Chapter 293

As the activities of Dumbledore's Army drew to a close, Harry stopped Zhang Qiu. He had intended to find a quiet place to discuss Tang Nade with her again, but seeing most people had already left, they exchanged a glance and decided to speak right there.

After all the students had departed and Klaister had slipped into the secret passage, Harry glanced around, then whispered, "You noticed Klaister might be in league with Tang Nade, right?"

"It's only a guess. More importantly, I don't understand what purpose the Bai Gong has in sending someone here."

"They're cooperating with the Ministry of Magic—perhaps they're trying to turn me and Dumbledore's Army into a new deterrent," Harry said, stroking his chin.

"A deterrent?" Zhang Qiu blinked. "Wizard deterrent, like nuclear deterrence? That's a novel way of putting it."

"You've never heard of it?" This time it was Harry's turn to be surprised. "Your Master is so powerful—I assumed you already knew."

"Maybe I've become so used to it that I stopped noticing," Zhang Qiu shrugged. "But do you really think you can become that new deterrent? Or are you just trying to scare people with Ministry propaganda?"

"I think it's mostly the latter," Harry admitted with a nod.

"But that's exactly the problem—if the Ministry realizes you're bluffing, the Soviets will likely realize it too—anyone knows the Ministry is as porous as a sieve," Zhang Qiu sighed. "So Klaister's real reason for coming here? No one knows."

"Could we ask Tang Nade?" Harry awkwardly scuffed his shoe. "I just feel—he helped me last year. This year he should be able to… you know."

"I checked last time," Zhang Qiu said helplessly. "After Iron Man succeeded, he bought all the Marvel rights and is now filming movies nonstop. He's almost forgotten the magical world—I don't even know if Hermione still talks to him."

"I'm ashamed to admit it," Harry sighed. "Every time I think of Hermione, it's always because I plan to use her."

"It's fine—I'll talk to her," Zhang Qiu raised an eyebrow. "If Tang Nade thinks he's already controlled Hermione, he's terribly mistaken. All I need to do is invite her to Cassandra's to take a photo—just a photo, for now."

"That's a threat!" Harry couldn't help feeling uneasy.

"Just a warning," Zhang Qiu said casually. "He needs to know that once he's chosen to join the game, it's not easy to walk away."

Half an hour later, he returned to the common room. Ron and Neville were seated in the best spot by the fireplace; nearly everyone else had gone to bed. Ron was writing something extremely long—Harry suspected it was a letter, since his essays had never exceeded twelve inches.

"You okay?" Neville stirred a cup of milk with his teaspoon. "We noticed Zhang Qiu stopped you."

"Why wouldn't I be?" Harry shrugged. "It's not Filch who stopped me."

"Did you kiss her?" Ron paused his writing, curious.

"Why would we—" Harry was both startled and amused. "We were discussing international affairs."

"Yes, international affairs," Neville said with a knowing smile.

Harry didn't reply, and Neville's smile slowly changed. "You really were discussing international affairs?"

"Yes," Harry said seriously. "Behind the Death Eaters' rumors lies the shadow of the Bai Gong. I'm considering whether to try bringing the Bai Gong back to our side—or abandoning them entirely and finding a more reliable ally. What do you think?"

"So the more reliable ally you mean is the Tianchao people?" Neville said dryly.

"Why else would I be talking to Zhang Qiu?" Harry had never thought Neville so dense.

After a brief silence, Harry turned to Ron. "What are you writing?"

"Replying to Elena," Ron said, his voice slightly guilty.

"That's right," Harry sat naturally beside him in the armchair. "Has she mentioned the Mandate Organization? It's certain Tang Nade is one of the few in the Magical Congress who support us—Elena's actions likely reflect his strategy and plans."

Neville picked up the parchment that had dragged onto the floor and glanced at it briefly.

"If students from Ilvermorny could offer us some support—even just vocal backing…"

"They chattered about trivial nonsense," Neville said.

Harry felt listless. He sat silently, propping his chin in his hand, watching Ron's pen slow until he finally put it down with a sigh.

"You're pushing yourself too hard, mate," Ron said. "The Order and the Death Eaters aren't your whole life."

"Of course, there's still homework," Harry said gloomily, pulling out his Transfiguration essay.

"I think Ron means you should pay more attention to the girls around you," Neville offered reasonably. "If you haven't kissed Zhang Qiu yet, you might as well try."

Harry scratched his head. He certainly liked Zhang Qiu—but in his imagined scenes with her, they were strategizing together, confidently shaping the world's fate—not kissing or hugging.

They sat in silence for another twenty minutes. Harry finished his Transfiguration homework quickly; Ron finished his letter. After stirring his cup for a while, Neville drank his milk and went to bed.

"He made a bet with me," Ron said as they climbed the stairs. "He said you two would kiss tonight."

"Ah," Harry thought. "Maybe she'd be willing—but you know, the situation's too complicated. Neither of us is in the mood to kiss—or even thinks about it that way."

"But you've been doing this since first year—" Ron said sadly. "I should've bet you wouldn't kiss. Then I'd have won a sickle from Neville."

"What puzzles her is that she assumes Klaister works for the Magical Congress—but Dumbledore's Army clearly has nothing worth paying attention to. It's just a bunch of blustering amateurs." Harry shook his head. "I've been thinking about this."

"Wait, I don't quite get it—you say the Magical Congress sent Klaister to Dumbledore's Army, but the Bai Gong is spreading rumors for the Death Eaters. Aren't they the same thing?" Ron asked, confused. "And Tang Nade—who's he helping?"

"Strictly speaking, the Bai Gong and the Magical Congress aren't the same—but to us, they might as well be," Harry suddenly saw the connection. "Tang Nade and Klaister might as well be the same too. Their positions within the Magical Congress aren't strong right now—we need mutual benefit…"

Before sleep, Harry found a solution—or rather, the pieces were already connected. If Pansy, backed by Dumbledore's Army and Torchwood, publicly humiliated Lucius, this heavy blow from the student body against the Death Eaters would simultaneously land on the hated William. The Magical Congress would easily notice: William, backed by noble families and using every trick, had lost to Klaister, who merely played house with children. It would be only natural for them to reconsider their strategic focus.

To maximize the effect of this move, besides subtly guiding Pansy and Draco's psychology, Harry must also closely monitor the Death Eaters' movements. In other words, he couldn't miss the two meetings scheduled for Sunday—leaving him little time for homework. And if he couldn't finish his assignments, kissing would be pushed even further down the list.

Before attending the first meeting, Sirius told Harry a piece of overlooked intelligence: Credence once had a blood-cursed beast-friend named Nagini.

"The fate of a blood-cursed beast is to eventually transform completely into an animal—but such an animal becomes smarter, more attuned to human emotion," Sirius said. "And the snake Voldemort used as a Horcrux? Her name was also Nagini."

"You mean they're the same person?" Harry said, checking his attire.

"There's a strong possibility—but I can't be certain," Sirius hesitated. "I'm considering whether to mention this at the meeting. The upside: it could test the truth of the claim. The downside: if it's true, it might put you at risk. Because Nagini was once human—if the Death Eaters learn this, they'll naturally wonder if living people can become Horcruxes too."

"If you put it that way, I think I understand," Harry mused. "After Voldemort revived, he turned Nagini into a Horcrux—perhaps to test it, to verify. And because he succeeded with Nagini, he finally realized—or finally believed—that I had become his Horcrux too."

"But he never told the Death Eaters, right?" Sirius exhaled. "In a way, you and Ho Fa are equivalent—both are Voldemort's secret backups, kept apart from the Death Eaters."

"Then my impersonation of Ho Fa is justified," Harry smiled as he drank the Polyjuice Potion.

"Indeed, no one's better suited to play Ho Fa than you," Sirius said with a complex tone. "Alright, let's go. Don't mention Nagini yet."

Through the fireplace, "Ho Fa" and "Regulus" arrived at the main hall in Malfoy Manor, where Harry was startled to see a stranger: a middle-aged woman in a pink dress, wearing a ridiculous bow on her head.

"I don't mean to say anything bad," Sirius said with a complicated expression, "but if she's an Animagus, her form is probably a toad."