Chapter 564: This Is Dumbledore's Domain
"The world’s most talented young wizards have gathered here. We can’t possibly pretend we don’t know," Antoine said with a cheerful grin. "You have your duties, we have our operation. As long as we don’t interfere with each other, it’s all good."
"You?" Wade raised an eyebrow. "Besides you, who else?"
"Hmm…" Antoine rubbed his chin, then suddenly added, "Oh! Speaking of which, I just remembered—Wovilet’s been wanting to borrow your Time-Turner for research…"
Wade stared at him, then sighed. "Fine, don’t tell me. But I hope you’re not planning any destruction at Hogwarts."
"Absolutely not," Antoine said with an exaggerated look of fright, grinning. "This is Albus Dumbledore’s domain. Here, I’m just an ordinary teacher—just like you look like an ordinary student."
…
Wade left the empty classroom and stepped back onto the main corridor. Almost immediately, he heard Moody’s furious voice thundering down the hall:
"That’s Harry Potter!"
Whether it was the name or the sheer volume of his voice, students all around paused. Wade leaned against the railing, looking down toward the Great Hall.
Karkaroff, the headmaster of Durmstrang, had just cornered Harry at the entrance. Hearing Moody’s voice, he whirled around, eyes wide with shock, staring at the approaching figure.
"You!" Karkaroff stammered.
"Yes, it’s me," Moody said coldly. "What were you doing with Potter, Karkaroff?"
Karkaroff glanced at Moody with clear unease, then wordlessly released Harry’s arm. He quickly ushered his students away.
Moody waved his hand, signaling the rest of the students to continue into the Great Hall. Yet, his magical eye remained fixed on Karkaroff’s retreating back, swiveling like a compass until it finally disappeared into his skull—leaving only a ghastly, staring white.
Harry, still looking dazed, was pulled forward by Ron. They hadn’t gone far when another voice called out:
"Harry… Harry Potter, please wait!"
A golden-haired girl, stunningly beautiful like a porcelain doll, pushed through the crowd and ran toward them, speaking in a strangely accented English.
"Hello, Mr. Potter."
Under the amused glances of nearby students, Harry managed a nervous smile. "Hi."
"I’m Natalia Petrov from Kodostoriz. It’s a pleasure to meet you."
She extended her hand gracefully.
"I—I’m too," Harry stammered, instinctively glancing around the corridor.
He was worried Qiu Zhang might be among the crowd nearby—but after a quick scan, he saw no sign of the girl. A quiet pang of disappointment flickered in his chest.
"Thank you," Natalia said, "for saving my mother, Sophia Lebedeva, at the World Cup camp. Do you remember her?"
"World Cup camp?" Harry blinked, shaking his head. "I think you’ve mistaken me. That night… I was with my friends the whole time. I didn’t save anyone."
Natalia’s clear blue eyes studied Harry carefully, then shifted to his friends. She saw no deception—no reason to lie. Yet, something felt… odd.
Her gaze lingered on the lightning-shaped scar across Harry’s forehead. She remembered how often Harry’s face had appeared in the Streaming Mirror. Even in the panic, her mother wouldn’t have mistaken him.
But she didn’t press further. Instead, she smiled. "Well, maybe Mum was mistaken… Still, it’s an honor to know you. Are you entering this Tournament?"
"I… I don’t know yet," Harry said hesitantly. "I’m still thinking about it."
Not entering was one thing. But signing up and failing to get picked? That would be embarrassing.
"Fair enough," Natalia said with a confident smile. "I’m definitely entering. Hope we end up facing each other in the stadium, Harry."
"...Thanks," Harry mumbled, face burning.
At that moment, he truly wished the one who’d saved her mother was actually him—and that he could swap Michael’s effortless charm for his own awkwardness. Then he wouldn’t have to feel like a clumsy fool.
[Natalia! Hurry up—time to go back to the fortress!] A girl called in Russian.
[Coming! Natalia called back, waving goodbye to Harry and his friends, then darting toward her companions.
In that direction, a dozen strikingly beautiful, tall students waited—some pointed at Harry’s scar, clearly discussing him.
Harry instinctively brushed a hand through his hair, feeling his face heat up.
[Natalia, is that boy really the one who saved your mother?] A radiant girl asked curiously.
[He says he isn’t.] Natalia shrugged. [I think I might’ve gotten the wrong person.]
[What about the other one you wanted to meet? Did you find him?]
[I haven’t seen Wade Gray… but if he’s at school, we’ll cross paths eventually.] She smiled. [If I get the chance, I’d love to talk to him about Alchemy.]
…
The next morning, Wade opened his window and stepped out of bed. The familiar landscape of the school grounds had changed—now dotted with new sights.
Besides Durmstrang’s ship moored by the Black Lake, the other schools’ carriages were parked on the grass. From a high vantage point, tiny figures could be seen moving in and out like beetles.
As for the Pegasus, elephants, and three-headed dragons—Hagrid had placed them behind distant fences. The dragon, now shrunken by magic, was roughly the size of a sigil horse, drawing a small crowd of curious students.
Even from above, Hagrid stood out—huge and towering. He carried a giant barrel in his arms, walking toward the fence where the dragon was kept.
Wade finished getting ready, grabbed his broomstick, and leapt out the window. Seconds later, he landed on the ground.
Students from Ilvermorny were already gathering in small groups, walking across the lawn toward the castle. Some carried pets. Others waved their wands, casting small sparks into the air.
Wade fell in behind them, entering the Great Hall.
A dark-haired girl, noticing his sudden descent from the sky, fell back a few steps and fell in beside him.
"Hi, I’m Seraphina Piqueli, a seeker from Ilvermorny Cat Panther Academy," she said, extending her hand. "Are you on the Hogwarts Quidditch team?"
"No," Wade replied, shaking her hand casually. "I just hate stairs."
She blinked. "You’re not on the team? But you flew really well. Can I ask your name?"
(End of Chapter)
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