The young redhead spoke with unmistakable pride, as if the one being revered by the entire wizarding world wasn't Cyrus, but Ginny herself.
"Cyrus defeated Britain's greatest enemy—he's the hero in every British wizard's eyes now! Do you know what Dad said? He said that if Cyrus so much as hinted at wanting to become Minister for Magic, Fudge would have to step down that very day—no, he'd have to beg Cyrus to take the position!"
This wasn't an exaggeration. With Cyrus's current reputation in the British wizarding world, combined with his unmatched magical prowess, he had already reached the pinnacle of power—even Dumbledore had to take a step back.
The Chocolate Frog card described them both as the greatest wizards, but while "greatest" might be up for debate, there was no question about who was the most powerful.
And unlike Dumbledore, everyone knew that he was a kind man, sometimes too kind, the type of person people could take advantage of. But Cyrus? If he wasn't in a good mood, he had no problem using a little... persuasion to get what he wanted.
"Actually, I heard something," Harry hesitated for a moment, glancing around to make sure that most people were still crowded around Neville, passing around Cyrus's Chocolate Frog card like some kind of sacred artifact. No one was paying attention to their conversation.
He gestured for the others to lean in closer, and the four of them huddled together as he lowered his voice.
"I heard that Professor Dumbledore is planning to step down as Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards."
The other three gasped in shock.
The International Confederation of Wizards isn't like the Muggle world's United Nations. The UN is just a tool for certain countries to wield, but the ICW plays a much more important role in the wizarding world.
In reality, all magical governments were subject to the ICW's jurisdiction. Even during Grindelwald's reign of terror, the ICW had actively opposed him.
Decades ago, when Voldemort threatened Britain, the ICW refused to intervene—not because they feared his power, but because Britain had stayed neutral when the world fought against Grindelwald. So when British wizards faced disaster, they received no help in return.
"Did he really say that?" Ron asked.
"I heard him say it to Grindelwald," Harry nodded.
The four of them exchanged looks, all wearing identical expressions of disbelief.
If Dumbledore really stepped down, there was only one obvious successor. It was almost laughable—just a few years ago, Cyrus and Dumbledore were enemies, and the Ministry had a warrant out for Cyrus's arrest.
And now?
Cyrus had become the most powerful figure in the wizarding world.
"It's not certain yet," Harry pointed out. "Cyrus might not even want the position. And besides, Dumbledore and Grindelwald both think that Cyrus's ideas… might not gain enough support."
"His ideas?" Ron asked.
"Of course, it's about breaking the Statute of Secrecy," Hermione said.
Still, she found it rather amusing that Dumbledore and Grindelwald were now sitting together, discussing Cyrus's desire to break the very law that once divided them.
"Didn't they go to war over this?" Ginny asked. "Wasn't Professor Dumbledore against breaking the Statute?"
To her, the three of them—Dumbledore, Grindelwald, and Cyrus—should have had completely different stances. The Statute of Secrecy was the very thing that had fueled a war decades ago, so it was strange to imagine them calmly discussing it now.
"Dumbledore opposed Grindelwald because of his ruthless methods, not necessarily because he was against breaking the Statute," Harry explained. He'd learned a lot of secrets lately, and he was more than happy to share them. "Grindelwald back then was even more brutal than Voldemort. That's why he was called a Dark Lord in the first place."
As the four of them continued their discussion about Cyrus, they had no idea that Cyrus was actually at Hogwarts at that very moment.
Inside the Room of Requirement, in a place known as the Chamber of Knowledge, Cyrus stood beneath the watchful eyes of the four Guardians.
The ground beneath his feet shimmered like a vast starry sky, as if he stood at the very center of the universe, the master of the endless cosmos.
"Did you discover anything?" Fitzgerald asked.
Before the third task had begun, the distinguished headmistress had already approached him, informing him that there had been an intruder in the Chamber of Knowledge.
At the time, Cyrus had been too preoccupied with his plans against Voldemort to pay much attention. But now that everything was settled, he had come here to search for clues.
"I haven't found anything unusual," Cyrus shook his head. "Perhaps it was simply the remnants of Voldemort's past self overlapping with reality."
"A shadow from another timeline?" Rookwood mused.
None of them had gotten a clear look at the intruder, but all four Guardians agreed that it was unlikely to have been Voldemort.
"If it really were him, I'm sure there would be traces of Dark Magic lingering in the area," Percival added, stroking his goat-like beard within the massive portrait. He then suggested, "You should try using magic to track it, just as you did when searching for traces of Ancient Magic."
"Of course."
Cyrus raised his Serpent wand, his expression solemn.
If the intruder truly was just an echo of Voldemort's past, that would be the best possible outcome.
But he had another theory—one that was far more unsettling…
Although neither the Guardians' recorded memories, nor Hogwarts' annual enrollment lists, nor even the Ministry of Magic's centuries-old transfer student records showed any trace of a so-called "transfer student," that didn't necessarily mean such a person had never existed.
Perhaps they had been in hiding all this time and had only now revealed themselves?
But even that theory didn't quite hold up—if there had truly been a transfer student, and if they had walked the path of a Dark Wizard, then Morgana's legacy would have long been taken away.
On the other hand, if they weren't a Dark Wizard, then there would have been no reason to remain hidden in the first place.
"Who exactly was it? If I look back at what happened, I'll have my answer."
Cyrus poured his magic into the spell, feeling his power surge through his veins as he raised his wand:
"Manifest! Revelio Animum."
"Reveal the presence of those who were here!"
Silver light spread out like mist, expanding across the room.
But—nothing happened.
He frowned. This time, he infused his spell with the power of Ancient Magic.
"Trace, reveal yourself!"
This time, the spell seemed to have some effect—the mist coalesced into a vague, shadowy figure, drifting like a ghost. Cyrus couldn't make out their appearance, but he was certain of one thing—this was not Voldemort.
"It's too blurry," Fitzgerald frowned. "Too much time has passed."
"Time isn't the problem."
Cyrus flicked his wrist, and a small pocket watch slid from his long, slender fingers. The chain dangled as the watch's body swung like a pendulum.
"Time Reversal—"
In that instant, golden ripples of light burst forth from Cyrus's center, expanding outward in waves!
For a fleeting moment, Fitzgerald and the others felt as though they had glimpsed the very breath of time itself...
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