The Prisoners of Hogwarts

Chapter 194 Plan B and Intentions

Chapter 194 Plan B and Intentions

At night, Lynch sat alone in front of the fireplace.

The firewood crackled softly in the flames, casting a warm orange glow over most of the room, but failing to completely dispel the deep darkness in the corners.

Lynch was nestled in the high-backed sofa, his body relaxed, but his eyes remained sharp as ever.

His fingertips unconsciously tapped the armrest of the sofa. The flickering flames cast shifting light and shadow in his deep eyes, sometimes clearly outlining the cold contours of his face, and sometimes hiding his expression in shadow.

He was reviewing all the details that the crows had gathered from their surveillance over the past few days.

Ginny Weasley's pale face, her subconscious avoidance, and the occasional vacant look in her eyes—these fragmented pieces of information were constantly being combined and analyzed in his mind.

His intuition told him that this girl was key, but her behavior didn't seem like that of the real mastermind; rather, it seemed more like...

A manipulated marionette.

Just as his thoughts were churning, the flames in the fireplace underwent a strange change.

The orange-red flames that had been burning steadily suddenly shot upwards, the tongues of fire dancing wildly, and the color instantly turned into an eerie turquoise.

A familiar figure wearing a cloak gradually materialized in the flickering green flames—it was Reggie.

"Good evening, Jim." Reggie nodded slightly in the flames, his voice as hoarse as ever.

"Good evening, Reggie." Lynch leaned forward slightly, leaving the back of the sofa, and stopped tapping on the armrest.

"Is everything alright at the Chamber of Commerce?" he asked calmly.

"The Chamber of Commerce is operating well, with all income and expenditure within expectations. Several newly developed channels have also begun to generate stable revenue, so you don't need to worry about it," Reggie's report was concise and to the point.

Lynch nodded; he had never doubted Reggie's abilities.

After a few pleasantries, the conversation naturally steered to the main topic: "Is there something you need to see me about tonight?"

"Krag has done what you asked him to do and found information on the house-elf named Dobby." He paused. "Dobby is currently serving the Malfoy family. Krag is certain of this; he has verified this information repeatedly."

"Serving the Malfoy family?" Lynch raised an eyebrow. This answer surprised him slightly, but upon reflection, it made perfect sense.

A cold smile curled at the corner of his lips: "Lucius Malfoy—it seems that our pure-blood lord, who is so enthusiastic about the pure-blood ideals and stirs up trouble in the boardroom, has some ulterior motives on the chessboard outside the Chamber of Commerce."

"Should I punish him?" Reggie asked.

Lin Qi waved his hand almost without thinking, his eyes calm and unwavering, as if he were talking about a trivial matter.

"No need to trouble yourself. I'll visit him later and find out what he knows." His voice was very soft.

"Everything will become clear then."

Lynch then changed the subject, his tone becoming serious: "Another thing I'm concerned about, how's Plan B progressing?"

When "Plan B" was mentioned, Reggie's face became even more serious, even solemn, in the flickering green flames.

"The situation in Nurmengard is more complicated than we anticipated."

He organized his thoughts and cautiously reported: "The Austrian Ministry of Magic has maintained a consistent narrative, claiming that the fortress has long been unguarded and is merely an abandoned prison with more symbolic than practical significance. The cells that once held the most dangerous dark wizard in history are now empty."

But in reality—”

"In addition to their own magical law enforcement teams patrolling regularly and irregularly, we have confirmed through multiple channels, including the British Ministry of Magic, the German Ministry of Magic, and possibly even observers from the International Wizarding Federation, that they have set up extremely secret magical observation points in the outer areas and even at certain key nodes inside the fortress, conducting year-round, uninterrupted surveillance. It's like an invisible net; any unauthorized approach could trigger an alarm."

He paused, seemingly recalling the details of the intelligence, and continued, "Our people are currently conducting a careful search of the perimeter. They are identifying those who appear to be ordinary mountain residents, forest rangers, or occasional hikers who are actually disguised guards."

"They dare not use large-scale detection magic, and can only rely on the most primitive methods of observation, indirect inquiries, and some non-magical techniques. In order to avoid arousing the vigilance of either side, the operation must be extremely careful, so progress is very slow, and a method for safe infiltration or establishing stable contact has not yet been found."

Lin Qi listened quietly, his face revealing neither joy nor anger.

Nurmengard's tight security was part of his plan.

"As expected." He spoke slowly, his voice steady. "After all, Gellert Grindelwald is imprisoned there. Even though times have changed and his story has been forgotten by most people, his name and the power he represents still keep many who experienced it awake at night. As long as he lives, no one will dare to truly let their guard down against that fortress, even if it looks abandoned."

Lynch leaned back in his chair, shadows once again covering most of his face, only his deep voice echoing in the room: "Tell our people that safety is the top priority. It's better to make no progress than to act rashly and expose ourselves. We have plenty of time to wait."

"Understood. I will convey your meaning accurately." Reggie's figure flickered slightly in the green flames, appearing somewhat blurry. "Any other instructions?"

Lynch pondered for a moment: "No instructions, just... there's something I need to let you know."

"After I found a way into the secret chamber... I wanted to look the basilisk in the eye."

"Are you insane? Looking directly into the basilisk's eyes means instant death!" Reggie's voice was flat, but the concern and anger in his tone were unmistakable. "All our plans revolve around your existence. If you die, then everything will be for naught!"

Lin Qi corrected him, saying, "It doesn't revolve around me; I'm just one of the more important parts of it."

"That doesn't make much difference."

Lynch was silent for a moment: "I know. But this is a risk I have to take."

"No matter how perfect our plans are, their final implementation will inevitably involve battle."

"In a battle between wizards of equal skill, the one wielding Avada Kedavra will have a clear advantage—its inability to be defended against with conventional spells and its instant-kill nature are simply too domineering."

Finally, a resolute look appeared in Lin Qi's eyes: "I need to solve this problem so that more people can survive."

"So you're planning to directly test whether you can resist the basilisk's gaze?"

'

Reggie asked in a hoarse voice.