Hogwarts: Third Dark Lord

Xenophilius Lovegood: ???

Upon seeing Xenophilius Lovegood's blank expression, Abernathy did not press him further. Instead, he calmly lifted the nearby Godrican tea and took a sip.

At this moment, Xenophilius seemed to snap back to reality. He picked up a photograph from the table, where a young, blonde boy with an elegant smile stood.

"Who is this young man?"

Xenophilius Lovegood, still holding the photograph, asked with curiosity.

Abernathy set down his cup, responding in a tone that was almost ceremonious:

"This young man in the photo is the most outstanding student at Hogwarts and also Dumbledore's favorite!"

"He is the pride of Hufflepuff, who once led Hufflepuff to victory over Slytherin—home to many pure-blood wizards—in a duel. He also caught several Golden Snitches during the Quidditch World Cup final."

"Most importantly, he's only eleven years old, a first-year at Hogwarts, yet he's already shown unmatched magical talent. Even Dumbledore praises him as the greatest talent Hogwarts has seen in a millennium!"

Abernathy spoke with a serious tone, while Xenophilius Lovegood looked utterly baffled.

Seeing that Abernathy had finished speaking, Xenophilius stayed silent for a moment, still clearly confused. He finally said:

"I'm terribly sorry, Mr. Abernathy, but could you clarify? I don't quite understand your point."

Noticing Xenophilius' confusion, Abernathy grew slightly impatient. He pulled out a newspaper and handed it to Xenophilius.

The paper Abernathy had handed over was the very same one that had previously published Rita Skeeter's article about Dumbledore.

Abernathy pointed to the Prophet in Xenophilius' hand, saying:

"Anyway, I want you to publish an article in rebuttal to the Daily Prophet! Tell your readers that the reason Dumbledore was seen with a first-year student late at night is because this student is so exceptional that Dumbledore has willingly become his personal guardian."

As Xenophilius stared at the newspaper in his hands, he finally seemed to understand the situation. He looked up and said:

"I see now. You want to clear Dumbledore's name. But wait... isn't Dumbledore supposed to be at odds with the Pureblood Party?"

Before Xenophilius could finish, Abernathy interrupted him with a sharp frown and said with obvious disdain:

"The issue isn't Dumbledore! The issue is the young wizard named Wentworth—his excellence!"

Xenophilius, still processing, turned back to the photo in his hands. A bold thought crossed his mind, and his hand, which was holding the photo, began to tremble slightly as he spoke:

"Could this young wizard... be Gellert Grindelwald's...?"

Before he could finish, Abernathy raised his hand, cutting him off sharply. With a steely voice, he replied:

"The identity of this young wizard is none of your concern! All you need to do is write this article as I've requested, and that will be enough!"

After being interrupted once more, and feeling Abernathy's air of superiority, Xenophilius' patience began to wear thin. He placed the paper and photo on the table and shook his head:

"I'm sorry, but I cannot speak out about something I don't understand. I certainly won't be publishing such an article in my The Quibbler!"

When Xenophilius mentioned The Quibbler, he emphasized the name deliberately.

Abernathy, however, only gave a light chuckle. He reached into his cloak and pulled out a thick stack of Galleons, placing it in front of Xenophilius.

Seeing the pile of Galleons, Xenophilius felt a lump in his throat, but he still firmly shook his head.

Noticing this, Abernathy reached into his cloak again.

Xenophilius quickly said:

"You needn't bother. No matter how many Galleons you offer, I won't—"

Before he could finish, however, Abernathy pulled out not a pile of Galleons, but a wand.

Xenophilius, puzzled, looked at Abernathy, who spoke in a calm but menacing tone:

"Now, I give you a choice—Galleons or a wand?"

Xenophilius, his voice trembling, asked:

"What do you mean by this?"

Abernathy's eyes sharpened as he stared at Xenophilius. His voice was cold as he spoke:

"Choose the Galleons, and write the article as I've instructed. Choose the wand, and that's simpler. If you can defeat me, I'll no longer ask anything of you!"

Abernathy paused, a cruel smile spreading across his face as he added:

"I permit you to use Dark Magic, including the Unforgivable Curses, if you can."

As Abernathy's words hung in the air, the room fell into a deep silence.

At that moment, Luna's voice broke the stillness:

"Excuse me, are you planning to have lunch here? Perhaps you'd like some fresh Knarl juice?"

Luna's unexpected lunch invitation broke the tension in the room. Abernathy gave a kindly smile and shook his head:

"No, we won't disturb your lovely lunch with your father."

While speaking, Abernathy retrieved his wand from his cloak and glanced at Xenophilius:

"Out of respect for Luna and her mother, I'll give you a day to think it over. I believe you'll make the right choice."

With that, Abernathy stood and made to leave.

Though filled with fear and resentment toward Abernathy, Xenophilius still managed to play the gracious host. He stood and escorted Abernathy and Auston Greengrass out of the room.

As he saw them Disapparate away, Xenophilius returned to his room, only to find his daughter Luna carefully examining the photograph.

"Luna, what are you doing?"

Luna looked up at her father, tilting her head. She responded:

"I'm trying to figure out whether this Hogwarts first-year is really as outstanding as they say."

Xenophilius, both amused and exasperated, replied:

"Can you really tell anything from a photograph?!"

Luna nodded thoughtfully, gently setting the photo down. She said:

"Why don't we ask someone who knows this student, to see if he's really as exceptional as Abernathy claims? For instance, the Headmaster of Hogwarts!"

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