Harvest Galore

"Congratulations. Not long after completing your career counseling, you’ve taken a direct step into employment."

Looking at the twins before him, Adam sighed.

Fred and George exchanged a glance and said with a smile:

"Can’t be helped, Adam. You know us—we’ve never been particularly interested in that tedious studying. And making us listen to that pink toad prattle on every day would be worse than killing us."

"Besides, our farewell ceremony was spectacular, wasn’t it? I’d wager Hogwarts has never seen a graduation celebration that wild since it was founded. We heard everyone was rushing to imitate our exploits after we left!"

Having said that, the two looked at Adam expectantly:

"So now we…"

"Unfortunately, no one in Diagon Alley currently intends to sell their storefront."

Adam shook his head.

Selling and renting were entirely different matters. Clearly, those holding storefronts in Diagon Alley understood that they were hens that laid golden eggs. They would only sell the golden eggs, never the hens themselves.

Upon hearing Adam’s bad news, Fred and George were not too disappointed. They knew Adam would always have a solution, but this time, Adam’s decision was destined to disappoint them.

"Go home and prepare properly for your N.E.W.T.s. The next school year isn’t far away."

"What?!"

Fred and George cried out:

"Adam, we have to remind you that we’ve already been expelled!"

"Unfortunately, Umbridge doesn’t have that authority… she isn’t a headmistress recognized by Hogwarts, is she?"

Adam looked at them and smiled.

"During the coming summer break, you’ll receive a letter from the Hogwarts headmaster asking you to return and complete your final year. So you’d best catch up on the rest of your coursework at home during this time."

Fred and George exchanged another glance. Unlike their earlier excitement, this time they saw a familiar despair in each other’s eyes.

Adam would not lie to them about something like this, so… they had thought they were completely free, only to find they still had to go back to class next year?

And take the N.E.W.T.s!

They had even burned their books!

"Trust me, Hogwarts will be a good place starting next year. There won’t be anywhere safer or more stable than Hogwarts. No Death Eaters, no Umbridge, nor anyone else sent by the Ministry of Magic."

"We’d rather face the Death Eaters."

"No, you wouldn’t! A battle where life and death are at stake is no joke!"

Adam’s expression turned cold.

"Looks like the plan needs to be moved up… Take some time to recall everything, fill in what wasn’t filmed, then edit out the things that shouldn’t be released."

Fred and George did not catch what Adam muttered under his breath afterward. They only knew they were powerless to resist the painful and helpless fate awaiting them.

Still, next term sounded like…

"Is Professor Dumbledore coming back?"

The two asked curiously.

"Professor Dumbledore would not refuse the Ministry of Magic’s arrangements for Hogwarts."

Adam avoided the question, then said:

"You probably won’t find it convenient to return home for the time being. Go to Storm Restaurant. The manager there will arrange lodging for you."

"Oh, Adam, we knew you still cared about us!"

Only then did Fred and George remember that they truly needed a new place to stay—if their mother found out they had set off fireworks at Hogwarts and been expelled, they would surely have to bid one of their ears farewell.

She would not care in the slightest what disgusting regulations Umbridge had issued!

By the end of fifth year, Adam had gathered enough intense hatred to his satisfaction.

The main image on the card remained unchanged: a gaunt youth with a poisonous bird perched on his shoulder and thorns growing from his chest. But countless eyes had appeared in the darkness around him.

Unease, pain, hatred, venomous resentment…

When Adam saw those eyes, he naturally came to understand the incomparably complex hatred within them.

"Umbridge, I knew I hadn’t misjudged you."

Adam could not help clicking his tongue in wonder. It was not only the hatred Umbridge had stirred in the students; even Umbridge’s own hatred had greatly accelerated the condensation of The Hate.

No matter how excessive Umbridge’s actions were, it would have been difficult for the students to develop such extreme hatred for her. Yet Umbridge had managed it easily. She bore intensely venomous hatred toward Professor Dumbledore, Sirius Black, Harry, Fred, and George…

"The Love’s effect was so miraculous. Then what about The Hate?"

Adam could sense that, like The Love, The Hate was a special ability that remained active at all times.

Hopefully, he would not run into another mishap like the one with Pheobe.

Aside from The Hate, Adam found his other gains equally noteworthy.

Just a few days earlier, Harry and the others had fallen for Voldemort’s soul-message scam and caused a huge disturbance in the Department of Mysteries.

Following the fine tradition of not wasting an opportunity when they were already there, Adam had gotten there first and packed up the entire Department of Mysteries.

Of all its rooms, the Time Chamber, Death Chamber, and Love Chamber intrigued Adam the most. The Brain Chamber might provide some inspiration for his necromancy.

As for the Planet Chamber and Prophecy Chamber…

Adam was not particularly interested in those obscure prophecies made up of long and short sentences. The celestial models in the Planet Chamber looked quite nice, but they seemed to have no use besides simulating planetary orbits. Adam planned to make an extra copy to keep at home as decoration.

All in all, so that the Department of Mysteries could be restored to its original state after Eugene rebuilt the Ministry of Magic, Adam had copied and taken away everything intact, whether it interested him or not. He had even stripped down the outermost wall.

The entire Department of Mysteries had now been shrunk into a miniature model and placed in Adam’s pocket—ever since learning those spells that altered spatial environments from Professor Scamander, Adam no longer needed the compartments of his shoulder bag to help sort his storage spaces.

Beyond all those plentiful gains, Adam had also unexpectedly acquired a large black dog…

"Oh, thank you! Have we met somewhere before?"

After being rescued, Sirius Black looked at Adam in confusion, only for Adam to knock him unconscious with the Wand of Darkness the next moment.

"You’re mistaken."

How could Adam possibly have the time to explain so much to him? If he had questions, he could ask Professor Dumbledore!

After packing up Sirius Black, who was still unconscious, and putting him in his pocket, Adam headed for Professor Dumbledore’s current location.

"It seems you’ve already figured out how the people from the Ministry of Magic ought to be dealt with, Professor Dumbledore."

Adam, who had watched everything unfold at the Ministry of Magic, Apparated directly into Professor Dumbledore’s room and applauded Professor Dumbledore’s earlier forceful demand that the Ministry relinquish control over Hogwarts and release Hagrid.

"So you were at the Ministry of Magic at the time, Adam."

Professor Dumbledore’s voice carried a little more ease.

"Ah, yes. A Phoenix’s rebirth from the ashes—I had only seen it before in Mr. Flamel’s manuscripts. At last, I’ve witnessed it with my own eyes."

Adam reached out and took Fawkes, who was in the form of a chick, from Professor Dumbledore’s hands.

Such a young physical body, a damaged soul, yet carrying such immense spiritual power. How marvelous!

Fawkes needed only a short time to recover to his peak condition. Even if he were killed again during that process—say, by taking another Killing Curse now—Fawkes would merely need to be reborn from the flames once more.

Adam was one step closer to the Elixir of Life.

"Then, Adam, aside from witnessing the entire affair, did you do anything else?"

Professor Dumbledore looked at Adam expectantly.