Chapter 298: Conspiracy (Edited)

Tom had just seen that the cloak worn by the man was not a cheap item with an invisibility spell, but rather woven with the hair of an actual invisible beast (Demiguise), and it was in very good condition.

So, Tom intensified his mental search, carefully scrutinizing the man's memories. He saw fragmented fragments:

Two dark figures sitting at a table, a newspaper spread out on the table, with a photo of Sara and Menes on an emerald tablet.

"Pass the test and join us..."

"Put on the invisibility cloak... transfer... emerald tablet..."

Tom could see that it was a man who was forcing the wizard in front of him to come and steal Menes' Emerald Tablet. Tom tried to see the face of the man, but he discovered that every time he tried to look at the face of the mysterious man, the wizard's memory screen fluctuated so violently that he couldn't see the face of the mysterious man.

But the moment the mysterious man passed through the invisibility cloak, Tom clearly saw the charm on his wrist: a cross of two intertwined wands with a skull painted on top.

It was from the Trackers.

The Trackers had found the wayward wizard, hoping that he would steal the tablet from the laboratories at the University of Sheffield.

Tom was slightly confused: why didn't the Trackers do it themselves? Why did they have to take this extra step instead? And why did the Trackers have to use exchanged objects as part of the test?

Tom searched the wizard's body and discovered that, aside from a wand, the only thing he had was a small open leather bag, which must have contained the fake Emerald Tablet. Tom furrowed his brow, and a foreboding feeling came over him as a series of clues linked together in his mind, finally forming a complete path to the answer. He had a suspicion and needed to find a way to prove it.

He transformed back into a Dementor, and he noticed that the emotional mass of the wizard had expanded a bit, but so had the black outline, and the same darkness emanated from the cowhide bag that had been taken out—a color that made Tom feel sick just by looking at it, as if it spread death in all directions.

Unfortunately, it seemed to have infected him as well.

He changed into his unicorn form and watched as the black smoke from his body dissipated into the air before he let out a sigh of relief: he had almost been tricked somehow, something was wrong with that cowhide bag!

The Trackers had no intention of bringing this useless wizard into the organization; he was just a "mule" to transport the merchandise. Their real purpose was to introduce the fake emerald tablet into the university's research laboratories.

As for why they chose the Emerald Tablet, they probably had the same intention of studying the strange artifact.

"Obliviate!"

Tom used a memory charm on the wizard, erasing his memory and covering the unconscious man with his invisibility cloak. Then he added a stunning spell and a petrification spell to ensure that he wouldn't wake up or move. After confirming that he was secure, he returned the Emerald Tablet to Hermione and rode Fawkes back to Hogwarts.

"Professor Dumbledore! Something big." Tom went to Dumbledore's office as soon as he returned to the school and informed him of his discovery.

"Well done." Dumbledore picked up the cowhide bag with the Elder Wand and examined it. "I'll take care of the rest... your discovery was timely, the Trackers are becoming increasingly desperate, this tablet is cursed and can spread. I need to leave."

He got up and accompanied Tom and Hermione out of the office. Then he stepped into the fireplace, and with a burst of green fire, Dumbledore disappeared without a trace, leaving Fawkes alone in the large office.

Fawkes: I think I missed something...

In the midst of unease.

The day passed, and Tom spent the night submitting the mission to the Guild, waiting for it to be approved.

The next day, Tom headed back to Professor Trelawney's classroom in the stuffy tower. They were still in the phase of tea leaf reading. Professor Trelawney seemed to have developed a new obsession, and whenever she saw Harry, she always wore a sad look, as if Harry would encounter misfortune in the next second.

Today was no different.

"Child, it's a shame..." Professor Trelawney said in an ethereal tone as she examined Harry's teacup, while many in the class looked at her with adoring eyes, waiting for her next prophecy.

"You will suffer a setback in a matter you love and lose a precious gift, my boy. If I were you, I would set aside my hobby for a while..."

The words of Professor Trelawney caused murmurs among the students surrounding her. Many gazes scanned Harry's face, causing him to blush slightly. Professor Trelawney noticed, but didn't care. All she wanted was to make her prophecy public and then enjoy the looks of admiration and reverence from the students.

Tom noticed Hermione raising her head, as if she wanted to defend him, so he quickly squeezed Hermione's thigh.

"Harry, seriously, I urge you to listen to the professor." Lavender sat behind Harry, next to Ron, and leaned closer, lowering her voice toward Harry.

Harry contained his anger and let his mind wander, with his eyes fixed on a scar on the table as he silently recited the Quidditch rules. But Ron, who was sitting next to Harry, couldn't contain himself and raised his hand.

"Professor, since you've been looking at our tea, why don't you have a cup for yourself? Let us guess for you."

Professor Trelawney's face wrinkled a bit, as if she felt offended, but she quickly regained her composure.

"Yes, no problem." She poured herself a cup of boiling tea and drank it surprisingly quickly. She left the remains of the tea on a saucer and gestured for Neville to come up on stage and interpret her tea leaves.

"Well, it's... me..." Neville stammered for a long while but didn't say anything, so Professor Trelawney grew impatient and had him step down, calling a few more students. But the expression on Professor Trelawney's face gradually relaxed.

She ignored Ron, who was desperately trying to raise his hand, and looked at Tom. "Yodel, come up here and read my tea leaves."

Tom stood next to his table, looked attentively for a moment, and said, "Professor, you are doomed."