Chapter 25: The Goblin's Crisis

"Uh…" Indor was momentarily stunned, then he threw down his cards and smoothly laughed it off. 

"Ah, you guys keep playing. I drank too much butterbeer—gotta hit the restroom." 

"Hey, really?" 

"Wow, running to the bathroom after winning?" 

"Nature calls, my friends." 

With that, Indor dragged something invisible out of the crowd. 

Then, amidst the crude jeers of his gambling buddies, he cheerfully headed toward the restroom. When he passed the stairs, he suddenly turned and dragged the invisible Hofa upstairs like the wind. 

"You came so fast. I was on a winning streak…" 

Hofa didn't respond. His head was throbbing more and more painfully, and he didn't know why. 

He could only let Indor drag him along. 

When Indor pushed open the door, the pain in Hofa's head peaked. 

Hofa suddenly collapsed to the ground, pale-faced, and was forced out of his Disillusionment Charm. 

Indor hadn't expected this. He turned to see Hofa on the floor and panicked. 

"Hey, kid, are you okay?" 

At that moment, Hofa's vision went black. He felt his limbs go cold, and his head felt like it was being torn apart. 

"I… feel terrible." 

Indor reached out to touch Hofa's forehead and cursed, "You idiot! Have you been keeping the Disillusionment Charm active the whole time?" 

"Well, yeah…" 

"You've drained your magic! Damn it! Didn't anyone teach you?" 

Only then did Hofa realize that the Disillusionment Charm wasn't a foolproof ability, nor was it an Invisibility Cloak. 

Like other spells, it consumed the wizard's energy and focus. 

He had been so excited about being invisible that he forgot he didn't have much magic to begin with. 

This state was extremely dangerous. 

"Help me… up." 

Hofa closed his eyes and whispered. 

Indor quickly helped Hofa onto a lounge chair, then hurried downstairs. After a while, he returned with two large mugs. He brought one to Hofa's lips and fed him some hot butterbeer. 

The slight bitterness of the beer mixed with the sweetness of the butter slid down Hofa's throat and into his stomach. 

Only then did Hofa feel a bit of his energy return. 

After a while, the world before his eyes slowly regained its color. 

Hofa slumped weakly in the chair, staring blankly at the ceiling. 

Indor muttered, "You're something else, learning the Disillusionment Charm so quickly. Some people spend their whole lives trying to master it." 

"Shut up, gambler." 

Hofa said weakly, "I need a moment." 

After a moment of silence, Indor said anxiously, "I thought you'd take until evening to get here. I didn't expect you to come so fast." 

"I didn't want to add 'wandering at night' to my list of crimes for sneaking out of school." 

Hofa snapped impatiently, "Spit it out. Don't tell me you're looking for me to scam someone again." 

"No, I'm not short on money now." 

"Then why the hell did you call me here?" 

The goblin didn't answer. He walked to the window, glanced outside warily, and then closed the shutters. 

"What's going on?" 

Hofa asked, rubbing his temples. The magic drain had left him utterly exhausted. 

After drawing the curtains, Indor snapped his fingers, magically silencing the room. The surroundings instantly fell quiet. 

"Hofa, you have to help me. My homeland is on the verge of collapse." 

"What?" 

Hofa's eyes widened. "Your homeland? Isn't it that… German Black something…" 

"The German island of Helgoland." 

Indor said, taking a big gulp of beer. "A beautiful island, but we're barely holding on now." 

His ears drooped. 

"Holding on against what?" 

Hofa frowned. "Explain it to me slowly." 

"How much do you know about the wars among wizards?" 

Indor asked instead of answering directly. 

Hofa said gravely, "Not much. Tell me." 

Indor: "Wizards evolved from Muggles, but at their core, they're still human. 

Every major Muggle war has had wizards involved, and wizards are even more prone to conflict than Muggles. 

Different schools of thought, different beliefs, different ideologies. 

Sometimes, the smallest spark can ignite a conflict among wizards. 

Often, the wars that break out among Muggles are just a facade for wizard conflicts. 

Helgoland was originally German territory. 

In 1807, it was occupied by the British wizarding community and ceded to Britain in 1814. 

At that time, British wizards dominated the island, and my family immigrated to Helgoland during that era. 

Essentially, I'm a British goblin. 

But in 1890, Britain returned the island to German Muggles, not the German wizarding community. 

The British Ministry of Magic still refuses to allow German wizards to land on Helgoland. 

Then, in 1914, World War I broke out. 

A war among wizards erupted there, and even after the war ended, Helgoland has never been peaceful. Wizards keep clashing, fighting, and dying there." 

"But what does this have to do with you calling me here now?" 

Hofa asked patiently after listening. 

"Don't you get it? 

War is about to break out again. 

Large numbers of German wizards are gathering in secret. The whole of Europe is like a powder keg about to explode. 

The first to be hit will be these contested lands. We need a lot of wizards to withstand this onslaught." 

"Then shouldn't you be going to the Ministry of Magic?" 

Hofa asked. 

"The Ministry?" 

Indor laughed mockingly. "Those drunkards don't even believe another world war is possible. They're just like the folks at Gringotts, always thinking about Galleons…" 

"You're kidding me. I just saw the Ministry's wanted posters outside." 

Hofa said. 

Indor waved his hand irritably. "Those were put up by the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. The Department of International Magical Cooperation doesn't see it that way. Minister Hector Fawley has already fired one department head over this. What am I supposed to do?" 

Hofa fell silent. History always had a way of repeating itself. 

In his previous life, the British political establishment didn't realize war was inevitable until Chamberlain stepped down and Churchill took over. 

And in the future, when Voldemort returned, the Ministry of Magic similarly refused to believe another war was possible, even going so far as to carve "I must not tell lies" into Harry's arm. 

Indor stepped forward and grabbed Hofa's shoulders. 

"My only hope is to go to Hogwarts and speak to Headmaster Dippet. He's always been very supportive of us, and most of the wizards stationed on Helgoland are his former students." 

Hofa was shocked. "Wait, are you saying Hogwarts has been supporting you all along?" 

"Exactly. We goblins handle the funding, and Hogwarts helps us recruit wizards. This tradition has been going on for over twenty years." 

Hofa didn't respond. He stood up and began pacing the room. 

Headmaster Dippet's speech at the start of the term now took on a deeper meaning. 

(Sixth-year and above students can undergo specialized Auror training in designated areas with approval.) 

It was clear that sending students to these "specialized areas" wasn't just about Auror training. 

They were training wizards as soldiers. 

How interesting. On the issue of war, Hogwarts seemed to have always been hawkish. 

This time, and in the future during Voldemort's war. 

So why did Indor come to him now? 

Hofa had already guessed the answer. He thought back to what he'd seen after the flying lesson—Hogwarts' teleportation array had been destroyed. 

Hofa stopped pacing and looked at Indor intently. 

"Has the school stopped sending people over for a while?" 

"Exactly." 

Indor stood up quickly. "Do you know something?" 

Hofa said gravely, "The school's teleportation array to the outside world has been destroyed. I have some suspicions—someone might be interfering with your cooperation with Hogwarts. 

But that's just speculation. Honestly, you shouldn't be coming to me for this. I'm just a first-year student. 

Why aren't you going to…" 

"I've tried!" 

Indor said irritably. "I've tried, but suddenly, no one at Hogwarts can be reached. 

I can't Apparate into Hogwarts—there are too many protective spells there. I had no choice but to come here and find you." 

"What about Dumbledore? Have you tried contacting Dumbledore?" 

Hofa immediately thought of Dumbledore. 

But to his surprise, Indor shook his head vigorously at the mention of Dumbledore. 

"Albus Dumbledore?" 

"I haven't approached him. I know him, but I don't fully trust him. 

His relationship with the dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald is… ambiguous. 

Grindelwald is in Germany right now. I'm not going to him." 

Hofa frowned and slowly sat down. He tapped the table with his fingers. This was a key factor he'd overlooked. 

Grindelwald—Dumbledore's lifelong friend and lover. 

Before the rise of the Dark Lord Tom Riddle, Grindelwald was one of the most feared dark wizards of this era, essentially the first Dark Lord. 

And he wielded one of the three Deathly Hallows—the Elder Wand. His power was not to be underestimated. 

Indor's distrust of Dumbledore was understandable. 

After a moment of thought, Hofa asked, "So what do you want me to do?" 

Indor immediately said, "Take me to Hogwarts Castle. I need to see Headmaster Dippet." 

Hofa was stunned. He couldn't help but ask again. 

"What did you say?" 

"Take me to the school to see Headmaster Dippet." 

"Me? 

Take you, to the school, to see the headmaster!?" 

Hofa pointed at himself, his eyes wide as he spoke word by word. 

Indor: "Exactly." 

"Goodbye." 

Hofa turned and walked out the door. 

He hadn't expected the goblin to make such a request. Sneaking someone into the castle? 

As a first-year, no less? This was unthinkable! 

Hogwarts was a fully enclosed school. Students needed guardian signatures just to visit Hogsmeade. 

Fifty years later, even Dumbledore as headmaster wouldn't allow it, let alone during Dippet's time. 

Indor quickly grabbed Hofa. "Hey, don't leave!" 

Hofa was furious. 

"Do you have any idea how strict our school rules are? 

Do you know how much risk I took just coming out to meet you? 

Now you're asking me to take you to see Dippet? Are you insane? I'm just a first-year—I'm nobody. 

If they ask where I met you, how am I supposed to explain? 

If I sneak you into Hogwarts to see Dippet today, I'll probably be expelled tomorrow. 

They'll snap my wand, and I'll end up wandering the streets of London." 

"That's all in your head! Your assumptions!" 

Indor was desperate. 

"Are they really just assumptions?" 

Hofa stared unblinkingly at Indor.