Chapter 730: A Kindred Spirit Finds Another

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After Tom left, the Ministry meeting continued as scheduled. The atmosphere, however, was completely different from before.

Everyone seemed noticeably calmer, and the grim pessimism that had hung over the room had eased considerably.

That was the confidence a truly powerful person inspired.

Although they still hadn’t established contact with MACUSA, more and more wizards who had escaped New York were arriving with firsthand accounts of what had happened.

One spell had subdued every Muggle in New York for over two hours, giving the wizarding population enough time to escape. That feat alone, even if it wasn’t enough to overwhelm the Muggle world, would certainly be enough to preserve Britain’s entire magical community.

"The next item on the agenda," Crouch announced, "is arranging accommodations for the foreign students currently stranded at Hogwarts..."

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Back at Hogwarts, Tom didn’t make a public appearance after returning.

Instead, he slipped into the Study Space and found Morgan sitting in the garden with a book in her hands.

Before he could say a word, she looked up with a teasing smile. "So... did you enjoy yourself yesterday?"

Tom’s face was as thick-skinned as ever. Faced with her shameless opening, he merely raised an eyebrow. "You’d have to ask Rowena that. Though whatever she tells you probably won’t apply to you. If you’re really curious, you could always find out for yourself."

Morgan closed her book, the smile on her breathtakingly beautiful face growing even brighter.

That was exactly what she liked about Tom. He was just as wicked as she was, and never pretended otherwise.

The carefree Fairy Queen swayed her slender hips as she walked behind him, wrapped her arms around his shoulders, and leaned her entire body against his back until there wasn’t an inch of space between them.

Warm breath brushed against his ear, carrying a faint, intoxicating fragrance.

"I really would like to," she whispered. "I’ve made plenty of artificial humans over the years, but I’ve never had one come from my own womb."

"What a pity this world isn’t truly real."

"If you hurry up and bring me back to life..." Her voice softened into a playful purr. "I’ll reward you in all kinds of ways."

Even with all of Tom’s self-control and experience, his blood surged at those words.

Morgan really was a temptress. Fairy blood or not, she embodied the very definition of one.

But Tom knew that if he showed even the slightest embarrassment or eagerness, she’d laugh herself silly.

So he simply entered his Turbo State. The distracting thoughts vanished almost instantly, leaving him with the calm detachment of a sage.

The brief flicker of emotion disappeared from his face, replaced by complete composure. "Morgan, of course I want to revive you. Right now, you’re the strongest person I know. But for that to happen, I need your cooperation."

Her approval rating had already reached 92%.

They were practically partners in crime. Whenever the two of them put their heads together, even Rowena Ravenclaw struggled to keep up with all the schemes they came up with.

Their shared way of thinking was exactly why Morgan’s approval had risen so quickly.

But reaching one hundred would be another matter entirely.

Having similar personalities bred admiration, but admiration alone wasn’t enough to earn complete recognition.

Especially from someone like Morgan. A figure who had stood at the pinnacle of an era possessed a mind every bit as complex as history’s greatest strategists and philosophers.

Winning over someone like that completely was never going to be easy.

"I’ve always just gone with the flow." Morgan shrugged and sauntered back to her seat. "Whatever method you come up with, I’ll cooperate."

Tom couldn’t think of a better approach either.

For now, letting things develop naturally was all he could do.

"Let’s put that aside for now." He rubbed his temples and sighed. "Help me figure out how I’m supposed to deal with this damned punishment for killing Muggles."

His expression darkened.

Ever since arriving in this world, everything had gone almost perfectly. The greatest obstacle he’d ever faced hadn’t come from another person. It had come from the world itself.

Muggles could slaughter one another all they pleased without consequence.

Muggles could kill wizards, and nothing would happen.

But the instant he did anything to the Muggles, a disgusting sensation began to creep over him. It felt as though something sticky had been smeared across his entire body, clinging to him no matter what he did. Worse still, it wasn’t merely a feeling. The curse actively weakened him, burdening him with debilitating debuffs that dulled both his magic and his body.

At the mention of the subject, Morgan’s teasing smile faded, replaced by a thoughtful frown. "That’s a difficult one. Even the gods couldn’t solve it back then. Just the two of us..." She shook her head. "I’m afraid that won’t be easy."

Tom explained everything he’d learned so far, including his own condition and how Rayquaza’s bloodline could resist the curse.

Morgan’s eyes lit up. "That strange dragon of yours really is extraordinary. It can actually resist that." She smiled. "Um.. Then I have an idea. If things ever become absolutely unavoidable, just let your dragon do the killing instead."

Tom immediately shook his head. "That’s just taking a shortcut. Am I supposed to rely on Usaki to kill people for me forever?"

Morgan pouted.

Privately, she had to admit that even she found the dragon terrifying. Its bloodline instinctively suppressed her own.

Fairies were beings born from the pure essence of the world’s elements. While their lineage did not occupy the highest echelon of existence, their innate nature placed them among the world’s most exalted beings.

If even her bloodline felt inferior, then what was Usaki’s bloodline?

Morgan searched through every myth and legend she knew from every era, yet she couldn’t think of a single divine beast whose appearance or reputation matched Rayquaza’s.

The only explanation she could come up with was that it was some unique mutation or an unprecedented mixed bloodline.

"If you really want to solve this problem once and for all," she said at last, "then you’ll have to improve your own strength."

"Yes, the world is restricting us, preventing supernatural beings from slaughtering ordinary humans at will. But what you need isn’t more guesses. You need to identify the exact reason that’s affecting you."

"I’ve got several concealment and isolation spells you can experiment with. I never had the chance to finish researching them before Merlin annoyed me enough to exile myself. Most of them are still just prototypes."

The discussion continued from morning until evening.

At one point they even pulled Ravenclaw into the conversation to brainstorm ideas.

Although her magical attainments weren’t on Morgan’s level, her boundless intellect often led her to entirely different lines of thought.

Tom intended to combine all of those ideas with his Infinite Insight talent and force his way toward an answer.

...

..

By dinnertime, Dumbledore had finally returned from the Ministry.

He had been working nonstop since the previous day and had barely closed his eyes once.

Fatigue was evident on his face. Yet his blue eyes remained as bright as ever.

Anyone who met his gaze found themselves filled with an odd sense of reassurance, their worries quietly settling.

At exactly seven o’clock, everyone staying at Hogwarts gathered in the Great Hall.

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