0808 The Situation
During his rare moments of solitude, when Bryan engaged in self-reflection, he would sometimes think that he truly was a terrifying individual.
His talent for magical innovation was rare even across millennia, and this, combined with his innate advantage in soul strength, had granted him awe-inspiring magical power while still in his twenties.
The transformative experience of living two complete lives, with all their joys, sorrows, triumphs, and failures, had endowed him with an almost supernatural ability to peer directly into the hearts and minds of others.
This insight went far beyond the crude intrusion of Legilimency, it was an intuitive understanding of human nature where he could read people's deepest motivations, their hidden fears without ever needing to use magical means.
This psychological mastery meant that he rarely, if ever, needed to resort to force, coercion, or magical compulsion to bend others to his will. Instead, he could manipulate them, using their own psychological patterns against them.
Most critically and perhaps most dangerously of all, he utterly lacked the lofty moral standards, the ethical compass, and the unfaltering commitment to the greater good that had defined Dumbledore's long life.
In other words, if he ever chose to fully embrace the path of darkness and commit himself to truly evil deeds, the catastrophic damage he could inflict upon the wizarding world would likely dwarf and surpass anything that either Grindelwald or Voldemort could ever hope to achieve.
This masterful manipulation had been perfectly demonstrated in how he had effortlessly convinced Vipor Dreghorn, the aging and ambitious person, to voluntarily apply for the coveted position of Durmstrang Institute's headmaster.
The cost Bryan had paid for this feat of psychological manipulation was virtually nothing, a few carefully words, some subtle suggestions, and the masterful exploitation of the old man's deepest ambitions and insecurities.
This old wizard, neither particularly despicable in his methods nor particularly noble in his intentions, was a man desperately hoping to crown himself with the title of "Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards" before his death.
Driven by this burning ambition and guided by Bryan's subtle manipulation, he had followed Bryan into Hogwarts to pacify and calm the restless Durmstrang students, who were being led by Viktor Krum.
Then, settling into his temporary office within Hogwarts, Dreghorn had written letters to the Ministers of Magic of Norway, Sweden, and several other influential Northern European countries, laying out his plans to secure his appointment as Durmstrang's new headmaster.
However, what genuinely surprised Bryan, catching him somewhat off guard despite his foresight, was the shocking depth and bitter intensity of Vipor Dreghorn's long-standing prejudice against Dumbledore.
Dreghorn had entered the Hogwarts Castle but he hadn't even paid the most basic courtesy visit to Dumbledore's office. Instead, after spending only the minimum necessary time in his own temporary office, attending to the most urgent business regarding the Durmstrang students, he had left directly from the castle grounds.
Nevertheless, Bryan could understand Vipor's resentment toward Dumbledore, a bitterness that was remarkably similar to the feelings harbored by Vogel and many other former high-ranking officials of the International Confederation of Wizards.
The source of this animosity lay in the decline of an organization that had once wielded tremendous power and influence.
When Vipor had served the International Wizarding Confederation during its golden age, it had been a truly formidable organization with genuine, power that extended across national boundaries and got respect from every corner of the magical world.
During the tenures of Supreme Mugwumps Vogel and Santos, the Confederation's authority and influence had reached its absolute peak, its status was far more revered, respected, and feared than that of any specific national Ministry of Magic.
The Confederation had been the ultimate arbitrator of international magical law, the final court of appeal in disputes between nations, and the coordinating body for global magical security.
But since Dumbledore had assumed the office of Supreme Mugwump, a combination of factors including the severe depletion of resources and personnel from previous devastating wars, as well as Dumbledore's policy of tactful acquiescence and his reluctance to wield the Confederation's power aggressively, had led to a swift decline in the International Confederation of Wizards' influence and effectiveness.
Today, the once-mighty Confederation was practically defunct, reduced to little more than a ceremonial body that served merely as a venue where representatives of various magical civilizations and nations could engage in lengthy, often pointless arguments when trade disputes arose, or occasionally organize largely ineffective cross-national academic exchange conferences that accomplished little beyond generating impressive-sounding reports.
The Confederation's role as one of the leading organizing parties in the Triwizard Tournament was actually primarily due to ancient traditions and established protocols that required its involvement, rather than any recognition of its current relevance or competence.
This participation counted as one of the Confederation's increasingly rare highlights and moments of genuine importance in recent years, a sad commentary on how far the once-great organization had fallen.
Oh, and there was also the current high-profile trial of the captured Dark Wizard remnants, where the Confederation, serving as one of the presiding judicial parties alongside various national Ministries, had once again managed to attract considerable public attention and media coverage.
This legal process, with its complex international implications and significant political consequences, represented one of the few occasions in recent memory where the Confederation's involvement was both necessary and genuinely meaningful.
This temporary return to relevance was actually one of the primary reasons why Vipor had gritted his teeth, and taken on what everyone in wizarding political circles knew was a thoroughly thankless job.
Time slipped quietly. Over the past month, Hogwarts had enjoyed sunny weather every day. On the spacious lawns, in the magnificent ancient castle, and along the increasingly verdant forest edges, young wizards' laughter could be heard everywhere. Yet some things had inevitably changed.
For instance, Defense Against the Dark Arts class was gone.
The real Alastor Moody had been transported with great care to St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries for a period of recuperation and psychological evaluation.
Honestly speaking, his physical health, while certainly declined by his long captivity, wasn't in truly dire condition, his captor, Cliodna, had taken reasonably good care of his basic physiological needs, ensuring he remained alive and functional throughout his imprisonment.
However, being held prisoner and impersonated for more than half a year had taken a severe psychological toll on the already suspicious and paranoid Moody.
The experience had made the naturally cautious Moody even more intensely sensitive to potential threats, more suspicious of everyone around him, and more prone to violent reactions to unexpected stimuli.
His condition had deteriorated to such a degree that it forced Dumbledore to reluctantly abandon his plan of having the real Moody return to Hogwarts to shoulder the Defense Against the Dark Arts teaching position for the remaining months of the academic year.
Although Bryan could employ the same stratagem and temporarily teach Defense Against the Dark Arts for a few months, he chose not to do so. Voldemort's curse on this teaching position was indeed formidable, and Bryan wasn't proficient in dealing with such matters. He didn't know whether the curse would be correspondingly strengthened now that Voldemort himself had regained his power.
Dumbledore's absences from public view became more frequent. He would leave for about two days each week. Even though he hadn't specifically explained this to Bryan, it was clear that the private struggle had already begun—Dumbledore was determined to accelerate his plan to search for Voldemort's remaining Horcruxes.
Professor McGonagall seemed disappointed that he hadn't joined the Order of the Phoenix. When they encountered each other, she would occasionally wear an expression of wanting to speak but ultimately holding back. In the end, she never brought it up.
Bryan knew that Dumbledore must have given her certain instructions.
Severus had become even more reclusive than before. His colleagues, knowing something of his complicated past, assumed he was worried about the Dark Lord's revenge.
In reality, Bryan understood clearly that Severus wanted to maintain distance from everyone because he felt this would be safer for these colleagues—in case the Dark Lord flew into a rage and decided to crack open his head to see what scenes were hidden inside. Even Occlumency wasn't foolproof against a wizard of Voldemort's caliber.
A month had passed, and fewer students were still discussing the accident that occurred during the second task of the Triwizard Tournament. Even fewer were debating the truth of You-Know-Who's return to the wizarding world.
However, despite this surface return to normalcy, some students had been deeply affected by the events.
In dealing with this matter, during Physical Education classes, both Gryffindor and Slytherin students showed the same response.
Bryan could clearly sense that Harry's group and Draco's clique were training their dueling skills with increasing intensity, displaying a more serious attitude toward siege and counter-siege combat training.
The wizarding world appeared calm but only on the surface.
Under the Ministry of Magic's forceful suppression and manipulation, neither the Daily Prophet nor many influential foreign newspapers dared to openly proclaim You-Know-Who's return. They barely even reported on Cliodna's appearance at the Tournament venue.
While most students mentioned these events in letters home, this only sparked small-scale public opinion. Moreover, lacking official verification, most people remained skeptical, believing that Cliodna was merely trying to destabilize British wizarding society, and that Harry Potter was probably just frightened and "talking nonsense."
Even those wizards who, deep down, knew something was amiss refused to believe that their peaceful, tranquil lives were gone forever.
"I've already warned Cornelius—"
One night, during a lakeside walk, Dumbledore said wearily to Bryan.
"Even without Severus bringing me intelligence, I can easily guess and anticipate what Tom plans to do next. He's almost certainly going to attempt to break into Azkaban and rally his most loyal old followers, the hardcore Death Eaters who have remained faithful to his cause despite years of imprisonment and the constant torment of the Dementors."
Dumbledore paused in his slow walk. "But Cornelius dismisses this as pure fantasy. He still insists that You-Know-Who hasn't returned at all, and even if he had, he couldn't possibly break into Azkaban.
After all, it's guarded by Dementors and no one knows Azkaban's exact location. According to Cornelius's reasoning, if You-Know-Who wanted to enter Azkaban to free his followers, he'd have to break into the Ministry of Magic itself first to obtain the necessary information and transportation, which Cornelius considers impossible."
Bryan had initially intended to remain silent during this conversation, to simply listen to Dumbledore's concerns without giving commentary or advice.
However, after some careful consideration of the political realities they faced and the obstacles that lay ahead, he decided to speak.
"I've already expressed my opinion on this matter quite clearly, Headmaster Dumbledore. At this critical stage in our struggle, I believe that the Ministry of Magic will create far greater obstacles for our efforts than Voldemort himself ever could."
Dumbledore didn't argue with this assessment, recognizing the truth in Bryan's words.
Instead, he simply lowered his head, his long silver beard nearly touching his chest, and released a deep, heartfelt sigh.
Then, without another word, he ended their conversation, leaving both men to walk back toward the castle in thoughtful silence.
So, the wizarding world still appeared flourishing on the surface.
Privately, however, undercurrents were already stirring. Without needing to leave Hogwarts, Bryan could tell by reviewing the school's recent bulk expenditures that wizarding world prices were rising across the board. The increases weren't large yet, so people would consider this normal fluctuation that would soon settle.
But Bryan knew this represented the pure-blood families who monopolized production almost unanimously choosing to reduce output. Partly, this related to their workshop management energy being diverted elsewhere. On the other hand, they might be doing this deliberately, hoping to exploit the impending war to harvest gains from British wizarding society.
"Let's go."
At Heathrow International Airport, Bryan took one last look at London, shrouded in misty rain, and said to Remus, whose brow was creased with worry. Together, they boarded the flight to New York.
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