"Is that all?"
Headmaster Phineas said lazily after listening to Jon's brief explanation.
"Then I'll be on my way. I'll pass it along to Dumbledore."
Although his attitude seemed rather flippant, Jon knew this former Slytherin Headmaster of Hogwarts was, in fact, quite dependable.
"Thank you…"
Phineas Black didn't seem eager to leave just yet. With a casual expression, he added, "Oh, right—since you've been so polite, I'll give you one more piece of information…"
"…Latest news—Russian wizards have discovered Igor Karkaroff's body in a small cabin in eastern Siberia, with the Dark Mark hanging above it." Phineas curled his lip. "Honestly, I'm surprised he managed to stay on the run for so long."
Karkaroff was dead?
That wasn't exactly surprising. Back when the Dark Lord had fallen, Igor Karkaroff had sold out every Death Eater he knew in order to clear his own name.
Compared to the original course of events, Karkaroff's death seemed to have been delayed by several months—but there was a perfectly reasonable explanation for that…
As Jon frowned, lost in thought, Phineas's voice rang out again.
"Dumbledore believes Tom Riddle personally took part in the hunt for Igor Karkaroff."
Voldemort personally participated?
Jon's expression sharpened immediately.
If Voldemort had been all the way out in Siberia during this period, returning to Britain quickly wouldn't be easy. And that also meant Jon needed to accelerate his actions on the Isle of Man.
Just as he was about to thank Headmaster Phineas Black, Jon looked up—only to find that the figure in the portrait had already vanished.
"Were you just talking to yourself?" Astoria Greengrass asked as she walked into the room with a smile.
Ever since leaving Greengrass Manor, she seemed to have emerged from the shadow of her mother's imprisonment in Azkaban. The pure smile she once had had returned to her face; if not for her pale complexion, she would have looked almost no different from usual.
"No, not at all," Jon replied, glancing at the now-empty portrait frame on the wall.
He gestured for Astoria to come sit on the bed, then suggested, "It's getting late. Why don't you get some rest… Tomorrow morning, we can go play on the beach at Douglas Harbor."
Astoria nodded quietly.
After a brief silence, she asked softly, "What about you, Jon…? It looks like you're planning to go out."
"Yeah," Jon answered. "I'm just going to take a walk. Stay in the room and don't go anywhere."
"Then… be careful," Astoria murmured, lowering her head.
"I will," Jon said with a smile.
He reached into his pocket and took out a crystal vial filled with the Smoke Potion he had prepared earlier.
"If anything happens, break this vial," he instructed. "As soon as I see the smoke, I'll come straight back. And remember—under no circumstances should you use any magic."
Astoria was still an underage witch, and unlike Jon, her Trace hadn't been removed. If she used magic outside of school, she could easily expose her location—or even her intentions.
That was why Jon had to emphasize it so carefully.
"I understand…" Astoria replied softly.
After settling everything with her, Jon left the inn alone.
As he walked, he observed his surroundings, carefully searching for traces of magic.
If all went well, finding the giants' trail before Voldemort returned to Britain would be ideal.
...
Meanwhile, at Hogwarts.
The cool night air brushed against his face as Draco Malfoy carefully made his way along a cobblestone path, deliberately lightening his footsteps.
At the end of this path lay the boundary between Hogwarts and Hogsmeade.
Ever since the Dark Lord had officially announced his return, Hogwarts' defenses had become exceptionally tight. At least ten Aurors guarded each of the grounds' external exits, including the one leading to Hogsmeade.
Malfoy had no intention of sneaking out; it was impossible under the cover of night—he knew it was impossible.
There was no way he could fool Albus Dumbledore's magic, nor evade the Aurors standing guard.
Pacing cautiously along the cobblestone path, his true purpose was actually to wait for someone.
Even in such tense times, there was still one person who could freely move between Hogwarts and Hogsmeade—Mrs. Rosmerta, the owner of the Three Broomsticks.
She supplied the students and professors with Butterbeer, mead, and rum. This charming, well-connected landlady maintained excellent relationships with Filch, the professors, and even the Aurors. Generally speaking, she encountered little resistance when entering the school grounds.
Moreover, the Three Broomsticks had long-standing ties with the Malfoy family.
Because of that, during the summer holidays, Draco Malfoy had found an opportunity to place Mrs. Rosmerta under the Imperius Curse.
After casting the spell, however, he had given her no instructions at all—ensuring she would show no outward signs of being controlled.
...
Time passed, second by second, and Malfoy began to grow impatient. He even started to wonder whether something had gone wrong with his plan.
Finally…
He spotted the graceful figure of a middle-aged woman appearing at the end of the path.
Malfoy didn't approach her right away. He carefully scanned the area first, and only after confirming there was nothing amiss did he walk up to her.
"Master Draco…" Mrs. Rosmerta said dully, her eyes unfocused and her expression blank. "The bottle of oak-aged mead you asked me to bring comes from Glenward. It's of excellent quality."
Malfoy accepted the bottle, examined it carefully for a moment, then nodded.
Next, he cautiously took a parcel out of his bag. Inside lay a magnificent opal necklace.
"Tomorrow, when Hogwarts students go to Hogsmeade, give this to any one of them," Malfoy instructed softly. "Tell them to deliver it to Headmaster Albus Dumbledore."
Mrs. Rosmerta nodded stiffly.
Then she rigidly reached toward the parcel, about to take the opal necklace—
"Don't touch it!" Malfoy growled sharply. "Don't touch it… I mean, I forbid you to touch it!"
Mrs. Rosmerta nodded blankly once more.
…
Watching her retreating figure, Draco Malfoy finally let out a breath of relief.
Lifting the bottle of fine mead, he too began to move quietly back toward Hogwarts Castle.