Chapter 280 Sailing North (2 in1)

Lyon, France.

The winter cold had not yet dissipated here, and Lily and McGonagall were walking together through a secluded alley.

"Albus has determined to abort the plan to attack Beauxbatons?" Lili looked at McGonagall.

McGonagall was frowning, her frown had not been relaxed since she arrived in France, except that one night when they conquered the re-educational camp.

"There is no choice, we have identified the current Headmaster of that school, he is one of the Dark Lord's diehards - Igor Karkaroff, and all the preparations in that school have long been completed in advance; if once it is determined that there is no hope of being able to defend it, then he will activate the means left behind by the Dark Lord and let all the muggle students die together."

Lily squirmed her lips as if she wanted to say something, but in the end, it just turned into a calm question.

"So we're just going to watch and pretend that Beauxbatons in our rear don't exist?"

McGonagall said in a deep voice.

"Don't worry, Albus won't allow such a thing to pass, he wants to liberate that school more than any of us, and calling all of us together this time must have something to do with it."

As they spoke, they had come to the end of the alley, and facing the drab wall, neither of them had any intention of stopping and went straight through the wall.

After passing through the cold, liquid-like wall, what came into view was a wide space identical to the Atrium of the British Ministry of Magic.

Many wizards are coming and going, the Witching Horizons in these times has basically occupied all the places except Paris where the French Ministry of Magic is located; under the circumstances that Voldemort is staying hidden, and Dumbledore can step in at any time, they basically did not encounter any big casualties.

Thanks to this, those French wizards who were liberated in the occupied areas began to restore normal order to their lives.

The purebloods and half-bloods who had committed serious crimes in that period were liquidated, and the property they had plundered which originally belonged to the muggle wizards was all returned, and the status of the wizards returned to what it had been before Voldemort came to France.

This is something that is worthy of the excitement and thrill for all the members of the Order of the Phoenix.

But they are also clear; France can be transformed so smoothly, mainly because of the reason that Voldemort's rule over the land is very short.

Many people are not accustomed to the new rules, so it would be easy for them to change back to the previous state.

But the situation in Britain is different, Voldemort has been ruling there for up to ten years, so it is not just a matter of how to counterattack back, and even if they succeed, it will be a matter of how to ultimately remove the influence left by the rule of the bloodline.

Of course, now that Witching Horizons has not even fully occupied France, it is not yet time to think about such a long-term problem.

McGonagall and Lily headed all the way down the main lobby, and they went further into a hallway where they happened to run into Lupin and Tonks, who also looked like they had just returned.

"You really should get a new outfit, Remus, from the beginning when you and I went on a mission together to now, you are wearing the same outfit, half a year has passed, and it is the only thing that has not been changed."

Tonks, who has gradient-coloured curly hair and is dressed like a teen emo girl, is ranting and educating Lupin.

Lupin nodded repeatedly, the gentle smile on his face did not change a bit.

"Only half a year has passed, and long before that, there were times when I have not got new clothes for five or six years."

"Can you compare it with before and now? You are now representing Witching Horizons, and Dumbledore, wearing such old clothes will make people think that we are still on the same weak side as before."

While they were chatting, they also saw McGonagall and Lily who had already come behind them.

Upon seeing these two female professors, Tonks subconsciously curbed her casualness, and secretly stuck her tongue out and greeted McGonagall and Lily.

"Good afternoon, Professor Potter and Professor McGonagall."

Lily and McGonagall both looked at her and Lupin with odd eyes and then nodded in response.

Lily flashed a smile at Lupin.

"Listen to her more, you are really not that young in age."

She said this with some rather deep meaning, causing Lupin's face to look a little embarrassed, but at that moment, a large hand suddenly rested on his shoulder from behind to sort of relieve him.

"Man, tonight after the meeting, do you want to have a drink? We haven't seen each other for two or three months."

It was Sirius, with a cheerful smile on his face, like he had just experienced something happy.

"When you were chasing those Aurors in the morning, you just finished drinking and broke the rules and used the forbidden dark magic, I'll report that to Dumbledore later!"

The stern words came from his side and Flitwick who was with him, due to his short stature, was not noticed by anyone at first.

Sirius, on the other hand, grinned broadly and wrapped an arm around Flitwick as well, letting him lean against the side of his thigh.

"Hey, Professor, don't lecture me like before when I was still in school, I am already old enough to know how to behave!"

"I don't think so!"

Flitwick said in a dismal tone.

"What's all the bustle here?"

A hoarse-voiced greeting came from behind them, and a limping Moody came along with Kingsley from the other end of the long hallway.

"Looks like it's an important combat meeting tonight, all the important people are here."

Moody said in a loud voice.

This already not spacious corridor became crowded, the Hogwarts professors and the senior members of the Order of the Phoenix did not continue to stay there, they walked together to the conference room at the end of the corridor, opened the door and walked in.

There is a long table which can seat 20 to 30 people in the conference room, and when they entered, Dumbledore was already sitting on the main seat of this long table, and the position on his right was already occupied by Iniesta who is the leader of the French wizards.

After McGonagall's group was seated, the meeting, which gathered all the senior members of the Witching Horizons, officially began.

Dumbledore, as always, kept the good habit of never talking nonsense in the assembly, and his first words were the main topic of tonight's meeting.

"All of France, except for Paris, where the Ministry of Magic has been contracting its defensive garrison, and Beauxbatons, where students are used as hostages, all other areas where wizards gather have been liberated."

Dumbledore's voice was not loud, but it rang clearly in the ears of everyone on either side of the long table.

"The current Headmaster of Beauxbatons has been identified as Igor Karkaroff, and although he has remained highly regarded by the Dark Lord when we sent someone to make contact with him, he had implicitly stated that if we occupied all of France, then he is willing to automatically give up resistance and hand over Beauxbatons to us safely. Whether his words are trustworthy or not, there is a possibility that we can peacefully conquer Beauxbatons, and we must fight for it."

"So the next goal of the war that we are about to carry out is strategically before us more clearly than ever."

"And now we're going to conquer Paris!"

It was also on the same night that the top brass of Witching Horizons was having a crucial meeting on a key issue.

Jon had made all the preparations in Durmstrang.

He did not refuse this task of Grindelwald, nor did he have any reason to refuse.

As an innate seer "prophet", Grindelwald can in many cases see fragments of the future that others can not see, for example, the route of the Hogwarts ship this journey, is enough to show the power and accuracy of his prophetic ability.

And this time, he asked him to travel to the North Pole, and Jon did not think it would be a mistake.

As for the possible dangers on the North Pole

If he didn't even dare to take this risk, he wouldn't have agreed to infiltrate Hogwarts Castle back then when Dumbledore asked.

What's more, this time Jon is not without a means of protection, Fawkes suddenly appeared Durmstrang one night to send him his own feather.

Jon had not looked for Dumbledore to tell him that he is preparing to leave the Durmstrang news, but now Fawkes had personally come over to give him his feather, which could only mean that another person who knows the news had disclosed it.

Jon's heart welled up with warmth a bit, more than a month of time spent with Grindelwald made him seem to develop a negative outlook when he is still young, and now his heart has become much more neutral and balanced, otherwise, he might have become a little bit like that old man.

But at least when it comes to himself, this once defeated and imprisoned old man has been truly more helpful than harming, such help Jon certainly will not forget.

This time to the sea, as Grindelwald said, he will not take Hogwarts students, and Jon even intends to hide this matter from them, in case Hermione and others in Durmstrang do not stay in peace and want to go with him.

Although he won't bring the living, Jon intends to take Nick with him.

No matter what kind of situation, the ghost is more convenient in action than the living, and Nick has existed for so many years, so he has a lot of experience and can provide a lot of help to Jon.

After all the things are ready, just when Jon was planning to leave by night, there was a little accident.

The accident came from Nick, with whom Jon had agreed to meet at the lake behind Durmstrang Castle, who came with another "person", a ghost to be exact.

Gabrielle, carrying a small schoolbag, was flying around happily above Jon's head.

"Travel! Travel! Arctic! Arctic!"

Jon didn't bother with her but looked at the culprit with blank eyes.

"We agreed that you won't tell anyone about this?"

Nick looked guilty as he argued.

"It's not my fault, it was Gabrielle who had overheard the conversation between us at the time and then took it upon herself to follow us."

Gabrielle floated in mid-air and rubbed Jon's hair, making him feel a cold chill on his scalp.

"Why wouldn't Jon want Gabrielle to follow? It's not like Gabrielle is a bad kid who likes to get into trouble."

"What if you get lost in the Arctic?" Jon said helplessly, "It's a big place, so if one of us gets separated, it would be hard for us to find each other if you can't cast a spell."

With a serious expression, Gabrielle raised one of her arms.

"Gabrielle promise, absolutely and definitely not to disappear for a second from Nick and Jon's sight!"

"It's pointless even if you promise, go back!"

"Ah! Gabrielle is bored being in the castle every day."

The little girl's eyes flushed red, it is not clear whether it is Crocodile tears or true feelings.

"Ginny, Luna and the girls have to attend classes during the day, and there is no one Gabrielle knows in Durmstrang, and the ghosts in this school are talking all old and very mean, and Nick does not take me to play, and it is harder to find you, Jon."

She looked like she was about to cry out, but Jon remained unmoved, but after some hesitation, he changed his mind in the end.

The ghost state of Gabrielle is basically still very safe, even if they have any problems, it is possible to let Nick take her back, the only thing that is not completely safe is her being running around and lost in the Arctic ice field, which is something that Nick can watch on the line.

Nick has hundreds of years of experience dealing with Peeves' ghost, Nick is still very good at taking care of children professionally, besides it was originally him who caused the trouble.

In the end, the voyage crew was finalized, and Jon no longer stayed, he, Nick and Gabrielle together re-boarded the Hogwarts ship which stayed at Durmstrang Lake after nearly two months.

No one came out to see them off on this trip, and no one knew that Jon would embark on such a distant voyage.

Grindelwald, the only person in this castle who knew, was just standing quietly in front of the window of the Headmaster's office, looking at the Hogwarts ship that had started sailing towards the centre of the lake. Once again, a glimpse of Jon inadvertently appeared in his mind, the scene from the near future.

The golden hall, under the gaze of the wizards from the four corners of Europe; scarlet blood, like demonic flower petals blooming.

And amid his reflection, the huge Hogwarts ship, under the night that had fallen, silently disappeared from the surface of the Durmstrang lake.

At the same time, on the northernmost coastline of Norway, near the border area of the Arctic Ocean region, an old wooden ship, suddenly jumped up from under the surface of the sea, with towering long sails slowly falling from the top of the mast, with four animals around the "H" mark glowing in the moonlight.

Gabrielle wore a long triangular pirate hat that Jon helped her to conjure up and was standing spiritedly in the bow on one foot with great vigour, the sea breeze blew up her white dress, just like a cape "whirring".

"Hogwarts! Depart!"

Her childish voice couldn't penetrate the sea breeze and didn't even startle the seagulls resting on the reef.

"First Mate Nicholas! Keep an eye on the surroundings!"

Nick's neutral voice came from the mast.

"No problem, Captain Delacour!"

"Second Mate Green! Hold the helm! Keep the course to the north!"

Jon, who had now been demoted two ranks from captain to second mate, also took control of the rudder and responded with a feeble voice.

"Aye, Captain!"

"What the hell! Jon, you're not cooperating at all! You'll be punished with no rum for a week!"

"I'm not allowed to drink since I'm still a minor."

"Then you'll be punished by being fed salted fish for a week!"

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