[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-wizard-war-at-hogwarts":3,"chapter-wizard-war-at-hogwarts-wizard-war-at-hogwarts-chapter-42":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Wizard War at Hogwarts",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2358015,4612,"Chapter 42","wizard-war-at-hogwarts-chapter-42",42,"\u003Cp>“Come along, children,” McGonagall said. “We’ll start at Madam Malkin’s Robes for All Occasions and get you changed out of your Muggle clothes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“By the way, Miss Crowley,” McGonagall added casually, “did you bring money? Do you need to exchange some pounds at Gringotts first?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Harry gave me five hundred pounds,” Ivy said excitedly. “I mean, five hundred Galleons.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>McGonagall glanced at Zhang Qiu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I have my own, Professor,” Zhang Qiu said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Honestly, I’m so envious of Big Sister Qiu,” Ivy suddenly said. “You have loving parents, a Master, and senior brothers. I don’t—I’m just like Harry, stuck living with relatives.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>McGonagall looked at Ivy deeply; she sensed meanings the children couldn’t yet grasp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m sorry to hear that,” McGonagall said offhandedly. “But at least for Harry, his parents were heroes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Qiu’s expression turned strange; she hid all emotion behind her long second-year textbook list.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My father was a hero too,” Ivy said innocently. “He fought in the Battle of Stalingrad.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Stalingrad? Soviets? McGonagall thought silently. That has nothing to do with the Dark Lord. But if her father is a Muggle, then Ivy’s magical talent…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What about you, Big Sister Qiu? What does your father do?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He’s a curse-breaker for ancient tombs,” Zhang Qiu said casually. “In Tianchao, we cut earthly ties. I’ve lived with my Master since I was three—I haven’t seen my father since.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your Master, Xuan Jun—I know him. He’s as powerful as Dumbledore. Too bad he rarely leaves Tianchao,” McGonagall added.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What makes a wizard powerful?” Ivy asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>McGonagall answered without hesitation: “Love. Love is the greatest magic.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s so hard. Do you understand it, Big Sister Qiu?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Only partly,” Zhang Qiu said, not wanting to elaborate. “Most of us haven’t reached the level where we need to understand love.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s true. Harry’s so strong—he’ll protect me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>McGonagall watched the chattering Ivy and gradually grew more at ease. The child’s thoughts were still simple—perhaps a little cunning, but certainly not a threat to Harry. To confirm her final suspicion, after buying the robes, McGonagall took Ivy straight to Ollivander’s Wand Shop.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After observing Ivy, Ollivander tried willow, rowan, and hazel wands before concluding the best match was an hornbeam wand with a unicorn hair core. While Zhang Qiu took Ivy for ice cream, McGonagall returned to ask what this combination meant. Ollivander told her: “This girl has very weak magical talent and little interest in studying. In the coming chaos, she won’t be able to protect herself. I sincerely hope she finds some reliable friends.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Weak magical talent meant she could not possibly be that man’s daughter. McGonagall’s last lingering worry dissolved. Now, watching Ivy occasionally probe Zhang Qiu, she found it all quite amusing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Harry, we met McGonagall in Diagon Alley,” Zhang Qiu said as soon as they returned to Tang Dun, speaking with serious expression and tone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What did Professor McGonagall say?” Harry asked, sensing something troubling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Dark Lord has returned,” Zhang Qiu said quietly. “Quirrell failed to get the Philosopher’s Stone, but he had a backup plan. Now he’s contacting pure-blood families who once supported him. Unfortunately, our suspicions were right.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Expected,” Harry said calmly. “It seems he and the Death Eaters are indeed plotting against me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And they’re also planning something against Hogwarts. I suspect the Dark Lord is still weak after his return and can’t confront Dumbledore directly. So they need a way to distract him.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wait,” Harry suddenly realized. “We originally thought they’d use the Ministry to distract Dumbledore. But now it seems they’re setting up something at Hogwarts to tie up his attention. But isn’t it far harder to plot at Hogwarts than to manipulate the Ministry?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Precisely,” Zhang Qiu analyzed. “The silver lining is their inside agent in the Ministry is likely very limited and hard to activate.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I have another theory,” Harry said. “The Dark Lord doesn’t need to do anything truly horrific at Hogwarts. He just needs to stir up a little commotion to draw Dumbledore’s attention. After all, we already know ‘there’s a plot against Hogwarts.’”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Dobby’s move is brilliantly subtle,” Zhang Qiu mused. “We find it hard to believe him—but dare not dismiss him. And they’ve exploited your kindness, certain you won’t harm him.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Harry still leaned toward believing Dobby was innocent, but under Zhang Qiu’s analysis, he couldn’t voice it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a brief silence, Zhang Qiu said: “By the way, McGonagall said you can’t take the train this year. She’ll arrange another way for you to get to school.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yeah, true,” Harry said gloomily. “I’m already targeted. If I show up at the station, I might endanger other students.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t think like that,” Zhang Qiu comforted him. “The Hogwarts Express is far safer than you imagine. McGonagall only worries you’ll be ambushed on the way to the station. She said someone will come to Tang Dun to pick you up.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Alright, let’s set adult matters aside for now,” Harry noticed Ivy reading alone, looking unhappy, and turned to the new student. “Let me see—you’re already studying on your own?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the following days, Zhang Qiu resumed sketching and writing in her Chinese books. Harry didn’t disturb her; instead, he began helping Ivy preview her textbooks and explaining basic concepts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet Ivy’s magical talent was far worse than he imagined. After seven or eight days of study, she could barely cast a Levitation Charm—and even then, it only lifted a teacup slightly. After repeated attempts, she grew utterly exhausted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Occasionally, Zhang Qiu joined the lessons. She noticed that when Harry was present, Ivy behaved extremely well. She recalled the Ivy from Diagon Alley and felt something had been off. Why had Ivy chosen to say those things in front of McGonagall? Zhang Qiu was clever, but still young—she couldn’t yet grasp the meaning, so she set it aside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“By the way, Harry, I heard you can talk to snakes?” One day in August, Zhang Qiu suddenly approached Harry with a strange question.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, right,” Harry replied instinctively. “I once talked to a python.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He remembered—he’d used the example of speaking to snakes when asking Ivy if she’d ever shown spontaneous magic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So Ivy and Zhang Qiu must be getting along well—probably discussed over afternoon tea, Harry thought silently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Can you teach me?” Zhang Qiu said. “In exchange, I’ll teach you Chinese.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Snake language… do I know it?” Harry hesitated. “I’m willing to try, but Chinese can wait.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then let’s try,” Zhang Qiu said. “Serpensortia!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A black snake slithered from the tip of her wand, hissing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Harry jumped. “Are you sure this is allowed? I mean—casting magic outside school! You used your own wand, and the incantation was in English!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s fine. With Ivy here as a new student, they won’t care. Now, Harry, try talking to him.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Alright,” Harry turned to the snake, focusing on speaking to it. “Hello. Please don’t attack me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The snake seemed to understand, hissing back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He agreed. Then he asked what I wanted,” Harry said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Qiu smiled. “Try telling him to open the door.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Harry hissed. The black snake slithered to the door and pushed—but nothing happened. The door was locked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Looks like this snake has no intelligence,” Zhang Qiu sighed, lifting the spell. “I thought if you could command snakes, the magic would be powerful.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No matter how smart, it’s still just a snake,” Harry laughed. “Unless you can summon a wizard.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There actually is such a spell,” Zhang Qiu said. “It summons a Do-It-Now Man. He’ll do simple tasks. But if he finds the task too hard, he casts a spell to summon another Do-It-Now Man. The result? A sea of Do-It-Now Men, none willing to finish the job.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s fascinating. Is this a Tianchao story?” Harry forgot about snake language, now captivated by Zhang Qiu’s tale.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, but Tianchao has a similar tale,” Zhang Qiu said. “There’s a spell to summon a demon to serve you—but once it completes your order, it acts on its own will. That’s also a very dangerous spell…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For once, Zhang Qiu didn’t read or take notes that afternoon. Instead, she and Harry traded strange tales. Ivy, seeing them laugh and chat, joined in, demanding stories. The three shared many magical anecdotes and even some classic Muggle jokes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That night, Zhang Qiu told Harry she was leaving. August 15 in Tianchao was a special holiday—everyone must stay with family.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Harry walked her to the lawn and watched as she chanted a long Chinese incantation, then vanished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Good,” he muttered to himself. “Now August 15 is just me and Ivy.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Parents he’d never met, an aunt who died suddenly, a grandfather absorbed in his work… Harry looked around and realized he had no dependable adult in his life. A quiet sadness rose in his heart.\u003C\u002Fp>",1457,"2026-06-21T04:54:27.874Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","7cd61050307c4a1433510cbef428a847ba9c74e9a2001c9070a1a9ccecfa8405","wizard-war-at-hogwarts-chapter-43","wizard-war-at-hogwarts-chapter-41",528,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fwizard-war-at-hogwarts-cover.jpg"]