Chapter 234 - 234: Lucius' Invitation

Words : 1756 Updated : Oct 11th, 2025

"Meow!" Lilith let out a sharp cry of protest, then swiftly climbed up onto Edward's shoulder and bit his ear. "Hiss—ouch! That hurts!" Only then did Malfoy react, quickly explaining, "This is an invitation from my father—he asked me to pass it on to you!" An invitation? Audrey opened it and took a quick glance before handing it to Edward. Inside was a formal-looking invitation, written in a very official tone, inviting Audrey and Edward to attend a family gathering at the Malfoy Manor this Saturday. "What the hell is Lucius Malfoy playing at?" Edward frowned. In the original series, this guy was the very definition of a fence-sitter, constantly switching sides between Voldemort and Dumbledore, yet somehow managed to come out unscathed by the end. Considering his usual behaviour, he was a textbook villain. Many readers were outraged that he got a happy ending. "Did your father say why?" Edward asked. Malfoy scoffed, "How would I know?" He had thought that after receiving his letter, his father would properly deal with Audrey. But after all this time, this was all that happened? Malfoy couldn't help wondering whether Audrey really was from some powerful wizarding family—so much so that even his father didn't dare offend her. With that in mind, he quickly added, "My father only told me to deliver the invitation. He didn't say anything else." Audrey thought for a moment before replying, "Edward and I already had other plans for this weekend. I'll need to consider it." "Alright then." Malfoy promptly turned and left in a hurry. "Could it be a trap?" Audrey lowered her voice and said, "You told me Lucius Malfoy used to be a Death Eater." "But isn't this a bit too blatant? Sending the invitation through his son, making it so public—and if something happened to us at the gathering…" Edward frowned. "Unless it's just to lure us away." Audrey gasped. "The goblins and Death Eaters plan to move this weekend?" "But would the Death Eaters really go that far?" In the wizarding world, Edward's few moves had never been made under his real identity, so hardly anyone knew his true strength. Surely they wouldn't stage such a show just because of his Transfiguration class performance from a few days ago? And again—this plan was just too dumb. Who'd fall for something like this? With a "ding," Edward flipped a coin: Is attending the Malfoys' dinner dangerous? The head landed up—No. Edward gently grasped the coin and said, "Let's go ask Professor Dumbledore for his advice." "Alright." —— By the time the two reached the eighth floor, the stench in the air was already unbearable—it filled the entire corridor. Lilith, perched on Edward's shoulder, instantly puffed up. She flipped backwards off his shoulder and began furiously pawing at the ground in disgust. Susie, confused, immediately moved to stand guard beside her. Edward quickly cast Bubble-Head Charms on all four of them. Only after their breathing returned to normal did he exchange a look with Audrey—no need to guess who had come. "Password?" The stone gargoyle asked. "Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans." "Correct." The creature moved aside, revealing the spiral staircase leading to the office upstairs. The two cast Disillusionment Charms on themselves and their animal companions in perfect coordination. Then, hand in hand, they used a silent Alohomora to pass through the oak door and enter the headmaster's office. As expected, the toad-like Umbridge was inside, spewing venom in a shrill voice at Dumbledore. "Dumbledore! If you don't hand over those brats today, I'll have no choice but to let the Dementors inspect every student—one by one!" "This is no small matter! They attacked a Ministry official!" "If you continue shielding them like this, I can only assume you were the one who ordered them to attack me! You—Hogwarts' Headmaster—assaulting the Undersecretary to the Minister for Magic!" "If you dare attack the Undersecretary today, what's next? Attacking Minister Fudge tomorrow? Seizing control of the Ministry itself?!" "This is a crime! And you will pay the price for it!" Dumbledore calmly listened to her rant, then replied in an even tone, "And what price would that be?" "Azkaban!!" "Azkaban again," Dumbledore said with a small shake of his head. "But I'd just recently requested a visit there, and Fudge wouldn't allow it. Shouldn't you two coordinate your positions first?" Umbridge shrieked like a madwoman, "Not visit Azkaban—be imprisoned there! To rot under the torment of the Dementors for the rest of your life!" "You know, Umbridge," Dumbledore's tone suddenly changed, "The Ministerial election is only a few days away." Umbridge froze. "What do you think are the odds of Cornelius winning this time?" The loose flesh on her face trembled as Umbridge muttered, "The Minister has the support of the pure-blood families, the backing of most of the Ministry officials—he...he must win!" "I wonder if you've all forgotten one thing," Dumbledore said mildly. "The final vote is held under the oversight of the Wizengamot. And I…am the Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot." Umbridge's pupils contracted. "You…you're going to abuse your power?" "Oh no, not at all. I'm simply ensuring that no one else gets the chance to do so." A smile spread across Dumbledore's face. "As for the pure-blood families you mentioned, I've already made contact with at least half of them. They'll either vote for me or remain neutral." "As for within the Ministry—Scrimgeour, head of the Auror Office, has long had enough of Fudge's incompetence. Amelia Bones, head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, will adhere strictly to the law and maintain neutrality. And the rest—those overlooked departments Fudge barely pays attention to—who do you think they will vote for?" Umbridge had gone pale as a sheet. "Why do you think I insisted on following proper electoral procedure? Why did I stand by while Fudge pulled every trick he could? Because I knew…Fudge never had a chance." "Dolores, give up. Let the children of Hogwarts be. And let yourself go, too." Umbridge staggered back a few steps, then suddenly turned on her heel and bolted from the office. "No...No! You won't fool me!!" With a wave of his wand, Dumbledore summoned a powerful gust that swept the foul air out through the windows. At that moment, Edward and Audrey removed their Disillusionment Charms and revealed themselves. Dumbledore didn't appear surprised. Smiling, he greeted them cheerfully, "Ah, good afternoon!" "Good afternoon, Professor Whitebeard," Lilith replied with exaggerated politeness. Susie followed suit with a well-pronounced, "Good afternoon, Professor." Audrey looked amazed. "Professor, was everything you said just now true? I always thought your chances of winning were rather slim." Dumbledore gave a slight smile. "Half-true, half-not. But one thing is certain—I didn't become Headmaster of Hogwarts for decades, Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, and Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards by accident." "Among my former students and colleagues, aside from a few overly ambitious ones who worry that my becoming Minister might threaten their power, most wouldn't oppose me." "After all, in their eyes, my candidacy is a move against Voldemort—and that's something they're quite happy to see." He conjured two chairs with a casual flick of his wand. "Please, have a seat. What brings you here?" "Lucius Malfoy just had his son deliver an invitation to Audrey," Edward said, handing over the envelope. Dumbledore unfolded it and scanned the contents, his brow furrowing. "Well now…this is rather odd." Audrey shared the suspicions she and Edward had discussed earlier. Dumbledore listened and nodded thoughtfully. "Indeed. Regardless of his intentions, even a private invitation like this seems…foolish." Edward scratched his head. "Which is why, on our way here, I started wondering—what if it really is just a normal invitation?" "But why?" Audrey asked, puzzled. "Hmm…could it be related to the dream Draco had?" Edward speculated. "Lucius thought his son had killed someone—and you're the only one who overheard that, and even showed interest in following it up." "So maybe…he wants to dissuade you from digging any deeper." Edward spread his hands. "Of course, that's all unfounded guesswork. The only way to know for sure is to go. What do you think, Professor Dumbledore?" Dumbledore stroked his beard and asked, "Have you divined it?" "Yes. The result said that attending the dinner is not dangerous." "Then go," Dumbledore said calmly, folding his hands. "When the date for the Ministerial election was moved up, Lucius agreed. I assumed he intended to support me. But when I proposed visiting the Malfoy residence, he refused. Now…I don't quite understand his angle." "Hmm?" Edward looked surprised. That doesn't sound like the Lucius Malfoy I remember from the original books… —— Saturday Morning The two returned once again to St. Mungo's to continue the treatment of the Longbottoms. Audrey, now adept with the procedure, lit candles and sprinkled the floral hydrosol. She began with a simple mental link, soothing Mrs. Longbottom's mind to reduce her internal fear, before diving deeper into her consciousness. Once again, she found herself in the same room, hearing the same mad laughter, the same helpless pleas from the Longbottoms. But this time…Audrey was inside the room. This was the first time in all her sessions that she'd actually been locked inside. That was unexpected. After several treatments, Mrs. Longbottom's subconscious should've developed at least some trust toward her. Why was she suddenly shut out like this? Audrey hurried downstairs and approached the window—only to find, to her surprise, that the Death Eaters were gone. Mrs. Longbottom sat alone on the ground outside, staring blankly ahead, completely motionless. Something's changed again! Audrey's heart leapt. She reached for the door handle and turned it gently. Click. The door opened. She stepped out quietly and walked over to Mrs. Longbottom. "What are you looking at?" "Shhh—" Mrs. Longbottom raised a finger to her lips, then pointed toward the darkness beyond the path ahead. "…The messenger…is coming." ——— [Note]: Enjoy the Extra Chapter. 280 Powerstones for another one tomorrow. Go, VOTE! And if you are like me and want to read 40 Chapters in advance of the current story right now, you can support me on my Patreon. Thank me later~ Link - (P)atre(o)n.c(o)m/ Iseeblack [Remove the brackets]

Chapter 234 - 234: Lucius' Invitation

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