Hogwarts: Even Voldemort Can't Stop Me From Studying

Chapter 1107: Chapter 194: Secret

After a long time, Seraphina slowly said, "I wish I could tell you the whole truth, but unfortunately... I actually don’t know the full picture either."

Hosone couldn’t help but show a look of disappointment—he thought this was because Seraphina didn’t trust him much yet.

But then, he heard the elderly lady speak softly and heavily:

"Because the crucial clue comes from a memory... but it is extremely unstable, and can only be fully read once by one person. After that, it will shatter completely and can never be restored."

She gently closed her eyes: "I don’t think I’m the right person to read the memory because even if I knew what happened, I wouldn’t have the ability to resolve it."

"And if I read it first and then pass it on to someone else, I fear there may be loss or unconscious alteration—"

"You know, only the memory from the original owner is the most complete and authentic! It can present not only what was seen and heard at the time but also some... other things."

Hosone nodded slightly, not surprised by this.

The Ministries of Magic around the world seldom extract memories of criminals for trials because, in the Magic World, there are simply too many ways to tamper with memories.

Seraphina said, "So I decided to hand that memory over to someone who truly has the ability to change something... I hoped it would be Dumbledore."

"But unfortunately, because Voldemort was resurrected in the tournament, Dumbledore is inconveniently unable to leave the United Kingdom, so he could only entrust this matter to someone else."

For people like Seraphina and Hosone, imposing protection on their memories and minds was an instinctive measure, so they were hardly affected by the magic Voldemort used in the Brain Hall and were aware that the person was still alive.

Of course, because Voldemort had always been active in the United Kingdom, for the American wizards, tales of the Dark Lord were mostly just occasional conversation topics, not even sparking as much discussion as Quidditch games.

So they didn’t realize—it’s somewhat odd that everyone else thought Voldemort had died again.

Hosone pressed further, "Then the person you handed it over to is..."

Seraphina’s fingers paused slightly, she raised her slightly clouded eyes and looked at Hosone’s expression.

The face of the current Congress President opposite her showed only concern for the situation, without any urgency or harsh intentions to do anything.

But long-held vigilance still made Seraphina choose to conceal that secret, though she didn’t choose to deceive, merely saying:

"To protect the person who brought back the evidence, I can’t tell you who he is, Nikolo, I hope you understand."

"But I can confirm, he has already handed the information over to Dumbledore."

—So even if you find that person, nothing will change.

"However, I learned part of the truth from another person, which is also why I knew the matter was significant and chose to seek help from Dumbledore..."

The so-called "another person" was actually Stella, who, while protecting that Muggle soldier Jack, once heard him intermittently talk about his own experiences.

But Hosone didn’t know this; he just deeply felt the gap between himself and Madam Picquery—

He was still in the Chairman’s position, yet few stood by his side;

Seraphina Picquery had been retired for many years, still there were many who trusted her, followed her, willing to entrust secrets related to their lives to her.

This realization brought him a deep sense of frustration.

But soon, Hosone regained his spirits, attentively listening to that deeply hidden secret.

...

In the garden, having finally learned that the person targeting aunt was not Chairman Hosone, but rather her cousin Laira, Stella accepted this reality without much struggle.

She stood quietly, tears sliding down silently, wetting her pale cheeks.

"I know Laira hates aunt...she hates Aunt Seraphina for not saving her mother, but I thought... she just didn’t want to associate with us..."

Stella’s voice was very light, tinged with a sob.

"I didn’t expect... didn’t expect she would go to such lengths... how did she become like this?"

Ezra Hughes stood beside her, the Auror Director known for his iron-face, appearing somewhat awkward at this moment.

He was silent for a moment, finally spoke in a low voice:

"This isn’t your fault, Stella."

"Some people go astray because they chose that path themselves, what the people around them did is irrelevant, as is whether their family is intact."

"I’ve seen many people who, though scarred, still choose to stay true to their hearts, refuse to fall;

I’ve also seen many who, loved by parents, living happily, yet still stepped onto the path of crime."

"Laira is the same... she became who she chose to be herself, it has nothing to do with you."

Stella wiped away her tears forcefully, took a deep breath, turned to look at Hughes, her eyes turning determined and resolute.

"Uncle Ezra... no, Director Hughes."

She switched to a more formal address, saying, "There are some things I’ve never dared to say, not even dared to think deeply. But now... I feel I must tell you."

The girl glanced around, confirming that those annoying bodyguards and maids were not nearby, then quickly whispered:

"In our country, there are some people, some hidden in high places, very powerful people, they’ve been colluding with Muggles! Those Muggles are secretly conducting magic experiments on both wizards and Muggles!"

Hughes’ pupils contracted abruptly.

"Not only that, but they also... also incite the Muggle government to wage wars against other countries, the purpose is not what they claimed on the surface, but to... to occupy the Ministries of Magic in those countries, to seize the secrets hidden below their Departments of Mysteries!"

Stella’s voice carried fear and anger, whispering with a sob:

"I have a friend, Jack, he’s a Muggle, was a soldier, taken as a test subject, barely escaped... he saw with his own eyes... those people, they possess something—"

The girl lifted her eyes, looking at her trusted elder, her expression full of panic and incomprehension.

"Possess what?" Hughes couldn’t help but ask.

His heart was already in his throat, though he hadn’t yet heard Stella’s answer, he already felt a tingly sensation on his scalp.

Stella swallowed hard, then whispered:

"—It’s a golden particle. Jack said, that thing emitted an incredible brilliance, the time around it was twisted."

"Just like what Vid Gray and Harry Potter encountered in the tournament, that thing can transform a person back into a baby instantly or make them old... but those people can’t figure out how it works, so they’ve been using live people for experiments..."

She grasped Hughes’ sleeve, her fingers cold.

"Jack passed away shortly after escaping. What he told me, I’ve always kept buried in my heart, not daring to tell anyone other than Aunt..."

"But I believe what he saw... Uncle Ezra, they’re using war, using wizards’ lives, to trade for the ’time’ they want!"

This deeply buried secret, like a thunderclap, exploded in Hughes’ ears.

He looked at the girl, suddenly losing his ability to understand language, unable to believe everything he had heard.

Absurdity, shock, and a chill intertwined, almost freezing his thoughts.

But seeing the girl’s trembling gaze, words of comfort slipped out unconsciously:

"Thank you, Stella, thank you for choosing to trust me... and for telling me all this. I know keeping so many secrets requires immense courage and endurance to persist."

"Rest assured, child... From now on, leave these matters to me, to the Auror Office, to... everyone still willing to fight for truth and justice."

"You did great, really great... from now on you don’t need to work so hard, none of these are your responsibility."

Listening to his words, Stella’s tense shoulders gradually relaxed.

On her face, still not dry of tears, the heavy fear and anxiety seemed finally driven away by the sunlight, replaced by a sense of exhaustion and a strange, almost faint relief.

She nodded lightly, said nothing more, merely raised her hand to wipe her eyes, her mouth curving slightly upwards.

It wasn’t a smile, yet it expressed her current mood better than a smile... a serenity mixed with sadness, trust, and faint hope after lifting a burden of a thousand pounds.

And that burden now shifted to Hughes... and within the room, onto Hosone chatting with Seraphina.

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