Lucius stared blankly at Sebastian for a few seconds, then burst out laughing.
"You?"
"You want me to pledge allegiance to you?"
"Hahahahaha—" Lucius pointed at Sebastian, laughing breathlessly.
"Are you trying to make me laugh, Sebastian?"
"Don't you think it's too naive to want to shelter the House of Malfoy from the Dark Lord?"
"This is something even Dumbledore wouldn't dare to guarantee."
"I admit you're a genius, but don't forget, the Dark Lord is a genius among geniuses."
"How old are you, and how old is the Dark Lord? How can you possibly catch up with decades of difference between you?"
Watching Lucius laugh maniacally, Sebastian didn't get angry.
He just let his magic boil, surging towards Lucius in waves.
The laughter stopped abruptly, and Lucius's pupils constricted, looking at Sebastian with surprise and uncertainty.
Hiss—
This feeling, why is it the same as facing the Dark Lord?
Both give a suffocating feeling.
This is Sebastian?
How is he so strong?
Looking at the person who was several grades below him in school and always called him "Senior," Lucius felt like he was dreaming.
To be honest, Lucius had always felt a sense of superiority over Sebastian.
After all, it was Sebastian who had sought his help to prevent the Swann family from being targeted by the Dark Lord.
Although Sebastian became the richest man in the Wizarding World, he only admired his business acumen.
Now it seemed he had been superficial.
In just over a decade, Sebastian had grown to such an extent; it was truly terrifying.
"Senior, I admit the Dark Lord is very strong, but he took the wrong path."
Sebastian said with a smile, "He shouldn't have, under any circumstances, split his soul."
"Without a family legacy, he simply doesn't realize how important a complete soul is to a Wizard."
"Perhaps he realized it, but he was still blinded by eternal life."
"After all, according to his talent, if his soul were complete, he might very well possess the power to defeat Dumbledore in a direct confrontation."
"Moreover, no matter what, he has been gone for nearly 13 years, which also gave me an opportunity to overtake him."
"As for whether I am his opponent now, we'll only know after a fight."
"Of course, I can give you a little more confidence."
Sebastian spread his arms and spoke to Lucius.
"Senior, pick up your wand and cast a Killing Curse at me."
Are you crazy?!
Is your soul also incomplete?
How can you say something so irrational!
Lucius looked at Sebastian as if he were an idiot, unable to understand what he was up to.
Sebastian stood up and said disdainfully.
"Senior, for us to have a pleasant conversation, I need to show you my strength."
"It's just a mere Killing Curse!"
Looking at Sebastian's confident expression, Lucius, as if possessed, gripped his wand.
"I'm actually starting to believe your nonsense; I must be going crazy too."
He gritted his teeth, raised his wand at Sebastian, and shouted loudly.
"Avada Kedavra!"
A green spell shot from his wand directly at Sebastian, but before it could even touch Sebastian's body, it was blocked by the light of a Shield Charm.
"How is that possible?!" Lucius felt he had received too many shocks tonight, and his whole being was somewhat dazed.
"How can a Shield Charm block a Killing Curse?!"
"To a Killing Curse, a Shield Charm is as fragile as paper."
"To block a Killing Curse, you must use something with a physical form; that's common sense."
"How is it possible?"
Seeing Lucius stunned by him, Sebastian sat back on the sofa and crossed his legs.
He felt extremely pleased in his heart.
He had painstakingly practiced the Stacked Curse; wasn't it for this moment of showing off in front of others?
Sebastian's face showed a profound smile: "Senior, do you believe in my strength now?"
I believe!
If he can even block a Killing Curse with a Shield Charm, what else is there not to believe?
Lucius's mind raced, and he suddenly understood the meaning of Sebastian becoming a Professor at Hogwarts.
A Professor at Hogwarts is naturally an ally of Dumbledore.
Moreover, from the information he currently had, Sebastian and Dumbledore got along quite well.
The Dark Lord couldn't even handle Dumbledore; with Sebastian added, he had no chance of winning at all.
It seemed that Sebastian was indeed his best option for allegiance.
Unconsciously, a hint of fawning appeared on Lucius's face.
"Sebastian, could you perhaps reveal a little about how to shelter the House of Malfoy from the Dark Lord?"
"I can offer two solutions." Sebastian smiled slightly and said slowly.
"The first solution is very simple: out of consideration for the past friendship between our two families, I can help you hide Malfoy Manor with the Fidelius Charm, and I will be the Secret Keeper."
"Alternatively, I can provide another safe house, and you can move there to live."
"This method is very simple; it doesn't require you to pay anything, only to hide in the safe house for a few years after the Dark Lord appears."
"The downside is obvious: you'll need to hide for a few years and won't be very free."
"Moreover, once you hide, your family's assets will definitely suffer, as the Dark Lord's subordinates won't let go of such a lucrative target."
"The advantage is also obvious: it's safe."
Hearing this suggestion, Lucius thought for a moment and then gave up on it.
Doing so would be very safe; Sebastian's character and strength were guaranteed, and there was nothing to fault about him being the Secret Keeper.
However, he and Cissy could hide, but Draco was still young and couldn't hide like the two of them.
Moreover, after the Dark Lord falls, the Malfoy family would likely decline completely, possibly even becoming a second- or third-rate family.
This outcome was absolutely unacceptable.
"Sebastian, could you tell me what the second solution is?"
"The second solution requires you to pay a lot, Senior." Sebastian smiled meaningfully.
"You need to use your intelligence to personally carve out a future for the House of Malfoy."
"For example, when the Dark Lord returns, you will need to go back to his side and become an undercover agent, providing me with useful information."
"Of course," Sebastian's voice became much deeper, "he does need the Malfoy name, so your life should not be in too much danger."
"But you will have a very difficult time; after all, the Dark Lord certainly won't heavily rely on you. He will exclude you, humiliate you, and suppress you."
"As long as you endure that difficult period, after Lord Voldemort falls, I will personally vouch for you and portray you as a heroic undercover agent who endured humiliation for the sake of the Wizarding World."
"With this merit, the House of Malfoy will earn everyone's respect."
"With this merit, I will personally lead you to share the fruits of victory, allowing the House of Malfoy to advance further."
Sebastian's voice was full of allure.
"This solution has a very high risk factor, but also a very high reward."
"It just depends on how you choose, Senior."
...
...