Harry Potter and the Secret Treasures

In the Great Hall, all eyes were fixed on the newly arrived Cardinal of the Holy See.

During this era, the power of the Roman Empire was rapidly declining, but the influence of the Holy See was steadily growing.

The Great Schism of the Eastern and Western Churches, which later became famous, had not yet begun, and the British royal family had not initiated the Reformation to break away from the rule of the Pope. The influence of the Roman See reached its peak during this period. Like other European countries and regions, the Pope was currently the de facto overseer of England.

Most of Britain was owned by the Pope, and his Majesty the Pope could even depose Muggle kings or lords.

In the Wizarding World, it was not like in the Muggle world where the Roman Catholic Church had the final say.

However, the influence of the Vatican in the Wizarding World could not be ignored, because some members of the Vatican inherited the magic civilization system of the Roman Empire, and they had always claimed to be the authenticity of magic. The Vatican and successive popes had never given up their efforts to suppress, manage and integrate wizards. They had used many methods and even launched holy wars and the later famous witch hunts. As the most famous and important wizard gathering area in the world, the British Wizarding World had always been at the forefront.

In the eyes of the priests and monks of the Vatican, witches and wizards were absolute heretics.

However, in this era, the Church's stance toward the Wizarding World was not yet extreme. Their approach was relatively mild, focusing on persuasion and subtle influence, which made relations between the two sides less antagonistic. The Roman Church was, after the Wizards' Council, the second most powerful force in the Wizarding World.

Their influence was formidable. Besides their own priests and monks, they had also absorbed many wizards into their ranks.

The only exceptions were Salazar Slytherin and Godric Gryffindor, who did not return the greeting.

Slytherin had originally intended to keep the peace, to avoid potential conflicts and disturbances, and to maintain stability in the Wizarding World. He had uncovered the conspiracy of the pure-blood Wizarding families and guessed Rowena Ravenclaw's plans. He had come to mediate, but with the arrival of the Cardinal, there was no longer any possibility of resolution.

Slytherin muttered something about boredom, glanced towards the entrance of the Great Hall, and disappeared from the spot.

It was as if he had never been there, and as Slytherin left, the pressure in the air noticeably eased.

Many wizards secretly breathed a sigh of relief, especially those in the Slytherin House section.

Evan felt as though a great weight had been lifted from him. Around him, many students were whispering things like, "That was terrifying."

Slytherin's Domain Magic and the pressure it brought were overwhelming. The magic he exuded controlled the Hall all the time. This was a crushing superiority in terms of strength. At this time, Salazar Slytherin had become the recognized strongest in the Wizarding World, right?!

After Slytherin left, Gryffindor stepped forward to greet the distinguished Cardinal.

They exchanged a few words that Evan couldn't quite catch. It seemed like Gryffindor was saying the other party hadn't been invited. …

"Oh, yes, I did not receive an invitation to give a speech," the Cardinal raised his voice and replied. "But I came to Hogwarts today under divine guidance and the joint invitation of three respected wizards, to witness the truth!"

"Respected wizards?! How come I didn't know anyone invited you to Hogwarts?"

"It's us!" A languid voice rang out, and a thin, pale-faced wizard hurried into the Hall.

He had eye-catching long golden hair. As he walked through the crowd towards the central platform, he nodded to the Cardinal on the stage.

Needless to say, he must be another member of the Malfoy family.

'Probably the father of that boy from earlier,' Evan thought, noticing the way the two boys greeted him.

Then, Clive Peverell, standing near the entrance of the Great Hall, spotted Evan and kept waving at him, motioning him to come over.

This guy probably thought Evan was Annie Black, and Evan looked away and ignored him.

From the discussions around him, he knew that the guy who had just come in was the head of the Malfoy family.

"You invited him? Ridiculous. When did Hogwarts become the Malfoy family's castle?!" Gryffindor shouted.

"Not just the Malfoys, but also the Peverells and the Blacks. This is a decision made by all three of our families."

"Humph, your stubborn, outdated pure-blood families' decisions mean nothing at Hogwarts."

"And what about the Wizards' Council? Does Hogwarts obey its orders?" Malfoy asked, with a sneer on his face. He took out a thick roll of parchment from his arm. "In fact, I just received an appointment. Following a report about the loss of Lady Ravenclaw's Diadem, the Council decided, after a discussion twenty minutes ago, to launch an investigation. They have appointed me, Armand Malfoy, to lead this inquiry. Shall I read the appointment aloud?"

"You've been appointed by the Council?! This is a despicable conspiracy!" Gryffindor shouted. "It can't have acted so fast…"

"Please pay attention to your words, Gryffindor, otherwise, I might consider this a challenge to the Council's authority," said Armand Malfoy slowly. "What are you questioning? The legitimacy of this appointment? The dramatic timing of my arrival? Truthfully, I was as surprised as you when I received letters from my son and dear Clive this morning. Acting swiftly, I met with the Heads of the Peverell and Black families, assessed the situation, and reached a consensus. For the stability of the Wizarding World, the three of us agreed to investigate and successfully persuaded the Council to make this temporary decision. And I must say, just like us, every Council member present at the emergency meeting seemed to think the issue of whether Lady Ravenclaw's Diadem is truly missing is of utmost importance."

"Thank you for your concern!" Ravenclaw said calmly. "The Council has demonstrated amazing efficiency in this matter."

The remark was undoubtedly sarcastic, and Armand Malfoy made no reply.

At this point, it was clear that they were working on both fronts simultaneously, leaving no detail overlooked. How eager they were! Step by step, they had calculated everything, leaving Ravenclaw no room to maneuver.

"Wait, even if you are responsible for investigating this matter, what does it have to do with this ridiculous monk?" asked Gryffindor.

"I must remind you again to be careful with your words, Gryffindor, otherwise you will offend both the Council and the Church, which will bring great trouble to Hogwarts. Speaking like this at a time like now is hardly wise — though I've never considered you to have much sense," said Malfoy. "Lord Braxius is one of the twelve Cardinals of the Holy See, and the one who is most proficient in prophecy. We invited him because we believe he will provide us with the answers we seek."

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