Chapter 260: Plan

When Harry imagined an ideal society, the first thing that came to mind was a communist society. But just before he was about to voice these thoughts, he began to hesitate again.

First, if I truly cleansed the Death Eaters and established a red regime within the British wizarding world, it might seem like a successful goal achieved—but isn't that exactly what Yanayev wants? Moreover, if we fail to establish a strong wizarding deterrent, the next step might be Brexit and then joining the Soviet Union.

Second, are those theories truly the most advanced? Or are they even suitable for the British Empire? One must admit, the bourgeoisie system works just fine in America, to the point that they are now among the world's most powerful nations.

Perhaps, Harry thought, I should ask about the situation in Tianchao. According to some hints Zhang Qiu revealed, they seem to support the Communist International while still retaining feudal monarchy—or at least constitutional monarchy.

"What I'm suggesting is, before we figure this out, we could give Lucius something to do," Harry proposed. "Keep him busy soothing Bellatrix so he has no time to target Florin."

"Then why not tell him the ring has been destroyed?" Sirius said.

"Oh no, that won't work." Before Harry could object, he realized the flaw himself. "What would truly make Lucius panic is Bellatrix wanting to go to war with the Order. So we need to give Bellatrix a reason to start a war—but one that isn't too strong."

"Actually, I—or rather, Regulus—didn't want war," Sirius stroked his chin. "The Black family has various businesses; war brings depression. That's why Lucius strongly advocates peace, and he doesn't need to worry much about Regulus's stance."

"We need a pretext that reignites Bellatrix's desire for war and causes friction with Lucius. Then, at the right moment, I'll hint that I think it's not yet time—so she'll calm down for a while." Sirius patted Harry's shoulder. "And once you've thought of it—or once the Order has discussed what the magical world's future should be—we'll truly begin to act."

Harry's eyes lit up. Indeed, the Order consisted entirely of people certified by Dumbledore, people with righteous hearts. Letting them debate was perfect.

"So where are all the members of the Order right now?" Harry asked.

"They're meeting at Dumbledore's old home in Godric's Hollow," Sirius said. "I only recently learned that the owner of the Hog's Head is Dumbledore's younger brother—he suggested using it as the Order's base."

"Right." Harry nodded. "I just remembered Dumbledore had a brother."

"The Order hasn't been very busy lately; the only thing they're concerned about is the last Horcrux. Perhaps once Snape brings back Hufa's news, they'll finally calm down a bit," Sirius said. "After all, in terms of manpower, we're not at an advantage."

"Didn't you forget to count yourself?" In Harry's view, the forces of justice should be dominant.

"First, I'm trying to get them used to peaceful life. Second, most still remain loyal to the Dark Lord. So if war breaks out, I can at most persuade them not to fight—defection is unlikely," Sirius said. "But the Saints Rodolphus found are different. Most are elderly, and just as their revival fervor ignited, they lost their true leader. For them, dying in the Dark Lord's name is the best outcome. Their combat strength is absolutely not something we can underestimate."

"And my men are just ordinary wizards—most can only bully helpless Muggles. Face a fellow wizard, and they tremble, can't even cast Disarming Charms properly," Sirius continued. "Lucius and Bellatrix's followers may be few, but they're all fallen nobles, each with a unique skill. Most importantly, they truly have a callous disregard for life—they cast the Killing Curse without hesitation."

"But we still have the Auror Office, Gilmour, and Hogwarts," Harry insisted.

"Underage students, professors who teach them, werewolves who've finally gotten a decent life," Sirius sighed. "Can you really bear to send them to the battlefield?"

"You're right," Harry said dejectedly. "No wonder Bellatrix keeps yelling about war—apparently, they're the ones with the advantage."

"So we should focus everyone's attention on the Horcruxes, secretly drain the Death Eaters' strength, make them pay a heavy price to obtain them, until we're confident we can wipe them all out at once," Sirius concluded. "Thank you, Harry. I feel much clearer now."

"By the way, the Order is meeting again in three days—I'll come pick you up then," he added.

After chatting a while longer, Harry returned to Tang Dun via the fireplace. Since Mr. Weasley connected Tang Dun to the Floo Network, this was Harry's first time experiencing its convenience.

"Where did you go?" Ivy asked. "Ginny just called to ask if we're still holding the ball."

"If you want to hold it, go ahead—Sir Reginald is completely immersed in Albania and has no intention of returning," Harry rubbed his temples. "But even if he did come back, he probably wouldn't object."

"Yay!" Ivy cheered happily. "Do you want pudding?"

"I'll have some tea," Harry sat down, feeling slightly more relaxed. "When do you plan to hold it? Who are you inviting?"

"Of course, your birthday," Ivy said without hesitation. "If we're lucky, Zhang Qiu will have woken up by then."

"Alright," Harry shrugged. "It's something worth looking forward to."

"Also, I plan to invite the Fontroy family," she winked. "And Cedric—you know that Fleur got a job at Gringotts, right?"

"But why would she come here to work?" Harry blinked. "For Cedric?"

"Maybe," Ivy said mysteriously. "But that's not important. What matters is Bill—Ginny's older brother. You know him, right?"

"Of course. I remember he's quite handsome, working as a curse-breaker at Gringotts." Harry nodded, then suddenly realized the issue. "Someone told me Cedric joined the English Quidditch team—so they had a falling out?"

"I suspect so," Ivy said cheerfully, enjoying the drama. "Ginny told me Bill has started courting Fleur, but Fleur hasn't accepted or refused him. Isn't that strange? So I want to see—will she come with Cedric, or will Cedric bring someone else?"

"But you're also inviting the Weasleys?" Harry asked. "They might all show up."

"No, it's on a Monday—only students on holiday will come," Ivy said proudly. "Besides, Elena, Krum, and Renata have all agreed to attend—we can gather all the Champions."

"You're insane?!" Harry jumped up. "I absolutely don't want that woman at my ball—I already had enough trouble with her last year!"

"But I want to take control of Torchwood's diplomatic work. Hosting a ball is the perfect opportunity," Ivy said seriously. "I think Malfoy and you aren't on the same side—we need someone in Torchwood to stand up to him."

"I'm glad you finally realize that—but absolutely no Renata. The other five Champions all dislike her." Harry shook his head vigorously. "Besides, whether or not we have Codovstritz won't affect your diplomacy. Torchwood's diplomacy isn't real diplomacy—it's just using diplomacy to elevate itself."

"Here's what we'll do," Harry began arranging. "List Krum separately—he brings his own date, and also brings the head of Durmstrang and that person's date. Don't invite Fleur or Cedric. I'll write to Donna and ask her to bring a date, plus the representative from Beauxbatons and her date."

"Elena is separate too—she brings her own date. That's easy—she has Donald." Harry calculated. "Then have Zhang Qiu write to the Magical Institute and send over their male and female student union presidents. Don't bother with the Chinese schools—they're not internationally registered anyway, and no one knows them."

"And you and Ginny must stick to your roles—one dances the male part, one the female part—and dance with every person you need to establish relations with," Harry continued. "You publicly claim to be a same-sex couple, so you can invite everyone to dance smoothly without causing jealousy—this will essentially complete your plan."

"Diplomacy is a crucial step for Torchwood to replace the Student Council as Hogwarts' official student organization," Harry analyzed. "If you hold all these foreign student leaders' contact details, you'll be able to stand toe-to-toe with Malfoy inside Torchwood."

"And you must also consider Cui Ge and Luna. One represents Muggle-borns, the other Ravenclaw. If you build personal ties with them now, their support might one day give you a decisive victory."

After finishing this long list, Harry let out a long breath, suddenly feeling a bit embarrassed. He scratched his head. "Sorry—I remember you originally just wanted to throw a ball and have fun."

"It's fine—I think this is way more fun than just dancing," Ivy said, her eyes sparkling with delight.