Most of Mrs. Kewa's mind was flooded with memories that made her flush red with embarrassment. But Moriarty pressed on, combing through until he located a significant memory—a tall, red-haired boy who had left quite the impression. Without question, that could only be one person: Bill Weasley.
Last August, Bill had arrived in Athens, staying at the Simborg Hotel. Like Moriarty, he had been investigating matters concerning Shengbo Saran. Mrs. Kewa had initially taken an interest in him, clearly eyeing him as a target. However, her plans were thwarted when Uncle Uriah remained steadfast in protecting Bill, and a few days later, none other than Professor Randy Cullen appeared by Bill's side, ensuring additional security.
Faced with both Uriah's vigilance and Randy's formidable reputation in the vampire hybrid world, Mrs. Kewa had no choice but to abandon her designs. The name Randy Cullen still carried considerable weight—his wizard father gave him the surname Cullen, but it was his mother, the French pure-blood vampire Countess Sophia Swan, who truly cemented his status.
Throughout August, Professor Randy and Bill remained in Athens. Their presence seemed to stir something in the vampire world—hybrids became more active across Greece. By September, the two had vanished from Athens.
Moriarty, piecing together Mrs. Kewa's memories, recalled that Professor Randy was serving as a temporary Defense Against the Dark Arts professor at Hogwarts during that time. Yet Bill had not returned to Hogwarts. His trail had gone cold once more.
Moriarty created a mental web, placing Bill at the center. It became clear Bill and Professor Randy were closely aligned. Moriarty suspected they had both come to Greece chasing the same goal—something that evidently involved vampires, considering the spike in hybrid activity.
Uriah's refusal to speak of Bill's visit added further intrigue. Moriarty considered that only two reasons could keep a businessman like Uriah silent: money or fear. But after seeing the wealth Moriarty wielded, it was clear Uriah's silence hadn't been bought. It stemmed from fear—fear not of Moriarty, but of someone else. Someone whose influence terrified him into secrecy.
Behind Bill stood none other than Dumbledore. If anyone stood behind Randy Cullen, it could only be his noble mother, the Countess of Swan. Yet Moriarty found it unlikely that Bill alone had drawn the Countess's attention. Instead, Dumbledore—known for his diplomatic ways and ability to ally with even vampires—may have orchestrated this collaboration. Randy might have been sent at Dumbledore's request to protect Bill.
This theory would also explain the order of their arrivals—Bill arriving first, followed later by Randy. Moriarty reconstructed the scenario: Bill likely uncovered a secret related to vampires. He reported it to Dumbledore, who then sent Professor Randy to aid the investigation. Together, they targeted Greece as their focal point. But when no success was found there and Bill didn't return to Hogwarts, Moriarty asked the inevitable: where did he go next?
The answer, increasingly, pointed to France.
If the answers couldn't be found in vampire-laden Greece, then Bill's logical next step was to consult the Countess Swan—one of the most powerful vampires in Europe. Pure-blood vampires observed a strict hierarchy. Since the days of the vampire ancestors and the now-extinct Vampire Dukes, the Countesses stood at the top. Countess Swan was the highest-ranking vampire active in the present era.
Resolved, Moriarty made his decision: he would head to France immediately.
This detour aligned perfectly with his broader plan to explore Western Europe. His original itinerary already included places such as Beauxbatons Academy of Magic and the secret archives of Nicolas Flamel. Now, he merely adjusted his timeline.
Mrs. Kewa's fate was sealed—Moriarty froze and shattered her body and wand with conjured frost, leaving only a silver key behind.
> Ding Dong~ The host has found the coffin key of a hybrid vampire. Exploration reward lottery unlocked!
> Congratulations! Task complete. 12,000 points awarded!
Through Mrs. Kewa's memories, Moriarty confirmed what he'd read in ancient vampire texts: coffins were status symbols for vampires. While every pure-blood possessed a coffin, it was rare for hybrids to be granted one.
Disdainful, Moriarty allowed the silver key to hover in the air. Oddly, it seemed Mrs. Kewa had hidden much within her own body—possibly even the coffin itself?
Shaking off the thought, Moriarty turned to Quirrell, who remained unconscious. Awakening him gently, Moriarty watched as Quirrell slowly regained awareness. Trembling and babbling incoherently, he dropped to his knees.
"You… you saved… saved me… t-twice! If you… ever n-need… anything… anywhere… just… just say… it!" Quirrell stuttered, clearly traumatized.
Quirrell's condition made travel impossible. Moriarty had no interest in dragging him along. Instead, he spent 7,000 points from the system's shop to purchase a high-tier blessing: Divine Wish.
Divine Wish
Effect: Grants the target an angelic aura via song (can be silent). Resists harmful dark magic, including possession.
Note 1: Duration depends on caster's condition. As long as caster remains strong, the angelic shield persists.
Note 2: Cannot block physical attacks.
Moriarty returned Quirrell to the Simborg Hotel, gave Uriah a sapphire, and instructed him to let Quirrell recover in peace. Then, he cast the Divine Wish blessing.
> Host has blessed Quirrell, preventing Voldemort's possession. Task complete. 5,000 points awarded.
Total Points: 11,800
Wishing the host rapid success as the ultimate mastermind behind the scenes!
With Quirrell secured and his fate now separate, Moriarty withdrew. Whether the man returned to Albania, lived, or died was no longer his concern.
Back in Room 777, Moriarty found Lilith sitting on the bed. She held a letter, while a little owl perched on her shoulder, tugging playfully at her hair.
"Moriarty~" Lilith called, rising as if to hug him, but hesitated. Her eyes were red and watery. "I received a letter from my family… They've invited Cornelius Fudge to our manor three days from now. They're withdrawing support from Barty Crouch. Instead, they're backing Fudge to become Minister of Magic. I must attend—as the family's eldest daughter."
Her voice cracked. "That means… I can't go with you to France."
Moriarty consoled her. Truthfully, he had already planned to speak with Countess Swan. Bringing Lilith along might expose her to unnecessary danger.
"So write to me from France, okay?" she said softly. "This trip isn't over. Promise you'll take me next summer."
"This story is far from finished," Moriarty replied, his tone serious. "I sense we'll find answers at Hogwarts. I'm not leaving you behind—just taking another route."
The next morning, Lilith departed.
Moriarty used her absence to locate Mrs. Kewa's hidden coffin. Inside, he discovered something astonishing—an egg. The rest of the contents were grim and discarded. Moriarty set fire to the site.
Back at the hotel, he summoned Uriah to inspect the egg. The man gasped in shock.
"My Merlin's beard! A Class A forbidden trade item—a Chimera egg!" He nearly dropped it in surprise. Hugging the egg protectively, he looked wide-eyed at Moriarty. "Where did you find this?"
"A happy accident," Moriarty said smoothly.
Marcus had told him that Chimera beasts originated in Greece. A bloodthirsty, violent magical creature, the Chimera was a fusion of lion, goat, and dragon—and, like dragons, rated XXXXX in classification.
Moriarty stored the egg in his system's space, bid farewell to Uriah, and left for France after lunch.
Arriving via plane, he drank a dose of Polyjuice Potion at the airport and transformed into a tall man with striking white hair and green eyes.
Without Lilith accompanying him, Moriarty opted to head directly to the French Ministry of Magic—hidden beneath Furstenberg Square..
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