LRAB Chapter 170 Auror Raising an Army: Springtime at the School
Chapter 170 Auror Raising an Army: Springtime at the School
Chapter 171 (6k long chapter) The Auror Raises an Army: Springtime at the School
Picking up where we left off, Cho Chang told Harry the names of the Four Great Classical Novels, leaving Harry utterly puzzled.
He thought to himself: "The Romance of the Three Kingdoms, judging from its title, seems to be about the struggle for supremacy among the three kingdoms of Shu, Wei, and Wu; Journey to the West, I suppose, is about travels all over the country; and although Dream of the Red Chamber is a bit obscure, I can guess that it is about the rise and fall of a powerful family and the illusory world of its past."
The only thing that is truly obscure is that the bottle in the novel is called "Jin Ping Mei," and it is impossible to guess why it is called "Jin Ping Mei."
Just then, Mrs. Hooch's whistle suddenly rang out, like a thunderbolt striking from a clear sky. The players leaped into the air at the sound, and a dozen brooms stirred up a whirlwind, dazzling the eyes.
Cho Chang, like Harry, is a Seeker, but his broom is far inferior, still the Comet series.
Knowing that Harry's Firebolt was incredibly fast, she devised a plan. She simply tilted the broom to the side, like a willow swaying in the breeze, always staying close to Harry, trying to distract him from catching the Golden Snitch.
Harry was still pondering the meaning of *Jin Ping Mei* when he saw Cho Chang approaching again, and blurted out:
"I have a knot in my chest and must ask you, sister, what is the meaning of the three characters 'Jin Ping Mei'? Could it be that a vase made of gold is called a plum blossom?"
Upon hearing this, Qiu Zhang's pretty face instantly showed a mixture of confusion and surprise.
Why is he asking this?
and many more!
That's trash talk! He's trying to distract me!
How cunning! They actually used a professional player's trick!
She jolted awake, snapping out of her daze, and quickly focused her gaze on the golden thief ahead, replying, "What? Do you want to know?"
"Oh dear! Sister, you're so unhappy! If you didn't want to know, why did I keep asking?"
Na Qiu Zhang, intending to unsettle him, deliberately dragged out her words, "Actually, 'Jin Ping Mei' refers to three names. 'Jin' refers to a woman named Pan Jinlian..."
Before he could finish speaking, Harry suddenly stumbled, somersaulted sideways while gripping the broom handle, and cried out:
"Could she be the wife of Wu Dalang, the pancake seller from Yanggu County?"
This shout was like a bolt from the blue, startling Qiu Zhangxing so much that she widened her eyes and even forgot to search for the golden thief.
"You even know that?!"
Harry's heart pounded even harder when he realized he'd guessed correctly, and he pressed on, "So, this book is about the story of Wu Da's two brothers killing Ximen Qing?"
"You even know Ximen Qing?!?!"
Zhang was so shocked that his mouth gaped open. He stood frozen on the broom like a clay sculpture, and after a long while, he shook his head and said, "No, 'Jin Ping Mei' mainly tells the story of Ximen Qing and his wives and concubines."
Harry cursed inwardly: Ximen Qing is nothing but a filthy scoundrel, a lecherous thief who caused my second brother and me to die, yet he dares to write a biography about him.
His curiosity was burning intensely, and he called out, "I am truly itching to find this book, and I hope you can help me find a copy. Whatever money or silver you require, I will gladly provide!"
The two brooms were entangled in the air, one demanding a clear answer, the other deliberately keeping the other in suspense, like two dragons playing with a pearl, each with its own thoughts.
When Qiu Zhang heard that Harry wanted to read "Jin Ping Mei", his heart tightened immediately, as if he were being drawn up and down by fifteen buckets of water.
Oops! Is this appropriate?
The content of "Jin Ping Mei" is so explicit that it is rarely seen in Xinhua bookstores, and English versions are even rarer.
And what if Harry reads it and thinks it's porn...?
Thinking of this, she hurriedly urged the comet broom to chase after it, shouting loudly.
"Wait a minute! Harry, I have to tell you in advance that *Jin Ping Mei* is rather... well... erotic literature!"
Harry didn't turn around, only replying in the wind, "Sister, please buy whatever you like; I don't care about such trivial details!"
"Okay! But I probably can't bring it over until next semester, China is too far from the UK—"
The words were still ringing in his ears when Harry rode off on his fire crossbow, disappearing in the blink of an eye.
Cho Chang was stunned for a moment before realizing that they were still in a Quidditch match.
She realized she was being led by the nose by this scarred man, and gritted her teeth inwardly. She immediately composed herself and widened her bright eyes to search for the golden thief.
Unfortunately, the comet broom was ultimately inferior, and Qiu Zhang's skills were also slightly lacking.
In a short while, Harry caught a golden ray in mid-air and firmly captured the Golden Snitch.
When the two teams from the Griffin and Eagles landed and shook hands, everyone exchanged polite words. Only Cho Chang, holding his broom, remained silent, standing in the wind and glaring at Harry, his eyes filled with a deep, unsettling light.
Before she could utter a word of condemnation, a figure suddenly darted out of the Quidditch pitch tunnel, looking as flustered as a wild deer struck by an arrow.
The man was short and stumbled as he ran; it was none other than little Harry Colin.
"Harry! Something terrible has happened! Those guys from the Noble Club have broken into the Chamber of Secrets!"
Colin stumbled and staggered as he ran, his hair soaked with sweat, resembling willow branches in the rain.
He rushed to Harry, panting, and cried out:
"They...they have a search warrant from the council! They raided the secret room!"
Listen, dear reader: It turns out that the Noble Club has many sons of the school board members. These spoiled brats secretly instigated their parents to bypass Dumbledore and obtain a search warrant specifically to sweep away those illegal associations on campus.
Today happened to be the day of the Quidditch match, and all the students were watching from the arena. Taking advantage of this opportunity, these scoundrels used a spell to forcefully break through the passage in the lounge, barged in, and wreaked havoc.
It was a coincidence that Colin had left his sword in the secret room, and when he returned to retrieve it, he stumbled upon this scene. Had it not been for this coincidence, he might not have discovered the robbery until evening.
Upon hearing these words, Harry was instantly filled with rage and, driven by a surge of malice, blurted out:
"What a reckless and ignorant scoundrel! Has he lost his mind, daring to mess with me like this?!"
He immediately slammed the flying broom he was holding onto the ground, went back to the dressing room to sling his sword over his shoulder, picked up his magic wand, and strode towards the secret chamber with the speed of a tiger.
Fred and George, who loved to play pranks in the secret room, were already furious upon hearing these words.
The two followed suit, slamming their brooms onto the grass and chasing after it like a fiery sunset.
Seeing this, none of the others dared to lag behind. They all surged toward the secret chamber like a tidal wave.
Only Wood, being mature and composed, though burning with rage, gathered a bunch of brooms and placed them in the locker room before taking his wand and chasing after them.
Hermione, who was in the stands, had already noticed Harry's face turning pale, so she quickly called Ron to jump down from the stage and followed him.
The group rushed into the secret chamber, opened the stone door, and the scene inside was terrifying!
But what one could see was: armored soldiers lying haphazardly, all kinds of weapons broken and shattered; the vermilion altar overturned and broken, and the jade plates of delicacies all smothered in mud and dust.
What I hate most is that Guan Yu statue lying on the ground, his Green Dragon Crescent Blade broken into five pieces, like a falling star and a collapsing mountain, a tragic sight that pierces the heart.
Upon seeing this, Harry was filled with rage, his eyes nearly bursting out of their sockets.
Ron was even more enraged, his teeth clenched so hard they clanged as he cursed, "These bastards! How dare they?!"
"Of course they dare, after all, the Noble Club was approved by Professor Dumbledore."
Suddenly, everyone heard a voice floating down from the dome, and the Myrtle Maiden emerged, hovering in mid-air, sighing and saying:
"But not only did you not get approval from the school, you don't even have a proper organization name."
"To be honest, I really didn't want you to leave. The times you came to the secret chamber every night were almost the happiest times I've had since I died..."
Myrtle's words were crystal clear, and Hermione's face turned pale instantly. She quickly grabbed Harry's wrist and said urgently:
"Harry, don't be impulsive, they're deliberately trying to provoke you!"
"Professor Dumbledore has been too lenient with us; we haven't had to complete many of the necessary procedures—if you had retaliated, their parents would definitely have used this opportunity to make a scene!"
"Not only will you be targeted, but they will definitely also impeach Professor Dumbledore for dereliction of duty!"
"Since they're targeting Harry, then I'll deal with them!" Ron roared furiously. "I'll shove my stick down every single one of their asses and out their mouths! I'll string them all together!"
Hermione tried to persuade him earnestly, but Harry just sneered:
"Sister, there's no need to worry! Since those scoundrels have brought their rules, today we'll teach them a lesson they won't forget!"
"I was hoping that old woman Rozier would try something, to see what she was up to, but now I've saved myself the trouble!"
Having said that, he drew his magic wand and slashed it in the air. A scroll of parchment flew out from the ruins and hung suspended in mid-air.
Harry used his staff as a pen and scribbled the letter. The paper folded itself into the shape of a square knot and suddenly disappeared into a rickety fireplace.
But then a flash of blue light appeared, and the letter had vanished without a trace.
Harry sat cross-legged before the crumbling statue of Guan Yu, his back to the crowd, and said, "Brothers and sisters, please return. I will settle this matter myself today!"
Hearing the metallic clang in their words, which brooked no refusal, who dared to utter another word?
They all took their leave, intending to pass the story on to others. Only Ron and Hermione remained, standing firmly to the left and right like guardian deities.
Hermione asked with surprise and doubt, "Harry, did you write a letter to Professor Dumbledore?"
Harry snorted coldly. "This matter involves a lot of people. That guy is just trying to smooth things over anyway. What's the point of going after him!"
"So, who did you write the letter to?"
"Elder sister, take care, you will understand in a moment."
Seeing that he had no intention of explaining, Hermione had no choice but to suppress her doubts and gently bite her finger to think.
She was restless and paced back and forth in the secret room. After about half an incense stick's time, she suddenly heard a series of heavy footsteps on the corridor, like a sudden rain pattering on banana leaves, or like war drums urging on galloping cavalry.
When he turned around sharply, he saw Scrimgeour leading eight or nine Aurors at a brisk pace.
Scrimgeour, his chest heaving like a bellows, strode forward to Harry, unfurled the parchment in his hand, and solemnly declared:
"Harry! Are you serious?"
Hermione stared intently at the parchment, where ink was dripping and clearly revealed a dozen or so large characters.
Students are colluding with remnants of the UMNO party; come immediately.
She read those words aloud, and was so shocked that her very soul trembled inside her, and every hair on her body stood on end, as if she had been doused with a bucket of ice water in the twelfth lunar month.
Is this a scheme to use the Aurors to eliminate the Noble Club?!
She was filled with apprehension, but then she saw Harry stand up, frowning, and say, "Why did you only bring this many people, brother? If a fight really breaks out, I'm afraid it won't be enough."
"There are also 180 Aurors outside the school," Scrimgeour said, turning to the side. "They are the regional leaders."
"Harry, I need you to give me concrete evidence: are there really students colluding with the Mughal Party?"
Harry handed over the booklet containing photographs of the members of the Noble Club, and replied with his arms crossed:
"Excellent! Such a momentous matter, how could I dare to treat it lightly!"
Upon hearing this, the expressions of all the Ao Luo members changed drastically.
Although the Wu Cui Tang was an old problem from decades ago, no one dared to treat it lightly.
When these scoundrels committed evil deeds, the extent of their chaos and the extent of their arrogance surpassed even that of Voldemort in the future.
It should be noted that when Voldemort fell from power, many of his Death Eaters claimed they were under the Imperius Curse and were busy clearing themselves of any involvement.
When Grindelwald was defeated and fled to Neumont, not a single member of the Malays made any excuses; they were all determined to fight to the death.
Harry was a straightforward person, and he acted decisively.
Without hesitation, he pointed his wand at his own sun, drawing out a wisp of silver-blue light—the very scene of the noble club's secret meeting in the tent that night.
He then flicked his wrist, and the ray of light shot straight at Scrimgeour's face.
A wisp of silver light entered his brow, and within a few breaths, Scrimgeour's face instantly darkened.
"Most of these students are pure-blooded nobles."
As soon as he finished speaking, the Aurors behind Scrimgeour all gasped in shock.
Oh no, this is going to be difficult.
Noble wizards are always the most difficult to deal with. They come from extremely powerful families and have extensive networks of connections.
When the Death Eaters were put on trial in large numbers, the sages and elders of Wizengamot intervened considerably, resulting in the release of many Death Eaters who should have been sent to Azkaban.
If I arrest these aristocratic students today, I might be targeted.
Everyone was worried about their own livelihoods, but Scrimgeour simply rubbed his wand with his fingertips and said in a deep voice:
"I will arrest these students."
As soon as he finished speaking, several Aurors rushed forward, one grabbing his sleeve, another blocking his way, all trying to persuade him.
"Rufus! Think this through! Those rich young masters aren't easy to catch!"
"That's right, you might get dismissed!"
"If that remnant refers to Vinda Rozier—she's registered with the Ministry of Magic!"
Despite everyone's attempts to persuade him, Scrimgeour remained as steadfast as a rock in the middle of the river, unmoved.
"She's a dark wizard who has committed serious crimes, so she can't be treated like a normal wizard. If someone reports her, then I have to arrest her; it's my duty as an Auror."
Harry clapped his hands and laughed, "Good! Good! I was right, brother, you are truly a hero of unwavering integrity!"
Having said that, he shook out a roll of parchment from his sleeve and threw it over.
"Brother, don't worry about being dismissed and punished. Nine times out of ten, these scoundrels owe me money."
"I already asked my godfather about this, and he's marked the families with the biggest debts in red. Brother, all you need to do is capture the ringleaders and these few spoiled brats, and the rest will be terrified!"
"If anyone dares to mistreat my brother in the future, feel free to speak up! I'll make sure they suffer the consequences!"
Hearing this, the Aurors were somewhat tempted, but they remained calm and composed.
Hermione had a sudden inspiration and exclaimed, "We can call Rita Skeeter over!"
"Doesn't she love big news? Pure-blood nobles colluding with the Sinicists—I don't think any wizard in the wizarding world would be uninterested in something like that!"
"Then people will be even more convinced that Harry is the savior, and you will become heroes of the wizarding world who are not afraid of power!"
At this point, all the Ao Luos hesitated.
Seeing the others hesitate, Harry walked straight to the stone door. With a mighty push, he flung the door open.
"Brothers, if you wish to leave, do so now, I will not stop you! I will not accept a single coin of the gold and silver you gave me in the past, considering it merely a gesture of goodwill!"
"Those who remain must stand with me through thick and thin, and settle this matter once and for all!"
The secret chamber fell silent. The Aurors looked at each other, but none of them moved.
After a long while, a woman named Ao Luo suddenly stepped out from the crowd, walked hurriedly to the door, and slammed the stone door shut behind her.
"Harry, what do you need us to do for you?"
Seeing that no one had left, Harry burst into loud laughter. The sound reverberated, like the roar of a tiger and the cry of a dragon, truly making one's blood boil!
"Excellent! Excellent! My brothers and sisters are truly righteous and chivalrous!"
"If those vile scoundrels from the Ministry of Magic and Wizengamora were to hold me accountable, I would gladly pay a fortune and risk my life to protect them!"
"If we win the hearts of the people, this glory will surely be shared with you all!"
Poems as proof:
If things fail, one must bear the weight of a thousand pounds alone; if things succeed, one should not share the credit with any one person.
We share joys and sorrows, honor and disgrace, and our righteousness is as high as the heavens!
Upon hearing this, the Aurors all became heavy-breathed and their eyes turned bloodshot, like dry tinder that had been ignited.
Hermione had already dragged Ron away and sped off to the owlhouse to send a letter to the Daily Prophet, hoping to gain the upper hand in the media.
Hari led the group of Auror heroes straight to the principal's office. He knew that if he followed the rules, he had to do it perfectly to avoid giving anyone cause for gossip.
As the head of the Auror office, Scrimgeour had the authority to issue arrest warrants, but he still needed Dumbledore, the headmaster of Hogwarts, to sign them.
The group moved with a brisk pace, their robes billowing, giving the impression that a storm was brewing.
The group headed straight for the headmaster's office. The two gargoyle stone beasts guarding the door were about to stop them, but when they saw a squad of Aurors in full armor following behind Harry, they froze on the spot.
Before the two of them could even react, Harry had already barged inside.
The Aurors stood in a line at the door, bowing in unison to Dumbledore.
Harry strode to the desk, clasped his hands in greeting to Dumbledore, who was reviewing documents, and said, "Professor, how have you been?"
Dumbledore looked up and saw the scene, paused for a moment, and then sighed softly.
"Liu Tao once told me that there is a Chinese saying, 'First courtesy, then force,' which I had never had the chance to use before."
"Now I can finally use it."
Having said that, he turned around, took out a bottle of magic potion from the sandalwood cabinet, tilted his head back and swallowed it all, and then let out a long sigh of relief.
"So, Harry, Scrimgeour, what do you need me for?"
Harry chuckled and said, "Professor, you have a keen eye indeed. I do have a small matter to trouble you with today; I only need your calligraphy."
He took the arrest warrant from Scringer and slammed it on the table.
"Please sign, Professor!"
Dumbledore frowned, picked up the document and examined it closely. After pondering for a while, he took a bottle of potion and drank it all.
"Harry, Rozier doesn't seem to be showing any signs of trying to spread Muscatist ideology to the students."
"Ha! Professor, do you only try to mend things after the fact? By the time you realize what that old woman's true intentions are, the entire school will probably have become a UMNO party!"
Dumbledore, his head throbbing, rubbed his temples and whispered, "Harry, could you please do me a favor?"
Harry glared at him and exclaimed, "Professor, that's a strange thing to say! If I were to do you a favor today, who would I tell Guan Yu, the God of War?"
"If this matter is allowed to pass haphazardly, I fear that tonight Guan Yu will cleave me into a bloody mist in his dreams!"
"Moreover, those scoundrels from the Noble Club obtained a search warrant from the council and are running rampant in the secret room. Judging from their ruthless actions, they have clearly inherited seven-tenths of the UMNO's teachings!"
Upon hearing this, Dumbledore's brow furrowed even deeper. "The Board of Trustees signed a search warrant for them? And they bypassed me again?"
"Oh dear! The professor is still completely unaware. If this continues, he might one day be stripped of his authority without even realizing it!"
Dumbledore remained silent, his eyes darting only over the arrest warrant.
When Harry saw that he didn't respond, he gripped the knife handle tightly with his five fingers, his veins bulging.
"If I am not granted your critique today, I will stand here until the end of time!"
After a long silence, Dumbledore finally raised his head and sighed, "I am just an ordinary headmaster, of course I must fully cooperate with the Ministry of Magic's requirements."
"But Rufus, don't let anyone get killed."
After speaking, he picked up a quill pen and wrote down his name.
Albus Percival Woolflick Bryan Dumbledore.
Harry accepted the arrest warrant and laughed, "Professor, please excuse me. I'm off!"
Having said that, he led his group of Aoruo away.
After everyone had left, Dumbledore remained stunned for a long time. He then drank another potion before snapping his fingers and summoning the house-elves.
"Good morning, Professor Dumbledore! What can I do for you?"
"Call all the house-elves and have them keep a close eye on Harry and the Aurors, so that no one gets killed."
The house-elf, having received the order, nodded hastily, snapped his fingers, and vanished in an instant.
Dumbledore then took another piece of parchment and began to write a letter to the council.
Meanwhile, Harry and the others left the headmaster's office and headed straight for the school gate.
One hundred and eighty Aurors stood in neat rows outside, fully equipped and ready to go. Upon seeing Harry, their lucky charm, their eyes gleamed with eager anticipation.
Scrimgeour first used a copy charm, turning Harry's list of debtor heads and the Noble Club's photo album into over a hundred copies, which he then distributed to the crowd. He then called out:
"Everyone! Prioritize arresting those on the list!"
The Aurors took it, and in an instant, they whispered among themselves, creating a noisy commotion.
"Why are they all pure-blooded nobles?"
"Wait a minute, isn't this the son of the deputy director of the Bureau of Mysteries?"
Harry, annoyed by what he heard, jumped forward and shouted:
"What are you all afraid of! If you blame me, I'll take the blame first!"
Having said that, he held up the arrest warrant in his hand.
"Enter the school!"
(End of this chapter)