[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-wizard-war-at-hogwarts":3,"chapter-wizard-war-at-hogwarts-wizard-war-at-hogwarts-chapter-520":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},2358493,4612,"Chapter 520","wizard-war-at-hogwarts-chapter-520",520,"\u003Cp>When Harry and Zhang Qiu arrived at the table, they saw the old baron’s flushed face, already drunk, and several still enthusiastic uniformed officials—beside them, empty chairs held overturned bottles, suggesting some had already left.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...So, friends,” the old baron let out a loud burp, “we just discussed two entirely different forms of surplus value, and what I now propose to adopt is the more recent interpretation—the value created by laborers beyond their own and their family’s needs.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Harry frowned; he wasn’t sure whether it was appropriate to approach and speak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But, Sir Crowley,” another official, equally red-faced and slurring, said, “we all acknowledged this fact: any enterprise seeking to sustain itself inevitably exploits the surplus value of laborers—no matter how you interpret it, burp—I’m not talking about the Wolf issue, I’m just!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The official’s face carried the certainty of theory, yet also a hint of restraint—after all, the canning factory funded by the old baron and operated by werewolves had become inextricably tied to the local government.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So let’s go further!” the old baron suddenly raised his voice. “Means of production keep advancing; surplus value in society will only grow. Rather than let these values be seized by stupid pigs, let us guide and harness them—just like that redneck Donald says. Oh, don’t look down on him—I say, using workers’ surplus value to guard against aliens isn’t meaningless at all. Better than wasting it on pleasure!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re too complacent,” another official snapped, glaring. “I’ve wanted to say this from the start: exploiting cheap labor by taking advantage of the werewolves’ isolation is inherently unjust. Even under the new theory, I say you’ve vastly underestimated the werewolves’ own-use value!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re demanding the right to define own-use value—don’t you think that’s arrogant?” another official retorted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So we must return to respecting human subjectivity and free will...” “Concentrating strength to accomplish great tasks is right...” “The needs of the era and the needs of the people cannot be conflated...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amid the chaotic clamor, Harry lost patience—these drunken middle-aged men could debate this topic for days without end.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Harry walk up with the girl holding the bouquet, the old baron seemed to sober for a moment—but then he squinted, speaking with a teasing tone: “Look here, good lad, you’ve reached the age of marriage already.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Harry ignored their earlier topic and the messy setting, speaking in a calm, joyful tone: “Yes, Grandfather. We plan to hold the wedding after graduation.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The old baron is in high spirits,” Zhang Qiu smiled politely. “Let’s discuss this with him another day.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No need, no need,” the old baron pushed himself up on the table’s edge, shouting. “I fully approve of your wedding—sort out the details with Mr. Black... Harry!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Harry was startled by his sudden raised tone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What I truly worry about is this—everything here. Do you know the Wolf Group has already expanded its operations? They’ve taken controlling stakes in glass bottle and tinplate factories to supply canning materials, invested in logistics firms to transport products—they’ve nearly sealed every link in the food industry, from farmers to retailers. Do you know what that means?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Harry blinked. It sounded like a good thing—and something unrelated to him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s growing, thriving—this enterprise founded by me and Mr. Black will become a behemoth. We all know Mr. Black wields immense power, don’t we?” The old baron’s face darkened with concern. “I fear I won’t live to see that day—and it terrifies me, Harry. If this enterprise eventually becomes a cold, cruel capitalistic giant... I think that’s highly likely. Wizards rarely care about Muggle corporations, yet their backing is so powerful.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Harry fell silent. He understood, roughly, what the old baron meant. In the past, present, and future, evil capitalists never lack—and capital naturally tends toward evil. If, after the old baron’s death, Sirius merely remained a silent shareholder without actively managing the company, there was no telling what it might become.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the Wolf Group, leveraging its magical-world backing, gained a monopoly and became a corporation that exploited workers, defrauded consumers, and pursued endless wealth while shirking social responsibility—this future was one the old baron could not bear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Harry silently observed the scene before him. The old baron’s eyes held a glimmer of hope, but mostly pure sorrow. Around him, Albanian officials whispered among themselves or drank in silence—surely they, too, had considered this. The empty chairs, however, meant others either didn’t care or refused to acknowledge the problem.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I will,” Harry paused, “try my best.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old baron said nothing, only sighed with a smile. A nearby official, clearly close to him, gripped his glass and spoke with quiet sorrow: “The Savior, ah! We don’t doubt your character—but the affairs of the Muggle world are beyond your reach. Put another way, all the injustices of human society cannot be fixed by one Savior alone.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before Harry could reply, another official grabbed the bottle and drained the last of its contents, then burst into sobs: “The International Communist Movement is over—we’ve failed!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The remaining officials at the table joined him in grief—some sighed heavily, others drank relentlessly. The old baron no longer spoke to Harry, but with tears in his eyes, reached for another unopened bottle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a moment of silence, Harry and Zhang Qiu turned and left. Seeing Sirius laughing heartily with Lupin, they decided not to approach him about these matters, and instead walked down a side path.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The voices faded behind them. Zhang Qiu suddenly halted their idle chatter and asked: “Do you know George Crowley’s true background?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I know—he’s pro-Soviet,” Harry sighed. “I don’t think it’s a bad thing. Our Muggle political scene needs a shift.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But do you know how you came to Tang Dun...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps sensing Zhang Qiu’s hesitation, Harry tightened his grip on her hand. “I’ve known for a long time. The KGB killed my aunt and uncle—and possibly other innocent people too.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m sorry I never—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s fine. I never cared much.” Harry spoke lightly. “Thinking about it, the real mastermind is Yanayev—the one we were always going to face—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Here, he struggled to articulate. International relations were complex. To Britain, was Yanayev an enemy or an ally? Often, it had nothing to do with Harry’s own will.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“At least he’s a cruel man. For that alone, let’s privately hope he’s punished.” Harry sighed. The thought of the Prime Minister still pretending to cooperate with Yanayev on some new lunar program made his mood complicated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This is just one thing,” Zhang Qiu glanced back, her expression troubled. “I’m still thinking about Ivy.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Harry stopped walking. Now his mind felt even more tangled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My Master taught me two principles,” Zhang Qiu said steadily. “First: plan cautiously—treat everyone as an enemy when preparing contingencies. Second: act honorably—never do evil ourselves.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Harry immediately thought of Dumbledore. The old man’s once-overlooked act now surfaced clearly in his mind: in his will, Dumbledore deliberately referred to Ivy as Romanov, and left her the Deluminator.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I don’t know if Ivy still has ties to Su Fang, or how much loyalty she holds toward us,” Zhang Qiu said slowly. “But since she wants to be a carefree lady, let her be one. It seems Ron doesn’t object, does he?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But I can’t keep everything from Ron,” Harry felt frustrated. “I just don’t know how to—ah, if I start thinking of the worst-case scenario, I really don’t want to. And isn’t everything still moving in a good direction?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Harry,” Zhang Qiu said, adjusting his collar, “when I put myself in your position, I realized that the drafty windows at Downing Street are just one symptom of this country’s systemic leaks—it’s not an isolated problem easily solved. At least in the magical world, in what we’re about to do, we should be more cautious about this.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What we’re about to do?” Harry grew wary. “What scheme are you thinking of now?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No concrete idea yet—just a vague feeling,” Zhang Qiu shook her head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When they finished walking the surrounding paths and returned to the wedding venue, Harry’s gaze toward Ron and Ivy grew more cautious. But he sadly realized:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ron was the one who felt it more deeply.\u003C\u002Fp>",1360,"2026-06-21T04:54:29.438Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","06f49b79cee2e030f6934c143552830bac4e1fae3868a718ae5fdcec5bc1d4f9","wizard-war-at-hogwarts-chapter-521","wizard-war-at-hogwarts-chapter-519",528,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fwizard-war-at-hogwarts-cover.jpg"]