Chapter 836: Chapter 714: Conna’s Transfer (2)
"You’ll never know what I’m planning to do, it’s something much more important and exciting."
The entire compartment fell silent once again.
Zabini asked tentatively, "Do you mean... him?"
Malfoy shrugged, offering no clear answer.
Still, this response elicited a mocking smile from Zabini.
"Do you think you’re someone important..." he said sharply, "You’re only sixteen, what qualifies you to work for him?"
"Actually, I do have the qualifications," Malfoy said softly, "The Dark Lord never cares about age, he only cares about ability and how to show loyalty to him.
"Moreover, some things have nothing to do with age. Once I accomplish it, I’ll become his most trusted person... because only I can do it."
Crabbe and Goyle stared at Malfoy, their mouths agape, and the mockery in Zabini’s eyes gradually faded.
He didn’t think Malfoy had the guts to lie about something like this.
Could it be true? Could he gain the Dark Lord’s trust at the age of sixteen?
Perhaps out of jealousy, Zabini’s expression slowly twisted.
But Malfoy didn’t notice these changes, perhaps because it was the first time someone looked down on him, or maybe for some other reason, his eyes gradually became firm, as if he had made some sort of decision.
...
The train gradually slowed down and finally stopped at Hogsmeade station.
As the doors opened, Kael was the first to step out.
"Kael." Harry followed behind and asked, "I remember you’re also a prefect, don’t you need to maintain order?"
"Oh, I forgot," Kael said without turning his head, "But since I’m already off, let’s leave it at that. They’ll surely be fine."
After saying this, he quickly walked towards the spot where the carriages were parked.
Harry hesitated for a moment, not following as he had agreed with Ron and Hermione to wait here for them.
On the other side, Kael also didn’t care whether Harry followed, heading straight to the long line of carriages.
Normally, a carriage needs to have four passengers to move, but Kael managed it easily with a piece of wart hog leg meat.
One carriage broke away from the group and headed along the path towards the castle.
The Thestral moved quickly, arriving at the familiar oak door within a few minutes.
Kael jumped down from the carriage, ascended the stone steps, and entered the castle.
"Why are you alone?" Professor McGonagall who was waiting here glanced behind Kael... the next carriage was still at the school gate.
"I have some matters to attend to, so I came early," Kael said. "Sorry Professor McGonagall, I need to go to the common room first."
"Alright, quickly go then," Professor McGonagall said, "Remember to come to the opening banquet later."
Kael nodded.
He planned to first check the common room to see if Conna had returned. If not, he would find Snape to ask.
Kael figured Snape probably wouldn’t tell him... perhaps Dumbledore knew too.
Passing through the hall, Kael reached the corridor leading to the kitchen.
Just as he took out his wand, preparing to tap on the barrel, the door to the common room opened on its own.
Conna, dressed in her school uniform, emerged from inside.
"Kael!" she said with some surprise, "I was just about to go to the Auditorium, have you all returned?"
"Ah, yes," Kael put down his wand and couldn’t help asking, "By the way, why didn’t you take the train?"
Conna’s expression froze and she silently walked toward the Auditorium.
"Actually," after a moment of silence, she finally spoke, "I almost couldn’t return to Hogwarts this year."
"Couldn’t return?" Kael frowned, "Is this Professor Snape’s doing?"
"Yes," Conna nodded, "Just after the vacation began, he took me to Norway to participate in The Most Extraordinary Society of Potioneers’ examination.
Everything was going smoothly, but after we left Norway yesterday, he took me straight to France and said he’d arranged with Beauxbatons that I would study there this year."
Noise erupted around them; they had arrived at the Auditorium.
"I never understood why I needed to learn French," Conna continued, "I initially thought the person responsible for The Most Extraordinary Society of Potioneers’ examination was a French wizard, but it turned out to be this."
Kael stood at the door, not entering.
He suddenly thought that perhaps studying at Beauxbatons this year would be good for Conna; at least it was safe there.
But why did she return?
Could it be Snape... it shouldn’t be.
Since Snape had decided to leave Conna in France, he definitely wouldn’t bring her back; otherwise, what’s the point of all the effort?
If it wasn’t Snape, then...
"You wouldn’t have gone to see Ms.Maxime, would you?" He turned and asked.
"I was indeed planning to," Conna grinned mischievously, "Although I don’t know why Professor Snape did it, I certainly wasn’t staying at Beauxbatons.
Just so happens I know you have connections with Beauxbatons’ headmistress, so I thought maybe I could ask her to help send me back."
"Ms.Maxime agreed?" Kael asked surprised.
"I didn’t get to see her," Conna said, "I found Gabrielle, Fleur’s sister, and she told me Ms.Maxime hadn’t been at the school for a long time; it was someone else who sent me back."
"Someone else? Who?"
"I don’t know," Conna shook her head, "I met him by Beauxbatons’ Magic Fountain...
"You know, there’s a particularly beautiful Magic Fountain there, supposedly carved from a whole crystal, and it’s not water inside, but magic potion... sometimes it’s Healing Potion, sometimes it’s Awakening Potion."
