[Inside the Floo Hall of Flamel Castle]
Link stepped out of the fireplace while brushing soot off his body.
He'd have to be crazy to stay behind and deal with that pile of paperwork that already looked exhausting alongside Dumbledore.
That had clearly been Professor McGonagall's way of getting back at Dumbledore for leaving without a word.
There was no need for him to get involved.
As a member of the Board of Governors, all he needed to do was provide funding and keep control over Hogwarts' overall direction.
As for all the tedious work, it was better left to Dumbledore and the others.
After all, they had been doing it for decades.
Still, poor Dumbledore. He probably wouldn't be getting any more sleep.
Who knew what kind of state Professor McGonagall would work him into.
Thinking about it, the corners of Link's lips slowly lifted.
Just then, the doors to the Floo Hall opened, and Mrs. Flamel and Emily appeared in front of him.
"Link, welcome back!"
Mrs. Flamel said happily. As she spoke, she also helped brush away the soot that hadn't been completely cleaned off him.
Only after she had thoroughly tidied him up did she take his hand and lead him outside.
Throughout the entire process, Link was completely compliant.
Because he knew very well that this was the happiest time for his mother.
The joy shining in Mrs. Flamel's eyes right now was so strong that anyone could notice it without even using Legilimency.
The group chatted and laughed as they made their way to the dining hall.
During this time, Link kept observing Flamel Castle.
The last time he had been here was during Christmas.
Back then, the entire castle had been covered in silver-white snow, and the interior had been filled with bright red Christmas decorations.
It had been visually striking.
Now, all that splendor was gone. What remained in Flamel Castle were dull gray brick walls and the eerie stone guardian statues Link had placed in the corners earlier.
There was an indescribable ugliness to it.
Of course, he knew this was probably just a side effect of having seen the magnificent sights of Nicolas Flamel's estate and Beauxbatons Castle in France.
Flamel Castle itself shouldn't be this bad.
But when he thought about how Mrs. Flamel had stayed here all this time for safety, unable to leave, his heart ached a little.
He tightened his grip on her hand and said, "Mother, maybe Flamel Castle should be renovated. We saw a lot of nice architecture in France this time. I think you'd like it."
Emily, standing nearby, raised an eyebrow, a smile appearing on her face.
She had always loved the design of Nicolas Flamel's estate.
If Link really planned to remodel Flamel Castle like that, she would absolutely support it with both hands and feet. Well, both hands and feet raised in their room at night.
But Mrs. Flamel sighed and said, "I've lived here for over twenty years, Link. That means this is my home. I don't really like too many changes."
"It makes me feel lost, and I get tense without even realizing it. Of course, Link, I know you mean well."
"But if you really think I'm lonely, then come back and spend more time with me. There's no need to use that kind of method."
As she spoke, she had already led Link to the dining table and sat him down.
The dishes on the table were all prepared by Little Button.
After hearing that Link and the others were coming back, he must have spent a long time preparing and put a lot of thought into it.
You could tell just by looking at the table, completely filled with food.
There were even complex dishes like roasted Balmoral venison loin, things that usually only appeared when Flamel Castle hosted distinguished guests.
The smile on Link's face turned a little bitter.
He knew that both Mrs. Flamel and Little Button only wanted to give him the best.
But it still made him feel like a guest.
It didn't feel like home.
That low mood lingered around Link until a pumpkin stew was placed in front of him.
"Try this."
Mrs. Flamel said with a smile. "Home is a place to relax. There's no need to stay so tense. After lunch, you should take a comfortable bath and get some sleep."
"The hot water is ready, and your clothes are prepared too. Just go when you're ready. And the bedroom, I also…"
Mrs. Flamel kept talking.
But Link's gaze stayed fixed on the pumpkin stew.
In his previous life, he hadn't liked pumpkin much.
It barely made up even one or two percent of his diet.
The first time he truly came to like pumpkin was during his first Halloween at Hogwarts.
The pumpkins Hagrid had grown with magic let him taste what real sweetness was.
That sweetness wasn't just on the tongue, but in the heart.
Maybe it was because the pumpkin stew reminded him of his past life, or maybe the sugar in the pumpkin triggered some strange reaction in his brain.
Either way, whenever he ate pumpkin stew, his mood improved.
From then on, he fell in love with this simple, unremarkable dish.
Link's body finally relaxed.
With a smile on his face, he scooped up large spoonfuls of pumpkin stew.
It really was a very simple dish. It didn't even have common additions like red dates, raisins, or taro.
But Link ate with complete satisfaction, even losing his usual composure.
Emily was so shocked she almost dropped her fork.
The last time she had seen Link eat like this was over ten years ago, when he was still a child.
Ever since he started school, she could tell he had always been restraining himself.
She hadn't expected to see this again today.
She wanted to remind him about his manners, but Mrs. Flamel stopped her.
Mrs. Flamel quietly watched Link, her eyes full of relief.
She understood that her son had grasped what she meant.
Home was a place to rest.
Here, Link could truly relax.
Just as she had said before, after eating, he could rest for a while, take a bath, and then sleep.
Without worrying about anything.
———
Link ended up resting for nearly half a month.
During this time, he reinforced the magical defenses around Flamel Castle once again.
After practical testing, Link also discovered something.
Because of their age and declining physical condition, the older German Saints were no longer suited for high-intensity combat compared to the hunters in their prime.
If the two sides fought head-on, the hunters, with their superior explosiveness and endurance, would definitely win.
But when it came to defending a stronghold, the older Saints were actually better.
Their rich combat experience and all kinds of strange tactics, which even Link didn't fully understand, could be amplified to two hundred percent effectiveness when combined with the castle's mechanisms and formations.
So naturally, Link transferred three more groups of old Saints to station at Flamel Castle as guards.
But that almost completely drained the forces under old Beckman.
Which was actually quite unfair to him.
After all, within the Flamel family, he was responsible for most of their trade, as well as the industries in Germany that had originally belonged to the Beckman family.
If this were the old feudal system, he'd at least be a powerful grand earl.
But now, Link had basically stripped this grand earl of all his military power.
How was he supposed to work like this?
How was he supposed to suppress troublemakers?
Link knew this was a bit too much.
So he had considered sending some hunters to reinforce Beckman.
Of course, it wasn't entirely out of goodwill.
Link also wanted to plant his own people there.
But to his surprise, Beckman refused without hesitation.
Not only that, he even gave up all his industries in Germany.
He came directly to Flamel Castle and took up the position of head of security.
Every day, he either drank and chatted with his old Saint comrades or strolled through the garden with his daughter, Mrs. Flamel.
He looked completely content.
This left Link speechless, and in the end, he could only send Krell to take over Beckman's former duties.
Honestly, if he could, Link would have lived this peaceful life all the way until the end of summer.
Unfortunately, a letter stamped with the Ministry of Magic's red seal shattered that calm.
Looking at the letter in his hand, Link let out a long sigh.
Emily leaned over and asked, "Going back to work?"
Link closed the letter and nodded.
"Yeah. Old Barty and Percy have come up with some new ideas and are in a hurry to have me come discuss them."
If he could, he really didn't want to go.
After staying home for so long, he had grown lazy.
But there was no helping it. He could dump most of Hogwarts' work onto Dumbledore.
That was because he knew Dumbledore wouldn't do anything to harm him or Hogwarts.
The Ministry of Magic was different.
Neither old Barty nor Percy were easy to deal with.
If he really became a hands-off boss, those two would definitely stir up trouble.
And Cedric and the others weren't yet capable of dealing with them.
It was just like lying at home all weekend and then having to go back to work on Monday.
"I figured as much. Honestly, I'm surprised they waited this long to contact you."
Emily said as she stood up and helped straighten Link's clothes.
Link spread his arms and let her finish adjusting them before saying, "You don't need to come. Help me take care of things here, and keep Mother company. There's a lot of work piled up this time. I probably won't be back for a while."
As he spoke, Link gave Emily a quick peck on the lips, then smiled and stepped into the fireplace.
BOOM!
The flames surged.
With a dizzying spin, Link appeared in the fireplace of the Minister's office at the Ministry of Magic.
He hadn't made many changes to this office.
So it still looked the same as when Fudge had been there.
Compared to the dull gray of Flamel Castle and Hogwarts, the Minister's office was clearly much more luxurious.
Under the bright light provided by the magical screen outside the windows, the entire office shimmered with a golden glow.
Link hadn't understood why Fudge had decorated it like this before.
But after visiting France, he understood.
Fudge must have also visited Beauxbatons and the French Ministry of Magic.
Because this office, and even the entire British Ministry of Magic, had a style somewhat similar to the French Versailles aesthetic.
Unfortunately, Fudge had failed to capture its essence.
Instead, it ended up looking gaudy and tasteless.
Shaking his head, Link pushed the door open and walked out.
To his surprise, two people were standing outside.
"Hey, Link, long time no see!" Cedric said with a smile. "Honestly, I'm really jealous of you. We've been swamped lately."
Link smiled and stepped forward to hug him.
"Come on, I haven't been idle either. I've been handling another extremely difficult task!"
As soon as he said that, Link could clearly feel Cedric's body stiffen.
"Yeah… we've all heard about it. To be honest, it shocked us. That's actually why we came... to get some instructions from you." Cedric took a deep breath. "But before that, there's something else."
He let go of Link and revealed the older man behind him.
"Amos Diggory, my father. You should've met him before."
"Hello, Mr. Flamel!"
Mr. Diggory said excitedly, rubbing his hands together.
"Oh? Cedric, what are you saying? Of course I know Mr. Diggory." Link laughed and shook his hand.
"You're a remarkable father, Mr. Diggory. You've raised such an outstanding talent for the British wizarding world."
"Cedric will surely become a brilliant star, and your contribution will be remembered by the Ministry and by history!"
Hearing this, Mr. Diggory became so excited he could barely contain himself.
Which was normal.
Compared to hearing praise about himself, he preferred hearing people praise his son.
After all, he knew his own life had been a failure, and he had placed all his hopes on his son.
And Link was clearly the one who could determine whether Cedric would fulfill those dreams.
That was why he insisted on meeting Link.
After exchanging a few more polite words, Link and Cedric got into the magical elevator.
"Phew…"
Cedric let out a long breath.
"Sorry, Link. My father… he's a bit uneasy. Or rather, anxious. My promotion has been too fast. In his words, this kind of rapid rise isn't necessarily a good thing."
"It feels more like… like a sign that something bad is about to happen. So he insisted on meeting you."
Link looked Cedric up and down.
He was no longer the big brother figure from Hogwarts.
Now he had his hair slicked back and wore the Ministry's summer robes. He looked confident and full of energy.
And he had every reason to be.
In just over a month at the Ministry, he had already completed assistant internships in both the Department of Magical Law Enforcement and the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures.
He was about to become an official.
According to reports from old Barty, Cedric was currently deciding which department to officially join.
That was the source of Mr. Diggory's concerns.
It was good that his son was successful.
But he had risen too fast.
Even in history, there were very few people who advanced at such speed.
It frightened Mr. Diggory, given his limited experience.
"That's something you need to handle as his son. It's your family matter. No matter what I say, your father will just think I'm lying." Link shook his head. "Instead of that, why don't you explain what's going on today?"
At those words, Cedric's expression tightened.
He looked at Link in slight surprise.
"You didn't read today's paper?"
"The Daily Prophet?" Link said calmly. "Nothing special seemed to have happened."
"No, I mean the International Wizarding Post. Honestly, what was reported there… it made all of us… a bit scared."
As Cedric spoke, the elevator stopped.
He led Link out and brought him to a massive black wooden door.
"Anyway, we just wanted to hear a few reassuring words from you. That's all."
As he spoke, Cedric pushed the door open.
A huge conference room appeared before Link.
Old Barty, Percy, Sigfen, Newland…
Almost everyone Link had placed within the Ministry was seated around the massive stone table in the center.
When they saw Link and Cedric enter, they all stood up and greeted him.
At that moment, Link's smile disappeared.
He nodded and walked silently to the head of the table, sitting down.
A sharp yet heavy aura surged from him instantly.
The conflicting pressure made everyone too afraid to even breathe loudly. They remained standing, not daring to move.
Link's gaze swept over them.
The Ministry of Magic wasn't Hogwarts. Even while resting at home, Link had never stopped observing this place.
Because of that, he knew that over the past month, the lives of these people had changed drastically, just like Cedric's.
First were Sigfen and Newland.
After graduating, the two had been placed directly into the Auror Office by Link.
They had begun assisting old Barty and the veteran hunters in dividing up control of the Auror Office.
So far, they had successfully formed a balance of power against Sander.
It probably wouldn't be long before the entire Auror force came fully under the Flamel family's control.
Another noteworthy figure was Percy.
He was one of the main beneficiaries of the Ministry's restructuring.
After Fudge was put on trial, he openly revealed his stance and became the Senior Undersecretary, the same position Umbridge once held.
But compared to Umbridge, Percy's power was far greater.
He was now a true high-ranking official.
Not only that, but due to the Ministry's reforms and its cooperation with the Order of the Phoenix to eliminate the remaining Death Eater forces in Britain, Percy's biggest conflict with his family had disappeared.
His family relationships had improved significantly.
According to Link's information, when George and Fred opened their joke shop in Diagon Alley, Percy even showed up to support them.
That alone was enough to show their relationship had returned to how it was when Link was still at school.
As for old Barty...
Link had originally thought he would become a complete tragedy.
After losing his son, he would turn into a pure beast of power, obsessed with authority like Percy once was.
But in reality...
After the Ministry's restructuring and securing a large share of power, the old man seemed to have come to terms with things.
Recently, he had remarried a young wife.
Aside from handling the massive workload assigned by Link, he spent his time at home trying to have children with her.
From a moral standpoint, it wasn't exactly admirable.
After all, in Link's memory, he had once been a devoted husband and a loving father, even if he had failed in raising his child.
But from the perspective of someone in power, this was actually a good sign.
It meant he had completely let go of past hatred and resentment.
He was ready to start over.
These people were all living too well now.
So well that they had almost forgotten the brutal and bloody struggles of the past.
Only when Link appeared before them again in an almost invincible manner did they remember who they were.
They became cautious, trembling with fear.
Right now, in the entire conference room, only Cedric seemed slightly better.
He sighed, took a newspaper from a cabinet nearby, and handed it to Link, speaking softly, "Sorry, Link. We thought you already knew, so we didn't explain it in the letter. But it's not too late for you to look now."
Cedric's words were unnecessary.
Because Link's attention had already fallen on that copy of the International Wizarding Post.
As a print publication created and controlled by the International Confederation of Wizards, its sales were actually quite poor.
Generally speaking, aside from Ministry officials and a few independent political figures, almost no one subscribed to it.
After all, it always reported complicated, obscure, and frankly dull international "major" events.
And precisely because they were so major...
They felt completely disconnected from ordinary people.
So no one really cared.
On top of that, the editors and writers didn't seem interested in changing this situation.
They wouldn't even bother adjusting their writing style to attract more readers.
As a result, their articles were not only dry and boring, but their headlines were incredibly plain.
Just like now.
On the issue Link was holding, there was a bold headline clearly printed...
"Beauxbatons Academy of Magic Suffers Terrorist Attack, Nearly One Hundred Casualties."