Hogwarts Bloodline Chapter 585: The Headmasters' Rivalry - Novel Cool

Chapter 585: The Headmasters' Rivalry

Chapter 585: The Headmasters' Rivalry

"Is that so?" Hermione gave Ivan a suspicious look but didn't say anything more, as the other young wizards were also curiously looking in that direction.

Madame Maxime had a brief conversation with Dumbledore before leaving in the carriage with the Beauxbatons students to rest in the castle.

The Hogwarts professors and students continued to wait for the Durmstrang contingent to arrive.

The sky gradually darkened, and the cold wind became increasingly biting. Just as Ivan was starting to grow impatient, a strange sound began to faintly drift from the distance.

The sound was like someone pounding on a leaky drum, accompanied by a slight sucking noise.

"Ah, it seems Karkaroff has finally arrived!" Dumbledore exclaimed happily.

"Where?" Ron looked around, scanning the sky, but there was nothing to be seen.

Ivan, however, was intently watching the Black Lake. The previously calm lake surface suddenly became agitated, churning with massive waves that crashed against the damp shore.

A large whirlpool formed at the center of the Black Lake, and a flagpole-like object slowly rose from the center. Then, a tall sail began to unfurl, and finally, a massive sailboat burst out of the water, splashing water in all directions like a light rain.

Ivan gazed up at it. The ship looked ancient and somewhat dilapidated, as if it had just been salvaged from the depths of the sea.

Faint, misty lights glowed from the portholes, flickering in the darkness. If a few skulls were added to the deck, it would resemble a ghost ship from Muggle stories.

After a short journey, the large ship slowly came to a stop at the lakeside, and with a dull thud, a sturdy wooden plank extended from the ship and landed on the shore.

A group of tall, imposing wizards walked down the plank from the ship. They were all dressed in thick fur cloaks, which concealed their bodies. As they drew closer, they began to remove their hoods.

Leading them was a tall, thin old wizard with short white hair and a goatee that curled at the ends. His eyes were cold and sharp, but he smiled warmly when he approached Dumbledore.

"Good to see you, my dear old friend! How have you been? Are you well?" the old wizard laughed heartily, extending his hand, his voice smooth and sweet.

"I'm well, thank you, Professor Karkaroff." Dumbledore shook his hand.

Karkaroff held the handshake for a few seconds before releasing it. He turned to look at the towering Hogwarts Castle and sighed. "Ah, Hogwarts! This place is truly marvelous... I regret not coming sooner!"

"It's not too late, is it? You'll be staying here for several months, so you can explore all you like," Dumbledore said with a smile.

"Indeed, this year's Triwizard Tournament will last quite a while," Karkaroff nodded, then suddenly remembered something. He slapped his head and turned to look at his students.

"Oh, speaking of which, I almost forgot about Viktor. Come over here and warm up, don't catch a cold..."

A boy of about seventeen or eighteen stepped forward from the Durmstrang students. He was sturdy and wore a cloak emblazoned with the Bulgarian Team's badge.

"Is that a problem, Dumbledore? Viktor has a bit of a cold... I can't have him staying out in this cold for too long!" Karkaroff's tone was apologetic, but his face betrayed a hint of pride.

Before Dumbledore could respond, the Hogwarts young wizards began to stir. Many recognized the boy as Viktor Krum, the legendary Seeker of the Bulgarian Team and a world-class Quidditch star!

"Blimey, Harry, Ivan, Hermione! It's Krum, he's here at Hogwarts! I can't believe it!" Ron was beside himself with excitement, shaking Harry's arm vigorously, his words barely coherent.

"I never thought Krum was still a student, and he's such a great player!" Ron muttered.

"I know it's Krum!" Harry pushed Ron's hand away. He acknowledged Krum's skill, but Ron's reaction was a bit much.

Ivan also looked at Ron with surprise, not quite understanding his behavior. But then he remembered Lockhart from second year and kept quiet. There had been many fans back then as well.

Young wizards like Ron were not in short supply. Many were equally excited upon seeing Krum. A few older girls even lamented not having brought paper and pens so they could get autographs.

Karkaroff, hearing these comments, smiled even wider.

Krum, however, showed little reaction. He had been in such situations many times before and was used to it.

"Very impressive, I read the reports of that match. You played exceptionally well!" Dumbledore said, looking at Krum with admiration.

Cultivating a world-class player at such a young age was indeed something to be proud of. It was no surprise that Karkaroff would bring it up in front of him.

"Unfortunately, I recall that the Bulgarian Team lost the match in the end!" Dumbledore adopted a regretful expression.

"Just ten points short!" Karkaroff emphasized, then complained with dissatisfaction. "And we can't blame Krum; he did his best! Next time, the Bulgarian team will definitely replace those unsuitable players, and they'll surely win the championship!"

"That's true. I'll offer my congratulations to Krum in advance!" Dumbledore smiled.

Karkaroff's eyebrows arched with pride, and even Krum showed a smile. Dumbledore was known as Britain's strongest White Wizard, so being praised by him was a great honor.

However, before they could bask in their joy for long, Dumbledore continued.

"By the way, I believe it's important for outstanding students to interact more. Krum needs some friends at Hogwarts, so allow me to introduce you to..."

"Hals!" Dumbledore turned his gaze toward the Hogwarts team and spotted Ivan.

Ivan, who had been watching the scene, was momentarily bewildered when he heard his name. But under Dumbledore's watchful eye, he quickly composed himself and stepped out of the line, looking at Karkaroff and politely said,

"Hello, Headmaster Karkaroff!"

Karkaroff's eyes narrowed as he looked at Ivan, and his expression turned somewhat sour, but he managed to force a smile and patted Ivan on the shoulder.

"Ah, I know you, Mr. Hals! Your name is well-known even at Durmstrang."

Krum, standing nearby, also turned to look at Ivan. The pleased expression on his face had faded, replaced by a serious one.

He was well aware of the daunting task ahead of him: representing Durmstrang and outshining both Hogwarts and Beauxbatons to win the Triwizard Tournament and boost Durmstrang's reputation!

Krum had read the Nordic Times and knew that Ivan was an Order of Merlin recipient, a title that carried more weight than his own fame as a Quidditch player.

Despite the various thoughts swirling in his mind, Krum maintained his courteous demeanor and stepped forward, greeting Ivan.

"Hello, Hals. It's a pleasure to meet you. I read an article about you that mentioned you received an Order of Merlin, Second Class, is that correct?"

Ivan's face showed a hint of discomfort.

"Sorry, Krum, Headmaster Karkaroff, I think your information might be outdated..." Ivan hesitated before speaking.

"Is the article incorrect?" Krum paused, asking instinctively, feeling a sense of relief.

Karkaroff's expression also softened, and he chuckled, offering reassurance. "Ha, don't worry about it. I know how those newspapers exaggerate things."

"No, Headmaster Karkaroff, I mean that the information is out of date. I am now an Order of Merlin, First Class recipient!" Ivan corrected him.

Karkaroff's smile froze, and he remained silent for a long moment.

"R-really? That's quite an achievement," Krum stammered after a long pause, his words forced out.

"Wait, Albus, I remember that the Order of Merlin, First Class is only awarded to Wizards who have made significant contributions to the Wizarding World. How could they... how could they give it to a fourteen-year-old?" Karkaroff asked, his disbelief evident. He suspected there must be some hidden agenda.

"Indeed, the Order of Merlin made a rare exception for Hals!" Dumbledore remarked with a sigh, pausing before continuing.

"He not only developed the Wolfsbane Potion, which allows werewolves to remain lucid, solving a major problem for the Wizarding World, but also captured a Death Eater who had been in hiding for years, and corrected a significant error by the Ministry of Magic at the end of the last school year."

Dumbledore emphasized the word "Death Eater."

Karkaroff's expression changed.

Ivan, realizing that Karkaroff was also a Death Eater and had betrayed Voldemort by providing the names of many Death Eaters during the great trial over a decade ago, silently thought that Dumbledore was exceptionally devious, always digging into people's sore spots.

Outwardly, Ivan remained polite and sighed, humbly saying, "Actually, I only did a small part of the work. I feel quite ashamed."

Karkaroff's lips twitched, and Dumbledore watched him with a knowing look, waiting for his response.

Karkaroff opened his mouth to say something but closed it again, and after a long moment, he managed to say, "The wind is a bit strong today. Let's go inside!"

(End of Chapter)

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