'Liro himself is coming?'
Link lowered his eyelids slightly and thought it over carefully.
As for Gabrielle, she didn't react the way Emily and Fleur expected at all. She showed no suspicion toward Link's questions.
Although her talent was the ability to bewitch people, her own mind was clearly still simple.
Link had already left her with a better first impression thanks to Emily's contrast, and with the earlier provocation, all Gabrielle could think about now was getting Professor Liro to come out so the guy in front of her could see just how powerful Beauxbatons really was.
From beginning to end, Gabrielle's emotions and thoughts had been under Link's control.
This was the terrifying part about masters of Occlumency and Legilimency.
They might not be like Gabrielle and Fleur, who could legally use their talents to completely control others.
But they could use language and body movements to subtly influence people over time.
After all, they understood human psychology far too well.
———
After a moment of silence, Link spoke again,
"You said that your Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, the one named Liro, patrols Beauxbatons Castle several times every day at fixed times? Why is that? Does your Defense professor also double as campus security?"
"Of course not!" Gabrielle said with a frown. "Beauxbatons' security is handled by dedicated guard wizards. "
"These people usually don't appear inside the castle. Instead, they're stationed around the outside, trying to keep enemies from ever getting in."
"As for Professor Liro, he normally wouldn't be doing this either."
"But starting about half a month ago, he volunteered to take on this responsibility."
"Every morning, afternoon, and evening, he patrols the campus at fixed times to make sure there aren't any safety risks."
Gabrielle suddenly lowered her voice.
"Of course, we all say Professor Liro is probably doing this because Professor Maxime asked him to."
"He's so handsome, kind to everyone, and incredibly knowledgeable! Everyone who meets him ends up liking him! You included!"
"So when he comes out to patrol at those set times, the students get really happy. And it also lets people like you, who doubt Beauxbatons, see what our real talent looks like!"
Link didn't comment on what Gabrielle said.
But he still noticed that while she was saying this, the blush on her face had already spread to her earlobes.
Part of that was because her skin was so pale, making the redness especially obvious.
But more than that, it was because of the admiration and affection she felt for Professor Liro.
Link could sense that clearly.
What surprised Link even more was that as time slowly passed, the previously empty hall began filling with Beauxbatons students wearing light blue robes.
They were of different ages, mostly female. Some nodded politely at Link's group, some even pinched their skirts and gave slight curtsies, while others completely ignored them.
But they all had one thing in common. Their faces were full of anticipation, and their eyes were locked firmly on an open arched doorway at the side of the hall.
"Looks like this Professor Liro is even more popular than we expected," Link said to Dumbledore with a smile.
He was smiling, but there wasn't the slightest hint of warmth in his eyes. Only cold indifference.
Dumbledore simply nodded expressionlessly and, like Gabrielle and the other Beauxbatons students, stared fixedly at the doorway.
His mental power was even stronger than Link's, so he could receive clearer premonitions.
And right now, that powerful sense of foreboding was stabbing sharply at the center of his forehead.
Tap! Tap! Tap…
Rhythmic footsteps suddenly echoed from the dark doorway.
As the sound appeared, the students who had been whispering instantly fell silent. Everyone stared wide-eyed at the entrance.
Fleur frowned, about to continue talking to Gabrielle.
But Gabrielle suddenly turned and shot her a fierce glare, forcing the words Fleur hadn't spoken yet back down her throat.
Finally, a figure slowly walked out of the darkness into the hall.
The hazy colored light filtering through the stained glass seemed like countless small hands, slowly lifting the black veil draped over him and revealing his handsome face to everyone.
His looks weren't the usual androgynous beauty with heavy softness.
Instead, it was closer to Link's kind of masculine attractiveness.
There was a firmness in his brows and eyes, but also a gentle warmth. The two blended perfectly.
Combined with his tall, well-built figure and his black hair that looked especially mysterious under the colored light, he gave people a good impression at first sight.
The appearance of this young man made the already silent hall grow even quieter.
It felt as if time had stopped. As if everyone had forgotten to breathe.
And then…
"Ah!!"
With a sharp scream, a small, thin boy who looked quite young suddenly rushed out of the crowd.
Shouting "Professor Liro! Professor Liro!" he ran up and stopped beside the young man.
The young Professor Liro smiled slightly and reached out to rub the boy's head.
"Uh!"
That hand seemed to carry magic.
After having his head patted, the little boy rolled his eyes back and trembled all over with excitement.
After finishing that, Professor Liro let go and continued walking forward.
Only then did the rest of the people in the hall react.
And then an astonishing scene appeared.
Students who had been hiding in every corner of the hall all screamed and rushed out, desperately squeezing toward Professor Liro.
Some who were too small to get close even targeted the original little boy.
They crazily rubbed the hair that Professor Liro had just touched.
This scene, like celebrity chasing in later times or a zombie swarm in a sci-fi movie, made Link frown.
With his current level of the Super Sensory Charm, he could clearly tell that these excited students weren't under any spell.
Which meant Professor Liro had truly made them this crazy purely through personal charm.
How terrifying must that kind of personal charm be?
Professor Liro gradually disappeared from the hall surrounded by the crowd.
Throughout the whole process, he didn't exchange any form of communication with Link's group. Not even a glance.
Only then did Gabrielle take a deep breath and say in a slightly trembling voice, "See? That's how popular Professor Liro is!"
It was obvious she also wanted to rush over like her classmates.
Ideally, she would've liked the same treatment as that little boy. Having her head patted too.
But she held herself back and stayed firmly beside Link's group, fulfilling her duty as their "guide."
"Yes, I can see that," Link said calmly. "But why? I don't see anything particularly exceptional about him, aside from being more handsome than average."
A flash of anger crossed Gabrielle's face, but she suppressed it and said, "You'll understand how outstanding he is. He is absolutely the best and strongest Defense Against the Dark Arts professor of this century!"
Hearing this, Link couldn't help glancing at Dumbledore.
Normally, phrases like "best and strongest of this century" were used to describe him.
"Anyway, take your time. Your visit lasts three days," Gabrielle said with her chin slightly raised.
"During these three days, I'll guide you through Beauxbatons School of Magic, and our Headmistress Madame Maxime and Professor Liro will also personally meet with you."
"Even if the meetings won't last long, I believe it will be enough for you to experience the charm of Professor Liro and Beauxbatons."
"As for now, let me take you to the guest rooms prepared for you."
With that, Gabrielle walked straight toward the dark doorway Professor Liro had come from without looking back.
Link and the others exchanged looks and followed.
Beauxbatons had clearly put far more thought into guest accommodations than Hogwarts.
Link still vaguely remembered the scene during the Triwizard Tournament when representatives from various schools and Ministry judges came to Hogwarts.
At that time, the students and headmasters of Durmstrang and Beauxbatons had lived directly in their own carriage and ghost ship.
Durmstrang had it better, since the ghost ship had plenty of space.
Beauxbatons had it rough.
The carriage was gorgeous, sure, but it was still a carriage.
Its space and living facilities couldn't compare to a ghost ship or a castle.
Those few months had been extremely uncomfortable for them.
This was also one of the main reasons Fleur and the others complained about Hogwarts' poor conditions.
The reason they had to live in their own transport, aside from the two headmasters not trusting Dumbledore and worrying Hogwarts might play tricks…
Was also because Hogwarts Castle simply didn't have the concept of guest rooms at all.
Even the Ministry officials who stayed inside the castle were just placed in empty classrooms or unused offices.
Dedicated guest rooms?
That was pure fantasy.
But Beauxbatons was different now.
All the guest rooms were placed in a tower at the innermost part of Beauxbatons Castle.
To reach them from the entrance, you had to pass through the entire teaching area and student activity areas.
This was obviously intentional.
The purpose was to let guests fully observe the students' daily life and studies.
And the guest rooms themselves went even further.
When Gabrielle led Link and Emily inside, they almost felt like they had returned to a suite in the Nicolas Flamel estate.
The decorations were in a strong Palace of Versailles style, even more luxurious than the VIP hall on the third floor of the Zangwill wand shop.
This was a bit ridiculous.
These were guest rooms.
Beauxbatons only allowed small numbers of family visitors during winter and summer each year.
Which meant these lavish rooms sat empty most of the year.
Even more ridiculous, according to Gabrielle, the student dormitories were no less luxurious.
How many Galleons must that have cost?
Even if Nicolas Flamel left behind an astronomical inheritance, should it really be spent like this?
The muscles on Dumbledore's face were already twitching.
He felt pained for his old friend.
Link and Emily, however, remained calm.
They didn't care at all how Nicolas Flamel's wealth was being spent.
As for the room itself, after staying at the Flamel estate for over half a month, this didn't impress them that much.
Their reactions were all clearly noticed by Gabrielle.
In fact, aside from being a "guide," she had another role.
An inspector.
An inspector specifically tasked with verifying the identities of Link's group.
After all, Beauxbatons held these visits to attract students. They couldn't just let random people sneak in for free benefits.
And Link and Emily's calm reactions pleased her.
Because staying this composed in front of such luxury at least proved they came from top wizarding noble families and were used to such scenes.
She nodded, stood by the doorway, and said with a slight smile, "Mr. Washington, if you have any other outing requests, please press the call bell by the door."
"I'll come quickly and accompany you. But aside from that, please do not move around Beauxbatons Castle alone."
"That is not allowed. Even if you already have a Beauxbatons graduate who could act as a guide."
Gabrielle deliberately glanced at Fleur.
"Also, tonight we will hold a welcome banquet to celebrate your arrival along with other distinguished guests from around the world."
"Our Headmistress Madame Maxime and all Beauxbatons staff will attend. Please make sure to come. I guarantee you won't be disappointed."
With that, Gabrielle gave a deep bow and left the room.
As the door gently closed, the smiles on Link and the others' faces instantly disappeared.
Old Kreacher turned into a blur, moving rapidly through the suite.
Only after that did he stop in front of Link and say, "Young master, there were three magical detection nodes and alchemical devices in this suite. I have sealed them. It is safe now."
Link and Dumbledore nodded, sat on the sofa, rubbed their hands, and looked thoughtful.
After a long while, Dumbledore finally said with a blank face, "You saw it too, didn't you?"
"Of course. Although his appearance and temperament are completely different, the feeling of the magic they emit is exactly the same," Link said calmly.
"I can now confirm that this Professor Liro is Voldemort. Or rather, one of Voldemort's clones."
"In fact, the appearance and temperament are the same too," Dumbledore said, raising his eyes.
"You never saw Voldemort when he was still Tom Riddle. If you had met him and truly spoken with him, you'd find there's no difference. Just as handsome. Just as easy to feel close to. Just as extraordinarily gifted."
'Actually, I have seen him. Back when I encountered the Tom Riddle diary, I even fought him.', Link complained inwardly.
But on the surface he nodded in agreement and said, "Then now, almost all our earlier predictions have been confirmed. This Professor Liro is one of the shadow figures behind those three Voldemorts."
"What? What are you talking about?" Fleur said in shock. "There are three people like Liro? And why do you call them shadow figures behind Voldemort? Aren't they Voldemort himself?"
Link and Dumbledore glanced at Fleur, neither showing any desire to answer.
"Probably this is the only shadow figure openly active. The others are hiding in the dark controlling everything," Dumbledore said, lowering his head in thought.
"The question now is how we should face him. Or rather, how to deal with Liro."
"That's not a problem at all.", Link smiled slightly.
"Didn't Gabrielle say earlier? Liro patrols fixed routes every morning, afternoon, and evening. So tonight we just find a chance to meet him."
As soon as he said this, everyone present frowned.
They all understood that what Link meant by "meet him" was taking action against Professor Liro.
"Isn't tonight too rushed?" Emily couldn't help saying. "We have three days here. Even if we plan to act, shouldn't we observe a bit longer?"
Fleur didn't like Professor Liro either, but she still nodded in agreement.
In their minds, this was a major matter and should be handled slowly.
And under Link and Dumbledore's leadership, their progress had always been slow and steady.
Link suddenly wanting to speed things up made them uncomfortable.
But Link shook his head and said, "Don't forget, the shadow figures already know we're in France. Every extra day we stay increases the risk of exposure."
"Polyjuice Potion isn't perfect. I even suspect they already know we're at Beauxbatons. Giving us three days might just be to lull us. Maybe on the second or third day, the enemy will attack."
Emily and Fleur opened their mouths, wanting to argue, but couldn't say anything.
Dumbledore, however, looked deeply at Link and said, "In the end, the reason you came to Beauxbatons this time was to hunt the shadow figures, wasn't it?"
Link looked back at Dumbledore, the corner of his mouth lifting slightly.
"I knew I couldn't hide it from you. But that doesn't conflict with your goal, does it? Those shadow figures have to die anyway. If they don't, Voldemort will always exist."
"And besides, you don't really have a choice, do you?"
Dumbledore's eyes slowly narrowed, and his gaze toward Link became more and more complicated.