239: Counterattack and Public Opinion

Tha!

The door to the Defense Against the Dark Arts office was violently pushed open.

Moody stomped in, his wooden leg thudding against the floor.

His magical eye immediately locked onto Heinrich, who was standing in front of the chest. His gaze swept across the room and landed on the unlocked chest.

Moody's expression changed. He strode forward, grabbed Heinrich by the collar, and slammed him into the desk, knocking over the objects on top.

"Edgar, you dare sneak into my office?! What the hell are you up to?!" he roared, spitting as he spoke.

Heinrich remained calm. "Apologies, Professor. I came to ask you about the Defense Against the Dark Arts assignment and entered without permission."

There was no panic in his voice, only a casual explanation to downplay the situation.

Moody's magical eye flicked between the chest and Heinrich, scanning him from head to toe.

Only after confirming that nothing had been stolen did he finally let go.

Heinrich, looking as pale as ever, adjusted his robes.

Moody grumbled in his usual rough voice, "You shouldn't have entered my office uninvited—50 points deducted!"

Heinrich didn't budge. He wasn't a Slytherin student anymore, so the point deduction had nothing to do with Durmstrang.

Fixing his eyes on the chest behind Moody, he asked, "Professor, what's inside?"

His gaze attempted to pierce through the chest, trying to see what was hidden within.

Moody roared, "Another 50 points deducted!"

He was so furious that he completely forgot Heinrich wasn't a Hogwarts student but a one-year transfer.

His attitude made it clear—he didn't want any further questioning.

Heinrich silently watched Moody for a moment. Before the latter could explode again, he turned and left.

As soon as Heinrich was gone, Moody hurriedly shut the door and locked it.

After securing everything, he stomped over to the chest, placed a hand on it, and muttered, "He won't find out."

…

There was only one day left before the Easter holiday.

John summoned a group of Death Eaters.

These people were former Death Eaters who had taken refuge in Knockturn Alley.

However, there were still some names on the list that John hadn't called—those who remained fiercely loyal to Voldemort.

But these men were different. They feared Voldemort.

Among them were people like Karkaroff, who had betrayed their former comrades, and others who had claimed they were under the Imperius Curse.

Without exception, they were all the kind of traitors Voldemort despised the most.

The magical world had no place where they could walk freely in the light. The Dark Mark was forever branded on their bodies.

"Honorable Lord Johnny Silverhand, may I ask why you have summoned us?"

A frightened woman was pushed forward.

Rather than being summoned, it was more accurate to say she had been forcibly brought here.

The woman was Daisy Jafar, the owner of a clothing shop in Knockturn Alley.

She had once betrayed two Death Eaters, selling their information in exchange for a reduced sentence. Thanks to that, she had only spent three months in Azkaban.

This morning, before she even opened her shop, there was a loud knock on her door.

The moment she opened it, a vicious werewolf wizard grabbed her and dragged her away.

She hadn't even had a chance to resist. By the time she realized what was happening, she had already been thrown into an office.

Waiting for her there was the King of Knockturn Alley—the man known as the second most powerful figure beneath Dumbledore—Lord Johnny Silverhand.

She had no idea how she had offended him.

Forced to step forward first, the nervous woman dared not lift her head.

There was a rumor circulating that anyone who met Lord Johnny Silverhand's gaze would die.

"Daisy… I believe I have not misremembered your name."

A low, hoarse voice echoed in the room.

Daisy forced a flattering smile. "Yes, my Lord."

John's fingers rubbed against his ring, as if contemplating how to deal with this group of people.

After a moment of deliberation, he spoke. "I need your help with something. As a reward, I will waive your rent in Knockturn Alley for three years."

The people who had been terrified just moments ago suddenly weren't scared anymore.

Daisy let out a shriek of joy. "Really, my Lord?"

"Are you questioning me?"

John's gaze alone made Daisy, who had been overjoyed a second ago, immediately lower her head like a quail.

The noisy crowd instantly fell silent.

Suppressing his intimidating presence, John spoke in a calm tone. "It's a simple favor. I need you all to do something for me."

This time, Daisy had learned her lesson. She cautiously asked in a quiet voice, "What do you need us to do?"

"I need you to willingly return to Voldemort's side when he comes back."

Gasp~!!

John's voice was light and casual, as if he were merely asking them to go weed the garden outside.

But his words left everyone frozen in place.

The sound of sharp intakes of breath filled the room.

Daisy looked as if she was about to cry. "L-Lord Johnny Silverhand, please, you must be joking."

"I am not joking, Daisy."

John's voice turned cold. "You should know that."

His words were nothing short of a death sentence. Immediately, someone in the crowd refused.

"Impossible! I will never go back!" A dark wizard from Knockturn Alley shouted, his face twisted in fury. He roared at John, "You're sending me to my death!"

"As Death Eaters, the reason you're still alive isn't because you don't deserve to die—it's because I gave you a chance."

John's expression was ice-cold.

The dark wizard's eyes bulged in rage as he shoved a hand into his pocket.

But surrounded by so many security enforcers, he had no chance.

Tommy flicked his wand—Expelliarmus! The wizard's wand flew out of his grasp. Two security guards immediately seized him and forced him to his knees before John.

John lifted his right hand and placed it on the dark wizard's head.

The wizard's eyes rolled back, his body trembled, and wisps of white mist rose from him—his soul was being extracted.

John gripped the struggling soul in one hand, while his other hand pressed an imprint onto it.

"Remember—do not disobey my orders."

He shoved the soul back into the wizard's body. Then, he turned his gaze to the silent, trembling crowd.

His voice was as cold as ice.

"Even if you don't go, there will be others who do. They might not die—but you certainly will."

"Swear your loyalty—or march to your death."

The chilling voice sent waves of fear through the crowd. None of them wanted to die.

But their choices were no longer their own.

Die now, or wait until Voldemort returned and die then—which option let them live longer?

The smarter ones picked up on something in John's words.

They weren't the first. Many other Death Eaters had already pledged themselves to Johnny Silverhand.

Realizing this, their expressions eased slightly.

Taking the mission meant three years of free rent—a tempting offer for dark wizards struggling in poverty.

Life was like… well, that. If you couldn't fight back, might as well choose the option with better perks.

Besides, Voldemort wasn't guaranteed to return. The Death Eaters present had seen the Dark Lord's grand empire crumble and be purged.

Lying to themselves, they accepted the mark John branded onto them.

What they didn't know was that among this group of supposed turncoats, there were still those who remained loyal to Voldemort.

Hearing John's words, their minds reeled in shock.

"There are many of Johnny Silverhand's people among the Death Eaters?"

The few who had originally planned to gather the Death Eaters immediately panicked.

What if the people they called over included Johnny Silverhand's spies?

Just imagining that scenario... Two sides clashing in battle.

And then realizing that, aside from a handful of people, everyone else on their side was actually working for the enemy.

How were they supposed to fight like that?!

Exchanging glances, they silently agreed to conduct a thorough investigation once they returned.

John took in their subtle movements with ease.

Heh~

Beneath his mask, the corner of his lips curled upward.

When branding them, he had deliberately left flaws in a few of the marks. With Voldemort's abilities, he would undoubtedly notice if he examined them closely.

Voldemort, I hope you enjoy this little gift from your previous 1st year student.

John let out a cold chuckle.

He would make sure the Death Eaters were consumed by paranoia.

The more chaos he caused, the safer Lucius and the others would be.

…

John returned to school.

The atmosphere among the students had grown tense.

On the first day back from break, conversations revolved around what everyone had done over the holidays.

It seemed as if clinging to the last moments of the holiday would somehow delay the arrival of their heavy academic workload.

The first thing John did upon his return was check on the Constellation Society.

Since he had shut it down, no one had entered.

Retrieving the magic crystal formed from excess magical energy, John made his way to the Great Hall.

The holiday had temporarily eased the previous tension within Slytherin.

The unpleasant atmosphere seemed to have faded—at least for now.

This calm lasted until the owls arrived.

A hundred owls swooped into the Great Hall in a dense flock, dropping off letters and packages.

Ernie from Hufflepuff, someone who always chased the latest gossip, grabbed the newspaper delivered by an owl.

The moment he looked down at it, he couldn't help but exclaim in shock.

"Dumbledore's Senile Actions Raise Concerns Over His Sanity!"

The eye-catching headline was plastered across the front page in the largest font.

It wasn't long before Ernie's reaction drew a crowd.

"The position of Defense Against the Dark Arts professor at Hogwarts has long been a subject of controversy. Every year, the school is forced to hire a new professor, causing severe disruptions to students' learning progress. This year, the position has been filled by Alastor Moody…

According to reliable sources, Alastor Moody has demonstrated the Unforgivable Curses in class and even took a life right in front of the students.

With this in mind, the author questions: Could such actions lead students astray and push them down the path of Dark wizards?

Alastor Moody has previously claimed he was attacked by a garbage bin, and his mental state is increasingly unstable. While he was once a formidable Auror, his recent behavior makes one wonder if he has become nothing more than an old madman."

Ernie read the article aloud, his voice carrying through the Great Hall.

Though the headline referenced Dumbledore, the entire piece focused on criticizing Moody's teaching methods and mental condition.

The Hall gradually fell into silence.

A smirk tugged at the corner of John's lips.

He wasn't the type to take a hit without hitting back—especially when there were already so many doubts surrounding Moody.

If that was the case, then it was time for this Auror to leave Hogwarts.

Taking a sip of water, John murmured to himself, "If they want to play, then let's play this to the end."

After all, public opinion wasn't something only Moody could manipulate.

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😊Yo Bois and Girls! We've made it to 239 chapters — can you believe it? From John's first uneasy steps into Slytherin, to embracing the name Johny Silverhand and getting a true name in the Valley of Dragons, it's been one wild journey.

I'm so grateful for all of your support so far, and I'd really love to hear your thoughts! — Drop a review and let me know!♥