章 382: 0381 Friendship
Within the spacious lunchroom of the picturesque riverside cottage, Bryan was seated comfortably beside the rustic dining table, his eyes intently focused on reading that day's edition of "The Gargoyle's Roar," a newspaper that wielded an influence in France comparable to that of the 'The Daily Prophet' in Britain. Bryan remembered that during the previous press conference held at the Ministry of Magic regarding the Greyback incident, one of the female reporters who had asked questions belonged to this newspaper.
Among the recent hot topics in Paris, the Triwizard Tournament undoubtedly topped the list.
However, this matter was still under wraps. Although it was no longer a secret among high society, the masses of the European wizarding world remained oblivious to it.
The newspaper carried some trivial news items. After skimming through it, Bryan casually tossed the paper onto the table and looked out the restaurant window with an amused smile on his face. Several children who were peeping through the window immediately shrank their heads.
In that precise moment, Vipor Dreghorn, with a sullen and frosty face, entered the lunchroom, clutching a plate with steaming, freshly baked bread slices and a silver pitcher brimming with hot milk. He placed the tray before Bryan with a distinct air of reluctance. "I don't have much to offer you, Watson,"
Although quite old in age, Vipor Dreghorn's temper was still as fiery as ever. He wore a frosty expression. If Bryan Watson hadn't coincidentally saved his grandson moments ago, Bryan would never have been allowed into this place. But there was nothing to be grateful for either, as Ludwig would not have been in any real danger of his life even without him(he thought so). Moreover, Bryan Watson had trespassed onto his property without permission.
"It's alright, Mr. Dreghorn. I'm not picky," Bryan replied, his tone one of casual nonchalance, not reacting to the tension that permeated the air.
Vipor Dreghorn's attitude was already much better than what he had expected. In fact, Bryan had barged in with the intention of first engaging with Vipor Dreghorn in a scuffle before properly communicating. It was just that the wonderful coincidence just now saved this situation that was very likely to happen.
"According to the rules--" Vipor began, his piercing gaze fixing upon Bryan, who was leisurely savoring his breakfast, seemingly oblivious to the fact that he was an unwelcome guest. Yet, it was this very composure that compelled Vipor to reluctantly acknowledge that Bryan Watson was no ordinary wizard. Considering the young man's age, the term 'exceptional' seemed a gross understatement – Dumbledore's vision and discernment remained as impeccable as ever.
At the previous party, misled by that cunning fellow Karkaroff and his own desire to embarrass Hogwarts and Dumbledore, he had rashly confronted Bryan Watson without conducting a proper investigation – a decision that he now recognized as utterly foolish.
However, as he recalled the humiliation he had suffered, his fleeting regret was swiftly drowned by a resurgent wave of anger towards Bryan. His fist clenched tightly beneath the table's surface, his knuckles whitening with the intensity of his grip. "Before the review committee convenes, Watson, I should not have any private contacts with the representatives of Hogwarts, Beauxbatons, and Durmstrang, or with officials from the three ministries of magic. So..."
Vipor paused, drawing a deep, steadying breath as his previously suppressed rage burst forth in a torrent of scolding words uttered in a raised voice, "After you finish eating, please leave my house immediately, Watson. I won't report the trespassing to the Ministry of Magic. Let's just pretend we never met today!"
"It seems..." Facing the coldly indifferent Vipor Dreghorn, Bryan calmly retrieved a napkin and dabbed at the corners of his mouth with practiced refinement. Then, leaning back in his chair with unhurried motion, he smiled faintly, "You're quite familiar with the selection rules, aren't you, Mr. Dreghorn?"
Vipor Dreghorn narrowed his eyes, not understanding what tricks Bryan was playing.
Before the party, the two did not know each other at all, and there was no friendship to reminisce about. Bryan, too, was keenly aware that his presence was not only unwanted but utterly unwelcome, and thus he made no attempt to conceal his intentions. Under Vipor's wary, scrutinizing gaze, he reached into his pocket and withdrew a spatial bag, tossing it onto the dining table.
The instant the bag made contact with the table's surface, it emitted a melodious series of pleasant tinkling sounds, the unmistakable chime of coins colliding. No further explanation was required – Vipor instantly knew what was inside.
"What's the meaning of this?" The previously cautious gaze morphed into a disdainful glare as the old man sneered, the corners of his mouth twisting in a contemptuous sneer, "Have you lost your mind, Watson? Trying to bribe me with galleons? You should know that as a member of the review committee, we are strictly bound by magical contracts. We cannot accept any favors from the three parties. Take your money and leave my house, or I'll expose today's incident and let you taste the humiliation of a tarnished reputation!"
"Perhaps you misunderstood, Mr. Dreghorn," Bryan said, the corners of his mouth twitching slightly, "Bribery? How could I do such a stupid thing?"
Without pausing to allow Vipor an opportunity to respond, Bryan continued, "This is not a bribe, Mr. Dreghorn. My purpose in coming here is to return what rightfully belongs to you. Eight thousand Galleons – this is the amount your wife, Mrs. Yoshabelle, inadvertently left behind at the Gringotts headquarters while conducting business there."
As Bryan spoke, Vipor Dreghorn's expression underwent a rapid succession of transformations. He stared at the bag of coins resting innocently upon the table, his dry lips quivering, rendered utterly speechless, unable to formulate a clear response. When at last he tore his gaze away and met Bryan's steady, unwavering stare, his eyes showed a hint of fear.
"This is not mine-" Vipor blurted out, the words tumbling from his lips in haste, but he abruptly clamped his mouth shut, the sentence remaining unfinished.
It was a certainty that Bryan Watson had close ties with goblins; otherwise, he could never have retrieved these eight thousand Galleons from the greedy claws of those creatures.
From Bryan's expression, he probably thought that he wanted to make a fortune by taking advantage of his status, but that was not the case.
After the Federation decided to select a committee from among its members to review the comprehensive safety proposals submitted by the three rival schools and ultimately choose the host venue for the prestigious Triwizard Tournament, Igor Karkaroff, that cunning and duplicitous the headmaster of Durmstrang, saw an opportunity and approached Yoshabelle.
That cunning fellow did not make any requests to Yoshabelle. He just reminisced about their school days with her and pretended to casually mention that the goblins had already set up a betting pool, with Durmstrang currently having the most favorable odds of emerging victorious.
As partners of several decades, Karkaroff knew that Yoshabelle would be really tempted by the alluring prospect of not only amassing a substantial fortune in Galleons but also the chance to contribute, to the glory and success of her beloved alma mater.
Vipor, while aware of the inherent risks involved in such an endeavor, had nevertheless been swayed by the opportunity to strike a blow against Dumbledore and Hogwarts, and thus he had been happy to see it happen. Now, however, with Bryan leveraging this incident as a means to exert leverage and threaten him, Vipor found himself without any plausible explanation or justification to offer.
Both parties were smart people, and knew the consequences of this matter being exposed.
"What exactly do you want, Watson?" Vipor's voice emerged as a hoarse, rasping whisper, devoid of its previously blustering harshness.
Just a day had passed, and the embarrassment he faced at the party had already become widely known. If this incident were to be exposed as well, forget about vying for the chairmanship after Dumbledore's retirement – even his current position might not be secure!
He could not, would not, abandon either his hard-won status or his beloved wife, Yoshabelle, to the ravages of disgrace and ruin.
"I have nothing else to ask for, Mr. Dreghorn--" Bryan said with a faint smile as he stood up. "I just hope that in the matter of selecting the Triwizard Tournament host, you will make a fair and impartial judgment."
Unlike his interactions with the goblins of Gringotts, Bryan had no expectation or desire of befriending Vipor Dreghorn. Having achieved his objective, he had no desire to linger further. Barty could return at any moment, and he needed to hurry back to the hotel before then.
"Thank you for your hospitality, Mr. Dreghorn," Bryan said as his palm touched the cold metallic surface of the doorknob. Suddenly remembering something, Bryan stopped in his tracks and turned around. He saw Vipor Dreghorn sitting motionless on the chair, looking directly at him with a cold stare. Bryan blinked slowly, pondered for a moment, and then smiled faintly.
"There's no need to be so hostile towards me, Mr. Dreghorn. Perhaps someday in the future, we could become friends."
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章 383: 0382 Two Months
Bryan stayed in Paris for two months.
Two months earlier, after paying a visit to Vipor Dreghorn, Hogwarts smoothly passed the review and was officially selected as the host of the Triwizard Tournament.
This was actually an expected outcome, as Hogwarts had unparalleled advantages over the other two schools. Although the competition was intense, victory was anticipated if it weren't for someone secretly causing trouble behind the scenes.
In organizing an event of such grand scale and international significance, there were still many things to be finalized.
For instance, determining the precise number of champion candidates, planning living and studying arrangements for the visiting students and professors from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang during their stay at Hogwarts, finalizing the specific dates for the tournament's start, and, most crucially, deciding upon the specific competitive events. However, Bryan had no authority to participate in discussions about this latter part.
As Hogwarts's representative, the tournament events had to remain confidential from the champions until officially launched to prevent leaks. Hence, no personnel from any of the three schools was allowed to inquire about it.
Despite this limitation, Bryan found himself immersed in a whirlwind of activity, attending countless meetings that consumed nearly every hour of his days.
It was during these gatherings that he bore witness to the remarkable efficiency with which these dedicated individuals worked. As, the slightest trifles could ignite unending quarrels, with tempers flaring and voices raised in heated debates. Igor Karkaroff even stretched his neck and yelled at the committee over such trivial matters of whether the number of champion candidates should be eleven or twelve.
Equally tough was Madame Maxime, who, in stark contrast to her usual graceful demeanor, meticulously scrutinized every possible aspect, nitpicking at the slightest apparent fault or oversight.
Bryan knew that the two schools were resentful of being defeated in the competition to host the Triwizard Tournament, so he tried to be as accommodating as possible.
Fortunately, the young Fleur Delacour, from Beauxbatons, was compelled to return to her alma mater once the review process concluded, otherwise Bryan might have had more problems to worry about.
However, judging from the sullen expression on the girl's face when she bid farewell, she seemed to have developed a grudge against him.
Apart from the numerous matters related to the Triwizard Tournament, Bryan also dealt with some other troubles during those two months.
Among these were the troublesome affairs involving Cuthbert Mockridge and the infamous Ludo Bagman.
After the review results were finalized, he had separate talks with these two fellows.
The outcome was that after concluding his 'journey' and returning to England, Mockridge promptly submitted an early retirement application to Cornelius Fudge, strongly recommending that Dirk Cresswell, the deputy head of the Goblin Liaison Office, to succeed him.
As for Ludo Bagman, he took leave from Barty Crouch Sr, citing health issues, then slunk back to England, never interfering with the Triwizard Tournament again.
At Hogwarts, however, things were relatively calm, except for a minor incident involving Sirius.
In the second week of May, the annual Hogwarts Quidditch finals finally began amid great anticipation.
In this fateful Gryffindor versus Slytherin match, with no external interference, Gryffindor finally emerged victorious, ending Slytherin's streak of consecutive championship wins. For the first time in seven years, the Quidditch Cup was relocated from the office of Professor Snape to that of Professor McGonagall.
However, the joy of victory was swiftly overshadowed by a brewing storm of controversy.
The Slytherins were indignant at the outcome and believed that Harry Potter had cost them the championship. So, that very night, a group of Slytherin students pretended to be Dementors to scare Harry, Hermione, and Ron who came back from celebrating with Hagrid, but they were caught red-handed by Sirius, who was returning from the staff bathroom.
In a fit of rage, Sirius dragged those students to Dumbledore's office, demanding their expulsion. Dumbledore, of course, refused his request. Consequently, Sirius emptied the Slytherin hourglass over the incident.
Professor Snape was no pushover. Once he became aware of the situation, he immediately confronted Sirius.
Inevitably, another battle erupted at Hogwarts, this time even affecting the students.
The school found itself overwhelmed by a flood of complaints from the aggrieved parents of the injured students, their outrage mingling with a torrent of inquiries from the Ministry of Magic, crashing upon Hogwarts like a relentless tidal wave. Faced with this storm of controversy, Sirius, who was originally acting as the substitute professor, resigned and left Hogwarts to give an explanation to these people and spent the following month in Hogsmeade.
Dumbledore, Snape, and Sirius all sent him letters afterward, each uniquely explaining what had happened.
Bryan had thought that Draco must have been among the students who planned this or attacked Harry, but unexpectedly, Draco was not involved this time. Instead, Pansy Parkinson had instigated Crabbe and Goyle, causing such a farce with serious consequences.
When Bryan finally returned to Hogwarts after attending to the Parisian affairs, the final examinations had already concluded, and the young wizards and witches had packed their belongings, departing for their respective homes.
With the students gone, Hogwarts became deserted, and the staff were eager to leave and enjoy the rare annual leisure time. In the vast campus, only Hagrid remained faithfully guarding the edge of the Forbidden Forest.
KABOOM!
A violent explosion blew open the door of Hagrid's hut, and Hagrid burst out from the billowing smoke, coughing loudly while clutching a wooden crate protectively to his barrel-like chest.
"I think--"
At the edge of the Black Lake, Dumbledore and Bryan were strolling along the shore. Noticing Bryan's inquisitive gaze, a wry smile appeared beneath Dumbledore's beard in the blazing noonday sun.
"Hagrid is probably trying to breed some unprecedented magical creature,"
Bryan withdrew his concerned gaze and nodded understandingly. Then, he smiled, "You're always particularly indulgent towards those close to you, Headmaster."
Dumbledore's expression grew slightly more somber, though his voice remained candid and unhurried. "If you're referring to my attitude regarding Sirius's incident, Bryan, I hope you understand that the nature of that incident was different."
"I fully understand Sirius's guilt towards Harry after those series of events. He wants to make up for the responsibilities he failed to fulfill and the lack of care Harry experienced over the past twelve years. However, excessive care serves no purpose and can actually harm Harry and others, as this incident has proven my view."
Bryan gently shook his head without further comment, gazing at the rippling lake surface.
"By the way, where is Sirius?" he inquired, his brow furrowing slightly as a new thought took root.
"He previously wrote to inform me that he would be waiting for me in Hogsmeade, but I sense he is currently in London. What's he doing there?"
"He hopes to have a discussion with the Muggle couple who took in Harry," Dumbledore replied calmly, also stopping in his tracks.
"Sirius learned about Harry's situation at his aunt and uncle's home from you. He wanted to rescue Harry from there but had to abandon that plan due to the reasons I told you. However, he still worries about Harry's circumstances, so he hopes to negotiate Harry's treatment at home directly with that Muggle couple."
"You didn't stop him?"
"I can't think of any reason to prevent Sirius from doing so, unless he plans to cast curses on that Muggle couple and their child."
At the edge of the Forbidden Forest, in the direction of the snow-capped mountains, a vast expanse of dark clouds billowed forth, flickering with lightning. In an instant, the scenery transformed drastically.
The air was thick with moisture, and countless magical creatures beneath the now-rippling lake surface began to stir restlessly.
Bryan was not surprised that Dumbledore knew the specifics of Harry's aunt and uncle's family. Dumbledore always knew everything. What he wanted to know was Dumbledore's view on the matter he and Sirius were about to do.
The towering castle standing on the cliffs was shrouded by the approaching shadows in the sky. The damp air seemed to carry a faint, bloody scent for some unknown reason. Dumbledore turned to gaze at the millennium-old castle, and somehow, the man with his flowing beard appeared to have a touch of twilight about him, even his usually clear, deep blue eyes now became slightly clouded.
Magic comes from the heart – an absolute truth that Bryan had learned through years of first-hand experience. Yet, in that moment, as he studied Dumbledore's features, he could not shake the unsettling sense that something had shifted within the very essence of the man before him.
"What's wrong?" The words slipped from Bryan's lips, imbued with a weight that hid their surface simplicity. His brow furrowed, creasing with concern as he awaited Dumbledore's response.
"There is something I need to ask of you, Bryan," Dumbledore began, his voice heavy, laden with a solemnity that reverberated through the air. His gaze swept across the grounds of Hogwarts, taking in every blade of grass, every gnarled and twisting branch of the ancient trees that had borne silent witness to countless cycles of life and death. Yet, his eyes did not meet Bryan's.
"There is much evidence that darkness is stirring once again."
A weary sigh drifted away with the rising winds, carrying with it the weight of untold burdens and solemn responsibilities. Dumbledore's frame seemed to bear the mantle of ages, and the now much older-looking Dumbledore finally met Bryan's intent gaze.
"If next school year, you notice certain things happening at Hogwarts, Bryan," he continued as the last ray of sunlight fell on him, casting a very faint shadow on the ground, "I hope you will remain silent."
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