"Number 1, that guy failed again!"
Norton slammed his hands on the table and shouted, "You should've listened to us back then and just devoured him! Instead of giving him a second chance!"
Number 1, seated at the head, didn't react at all and continued fiddling with the remnant soul in his hand.
Seeing this, Norton shifted his gaze to the side, looking at Wormtail, Peter Pettigrew, and said, "You even brought this piece of trash back!"
"If I remember right, this coward doesn't have even a shred of loyalty in his heart, does he? When that guy failed, he just hid in a corner and didn't dare make a sound!"
Facing Norton's questioning, Number 1 still showed no reaction.
And strangely, not only Number 1, but even Wormtail, Peter Pettigrew, the coward he remembered, ignored him completely.
Peter Pettigrew's eyes were locked only on the remnant soul in Number 1's hand, his expression filled with extreme terror.
Only then did Norton finally sense that something was off.
He carefully examined that wisp of remnant soul, and suddenly realized that the constantly twisting, changing face within it looked exactly like Voldemort.
"Ha! You actually picked that guy's remnant soul back up?" Norton sneered, unable to hold back. "What, are you planning to give that useless trash another chance?"
"Number 3, you've misunderstood something."
Number 1 finally turned his head and looked at Norton. "The one who failed this time wasn't the one in my hand, but me."
Norton's expression shifted, disbelief filling his face as he looked at Number 1.
"You guessed right," Number 1 nodded and continued, "the one who replaced you as Liro earlier was indeed the main soul."
"But after undergoing a special resurrection ritual, he lost the ability to act independently. So the one who actually controlled that body and fought Dumbledore and the others… was me."
"But… even you lost… how is that possible?", Norton muttered, his face turning ugly.
Thinking back to the devastation of Beauxbatons, he wanted to curse out loud.
But he also knew very well how powerful Number 1 was.
If even Number 1 had failed, then the combined strength of Dumbledore and Link Flamel had probably reached a terrifying level.
"There's nothing impossible about it. They really are that strong."
As he spoke, Number 1 looked again at the remnant soul in his hand. "As for whether to give the main soul another chance… my answer is no."
With that, Number 1 tossed the remnant soul into his mouth, chewed forcefully, and swallowed.
Beside him, Peter Pettigrew trembled violently.
Because along with Number 1's chewing, he seemed to hear the wailing of a soul.
Seeing this, Norton's face shifted from pale to green, then from green back to pale.
His expression changed drastically as he said viciously, "We can't just let this go! The French Ministry of Magic is full of useless fools! They don't plan to get too involved, so we can only rely on ourselves for revenge!"
"Number 1, even if Dumbledore's side is strong, they only have two legendary wizards. But we have three! Come on, let's go together and take revenge on Hogwarts! Let them taste pain too!"
Clap! Clap! Clap!
A series of applause suddenly echoed from the shadows in the corner.
Norton frowned and looked over, only to see another boy who looked similar to him, but younger, slowly stepping out.
He clapped as he walked, smiling as he said,
"Wow! My dear brother, don't tell me you've actually developed feelings for that Beauxbatons and Maxime?"
"Don't forget your identity! You were a demon from the very beginning, and now you're falling in love with others? That's just ridiculous!"
"Number 2! What kind of nonsense are you spouting? Believe it or not, I'll rip your mouth apart!"
Norton roared as he pulled out his wand.
Hearing this, Number 2 across from him sneered and spread his arms.
"Looks like you've been undercover so long you've gone stupid! You really think you can beat me?"
Norton's brows twitched, and in a surge of rage, he immediately swung his wand.
Number 2 didn't back down at all, pulling out his wand with a ferocious grin.
Two terrifying, violent auras clashed in the vast hall without giving way, the rippling magical waves so frightening that Peter Pettigrew had already crouched down, clutching his head and trembling.
In contrast, the little girl on the other side remained calm.
From beginning to end, she gazed at Number 1 with eyes full of admiration.
Number 1 sighed and nodded at the girl.
She immediately understood. With a flick of her wrist, the torrent of magic filling the entire hall vanished in an instant.
Number 2 and Norton were both forced back at the same time, as if struck by some invisible force.
Both of them looked at Number 1 in shock.
It was unclear whether they were shocked that he had stopped them, or by the terrifying power he displayed.
"Number 2, Number 3's approach is actually the most correct."
Number 1 looked at Norton with deep satisfaction. "The power of love is endless. It's because of love that we're called human! Without love, you're just a beast."
"Even if you have strength, you'll never win. Number 3's love for Beauxbatons burns so fiercely, it shouldn't be mocked by you!"
"What kind of nonsense is that about love!"
Number 2 snorted coldly. "If love is really that strong, then why did you fail this time?"
Number 1 fell into brief silence.
He once again recalled the scene of Maxime standing in front of him and the bodies of the students, unafraid of death.
Facing the combined attack of two legendary wizards, very few people in the world could make that kind of choice.
Perhaps only true madmen and those with genuine, boundless love could do it.
And Maxime at that moment had probably been somewhere in between.
It was precisely because of that act that his heart had been stirred, and at the final moment, he dispersed the fully gathered power in his hands across the entire Beauxbatons Island as protection.
Otherwise, if the fight had continued, the one who lost might not necessarily have been him.
After all, there were still many people in Beauxbatons Castle with burning desires in their hearts.
But he would never tell anyone any of this.
A loss was a loss.
There was no need to make excuses.
Sighing, Number 1 gently stroked the girl's hair beside him and said, "Aren't you curious why a little girl like her can instantly stop the two of you?"
"That's because of blood! You gave the blood that should've been equally shared among us to that pitiful mudblood! That's what gave her this power!", Number 2 said disdainfully.
His eyes were full of resentment.
In his view, that girl's power should have belonged to him.
But Number 1 shook his head.
"You overestimate the power of blood. Even if you possess it, you still need another medium to gain strength. And that medium… is love."
"It was love that gave her power. In other words, without love, no matter how much blood you have, you won't gain any strength."
"That's also why I haven't granted you more blood."
Number 2 said nothing, turning his head aside and muttering curses under his breath, clearly still unconvinced.
But Number 1 didn't say anything more, instead looking at Norton with satisfaction.
"In this regard, Number 3 has done an excellent job!"
Hearing this, Norton became extremely excited.
His body swayed as he clenched his teeth and said,
"So that means… you've agreed to my request? You're willing to help me take revenge on Hogwarts?"
Number 1 slowly shook his head.
"No, we cannot do that. If we did, then how would we be any different from Dumbledore and the others? Besides, my love is infinite, it is universal love."
"I love Beauxbatons, I love Ilvermorny, I love Durmstrang, and I also love Hogwarts. I love everything I see, and equally so."
"I cannot harm one thing I love just because I love another. This is what you lack. Limited love breeds hatred. Only infinite love brings eternity. Do you understand what I'm saying?"
"Pfft!"
Number 2 in the corner couldn't hold it in and burst out laughing.
Norton's face flushed deeply red. The wand in his clenched hand trembled violently, as if he might lash out at Number 1 at any moment.
"This is… this is twisted logic!"
In the end, Norton held himself back and roared angrily.
Number 1 shook his head.
"Whether it's twisted logic or not, time will prove it to you. But what I need to tell you is that I have my own plans for everything. If you act rashly and disrupt my plans, then you know the consequences."
As Number 1 spoke, a darkness even purer than darkness itself spread out from him.
Like an invisible monster stretching its limbs freely in the air.
As the terrifying aura spread, Number 2's laughter stopped abruptly, and Norton lowered his head.
"I'll send people to assist with the reconstruction of Beauxbatons. All related expenses will be covered by me. Everything will be restored before the new term begins."
"As for you, Number 3, since you favor Beauxbatons so much, then stay there and take over as headmaster."
"I trust you won't disappoint me. Oh, and you, Number 2. It seems your task isn't finished yet, is it? Then why have you come back?"
Hearing this, Number 2's face turned pale.
Silently, he bowed to Number 1, then turned into black mist and disappeared from the hall.
Number 1 stood up and slowly left, supported by the little girl and Peter Pettigrew.
Freed from Number 1's restraint, Norton clenched his fists tightly, his eyes filled with unwillingness as he muttered, "Damn it! Damn it! Damn it…"
"Yeah, he really is damnable."
Number 2's voice suddenly sounded again. "Earlier he talked about how we're all equal, how we compete fairly together. But now?"
"He treats us like slaves, ordering us around. Number 3, don't you think this kind of Number 1 doesn't deserve our respect? Even if he was the one who awakened us…"
Norton looked up, first glancing at Number 2 in surprise, then letting out a sneer.
"You think I'm dissatisfied with Number 1?"
"Isn't that the case?" Number 2 said. "He didn't agree to let you take revenge."
Norton nodded.
"I might be a little dissatisfied, sure. But who told you he didn't agree to let me take revenge?"
Number 2 showed confusion, while Norton continued, "Didn't you notice? He said he loves Hogwarts too. And that… is enough!"
At those words, Number 2 froze completely.
Thinking about Number 1's so-called love, he couldn't help but shiver.
If Number 1 really intended to pour that kind of love into Hogwarts, then Hogwarts' fate probably wouldn't be much better than Beauxbatons now.
That, in a way… was another form of revenge.
———
[Hogwarts Castle]
Inside the headmaster's office on the eighth floor.
The atmosphere was just as heavy.
Link sat slumped alone on the sofa.
His posture wasn't elegant, but a lingering gloom hung between his brows that wouldn't fade no matter what.
It made even the air around him feel still.
Fawkes the phoenix suddenly flew over, landing lightly on Link's shoulder. Tilting its head, it looked at him with curiosity.
Even now, it was still very interested in the Fiendfyre phoenix Link had summoned last night.
It wanted Link to summon it again so it could play with it.
But Link didn't react at all, his face still covered in a layer of cold frost.
Right after that, Dumbledore walked out from the next room.
He was wearing a deep blue nightgown embroidered with large cartoon-like stars, humming a cheerful tune as he pulled all the curtains in the office closed.
Dumbledore's appearance instantly dispelled the heavy atmosphere in the office, and the gloom on Link's face couldn't hold any longer.
"Oh come on, Professor Dumbledore! Can't you just let me have some quiet time alone?"
Link spread his hands and shouted helplessly.
Only then did Dumbledore seem to notice Link's presence. He turned his head and smiled.
"If you want some quiet time to think, you should go home."
"If I go home, there's no way I'll be able to think quietly at all."
Thinking about Mrs. Flamel and Emily's excited faces, Link said to Dumbledore, "You know what I mean, right?"
Hearing this, the smile on Dumbledore's face slowly faded. He sat down across from Link and said with a hint of feeling, "Yes… you're right. Work, and the emotions that come with it, shouldn't be brought home."
"Professor Dumbledore, are you messing with me?"
Link frowned.
He felt Dumbledore's train of thought was strange. That wasn't what he meant at all.
But soon he realized the reason behind it.
Dumbledore could almost be said to be alone in the world.
Even his only brother hated him.
Link fell silent.
After a long while, Dumbledore finally let out a long sigh.
"Alright, alright. Tell me, what exactly is troubling you? Maybe I can give you some perspective."
Link said expressionlessly, "The King's Blood I absorbed from Liro was too little."
"Merlin's beard! You're still hung up on that? I've told you before, King's Blood isn't cabbage. It's extremely precious. Even those shadow beings don't have much of it in them!"
Dumbledore gestured animatedly as he spoke.
For some reason, Link felt like he seemed a bit pleased.
As if Link not absorbing much King's Blood was a good thing to him.
Link waved his hand and explained, "That's not the point. The point is that the amount of King's Blood in Liro was too little. Those are two completely different things."
More importantly, after the battle ended, the kill notification Link received said he had killed "Voldemort," not Tom Riddle or anyone else.
That made him suspect that the Liro he killed wasn't the real Liro, but Voldemort's main soul.
This guess was a bit absurd. After all, Voldemort had just been turned into a "grill master" by them not long ago. It was unlikely he could show up in Beauxbatons so quickly and openly become Liro.
But deep down, Link still felt uneasy.
Aside from Liro's identity, this unease also came from his strange and extreme power and attack methods.
It was Link's first time encountering the power of "wish" or "love" like Liro's.
Instinctively, Link felt it was related to King's Blood.
That was why he hoped Dumbledore could give him some answers.
After all, it was obvious that Dumbledore was hiding a lot about King's Blood.
But unfortunately, Dumbledore only shook his head.
"I understand what you're trying to say. That kind of power exists in everyone's heart. If you ask me, we just need to live our own lives well. As long as there's always love in our hearts, then in the end, we'll be the ones who win!"
Dumbledore spoke firmly, his tone even stirring and powerful enough to make people feel heated.
But hearing this, Link remained as cold and expressionless as ever.
A master of Occlumency wasn't someone who could be fooled by a few words.
In Link's view, Dumbledore was clearly brushing him off.
"Ahem!"
Seeing Link wasn't buying it, Dumbledore coughed awkwardly.
"Alright, you should leave now too. Even if you want some quiet time, don't stay here."
"Why not? I'm a Hogwarts board member. I paid to repair this office. Otherwise, you'd still be living in ruins right now," Link said calmly. "And now you're kicking me out?"
Dumbledore waved his hand.
"I'm not kicking you out. It's just… I need to sleep. An old man like me doesn't have the same energy as you young people."
Link gave a faint smile, unconvinced.
For a legendary wizard, sleep was nothing more than an optional luxury.
Dumbledore was obviously lying.
Seeing this, Dumbledore suddenly became a bit anxious.
"If you don't leave soon, and I don't go to sleep, then it'll be too late!"
Link was still annoyed at Dumbledore's earlier dismissal.
A cold smile curved at the corner of his lips.
"Too late? What do you mea..."
Before he could finish, the office door was suddenly pushed open.
Professor McGonagall, wrapped in black robes and radiating authority, strode in with firm, crisp steps.
She walked straight up to Dumbledore, ignored his unpleasant expression, and directly dumped a stack of parchment nearly half a meter thick into his arms.
"Dumbledore, these are all the documents that have piled up over the past half month, which only the headmaster or the four committee members can sign."
"Please finish them as soon as possible before tomorrow evening.", Professor McGonagall spoke coldly.
"Why are there so many? You just said the four committee members can sign them. What about the others?"
"Percy is busy with work at the Ministry of Magic and has no time. Cedric has graduated and is no longer a student committee member. The newly appointed member is Emily Victoria. And she went to France with you!"
Professor McGonagall said sharply, putting extra emphasis on the word "France."
Dumbledore gave a bitter smile.
"You know, Minerva, we went to France for important matters. We didn't..."
"Isn't Hogwarts' work also important?"
McGonagall's words left Dumbledore speechless.
He stared at her blankly, then suddenly seemed to think of something.
"Right! There's still Link! Link is also a committee member. He can handle part of the work! Do you see him? He's right..."
Dumbledore's words stopped again.
Because he suddenly realized that the sofa where Link had been sitting was now completely empty.
"Ha! That brat!", Dumbledore complained with a helpless laugh.