige in the magical world!

Lucius stood up: "But to do this, we need to work together! Only by uniting can we guarantee the greatest possible benefit from the Stone Tower Merchant Guild."

Therefore, I propose that we form an oversight committee composed of representatives from the core families present, chaired by myself. Together, we can formulate detailed rules for the use of the Chamber of Commerce's resources and the sharing of profits!

"I object!"