Chapter 52 - Ch: 396-400

Chapter 396: Another Uprising?

Harry and the others were very close to the student dormitory building, so after hearing Zou Zunian's words, they said hello to Aisen and went straight in.

As for Aisen, he chatted and laughed with Zou Zunianand the others as they walked towards the teacher's dormitory.

"Aisen, do you have any plans recently?" After waving to the other teachers, Zou Zunian and Aisen walked around the football field.

"Yes, I might have something to do. What's wrong, is there something?" Aisen thought for a moment, showing a surprised expression.

"Well, it's nothing big, just a piece of news that I think you should know. Or rather, that should be conveyed to Albus Dumbledore!" Zou Zunian hesitated, seemingly having some reservations, then slowly said.

"News, what news?" Aisen looked puzzled.

"Hmm—, let me think about how to say it!" Zou Zunianorganized his words, pondering for a while, "You should still remember I said that there is a teacher at Zhengyi School who has retired and is compiling books in the Stargazing Tower."

"I know, that teacher named Wu Yuan, who has extremely profound attainments in Qimen Dunjia divination and numerology." Aisen said, beginning to ponder the implied meaning in the other party's words.

"One day about four months ago, Teacher Wu Yuan accidentally got a divination result. At that time, the heavenly secrets were unclear, and nothing useful was seen. But yesterday—" Zou Zunian said slowly.

"Successfully interpreted the divination result yesterday?" Aisen pondered for a while, taking over the other party's words.

"That's right!" Zou Zunian nodded.

"It's related to me—wait, you want me to convey it to Dumbledore, so it's related to him? What is it?" Aisenfrowned slightly and pressed for an answer.

"The dark forces have greatly increased, making a leap forward." Zou Zunian said, his tone subtly revealing a hint of worry.

"Dark forces? Related to Dumbledore, could it be Voldemort?" Aisen was surprised.

"That's right! I estimate that your days over there are going to be difficult from now on." Zou Zunian put his hands behind his back and glanced at Aisen.

Hearing the news revealed by Zou Zunian, Aisen still felt somewhat confused.

Of course, it's not that Voldemort's strength won't recover. After all, after he escaped and hid in the dark, it's possible that he also mastered Black magic to kill Muggles and restore his strength.

However, what Zou Zunian just said was that the other party's strength had greatly increased. That's one thing, but he even used the words "leap forward".

This made Aisen somewhat unclear about how many steps Voldemort's strength could leap and what height it could reach.

"The dark forces have greatly increased, can it be calculated what's going on?" Aisen wasn't in a hurry, he just asked, "I mean, his strength can't increase out of thin air, right?"

"The calculation result is like this, it increased out of thin air!" Zou Zunian glanced at Aisen, "We have had deductions, it is estimated that it is the impact brought by Space-Time disturbance!"

"Space-Time disturbance?" Hearing this word, Aisen's eyelids twitched, feeling as if he had discovered something.

"Yes, Space-Time disturbance!" Zou Zunian said with a sigh, then changed the subject, "As a Professor of Hogwarts, you should know that your Ministry of Magicover there once conducted an experiment that disturbed time. Right!"

"Uh, disturbed time, a Witch was trapped in the past for five days, and when she returned to the present, not only did she rapidly age and die, but it also caused a certain day to last only four hours..." Aisen pondered for a moment, stating this matter.

"That's right, this matter is obviously the consequence of disturbing Space-Time!" Zou Zunian nodded.

"So, you're saying the great increase in dark forces and Voldemort's leap forward in strength is because Space-Time was disturbed?" Aisen propped his arm on his chin and rubbed it.

"Yes!" Zou Zunian said unhurriedly, "I think you should tell Dumbledore this news, or maybe he already knows it."

"Four months ago, you just said that Teacher Wu Yuan got a divination result four months ago, is it possible that Voldemort's strength had already greatly increased four months ago?" As if suddenly thinking of something, Aisencouldn't help but gasp.

"What you said is very possible!" Zou Zunian said calmly.

After hearing the news from Zou Zunian, Aisen fell silent for a moment.

He thought about what happened more than four months ago, and also thought about what Zou Zunian meant by Space-Time disturbance.

A simple summary reveals that this was nothing more than the ripple caused when Aisen traveled through Space-Time back to ten thousand years ago on October 5th of last year and then returned to the real world.

At that time, he had already understood the backlash of time itself on him and had completely endured it. However, he didn't expect there to be a so-called Space-Time disturbance.

As for this Space-Time disturbance, Aisen felt it came very strangely, but upon deeper thought, he didn't find any unreasonable aspects.

However, what puzzled him was why the Space-Time disturbance caused Voldemort's strength to make a leap forward, but didn't cause Dumbledore and others' strength to make a leap forward.

Or rather, why didn't everyone's strength increase together, but instead only that ugly guy Voldemort's strength increased significantly?

This is completely outrageous!

"Well, with all due respect, since Voldemort's strength has made a leap forward, won't your school provide support to Hogwarts?" Aisen's mind was settled, temporarily suppressing the distracting thoughts in his mind, "I mean, a Dark Wizard like Voldemort, since his strength has greatly increased, he definitely won't let this place go, right?"

"Don't worry about that, he absolutely wouldn't dare to enter our side!" Zou Zunian was very confident, but then his tone changed and he mentioned meaningfully, "Furthermore, I just said that the dark forces have greatly increased, not just the dark forces in England. We also have things to deal with here!"

Hiss—

Aisen couldn't help but gasp again.

"You mean, the global dark forces have greatly increased?" Aisen said, a hint of curiosity appearing on his face, "So, I wonder which Dark Wizards on your side have become stronger!"

"This, I won't reveal too much, but I'll say one name, you should know it." Zou Zunian waved his hand, then slowly uttered two words, "He Shen!"

"That very famous corrupt official? He's not dead?" Aisenexclaimed inwardly, 'Good heavens!'

"That's right, sometimes you have to admit that when you have a certain amount of money, you can indeed do some things that ordinary people cannot." Zou Zunian said, sounding somewhat emotional.

Seeing this, Aisen pondered for a while and could roughly understand the situation.

It was nothing more than the fact that He Shen was a Witch, or rather, he had mastered the power of a cultivator, and then he hid himself, directly becoming a great corrupt official in the secular world, collecting a lot of wealth from all over the world.

Of course, the so-called wealth was not just gold, silver, paintings, etc. from the secular world, but also likely included many treasures from the Wizarding World.

Just as Zou Zunian said, with money, one can usually accomplish many things that ordinary people cannot.

Given this, it is not impossible for him to collect some ancient texts, learn and master various spells, practice something similar to Horcrux-like external alchemy, and achieve a certain degree of longevity after feigning death.

However, if even He Shen can achieve longevity, then in this world, or rather, in China, it is possible that many cultivators can achieve longevity.

Hmm—, if Aisen's guess is true, then perhaps behind the various sects here, there are long-lived people as well.

Otherwise, why could these sects develop and grow to their current state?

Perhaps historical figures like Zhang Sanfeng, Lu Dongbin, Zhang Daoling, and others may have found a way to achieve longevity.

Wait—

Ascension—daytime ascension—is there such a concept in this world?

Hmm—it's not impossible. In the Wizarding World—well, according to the terminology here, in the cultivation world, the so-called daytime ascension might be flying out of Earth and entering another planet.

Or rather, since there is something like the Undetectable Extension Charm in this world, it is not impossible for the cultivators here to open up grotto-heavens and blessed lands or small worlds.

Oh, speaking of the Undetectable Extension Charm, there's no reason why the cultivation world here wouldn't know about something like the Hour-Reversal Charm.

Just like the figures Aisen mentioned before, they were all exceptionally intelligent and unparalleled individuals throughout history. With the support of magic, this extremely idealistic and mystical power, mastering Space-Time shouldn't be difficult for them.

Hmm, it's not certain, but this possibility is relatively high.

Of course, no matter what, if this is truly the case, then the upper limit of the Wizarding World here might be even more exaggerated than he imagined.

Wait—

Aisen suddenly thought of a question he hadn't considered before—what would happen if others traveled through Space-Time and returned to the past?

Would they directly return to the past Space-Time? Or, like Aisen, would going back to the Space-Time before 1972 enter another parallel Space-Time?

Good heavens, he had never thought about this before, but if he delved deeper, he would find that this was a relatively complex issue.

For example, before Aisen arrived in this world, perhaps someone had experimented, returning to the past several hundred years, which were all past time nodes of this world.

As a result, after Aisen arrived in this world, if someone experimented again, they found that the past of several hundred years ago had become a parallel Space-Time. This is quite interesting.

As for whether anyone discovered this change, Aisen was not sure. As for whether things were as Aisen thought, he was not sure either.

Tsk tsk—

Aisen's mind was racing with thoughts, and he thought of many things for a while, but then he smiled.

Because he felt that no matter how powerful the Witches here were, he would definitely be the one standing at the peak.

There was no other reason, because he was a person with a cheat!

As for whether anyone discovered the Space-Time changes caused by Aisen's arrival in this world, uh, well, it doesn't matter!

"Alright, that's it!" Zou Zunian saw Aisen's expression and didn't say anything more. "I think you just need to tell Dumbledore this news!"

...

After parting ways with Zou Zunian, Aisen returned to his dormitory and thought quietly for a while, but he still couldn't figure out exactly what the Space-Time disturbance leading to the significant increase in Dark magic he had mentioned earlier was all about.

After pondering for a while, Aisen checked the time and found that it was already past one in the morning.

At this time in Zhengyi School, basically everyone had already fallen asleep. But in Hogwarts, the time was estimated to be around five in the afternoon.

With a determined expression, Aisen's thoughts moved, and his figure flashed, disappearing from the teacher's dormitory of Zhengyi School.

With a change of scene, Aisen's figure had already arrived at the Headmaster's office on the eighth floor of Hogwarts Castle.

In the office, there was a large desk in the middle with some books on it. Behind it was a bookshelf, also filled with books.

Various silver items were placed on the shelves next to it, and the Sorting Hat was also placed there. On the gilded perch at the entrance, the Phoenix that looked like a turkey had its eyes closed, seemingly asleep.

When Aisen's figure appeared, its eyes opened and glanced at him, flapped its wings, and then continued to sleep.

The portraits of the previous Headmasters of Hogwartshanging on the wall opened their eyes and looked at Aisen, showing curiosity, but didn't say anything.

"Aisen, you haven't Apparition Without A Trace in Hogwarts for a long time. Is there something urgent that you suddenly Apparition Without A Trace directly into this old man's office today?" The old man with white hair and beard sitting behind the desk was not particularly surprised by Aisen's sudden appearance.

"Ah—yes, over at Zhengyi School, this time is a two-week holiday period. I think you should know that, right?" Aisenwalked towards the handrail next to the desk, leaned against it, and spoke.

"Yes, Spring Festival holiday, I do have some understanding of that side!" Dumbledore tapped the desk with his wand, and a few candies flew out of a package and landed in Aisen's hand.

"That's right, if there are no surprises, I will spend a two-week holiday with Harry and them over there, but because the Headmaster of Zhengyi School told me something, I had to come over!" Aisen peeled off the candy wrapper and put it in his mouth to chew.

"Oh, what is it?" Seemingly anticipating that what Aisensaid was very serious, Dumbledore's face became serious.

"Zhengyi School has a very powerful diviner who made a prophecy four months ago, which was only fully interpreted today." Aisen organized his words and said simply.

"Prophecy?" Dumbledore repeated.

"Well, it's not really a prophecy, to be precise, it should be a piece of information!" Aisen hesitated.

"What kind of information?" Dumbledore's face seemed even more solemn.

"Dark magic has greatly increased!" Aisen said directly. "Voldemort's strength has made a leap forward!"

"A leap forward?" Dumbledore's face suddenly changed.

Immediately after, Aisen repeated everything Zou Zunianhad said to Dumbledore. He even mentioned the speculation about the Space-Time disturbance.

After he finished speaking, the entire office fell into silence, and both of them became quiet for a while.

The portraits hanging on the wall opened their eyes as if to say something, but then closed their eyes again.

"Do you have any thoughts?" Dumbledore looked at Aisen.

"Uh, I find it very strange! Why would a Space-Time disturbance cause Dark magic to increase significantly and make those Dark Wizards' strength make a leap forward?" Aisen spread his hands.

"Perhaps, because someone's strength far exceeds everyone's imagination in the Wizarding World, so in order to balance this world, the power of darkness has increased!" Dumbledore was silent for a while, looking at Aisen and saying slowly.

Hearing Dumbledore's words, Aisen's heart skipped a beat, feeling that Dumbledore might have discovered something. But on second thought, this world is a world where magic exists, so it is unlikely to be the so-called "world consciousness" intervening and interfering.

After all, given the magical nature of this world's magic, if there were truly a world consciousness, it could only be God!

Hmm? God? Death?

Hiss—

Is that really the case? A thought suddenly popped into Aisen's mind.

He thought carefully and found that if the mastermind was really Death, then the other party definitely had the ability to significantly increase Dark magic.

Therefore, never mind the special nature of the Space-Time disturbance, when Death does things, he will naturally shield the heavenly secrets, making it impossible for people to detect where the problem lies.

Of course, after this thought popped into Aisen's mind, he just felt that this kind of thing might be the case. But in reality, there is still one question he doesn't quite understand.

For example, why would Death do this?

Is it really as Dumbledore said, that he discovered that someone in this world's strength far exceeds that of ordinary Witches, so he wants to increase Dark magic to create balance?

But there is one point that doesn't make sense.

Because even if Dark magic increases significantly, it can never balance the imbalance caused by Aisen's powerful strength!

After thinking for a long time, Aisen finally cleared his mind of distracting thoughts and stopped thinking about this matter. There was no other reason, because all these conjectures were just imagination.

"So, Headmaster, what are you planning to do?" Aisenfocused his gaze on Dumbledore.

"If it's really as you said, that Dark magic has greatly increased, I think I must gather some old friends!" Dumbledore said, a hint of worry flashing across his face.

"Didn't Professor Trelawney make some prophecies?" Aisen changed the subject.

"Of course!" Dumbledore took off his glasses, wiped them, and put them back on. "She successfully predicted that a student would encounter misfortune and death."

"Uh, that's really a regrettable thing!" Aisen shrugged and didn't know how to comment.

"Alright, by the way, Aisen, do you have anything else?" Dumbledore said, standing up. "I think if what you said is true, then I must make some preparations."

"Hmm—, regarding the exchange student program between Hogwarts and Zhengyi School, I think I'll say something after this school year ends." Aisen shook his head and said slowly.

"Then let's talk about it then!" Dumbledore nodded.

"Alright then, I just came over today to tell you about this, I'll leave now!" After greeting Dumbledore, Aisen left Hogwarts directly.

And Dumbledore, with a solemn expression, summoned Professor McGonagall, Professor Flitwick, Professor Snape, and others to hold a meeting.

Chapter 397: The Hidden Voldemort

After returning to Zhengyi School, Aisen's life resumed its former tranquility.

Every day, he delved into various Charms, absorbing knowledge from all subjects at Zhengyi School. During his free time, he met with Hermione at Double Leaf Paradise and so on, living quite comfortably.

However, perhaps because Zou Zunian had told him about the significant increase in dark power, he always felt an undercurrent surging within the Wizarding World.

When they chatted, Hermione also mentioned that the Ministry of Magic had reportedly intensified its crackdown on Dark Wizards. And Hogwarts had added quite a few school rules.

Of course, on the surface, everyone still ate and drank as usual, showing no signs of being affected.

Time flew by, and the Zhengyi School holiday came to an end.

In early March, just as the weather was warming up, the gates of Zhengyi School swung wide open, and students returned in groups. The entire school became lively at a speed visible to the naked eye.

"Professor, didn't you go out?" During dinner, Harry and the others came to his door.

"Go out?" Aisen looked over in confusion, "I go out almost every day!"

"No, I mean to buy National Quidditch Super Leaguetickets!" Harry glanced at Hanna beside him.

"Oh, tickets!" Aisen looked at the expectant eyes of Hanna, Padma, and the others, then nodded, "Right, it's time to buy tickets. Alright, I'll get a few tickets for you when I go out."

...

The next day, Aisen specifically went to Qingshan Marketand bought a few tickets at the Jindouyun Company ticket office.

In the afternoon, before he could continue wandering around, Hermione informed him that Dumbledore wanted to see him about something. He was to meet him at the Hog's Head Bar in Hogsmeade.

Having no choice, Aisen went to the Hog's Head Bar.

The room inside the bar was somewhat dim, and under the candlelight, the figures appeared to flicker between light and shadow.

When Aisen arrived in the room as agreed, Dumbledorewas already waiting for him, seated on a slightly worn but intricately carved chair.

Seeing Aisen enter the room, Dumbledore took out his wand and tapped the other chair, which quickly transformed into a table placed between the two of them.

"Alright, Headmaster, is something wrong?" Seeing Dumbledore's solemn expression, Aisen sat directly opposite Dumbledore.

"Do you remember our previous plan to make Voldemort appear?" Dumbledore seemed to be thinking about something, and seeing Aisen's question, he thought for a moment and spoke slowly.

"What is it?" Aisen muttered to himself, "I remember our plan should have succeeded. Hmm—although Voldemort eventually escaped, you destroyed his last Horcrux."

"Yes, I had always thought we had solved the most critical problem. That was before you told me about the significant increase in dark power and Voldemort's leap in strength." Dumbledore said, taking something from his robes and placing it on the table.

Aisen was startled when he saw the object, because what he had placed on the table was a fragment of the Philosopher's Stone. He looked up at Dumbledore, who nodded, "I always thought he carried it with him, but I didn't expect to find it in an abandoned factory."

Hearing Dumbledore's words, Aisen's mind stirred slightly, and he then sensed that the fragmented memory he had previously split off was still hidden within it.

"So, Voldemort just threw this thing away?" As his thoughts turned, Aisen answered subconsciously.

"Perhaps, the moment I confronted him, he already understood what was happening." Dumbledore tapped the Philosopher's Stone fragment with his wand, and runes emerged from it, then quickly dissipated.

Seeing this, Aisen's mind moved, and he dispersed the memory fragment hidden within it.

"So, Headmaster, is this what you wanted to tell me today?" Aisen rubbed his forehead, "Voldemort's strength has greatly increased, did he discover something?"

"No, I know Voldemort is very formidable, and frankly, even before his leap in strength, I wasn't sure I could definitely defeat him." Dumbledore shook his head.

"So, now that Voldemort's strength has greatly increased, it means he is no longer afraid of you!" Aisen continued, "The England Wizarding World will soon fall into chaos, won't it?"

"I think so, which is why I have already gathered some old friends to deal with this matter!" Dumbledore said with a solemn expression.

"So, what do you need me to do?" A few thoughts flashed through Aisen's mind.

"Hmm—" Dumbledore hesitated for a while, then said slowly, "I think you should know about Grindelwald, right?"

"Oh, yes, I've learned about him!" A flash of surprise flickered in Aisen's eyes, "It is said that many years ago he almost ruled the Wizarding World, but was defeated by you in 1945. As far as I know, he was your friend before that—"

"Yes, you are right!" A strange look appeared in Dumbledore's eyes, "We were friends, our relationship... but that's not what I want to talk about today!"

"It's related to the information I told you before?" Aisenunderstood Dumbledore's meaning after a little thought.

"Yes, after hearing you say that dark power has significantly increased and Voldemort's strength has made a leap forward, I took some time to meet with my old friend—" Dumbledore paused.

"His strength?" A trace of a smile appeared on Aisen's face.

"No change at all!" Dumbledore continued, "He is the same as before, perhaps even weaker."

"No change in strength?" The smile on Aisen's face faded.

"Yes!" Dumbledore nodded.

"The Headmaster of Zhengyi School told me that the teachers at his school calculated through divination that dark power has significantly increased. Since Voldemort's strength has made a leap forward, it doesn't make sense that Grindelwald's strength hasn't changed at all!" Aisenshook his head.

"I believe the information revealed by the Headmaster of Zhengyi School is true, but Grindelwald really is the same as before!" Dumbledore looked at Aisen calmly.

"Unless—" Aisen pondered for a moment, "Grindelwald is not a Dark Wizard! Or, he is completely different from Voldemort!"

"As his old friend, I know him very well. He is indeed a Dark Wizard, with a talent for Black magic far exceeding ordinary people." Dumbledore shook his head.

"In one respect, they are completely different!" Aisen's eyes suddenly lit up.

"Horcruxes!" Dumbledore nodded, as if he had known something for a long time.

"Exactly, the biggest difference between Voldemort and Grindelwald is that one possesses horcruxes, while the other does not!" Aisen recalled what Zou Zunian had said, speaking and falling into thought at the same time.

"Regarding the significant increase in dark power and the Space-Time disturbance, I had a talk with Grindelwald." Dumbledore looked at Aisen's expression, then continued speaking.

"What did you think of?" Aisen shifted his gaze to Dumbledore.

"Dark power has significantly increased, and Voldemort's strength has made a leap forward, but Grindelwald is still the same as before. So, is it possible that only Dark Wizards with split souls will see their strength greatly increase under the Space-Time disturbance?" Dumbledore said, his expression becoming increasingly solemn.

"Only Dark Wizards with split souls will see their strength greatly increase!" Aisen murmured, "You mean, because Voldemort created horcruxes and split his soul, making his soul incomplete.

As a result, under the Space-Time disturbance, dark power significantly increased, and unknown changes also occurred in Voldemort, leading to his leap in strength?"

"Do you think that's the case?" Dumbledore asked back.

"That possibility is indeed very high!" Aisen nodded.

"I'm a bit worried now!" Dumbledore said, his face full of worry.

"Worried that Voldemort will cause slaughter and chaos?" Aisen understood Dumbledore's concern after a moment's thought.

"That's only part of it." Dumbledore nodded and then shook his head, "What I'm worried about is whether Voldemort's strength will continue to increase. His strength has made a leap forward, so to what extent? Will his strength continue to grow?"

"That is indeed a problem!" Aisen nodded solemnly.

"Aisen, did the Headmaster of Zhengyi School tell you that the significant increase in dark power and the growth of Voldemort's strength are both due to the Space-Time disturbance?" Dumbledore looked at Aisen, as if confirming something.

Aisen closed his eyes slightly, replaying the scene in his mind, then nodded towards Dumbledore: "That is indeed the case!"

"Besides the significant increase in dark power, we still have some doubts now," Dumbledore continued. "That is, whether the Space-Time disturbance has ended, and if it hasn't, what kind of impact it will have on this world—"

"You mean—" Aisen thought about the various reasons behind it, and he was almost dumbfounded.

When it came to Space-Time disturbances, Aisen felt that it seemed to be caused by his own actions, no matter how he looked at it.

However, Aisen didn't think this was a big deal.

After all, just as he had considered before, although Space-Time travel caused damage to time itself, all the damage had been borne by him.

This meant that even if there really was a so-called Space-Time disturbance, it shouldn't cause any harm to this world.

"We cannot be sure if the Space-Time disturbance will bring about more serious consequences," Dumbledoresaid, his face showing even more worry.

"More serious consequences?" Aisen said, inputting the information he knew into the Laplace's Demon Systemfor analysis, calculation, and deduction.

Earth's orbital speed, period, angle, rotation period, speed, angle in the Solar System, changes in gravity, changes in attraction, temperature, air pressure, etc. on Earth.

Countless data were being calculated and analyzed, and then combined with the Space-Time disturbance caused by Aisen to deduce the final result.

After a few seconds, a conclusion was deduced: the so-time Space-Time disturbance was already something from more than four months ago, and so far, the entire Earth seemed to have no other abnormal changes.

Aisen found nothing except for the significant progress in Voldemort's strength, which was told to him by Zou Zunian.

Even regarding the significant increase in dark power, Aisen didn't find any clues.

With a thought, Aisen fully activated the Laplace's Demon System, opened God's Perspective to observe everything around him, and at the same time, using the water mirror Charm developed from the Double-sided Mirror, instantly condensed countless mirror surfaces hundreds of meters above the entire Earth's surface.

Through the perspective of the mirror reflection, Aisensaw the joys, angers, sorrows, and other situations of countless people on the entire Earth.

Then, based on the analysis and calculation of emotions, Aisen still found no abnormal situations in the end. After all, a significant increase in dark power would affect people's emotions no matter what.

But in the end, Aisen didn't find anything more.

Wait—

Where is Voldemort? At this moment, Aisen seemed to have discovered something.

Originally, he hadn't paid much attention, because no matter how much Voldemort's strength increased, he would absolutely not be his opponent.

Therefore, he had always thought it didn't matter if Voldemort hid. When Voldemort showed up, he could just casually deal with him.

But this time, Aisen suddenly decided to observe the entire Earth and found that among the crowds, whether they were ordinary Muggle or magic-wielding Witch, there was actually no one named Voldemort.

What? You mean some people are hiding in rooms, basements, or caves? This point cannot be seen by others, but Aisen himself can see through things.

Therefore, by using the perspective of the mirror reflection, Aisen could directly see people through any building.

Logically speaking, Voldemort's socket-nosed appearance should definitely not escape Aisen's sight. But strangely, Aisen didn't find where he was!

Wait—

Transfiguration? Ah, yes, with the existence of the Transfiguration magic, it would be much easier for Voldemort to hide.

While Aisen nodded inwardly, he also had some doubts: Would Voldemort put down his arrogance and hide himself with Transfiguration? Or would Voldemort use the Fidelius Charm to hide his residence?

With his thoughts turning, Aisen established a real-time search task sequence for Voldemort in the Laplace's Demon System.

That's right, since Voldemort's strength had made significant progress and dark power had also increased significantly, the possibility of Voldemort causing trouble was very high.

Since that was the case, Aisen would focus some of his attention on Voldemort. When Voldemort showed up and the Laplace's Demon System found him, he would just go and deal with him directly.

"Yes, more serious consequences!" Dumbledoreinterrupted Aisen's thoughts.

"So, do you need me to do something?" Before, Aisen had used the Laplace's Demon System for calculation, analysis, and deduction. The result was clear; it had not triggered more serious consequences. So Aisen didn't have too many worries in his heart.

"That's right, I think you need to tell the Headmaster of Zhengyi School about the situation we are worried about," Dumbledore nodded.

"Hmm—, perhaps they already know about the worrying situation you just mentioned?" Aisen understood Dumbledore's meaning with a change of thought.

"You're right, but in order to cope with the potential disaster, we must be fully prepared." Dumbledore took a deep look at Aisen, then took out a mirror, placed it on the table, and pushed it towards Aisen.

"This is—" Aisen reached out and rubbed the mirror surface, looking at Dumbledore in confusion.

"A Double-sided Mirror!" Dumbledore said calmly, "I hope you can hand this Double-sided Mirror to the Headmaster of Zhengyi School."

"Uh— alright!" Aisen took the Double-sided Mirror, intending to complain about whether they didn't have a Double-sided Mirror to contact each other before, but after thinking about it, he decided against it. "So, is this it? Is there anything else you need to say?"

Hearing Aisen's words, Dumbledore first shook his head, and then, as if he had thought of something, he directly asked, "Oh, by the way, how are Harry and the others at Zhengyi School?"

"Uh, how should I put this?" Aisen saw Dumbledoreasking about this matter, so he organized his words and continued, "I think the exchange student program between Hogwarts and Zhengyi School might progress with difficulty."

"Difficult?" Dumbledore nodded. "Indeed, the teaching methods of Zhengyi School and Hogwarts School are very different. However, this is an excellent opportunity for exchange between Hogwarts and the Eastern countries."

"Uh, you're right!" Aisen nodded. "Although the cultures of the two schools are completely different and the courses vary greatly. But if there are gains, it is still acceptable."

"How are Harry and the others' courses at Zhengyi School?" Dumbledore pressed on.

"They're doing alright, they were transferred to the first year and are starting to learn the courses of Zhengyi School from scratch!" Aisen said, his expression unchanged.

"First-year courses?" Dumbledore pondered for a moment, then shook his head slightly again. "Even first-year courses might be difficult for Harry and the others!"

"Let's take it slow!" Aisen nodded. "Oh, by the way, their semester at Zhengyi School is almost over. At that time, do you have any arrangements for them?"

"Arrangements?" A look of confusion flashed across Dumbledore's face.

"They wasted a year of study time—uh, I mean, they missed a year of classes at Hogwarts School, you wouldn't just let them go straight to the sixth year, would you!" Aisen shrugged his shoulders.

"You mean, let them continue taking classes starting from the fifth year?" Dumbledore said, as if he had thought of something, and nodded almost imperceptibly.

"Of course, what they learned at Zhengyi School is not the curriculum of Hogwarts School." Aisen crossed his arms. "Besides, the fifth year is the O.W.L.s year, if they miss such an important academic year and go straight to the sixth year, they will definitely make mistakes."

"You're right!" Dumbledore seemed to be convinced. "I will discuss it with the other Professors, and if there are no surprises, we will proceed as you suggested."

...

After a conversation, Dumbledore restored the arrangement inside the Hog's Head Bar room and then left directly. After extinguishing the candle flame, Aisenwalked out of the room.

Chapter 398: Floating City

Leaving the Hog's Head Bar, a ray of sunlight slanted down and shone directly into Aisen's eyes. He narrowed his eyes slightly, then widened them to look directly at the sun, feeling no discomfort whatsoever.

The Energy Absorption runes inscribed on his body ensured that he would be unaffected by any energy attack.

Whoosh—

After taking a deep breath, Aisen looked at the Witch village, which seemed to be just waking up, and was about to turn and leave.

But just then, a strange feeling surfaced in Aisen's heart.

Stopping in his tracks, Aisen turned his head and looked. His extraordinary vision allowed him to clearly see a bright and dazzling crimson light soaring straight up from the direction of the Hogwarts Forbidden Forest.

Buzz—

As the crimson light shone in the sky, a violent roar reached Aisen's ears.

This scene made Aisen's expression change. He couldn't imagine what was happening over there!

Turning his head to look, Aisen found that the Witches walking on the streets of Hogsmeade seemed not to have noticed this change at all, still busy with their own affairs.

As his thoughts turned, Aisen's figure flickered and disappeared from the spot, reappearing at the place in the Forbidden Forest where the crimson light was shining.

Getting closer, and after the brilliant red light had slightly subsided, Aisen realized that this change didn't seem to be caused by an explosion.

Because the surrounding tree branches and leaves were still swaying freely in the breeze, unlike what he had imagined, they weren't completely destroyed.

However, this change in front of him made Aisen very curious. He saw a mass of crimson light contracting in an open space in the forest, as if a giant red balloon was rapidly deflating, shrinking quickly.

In the blink of an eye, the mass of red light seemed to be completely compressed, condensing into an irregularly shaped crimson crystal. Upon closer inspection, one would find that the crystal seemed to contain flowing water, constantly circulating within.

A few more minutes passed, and the crimson crystal seemed to have "cooled down". The circulating water within the crystal also solidified, and then the light on the surface of the entire crimson crystal became contained.

Ruby?

Thoughts flashed through Aisen's mind, but his movements were not slow at all. He cast detection spells and analysis spells one by one.

When he found no harm, Aisen reached out and summoned the crimson crystal into his hand.

The moment he held the crimson crystal in his hand, a scorching sensation emerged from Aisen's heart, followed by a warm feeling flowing from his hand, quickly enveloping his entire body.

"The shape of this thing?" Aisen looked at the crimson crystal in his hand, pondered for a while, and as if he had thought of something, his figure flickered and disappeared from the spot.

Double Leaf Paradise, Aisen's warehouse, a certain area on a shelf.

Aisen placed the crimson crystal on a metal tray and put it next to a piece of platinum-colored crystal. Then, he turned his gaze to the black bead next to it.

Indeed, an astonishing scene occurred.

Within the black bead, chaotic-colored threads and platinum-colored threads were originally intertwined and constantly circulating, but now a crimson thread emerged, like the platinum-colored thread, blending in yet remaining distinct.

"Is there some connection between them?" Aisenmuttered, but he couldn't figure out what was going on.

After all, these things were all picked up by Aisen by chance, and the ways he obtained them were different.

After pondering for a long while, Aisen temporarily put this matter aside and turned to leave Double Leaf Paradise.

In the Forbidden Forest, the chirping of insects and birds suddenly sounded, and sunlight filtered through the dense branches and leaves, casting dappled shadows on the ground. The breeze blew, not only dispersing the fresh air filling the forest but also causing the leaves to rustle.

Looking around and finding nothing unusual, Aisenflashed away from the area.

...

After returning to Zhengyi School, Aisen first spoke with Zou Zunian, telling him about Dumbledore's guesses and worries. He also gave Zou Zunian the Double-sided Mirror he had received from Dumbledore.

In the following time, Aisen lived a peaceful life as usual. In his leisure time, he would also pay attention to the Laplace's Demon System's monitoring of the globe, but he never found any trace of Voldemort.

This made Aisen very suspicious.

Because Voldemort's personality dictated that once his strength greatly increased, he would definitely come out to cause trouble. But strangely, even until the beginning of December, when the National Quidditch Super Leaguebegan, Aisen did not find anything abnormal.

Similarly, when he usually met and chatted with Hermione in Double Leaf Paradise, he didn't hear of any changes at Hogwarts.

Gradually, Aisen stopped worrying about this matter.

Anyway, when Voldemort comes out to cause trouble, he can just step forward and deal with him.

...

This morning, as Aisen just left his dormitory, he saw that quite a few students had already lined up at the school gate.

Including some of the teachers leading the teams, almost everyone was talking. Listening closely, one could tell they were discussing going to Kunlun Jade Palace to watch the National Quidditch Super League.

"Are these all the people going to watch the game?" Aisen came to Zhang Mingwen's side, nodded towards Harry and the others who were lined up on the other side, and then asked.

Although Aisen hadn't asked for the exact number of Zhengyi School students, a rough estimate showed that the number should be around six hundred. But the number of students currently lined up seemed to be only about a hundred, and most of them were low-grade students from the first and second years.

"The reason the school doesn't uniformly help students buy tickets is that it doesn't advocate for students to watch the game live," Zhang Mingwen gave a surprising answer.

"If that's the case, then they—" Aisen looked at the group of enthusiastic students.

"If they want to go, the school won't stop them!" Zhang Mingwen's explanation confused Aisen somewhat.

"So, are we leaving now?" Aisen looked up and saw that the sun had just risen, dyeing the morning glow red, before changing the subject.

"Wait, Professor Lü will be here soon," Zhang Mingwenlooked at the time and then said.

Aisen nodded and said nothing.

This time, Zhengyi School formed two teams to go to Kunlun Jade Palace for the National Quidditch Super League. One team was the Quidditch team Harry was on, the Tiger's Roar Team. The other team was the group of spectators.

The spectator group consisted of about one hundred and ten people, mostly first and second-year students, led by Zhang Mingwen. The participating Tiger's Roar Teamwas led by the Quidditch coach and Flying Class teacher, Lü Wei.

Two minutes later, Professor Lü appeared, and then the group officially set off.

After leaving the school gate, Aisen had expected the group to take a train or plane to Kunlun Jade Palace, but he didn't expect them to summon a carriage with a car-like compartment that looked as if it was being pulled by puppet horses.

The appearance of this carriage was very similar to the shape of the Beauxbatons carriage Aisen had seen at Hogwarts, but there were significant differences in the details.

Upon closer inspection, one would find that the horses pulling this carriage not only had obvious traces of puppets and magic, but even the carriage compartment and wheels were inscribed with strange, exquisite patterns bearing magical traces.

"Is this your school's mode of transportation?" After boarding the carriage, Aisen found that the space inside the compartment was indeed as spacious as he had expected.

"Don't you have the Knight Bus over there?" Sitting down, Zhang Mingwen said with a smile, "The function of this carriage is very similar to that."

Hearing Zhang Mingwen's words, Aisen immediately understood, but he turned and looked over in surprise: "The Knight Bus has a driver and a conductor, this one—"

"It's just similar, there are actually some differences!" Zhang Mingwen didn't say more.

After everyone was seated, Zhang Mingwen drew a rune at the entrance of the compartment and then said the name "Kunlun Jade Palace."

Immediately after, Aisen felt the carriage beneath him move forward rapidly.

"How fast is this carriage?" Aisen looked at Zhang Mingwen, who had sat down, "Does it have the speed of the Somersault Cloud?"

"Hmm—, these two modes of transportation are actually not easy to compare," Zhang Mingwen thought for a moment before answering, "Because this carriage is inscribed with a teleportation rune, its method of travel is not flying, but direct teleportation."

"Uh, like the Knight Bus, sometimes it jumps forward hundreds of kilometers?" Aisen's face showed a look of realization.

"You could say that!" Zhang Mingwen nodded.

"Since that's the case, when can we reach our destination?" Aisen leaned back against the carriage wall and asked unhurriedly, "Oh, right, where is the Floating City of Kunlun Jade Palace? Is it in the Kunlun Mountains?"

"You're right, it's in the Kunlun Mountains!" Zhang Mingwen said, standing up. "As for when we'll arrive, we're here!"

As Zhang Mingwen stood up, Aisen clearly sensed that the carriage's speed was rapidly decreasing, and in the blink of an eye, it had come to a stop.

This—

Alright, since this carriage can jump out of thin air, it's reasonable to arrive at the destination so quickly!

"Are we here already?"

"It's Kunlun Jade Palace!"

The students in the carriage were chattering about something.

"Remember not to run around after getting off the carriage, alright?" Zhang Mingwen instructed the students.

After the group got out of the carriage, Aisen realized that the ground they were stepping on was paved with marble tiles inscribed with various runes.

Streaks of flowing light shimmered in the gaps between the tiles, and runes were hidden within them, giving a sense of the extraordinary.

Clearly, the ground Aisen was stepping on was not an ordinary place.

Looking at the marble tiles beneath his feet, Aisennarrowed his eyes. In a short moment, he had already deciphered the runes and magic on them using the convenience of the Laplace's Demon System. Then his gaze penetrated straight through, seeing the swirling clouds below.

As expected, it was a Floating City suspended in the air. Thinking this, Aisen withdrew his gaze.

Looking around, Aisen was surprised to find himself standing at the entrance of a city wall.

"Wow! Come over here and take a look, it's so beautiful!"

"Be careful, don't fall!"

"How could I? There's a magic protection here, look, it's blocking it!"

...

"The competition hasn't started yet. How about it, want to go over there and take a look?" Zhang Mingwen came up to Aisen and pointed behind him.

"The scenery over there is indeed very unique. If it weren't for being in a Floating City, it would be a rare sight!" Another slightly more silent person, Professor Lü Wei, also spoke up at the right time.

Looking through the gate, Aisen clearly saw that after passing through the city wall gate, there was an extension of three to five zhang, and then just the empty sky.

If the entire Floating City was considered a room, then the area extending outside the city wall gate was like a balcony, offering a relatively open view.

"Professor!" Harry and the others came up to Aisen, each with a look of surprise.

"Let's go, let's go take a look!" Aisen nodded and walked through the city wall gate to the very edge of the Floating City.

"There's a magic barrier here, Professor!" As if seeing the actions of other students, Hanna reached out to push, but it felt like she touched an invisible wall.

"An extraordinary experience, truly wonderful!" Looking at the swirling clouds and endless flow in the distance, Aisen couldn't help but exclaim.

Uh, speaking of which, he had also built a Floating Continent in the Double-Leaf Paradise Space. Should he also create such scenery at the edges?

Hmm, I can try that later.

Wait—, can I just copy this city and put it in the Double Leaf Paradise? It doesn't seem entirely necessary.

Never mind, I'll think about it later!

"Oh, right, when does the competition start next, are there any arrangements?" Aisen seemed to think of something and asked.

"Nothing, the time is free for now!" Zhang Mingwenpondered. "Everyone can wander around the city. There are all sorts of shops and various activities, etc."

"In two hours, at ten o'clock, we will gather at the stadium. At ten-thirty, the official draw will take place to determine the order of the twelve schools' matches!" Lü Wei added.

...

In the next two hours, Aisen wandered around this Floating City named Kunlun Jade Palace, seeing branches of Jindouyun Company, Flower Fruit Mountain Wand Shop, and so on.

However, what he found strange was that he didn't find anything in this city that could be associated with the words "Kunlun Jade Palace."

Or rather, the architectural style of this city looked more like an ancient city than Kunlun Jade Palace.

Walking through street after street, as time passed, Aisenfound that the entire Floating City seemed to become more lively. People were constantly moving through the streets and alleys, and occasionally entering the shops on either side.

It was as if the entire city had come alive, giving a sense of vitality.

At ten o'clock, at the entrance of the stadium in a corner of the city, Aisen saw the area where the Zhengyi Schoolstudents were lined up. At this moment, not only were the students gathered, but Zhang Mingwen and Lü Weihad also arrived.

"Old Zhang, how's your school doing this year?" A tall, strong middle-aged man in black close-fitting clothes greeted Zhang Mingwen familiarly. Clearly, they knew each other.

"Competition, what's there to say? I think, friendship first, competition second!" Zhang Mingwen said with a smile, seemingly indifferent to the outcome of the competition.

"Heh, Old Zhang is still so open-minded!" A man in a light blue Daoist robe came over.

"If you ask me, what's the point of this Quidditchcompetition—"

"Hey, don't say that, isn't this to align with international standards!"

"Exactly! In my opinion, this Quidditch competition isn't completely useless!"

...

A group of people gathered together and started talking.

As time passed, people kept entering the stadium.

At ten-thirty, Lü Wei completed the drawing ceremony at a table outside the stadium entrance.

Then, after everyone's tickets were checked, they entered the stadium from the entrance.

However, what surprised Aisen was that the entire stadium seemed to be enchanted. Although there were many people sitting in the seats around the stadium, their voices seemed to be confined to a very small space.

Originally, he was prepared to hear very noisy voices the moment he entered the stadium, but unexpectedly, upon entering, he found that although the atmosphere inside was lively, it was just right.

Looking around, Aisen found that the layout of the entire stadium was actually similar to ballparks in the Muggle World. In the center was the Quidditch Pitch, surrounded by layers of tiered seating.

What was different from ordinary ballparks was that countless green vines hung from the ceiling of the stadium. Among the entangled vines, a transparent ribbon occasionally extended, emitting a bright light.

Under the effect of magic, specks of starlight fell from above, scattering onto the seats in the stands and the grass on the pitch.

Hmm—

As Aisen's gaze swept across the green vines hanging from the ceiling, he found a dazzling green light flashing in the corner diagonally opposite.

Originally, he thought this was a normal decorative feature of the stadium, but upon closer observation, he found that the area where the green light was constantly flashing seemed a bit abrupt.

Moreover, just as Aisen's gaze focused on the area where the green light was flashing, the flashing green light seemed to have a consciousness, flickering on and off as if breathing, and then quickly moved along the green vines.

In the blink of an eye, it had arrived directly above Aisen's head.

Immediately after, the green light flashed and fell from a green vine, immersing itself in the extended transparent ribbon, as if staining it into a crystal-clear emerald.

Then the green light continued to condense, changing from emerald green to dark green, as if constantly deepening in concentration, and then turning into greenish-gray.

Finally, the green light within it seemed to be guided, directly breaking through the restraint and separating from the transparent ribbon.

Then the ribbon, which had been stained green, returned to its transparent color, and at the very bottom of the thread, a drop of emerald green "water droplet" hung.

Aisen's gaze followed it, but when he glanced at others out of the corner of his eye, he found that no one seemed to notice this change.

Did others not notice this change? Or were others unable to see this change? Or was this actually a normal change in the lighting of this stadium?

Chapter 399: First Round Exit

"Alright, get ready for the match! We're a bit unlucky this year; your game against Shu Mountain School's Quidditch team is the first one!" Lü Wei's voice calling out to Harry and the others reached Aisen's ears.

"The Quidditch teams from the twelve schools are divided into six groups, playing two by two. Shu Mountain School's Quidditch team has been relatively strong in recent years. I hope you can perform at your best!" Zhang Mingwen said this, unsure if it was comfort or encouragement.

Ding dong—

Like a falling water droplet, Aisen's attention was immediately drawn again.

He saw the emerald green water droplet hanging from the transparent thread above his head fall straight down. Seeing this, Aisen had a thought and instantly pulled everyone in the entire stadium into the Dream World.

The entire process happened silently, without causing any ripples. Afterward, Aisen adjusted the time flow in the Dream World to the limit.

As a result, from Aisen's perspective, the entire world seemed to be frozen.

His thoughts turned again, and the falling emerald green water droplet had already landed in his palm. Then, Aisenwithdrew the coverage of the Dream God Spell, allowing everyone's consciousness to return to the real world.

The moment he received the emerald green water droplet, a look of surprise flashed in Aisen's eyes.

Because he found that the instant the emerald green water droplet fell into his hand, it seemed to have completely solidified, turning from a water droplet into a crystal.

He opened his hand and saw an emerald green, crystal-clear crystal resting on it, emitting a soft glow. Staring at this green gem, Aisen was surprisingly able to smell the fresh scent of a primitive forest in nature.

"Alright, the match is about to start, get ready!" Lü Wei's voice echoed in his ears.

Apart from Harry and the others who were participating, the group looked at their tickets and then walked towards the seating in a certain direction on the stands.

As Aisen's thoughts turned, he put the emerald green gem in his hand into Double Leaf Paradise. At the same time, he created a metal tray out of thin air within it, placing the green gem on it and storing it in the warehouse.

...

"Professor, why is the Quidditch match here a bit different?" After sitting down, Padma looked around and seemed to feel something was off.

"That's right, I've seen the Quidditch World Cup before, and it's completely different from here!" Hanna chimed in.

"Different?" Aisen's gaze swept over the entire stadium, looking at the at least half-empty seats, and then at everyone's expressions, and suddenly showed a look of sudden realization. "I see, it's the atmosphere here that's different!"

Indeed, after observing carefully, Aisen found that the atmosphere of the Quidditch match here was completely different from the previous Quidditch World Cup.

How should I put it?

When Aisen watched the Quidditch World Cup before, that fanatical atmosphere enveloped everyone. Whether they were adults or children, everyone was very excited.

Shouting, cheering, etc., in a way, it was like another Christmas feast. It was truly immersing oneself in the atmosphere of the Quidditch World Cup.

In contrast, the people here, although there seemed to be quite a few, at the end of the day, at least more than half of the seats were empty. This shows that the popularity of Quidditch here is at least not as high as in Europe.

Furthermore, although everyone who came to watch the match had relaxed and comfortable expressions on their faces. But ultimately, there was no such fanatical emotion.

The feeling was that the people here were merely treating this match as a slightly larger event.

To put it simply, it was as if the spectators at the Quidditch World Cup were true fans, while the spectators here were pseudo-fans.

Of course, saying this might not be entirely accurate, but judging from the atmosphere created at the scene, that's really how it was.

However, it seemed to be more than just that.

Because Aisen had noticed before that this stadium seemed to be enchanted. The voices of the people in each seat were actually very difficult to spread more than five meters away.

This meant that it was basically impossible for the spectators here to create a wave of cheers like at the Quidditch World Cup.

"Don't they like Quidditch?" Hanna observed the empty seats next to her, then lowered her voice.

"Emmm... it's not that they don't like it. If they didn't like it, who would buy tickets to watch!" Aisen said softly. "It's just that, unlike in Europe where Quidditch has a history of several hundred years, here it's probably only a few decades, or even less than a few decades."

"Is that the reason?" Padma looked suspicious.

"That's very likely the reason." Aisen looked around. "Hmm, it could also be because of the match venue."

"Match venue? Is it this Floating City?" Padma pondered.

"Before, how did you feel about the several Quidditchmatches held at Zhengyi School?" Aisen changed the subject and asked the three directly, "I mean, their Quidditch level!"

"Uh, it was alright, we couldn't really understand it!" Hanna and Padma exchanged glances, then shook their heads.

Seeing this, Aisen turned his gaze to Malfoy.

"Maybe a little worse than the Hogwarts Quidditch team, or maybe a little stronger than the Hogwarts Quidditchteam. What the specific situation is, unless the two sides have a match, it's hard to judge their true level!" Malfoythought for a while and then chose his words carefully.

Well, that seems right. By the way, what results did the China Quidditch team achieve in the Quidditch World Cup? It seems they won the runner-up in 2010.

What else? What about the previous news? Alright, there's none!

Wait—

Could it be that the Quidditch national team here hasn't been formed yet?

Hmm~

This possibility is not non-existent. Just look at the name of the National Quidditch Super League held on this Floating City called Kunlun Jade Palace.

For a competition with such a name, the participating teams are the Quidditch teams from various schools, which to a large extent can already explain the problem.

Hmm—, Zou Zunian seemed to have said earlier that Kunlun School was about to register with the International Wizarding Federation. This means that the Quidditch national team might also be formed after that?

That's very likely!

"...Now, please welcome the players from the Zhengyi School team and the Shu Mountain School team..."

The referee had entered the field at some point, and the players from both teams mounted their broomsticks.

Beep—

A loud whistle echoed through every corner of the stadium stands, and the match officially began.

As soon as the match started, it completely attracted the attention of Aisen and the others.

Of course, it wasn't because Harry and the others were particularly handsome riding their broomsticks, but because their opponents, the broomsticks they were using, had some different changes the moment they lifted off the ground.

There was nothing to say about the seven people on the opposite side riding broomsticks. Even if their flying skills were better than Harry's, that was a matter of strength.

The key was that the broomsticks the seven people were riding, at the moment they took off, the very tip of the broom handle, like an activated Force light saber, shot out an invisible "airflow" that distorted the air.

That airflow rushed forward three feet in front of them, then spread out like an umbrella, enveloping the entire person.

Uh, or perhaps the umbrella shape is not accurate. It should be said that the shape of the spreading airflow was like a bullet head, giving a feeling of inexplicable power.

"Isn't this cheating?" Seeing the performance of Harry's opponents, Padma seemed to think of something and couldn't help but shout loudly.

At the same time, there were gasps of surprise from other parts of the stands. Clearly, many people were surprised by the methods used by Shu Mountain School's Quidditch team.

"Those broomsticks must be enchanted, but it's clear they haven't violated any of the seven hundred Quidditchfouls, Professor!" Hanna looked at Aisen.

Seven hundred fouls? Hearing Hanna's words, Aisencouldn't help but twitch his mouth.

Did they foul? Well, using this method does seem more aerodynamic. But do the people in the Ministry of Magic, uh, or rather, the people in the Wizarding World, know what aerodynamics is?

Good heavens! Aisen exclaimed, "Good heavens!"

"Since they didn't violate any of the seven hundred fouls, that means there's no problem, right?" Looking at the surprised expressions of many people around him, Aisensuspected that the Shu Mountain School Quidditch team was using this method for the first time.

However, if that were really the case, Aisen would find it a pity.

Because if this method were truly allowed, it wouldn't be a big deal. But in case it's not allowed and is listed as a new foul, then China's Quidditch team probably won't be able to use it in future international competitions.

Or rather, if Shu Mountain School were to hide this method and use it later in international competitions... Hmm? Maybe after this National Quidditch Super League, this method will become widespread here.

Then, after the national Quidditch team is formed and goes to the Quidditch World Cup arena, it will probably still be usable.

After all, even if this method is prohibited later, it's their first time participating in the competition, and there are no clear regulations yet.

Well, unless Aisen and others return to Hogwarts and report this cheating method to the Ministry of Magic, listing it as a foul.

Thinking of this, Aisen shook his head. He didn't have the time to worry about this.

"Professor, is it really okay for them to do this? Harry and his teammates are already thirty points behind!" Padmasaid, looking depressed. She then looked at Hanna and found that she wasn't very enthusiastic either.

Looking at the sky above the field, Aisen found that the situation was indeed as Padma had said. Harry and his teammates were coordinating well, occasionally performing a Wronski Feint, but unfortunately, the opponent's speed was too fast.

That's right, the Wronski Feint is a very useful tactic for Seekers. It's the same for any team, because using such a feint can tie up the opponent's Seeker.

But unfortunately, the opponent's speed was too fast. Although Harry used the Wronski Feint, forcing the opponent to quickly follow suit, after catching up to Harry, the opponent quickly surpassed him.

As a result, after not spotting the golden snitch, they naturally wouldn't foolishly crash into the ground!

In this situation, let alone Harry, even the other participating players had looks of horror on their faces.

Because the broomsticks they were using were already the top-tier "Kite 007", but they hadn't expected the opponent's broomsticks to be even faster.

Just like this, the opponent's Chasers constantly weaved through the sky, quickly passing the quaffle to his teammates, then dodging the bludger attacks from Harry's team, rapidly approaching the goalposts and throwing the ball into the hoop.

Swish—

Shu Mountain School Quidditch team scores ten points again!

"Malfoy, what do you think of the Shu Mountain SchoolQuidditch team's level? Can they win the Quidditch World Cup?" Aisen could tell that the Shu Mountain School players were coordinating exceptionally well.

Although Zhengyi School's Quidditch players also coordinated flawlessly, the opponent's coordination wasn't weak either. Coupled with the opponent's faster speed, the gap in the entire match seemed to widen instantly.

At the very least, the matches Aisen saw in the Quidditch World Cup finals weren't this ridiculous!

"Their speed is too fast!" Malfoy's eyes widened, perhaps in shock.

Swish—

The Shu Mountain School Quidditch team's Seekerdarted across the field, Harry dived, rushing forward desperately, but trailed far behind the opponent.

"Tsk tsk—, the outcome is pretty much clear already!" Aisen said, shaking his head involuntarily.

He could see Harry's momentum as he rushed forward, the way his hair flew wildly, and the determined expression on his face.

But unfortunately, their chase was like running versus cycling. One was pushing with all his might, while the other was pedaling with just a little effort.

"Are Harry and his teammates going to lose?" Hanna's emotions seemed to have calmed down.

As she spoke, the Shu Mountain School Quidditch team scored another goal.

"It seems the champion of this year's National Quidditch Super League will be Shu Mountain School!"

"I didn't expect them to actually use such a method. Is there anything special about that technique? Do you know?"

"Not quite sure, need to go back and ask!"

"It seems to be based on aerodynamic principles..."

...

Some people around were also talking, clearly curious about the method used by the Shu Mountain SchoolQuidditch team. Some also seemed to understand something.

"The gap is quite large, I think Harry and his teammates are indeed going to lose!" Aisen said as he fell into thought.

Speaking of which, due to the Wizarding World's isolation, in Quidditch matches, the so-called seven hundred fouls are probably all things Witches can discover.

So in other words, would cheating methods that combine technology and magic be unexpected by the Ministry of Magic?

For example, the method currently used by the Shu Mountain School Quidditch team.

They put an aerodynamic bullet-shaped fairing on the front of the broomstick handle, enclosing both the broom and the person.

So, what if jets were added to the fine twigs at the tail of the broomstick?

Just like a rocket about to launch, directly adding a nitrogen injection device to the tail of the broomstick. Uh, or rather, use magic to absorb and compress the surrounding air, and then spray it backward from the fine twigs at the tail.

Hiss—

If operated like this, what speed would the broomstick reach?

Well, it is known that the Firebolt's flying speed is about one hundred and fifty miles per hour. The Kite 007 that Harry and his teammates are currently using is roughly this speed as well.

But the speed of a rocket, at least on Earth, can reach forty-five hundred miles per hour.

Thinking of this, Aisen couldn't help but laugh. If they were to play like this, Quidditch matches would become purely speed competitions.

Moreover, at such high speeds, probably no one except Aisen would be able to react while flying.

The tense, exciting match was still ongoing—or rather, a match that felt like crushing weak opponents was still ongoing.

Ten minutes later, the score had reached 300:10. It could be said that Harry and his teammates were completely at a disadvantage, and it was a hopeless situation.

Aisen looked around and found that many people seemed to have lost interest in watching the match, chatting noisily about who knows what.

"Look, Harry found the golden snitch!" Padma suddenly exclaimed.

Harry suddenly dived down on his broomstick, and the chatter around the stands suddenly quieted down considerably. However, although Harry's action was ahead, the opponent's reaction was not slow.

The two rushed towards the ground one after another. Before reaching the ground, Harry had already been caught up by the opponent, who continued flying rapidly towards the ground.

Swish—

Harry's opponent stopped the dive an instant before hitting the ground, then rose again, arcing away. The opponent's broom tail skimmed the grass on the ground, stirring up a green wave.

By the time Harry stopped his dive, he saw the opponent already flying high in the sky, opening his hand to reveal the golden snitch inside.

Beep—

The referee's whistle blew, announcing Zhengyi School's defeat!

"Alright, the first match, Shu Mountain School wins. The second match will start in half an hour..."

"Let's go!" Seeing Harry and the others descend from the sky, looking dejected, Aisen shook his head, said something to Hanna and the others, and stood up from his seat.

"Professor, is Harry and his teammates' match over?" Padma asked, following along with Hanna and Malfoy.

"That's right, it's over!" Aisen nodded, weaved through a row of seats, and then walked down the stone steps. "Twelve teams were divided into six groups to participate. Only the winning team from each group can qualify to continue the competition. Harry and his teammates lost in the first round, so of course, it's over directly!"

Speaking of which, Harry himself is probably quite depressed too. He participated in such a grand-scale match in a foreign land, only to be eliminated in the first round.

"Are we still going to watch the match then?" Hanna's face showed a puzzled expression. "I mean, Harry and his teammates shouldn't have seats to watch, right?"

"Uh, I think for the next arrangements, we should ask Professor Zhang Mingwen!" Aisen shrugged and, after leaving the stadium, walked towards the area assigned to Zhengyi School.

Chapter 400: Hermione's Career Consultation

"Alright, failure is the mother of success. Don't look so down. Just work harder next time…"

When Aisen and his group arrived at the area designated for Zhengyi School, Zhang Mingwen and Lü Wei seemed to be comforting the team members.

Seeing Aisen and the others arrive, Zhang Mingwennodded towards Aisen as a greeting.

Aisen observed and found that Zhang Mingwen's expression didn't show the slightest hint of unhappiness, as if Harry and their failure had no impact on Zhengyi School's reputation.

However, Harry, including the other Quidditch team members from Zhengyi School, all looked dejected.

It was clear that they had been hit hard in the previous match.

A few minutes later, after Zhang Mingwen and Lü Wei's lecture, the group calmed their emotions. Seeing this, Aisen stepped forward and asked directly, "Are there any arrangements next?"

"Arrangements? No arrangements. Didn't you buy tickets? You can continue watching the remaining matches." Zhang Mingwen looked at Aisen and then said calmly.

"What about them?" Aisen pointed at Harry and the others.

"The stadium allows the defeated teams to enter the private boxes to continue watching the match!" Zhang Mingwen explained.

"How long will this National Quidditch Super Leaguelast?" Hearing Zhang Mingwen's explanation, Aisennodded and then changed the subject.

"In previous years, the matches basically lasted for about three days. However, this year's matches—" Zhang Mingwen said, shaking his head with a sigh, "I'm afraid they will end within two days, or even one day."

"Is it because of Shu Mountain School's Quidditch team?" Aisen pondered.

"I didn't expect them to tamper with the brooms!" Lü Weisaid from the side, a hint of indignation on her face.

"Since everyone knows that Shu Mountain Schooltampered with the flying brooms, couldn't the teams participating next use the same method?" Aisen rubbed his chin with his hand.

"It's difficult!" Zhang Mingwen shook his head. "Judging from the cooperation of their Shu Mountain SchoolQuidditch team, they have trained for at least half a year. This advantage is probably incomparable for other schools!"

"That's true!" Aisen nodded.

Just as he had said earlier, although Shu Mountain Schoolhad shown their method first, it would still be somewhat difficult for other schools to imitate.

Of course, it wasn't impossible to imitate the opponent's method.

Aisen believed that the teachers leading the Quidditchteams participating in the upcoming matches would be capable of enchanting the flying brooms so that when the players rode the brooms to fly, invisible airflow would shoot out from the broom handles, forming bullet-shaped air shields.

But the problem was as Zhang Mingwen said, while such methods could be used, Shu Mountain School's Quidditchteam had probably spent most of the past year training diligently.

Other schools using this method might seem to increase the players' flying speed at first glance. But accelerating the speed in the first match would likely lead to significant errors in coordination.

In that case, it might not even be better than using their previous tactics!

The subsequent matches were as Zhang Mingwenguessed, the time taken for each match to end became very short.

Either they ended within half an hour of the match starting, or they ended within twenty minutes of the match starting.

This was because in the following few matches, the Quidditch teams from those schools behaved very "smartly".

Yes, at least in Aisen's opinion, they were very smart.

Aisen had thought that although the Quidditch teams from other schools had witnessed Shu Mountain School's methods, they would still use the tactics they had previously decided on to avoid making too many mistakes.

The second and third matches were like this.

But in the fourth match, the showdown between Huashan School and Maoshan School, Huashan School showed great stubbornness.

Their school's Quidditch team temporarily modified their flying brooms, and as a result, due to repeated errors in coordination, they ultimately lost to their opponents.

The following matches were very interesting!

Otherwise, why would Aisen say those schools were very "smart"? In the fifth match, Songshan School also temporarily modified their flying brooms, but they only modified the Seeker's flying broom!

When Aisen saw this scene, he truly admired their cleverness.

Because simply increasing the Seeker's speed without affecting the cooperation of others was indeed quite effective!

Anyway, while the two teams were fiercely clashing, the Seeker of Songshan School's Quidditch team caught the golden snitch fifteen minutes after the match began.

After witnessing Songshan School's method, the other schools suddenly realized and started using similar tactics.

As a result, it was exactly as Zhang Mingwen had said, in just one day, all sixteen matches were over. In the end, Shu Mountain School, which defeated Zhengyi School, won this year's National Quidditch Super Leaguechampionship.

After the matches ended, without waiting for Harry and the others to continue shopping in Floating City, the group left by carriage.

Just like when they came, after everyone boarded the carriage, Zhang Mingwen operated it, and it took a few minutes to return to Zhengyi School.

...

After returning to Zhengyi School, Aisen remembered the gains from Kunlun Jade Palace, the Floating City, earlier. He immediately entered Double Leaf Paradise and went into the warehouse.

Walking directly to the shelf in a corner of the warehouse, Aisen saw the metal tray placed on the shelf. On the tray was a green crystal.

The moment his gaze fell on the crystal, Aisen felt as if he saw a boundless primeval forest, freely exuding the charm of everything growing.

His gaze shifted to the metal tray next to it. Seeing the crimson crystal, a dry heat appeared out of thin air, giving him the illusion of everything being consumed by fire.

His gaze shifted again. When Aisen saw the platinum-colored crystal, an extremely sharp feeling, as if cutting through everything, rose in his heart.

Aisen nodded subtly and placed his gaze on the tray on the other side. The black bead in the tray, the chaotic colored threads flowing within it seemed to have decreased by more than half.

Instead, in addition to the platinum-colored threads and crimson threads that had already appeared, a strand of emerald green thread emerged.

Observing quietly, Aisen found that the various colored threads within the black bead flowed endlessly, as if there were no other changes besides this one.

After a long time, Aisen withdrew his gaze and turned to leave the warehouse.

...

After the matches ended, Aisen's life returned to peace.

Because he had told Hermione before that he wanted to collect the local delicacies and snacks into the food storage room, he would taste food in various places on weekdays.

When he encountered sufficiently delicious food or snacks, Aisen would collect them.

In the blink of an eye, more than half a month passed.

That evening, Aisen entered Double Leaf Paradise and had just finished dinner. He was planning to lie on the lawn to rest for a while when he met Hermione walking out of the teleportation array.

His gaze shifted slightly, and Aisen saw Hermioneholding a book.

Seeing Aisen lying on the lawn, a hint of joy appeared on Hermione's face. She quickened her pace and walked towards Aisen's location.

"Professor, why are you lying here!" Hermione came to Aisen's side, looked around, and then lay down directly beside Aisen, resting her head on his arm.

"Uh, it's nothing. I just finished eating, and I'm quietly lying here to rest!" Aisen showed a smile on his face, but his gaze fell on the book Hermione was holding against her chest.

"Here, Professor!" Seeing Aisen's gaze, Hermione didn't mind at all and directly handed the book over.

With a slight thought, the book floated up out of thin air. The words 'Detailed Explanation of Magical Professions' were written on the cover!

"Detailed Explanation of Magical Professions? Is it about choosing future careers?" Aisen was a little curious, and then the book began to turn pages automatically.

"Yes, there are many magical professions to choose from." Hermione leaned against Aisen. "For example, Healers at St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries, employees at the Muggle Liaison Office, and professional Quidditch players, etc."

"Are you going to look at this now?" Aisen calculated the time, and a look of sudden understanding flashed in his eyes.

"Yes, Hogwarts School posted a notice saying that fifth-year students need to attend a meeting to discuss future employment issues with the Heads of each House." Hermione said, rubbing her head against Aisen's shoulder.

"So, you'll need to talk to Professor McGonagall about future employment issues then?" Aisen patted Hermioneon the head.

"Yes, yes, there are a lot of these career materials available at the school for us to look through in detail!" Hermione pointed to the books suspended in the air.

"So, after looking at these materials, have you decided what you want to do?" Aisen continued flipping through the books in front of him. "Or is it still as you decided before, to become a Professor at Hogwarts?"

"Although working at the Ministry of Magic is also good, I still want to become a Professor at Hogwarts, just like you, Professor!" Hermione blinked, her tone very firm.

"What about the Hogwarts Campus Weekly?" Aisenasked in return.

"Didn't I say it before? After graduation, I'll start a newspaper company to run the Hogwarts Campus Weekly, and then just let Ron, Colin, and Seamus take charge!" Hermione flipped over and sat up.

"Since you want to apply to become a Professor at Hogwarts, have you thought about what subject you want to be a Professor of?" Aisen closed the books and sat straight up.

"Hmm, what do you think, Professor?" Hermione turned over and sat up.

"I think you definitely aren't interested in Divination!" Aisen said, looking at Hermione with interest.

"Professor~ you're so annoying!" Hermione rolled her eyes at Aisen.

"So, how about Muggle Studies?" Aisen smiled and continued, "In terms of Muggle Studies, you have an advantage that many people don't. You are a Witch born into a Muggle family, so you should be more adept at Muggle Studies!"

"That's true, but I don't like this subject!" Hermione said, pouting.

"Why?" Aisen was a little curious.

"This subject isn't real Muggle Studies at all. Some of the content and knowledge are very superficial, there's nothing to learn. I don't want to teach that stuff!" Hermione picked up the book "Detailed Explanation of Magical Professions" and started flipping through it.

"Do you feel that the knowledge learned in Muggle Studies is actually very superficial and many years behind?" Aisen had vaguely guessed Hermione's meaning.

"Exactly, that's what I mean!" Hermione nodded heavily.

"Well, perhaps you could write a set of more realistic books about Muggle Studies to use as textbooks!" Aisenmade a suggestion.

"But the Muggle Studies Professor has always been Charity Burbage!" Hermione looked at Aisen intently.

"Uh, then what about Defense Against the Dark Arts—wait, is the subject name now Conquering Dark Magic or has it gone back to Defense Against the Dark Arts?" Aisen said, as if remembering something, and asked directly.

"Although the official name is Conquering Dark Magic, everyone still calls it Defense Against the Dark Artsprivately!" Hermione looked curious. "Is there a problem?"

"Hmm—no problem!" Aisen replied vaguely, then changed the subject directly. "Otherwise, why don't you apply for Astronomy Professor?"

"But, Professor, aren't you the Astronomy Professor!" Hermione looked at Aisen in surprise.

"Uh, maybe you could apply to be my assistant. Then when I'm teaching, you can attend the class with me." Aisen offered an idea.

"Is that possible?" Hermione was a bit doubtful about this.

"Uh, maybe! You can try it when the time comes!" Aisenwasn't sure about this either.

After all, for the same Professor position, if one more person applies, Hogwarts School would naturally have to pay an extra salary. Therefore, Aisen wasn't sure if this method would work.

"If that's possible, that would be great!" As if she had heard something happy, Hermione's face was full of smiles.

"Oh, right, I heard Dumbledore is retiring soon!" Aisensuddenly remembered a conversation he had with Dumbledore earlier.

"Ah, is that true?" Hermione was immediately surprised.

"Uh, probably! After all, Dumbledore is old enough! I guess he will definitely retire in about three to five years!" Aisen nodded.

"Professor, who do you think will become the new Headmaster after Professor Dumbledore retires!" Hermione asked excitedly, seemingly very interested in this question.

"What do you think?" Aisen asked back directly.

"I think it will definitely be Professor McGonagall!" Hermione looked very confident.

"I also think there's a high possibility that Professor McGonagall will be the next Headmaster!" Aisenlaughed.

"Professor, I suddenly found a problem!" Hermione's brows furrowed as she spoke.

"What problem? Tell me about it!" Aisen reached out and gently stroked between Hermione's eyebrows.

"I realized that if I become a Professor at Hogwarts, won't I not have much time to travel with you, Professor?" Hermione grabbed Aisen's hand.

"Uh, can't we go out during the holidays too?" Aisenshrugged, not really minding.

"But the holidays are too short!" Hermione said, sounding a bit depressed. "And after becoming a Professor, maybe there will be a lot to do during the holidays too?"

"There's no way around that!" Aisen smiled and shook his head. "Besides, let alone being a Professor at Hogwarts, if you want to do other jobs, it's pretty much the same!"

"Professor, what do you say we don't become Professors in the future?" Hermione seemed to have thought of something and suddenly said something surprising.

"Not become a Professor? Didn't you just say you definitely wanted to become a Professor at Hogwarts just like me?" Aisen looked at Hermione in surprise. "What would we do if we weren't Professors? Work at the Ministry of Magic?"

"Oh dear! Professor, that's not what I meant!" Hermionegrabbed Aisen's arm and shook it. "What I mean is, we don't do anything!"

"Don't do anything?" Aisen's mind couldn't turn that corner for a moment.

"Yeah, just don't do anything, go wherever we want, play whatever we want!" Hermione's eyes seemed to be sparkling as she spoke.

"Uh, are you saying you want us to be vagrants together?" Looking at the sparkling-eyed Hermione, Aisen was momentarily dumbfounded.

This—

She really just says whatever comes to mind!

"It's not as bad as you make it sound, Professor—" Hermione shook Aisen's arm hard. "We're doing whatever we want, this is—this is—freelancing, yes, we're freelancers!"

"Freelancers, huh?" Aisen said, biting his lip and looking at Hermione, trying to suppress a smile.

"That's right! Professor, look, we can live in the villas here in the future, we can eat in the canteen, we don't need to work at all, right?"

"According to you, other Witches also don't need to work at all, right?" Aisen put his hands on the ground and looked up at the sky.

"It seems that's true. Witches can easily get food and water using magic. If that's the case, why do they still need to work?" Hermione seemed a little confused.

"Ahem, maybe they find it too boring, so they want to work to keep themselves busy!" Aisen said seriously.

"That's fine, after we become freelancers, we can still do whatever we want!"

"Yes, yes, you're right, being a freelancer is quite good!" Aisen suppressed his smile. "If you still think this way after graduation, then I'll resign and wander with you—oh no, be freelancers together!"

Hearing Aisen's words, Hermione immediately beamed with joy. "I knew it, Professor, you would definitely agree!"

"What's there to it? Whatever you want to do, I'll naturally go with you!" Aisen said with a smile. "However, if you don't want to do any profession, what do you plan to tell Professor McGonagall at the career counseling session?"

"Hmm, Professor, what do you think about being a writer?" Hermione thought for a moment and gave an answer.

"A writer?" Aisen pondered.

"Like Lockhart—" Hermione said seriously. "Of course, I don't mean deceiving people like him, but becoming a writer with his kind of identity. Then, I can also write articles for the Hogwarts Campus Weekly, what do you think, Professor?"

"That actually seems fine!" Aisen looked at Hermione, a surprised expression on his face.