Chapter 609: Are You in Trouble, Ivan?
Chapter 609: Are You in Trouble, Ivan?
Mr. Ollivander held the wand and examined it carefully for a long time, his pale eyes gleaming with a hint of light.
"From what I can see, there are two runic circuits on this wand. One is designed to reduce the noise during casting, and the other enhances the power of the magic," Ollivander said after a moment, looking at Ivan for confirmation.
"Is this your mother's work?"
"No, I did it myself!" Ivan shook his head.
"Very impressive! When I was your age, I couldn't have done such a modification on my own," Ollivander praised.
He had no objections to Ivan's modifications. His shop generally sold standard wands, and it was quite normal for capable wizards to improve their wands later on.
As long as they took good care of and respected their wands, that was enough...
"By the way, Mr. Ollivander, you mentioned my mother earlier. Do you know her?" Ivan asked curiously.
"There are only a few skilled alchemists in all of Britain. Diagon Alley and Knockturn Alley are not far apart, so I've met her a few times..." Ollivander chuckled, then experimented with a few small spells using Ivan's wand to ensure there were no issues before returning it.
Ivan took the wand back without further questions.
Karkaroff, however, stood up hastily and demanded, "Wait a moment, Mr. Ollivander. You said Mr. Hals's wand has been modified to enhance the power of magic. I believe this is extremely unfair to the other champions, and we should prohibit him from using this wand in the competition!"
"I don't recall the Triwizard Cup rules prohibiting the use of modified wands, Headmaster Karkaroff," Ivan said with a frown, clearly displeased.
"But the rules do mention banning the use of oversized magical items, and I believe your wand falls into that category!" Karkaroff argued.
A few days ago, Karkaroff had heard from Krum about Ivan's easy victory over the graduating student Cedric. He knew Ivan was formidable, and if Ivan were to use this modified wand, Hogwarts would have a significant advantage.
Maxime agreed with Karkaroff, but before she could voice her support, Dumbledore interjected.
"Each champion should be allowed to use their strengths, Karkaroff! Hals is skilled in alchemy, and there's no reason he shouldn't apply it in the competition."
Dumbledore's voice was as resonant as a bell. He looked at Karkaroff and then at Krum. "Are we going to forbid Krum from flying in the competition because he is a Quidditch player? Or force him to use the oldest model of the Comet broom?
"And as for Miss Fleur, her beauty is a unique asset that the other champions don't have. Perhaps I should suggest she cover her face during the competition to avoid influencing the judges and other competitors!"
Karkaroff was left speechless by Dumbledore's words.
Krum, as the champion from Durmstrang, had a significant advantage in his superior flying skills. The specific events of the competition had not been announced, and he didn't know if they would be useful.
If he were prohibited from using these skills, it would be a significant loss.
Maxime considered the situation. Covering Fleur's face would not affect her abilities. Limiting Ivan and Krum's advantages could be worth it.
"Gentlemen and ladies, please allow me to speak," Ollivander interjected, looking at Ivan and speaking up for him.
Hals’s wand was modified several years ago, so it’s unlikely that it was specifically prepared for this tournament. Additionally, a well-suited wand is crucial for a Champion’s performance. It would be incredibly unfair to Hals if he had to switch to a different wand at the last minute!
“Or would you prefer to give every Champion a wand that doesn’t suit them?” Ollivander asked.
Karkaroff and Maxime were left without any further arguments and had to reluctantly accept that Ivan would be allowed to use his powerful wand in the competition.
Otherwise, Dumbledore would undoubtedly impose similar restrictions on the other Champions. If such restrictions led to any accidents during the tournament, it would be counterproductive.
Ivan watched the group, feeling quite frustrated. He was puzzled as to why Karkaroff and Maxime were always trying to restrict him.
According to the usual process, shouldn’t they underestimate him due to his young age, mock him, and then be proven wrong one by one?
“Alright, since the Champions’ wands have been inspected, what are we waiting for? Let’s all come over and take some photos!” Ludo Bagman, standing nearby, saw the tense atmosphere and quickly tried to smooth things over.
At Ludo Bagman’s urging, Karkaroff and Maxime temporarily set aside their irritation and walked over to Dumbledore’s side to take several group photos with the front row Champions.
After the photos, Rita Skeeter intercepted Harry, Krum, and Fleur as they were about to leave. Having failed to get any substantial scoop from Ivan, she turned her attention to the other Champions.
Ivan gave a sympathetic look to Harry as he was being pulled away. Warning Rita Skeeter was the most he could do to help.
Leaving the classroom, Ivan walked alone down the castle’s corridor, his mind preoccupied with his next move.
The first task of the Triwizard Tournament was about to begin soon.
If nothing changed, this task would likely involve the Champions retrieving a dragon egg guarded by a dragon.
For the other Champions, this would undoubtedly be an extremely dangerous task, with the slightest misstep potentially leading to injury or even death.
Ivan, however, wasn’t too worried. He had several methods to subdue a dragon, and the key was to make the fight as spectacular as possible, to win over more people as his fervent followers and complete the System’s task.
What truly troubled Ivan was that his practice in Legilimency had once again come to a standstill. Without Hermione’s help, he urgently needed to find another practice partner.
Even if he didn’t uncover the spy, he could still inform Dumbledore about the Cup being replaced with a Portkey during the third task, thwarting Voldemort’s resurrection plan.
However, doing so might enrage the spy, who could then lash out at the students in the school, potentially even affecting his friends.
Therefore, he had to find the spy before the third task!
“Who else can help me practice this magic?” Ivan muttered to himself.
He couldn’t just randomly pick someone to practice with, could he?
Ivan wouldn’t resort to this unless absolutely necessary. Even if he could use a Memory Charm afterward, he might accidentally harm the person.
Worse still, Mad-Eye Moody was currently investigating the Triwizard Tournament at the school. If he discovered any abnormalities with the student Ivan chose to practice with, it could lead back to him, and that would be difficult to explain.
Ivan walked slowly through the castle, his head down, mentally ruling out one option after another. A gentle breeze blew down the corridor, and a melodious, ethereal voice suddenly drifted from ahead.
“Are you having some trouble, Ivan?”
(End of Chapter)
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