章 608: 0606 Talks

Noticing that Hermione still appeared slightly disoriented, Bryan patiently clarified, "At the beginning of this school year, the school distributed an official notification to all students in their fourth year of study and above, instructing them to bring a set of formal attire, which is specifically intended for this ball—"

Hermione abruptly recalled that when she and Harry went to Hogsmeade to meet with Sirius before, Harry had accidentally collided with the Beauxbatons champion. Fleur sustained quite severe injuries as a result of that unfortunate incident. As a gesture of apology and remorse, Professor Watson had even purchased a set of clothes and requested that she and Harry personally deliver them to Fluer.

She had indeed been perplexed as to why Professor Watson would consider it appropriate to present a dress as an apology gift. However, it now became clear that it was in preparation for the grand Christmas ball that was approaching!

"But the school has never sent an official statement or notice regarding this matter—" Hermione appeared aggrieved, her tone conveying a sense of 'resentment toughened by unease', "We were completely unaware of this, Professor Watson."

"Well, now you have been properly informed, have you not?" Bryan allowed the corners of his mouth to lift subtly and casted a glance at the visibly nervous Krum. He supplemented his statement saying, "Kindly bear in mind what I have informed you, Miss Granger. The ball starts with the four champions and their selected partners leading the festivities.

We place no specific requirements or constraints upon the other young wizards and witches in attendance at the ball, but the champions must find their own partners. This is the traditional custom of the Triwizard Tournament. I am confident that for exceptionally talented and accomplished young individuals such as yourself, this should not be an insurmountable challenge—"

Observing Hermione pursing her lips tightly and refraining from further speaking, Bryan showed a slight smile, "Well then, that settles the matter. I extend my sincerest apologies for any inconvenience caused by this interruption to your conversation. I have other pressing matters that need my attention, so I shall take my leave at this juncture. By all means, feel free to resume your conversation, but—"

Bryan's gaze once again fell upon the stack of books clutched tightly in Hermione's arms, inciting her to instinctively tighten her grip around them, as if seeking to shield them from view.

"While I totally acknowledge the importance of academic pursuits, it is equally crucial to maintain a harmonious balance between work and rest. Don't 'squander' all your youth within the library. The weather outside is absolutely delightful, and I would strongly encourage you to go outdoors for a refreshing stroll—"

'He truly is a kindhearted and caring person—' Looking at the departing figure of Professor Watson, Krum thought with empathy. However, as his mind drifted back to the distinctive pattern on the first page of the stack of manuscripts in Professor Watson's arms, the eyebrows that had momentarily relaxed were furrowing once more in worry.

Professor Watson's decision not to reprimand her for the private investigation filled Hermione with an overwhelming sense of relief, prompting her to release a deep liberating sigh.

However, as her thoughts turned to the upcoming ball and the matter of finding a suitable partner, which she had only just become aware of, the crimson flush that had initially been limited to Hermione's cheeks now spread rapidly, engulfing even the tips of her ears and her toes wrapped in boots were also tightly gripping the ground, trying to see if they could dig through the floor.

This situation was too mortifying and embarrassing!

There were almost no young wizards in the library today. Hermione, having successfully found some materials that potentially held vital clues, had fully intended to dedicate her whole day to immerse herself in this highly satisfactory reading environment. However, her plans were abruptly derailed when Krum unexpectedly strode into the library as well.

Perhaps it was the infectious joy and cheerfulness that filled the snowy grounds outside, the massive fan group that always followed Krum's every move was visibly absent on this occasion.

Upon catching sight of Hermione, Krum initially appeared momentarily stunned, but he quickly recovered and approached her happily and invited her to go out and chat.

Hermione had originally thought that Krum's intention was to discuss about the golden egg with her!

Because of her experiences during the first task, Hermione had determined not to accept any external assistance or support anymore. She had braced herself to decline without hesitation if Krum were to raise this particular subject.

However, to her utter astonishment, Krum instead extended an invitation for her to be his partner at the upcoming Christmas ball. Before Hermione could even begin to process and grasp this unexpected development, Professor Watson came out—

Well, at least now she had a comprehensive understanding of the details surrounding this matter. But It still was an utterly unanticipated turn of events that had caught her completely off guard.

Hermione would never have the notion that Krum was unable to find a suitable companion for the ball and had thus resorted to trying his luck with her as a last resort. The immense popularity of this boy standing before her was clear, even without the presence of her two Quidditch-obsessed friends. One only needed to observe the passion and devotion shown by Krum's fan base to gain a clear understanding of his widespread appeal!

Yet, despite his numerous options, he had chosen to approach her specifically. Hermione could feel the heat emanating from her ears, which she was convinced must be visibly smoking at this point. If she were to be entirely truthful, her overall impression of Krum was quite good.

During the riot that erupted on the night of the Quidditch World Cup final in summer, Hermione, Harry, Sirius, and the Weasley family were trapped and isolated in the top box. When Hermione desperately sought assistance from the members of the Bulgarian Quidditch team, Krum was the only person who responded to her plea for help. Furthermore, before the start of the first task of the Triwizard Tournament, Krum also gave her some reminders.

However, Hermione couldn't help but ponder the potential reactions of Harry and Ron if they were to become aware of this.

'But what would they say if they knew about this?'

"I'm afraid I don't quite understand." Hermione, her cheeks still covered with a rosy tint, lowered her gaze to intently study her toes and her voice was barely above a whisper.

"I don't understand, I don't understand either. How could a wizard like Mr. Vatson..." Krum's deep voice prompted Hermione to glance up in surprise. She noticed that Krum's attention was fixed on the direction in which Professor Watson had left, his naturally somber face was now full of solemnity and reluctance to accept what he had witnessed.

In that moment, Hermione realized that the subject of her confusion and Krum's bewilderment were entirely different and unrelated. They were not saying the same thing at all.

"What precisely are you referring to, Viktor?" The bashfulness that had previously filled Hermione's facial features dissipated, replaced by the sharp glint of shrewdness in her brown eyes.

"Oh, I was just—" Krum appeared somewhat hesitant but facing a girl he admired very much, he still decided to tell the truth.

After scanning their surroundings to ensure the absence of any potential eavesdroppers, Krum lowered his voice looking both nervous and confused, "I don't understand how a powerful wizard like Mr. Vatson could...worship the Dark Lord?"

"Professor Watson worships You-Know-Who?" Hermione's voice rose in a tone of disbelief, bordering on an outright shout. Her eyebrows raised sharply as her brown eyes were now burning with a blend of incredulity and indignation staring into Viktor's, silently demanding a clear explanation before she would even consider releasing him from her sharp gaze.

"Oh, no, no!" Krum hastily raised his hands in a pacifying gesture, "I was not referring to the dark vizard commonly known as 'You-Know-Who' in your country. In our culture, we do not typically refer to him as the 'Dark Lord.' What I meant was—"

A palpable gloom covered Krum's tone as he continued, "Gellert Grindelvald—"

'Gellert Grindelwald?!'

Hermione's mind, already operating at a heightened level of alertness, required a few seconds to summon and assimilate every scrap of information she had regarding this particular wizard. This was far less difficult than the meticulous search she, Harry, and Ron had done during their first year to uncover the identity of Nicolas Flamel.

The name Gellert Grindelwald was almost inseparably linked to that of their headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, to such an extent that even Professor Watson, whose name now reverberated throughout the wizarding world, could not entirely cover his enduring legacy.

Many would argue that defeating Gellert Grindelwald, even among the numerous extraordinary feats Professor Dumbledore had accomplished throughout his legendary life, stood as one of his most remarkable and noteworthy achievements.

But the notion that Professor Watson worshipped Gellert Grindelwald?

The sheer absurdity of this revelation seemed to rival, if not surpass, the unbelievable idea of Professor Watson pledging allegiance to You-Know-Who himself!

"Did you happen to take note of that distinctive pattern on the first page of the stack of parchment he clutched in his arms just moments ago?"

Krum's tone was unmistakably tinged with displeasure, but Hermione's response was even more sharp. For reasons she couldn't quite explain, she found herself experiencing a growing sense of dislike towards Krum at that moment. Thus, despite being fully aware of the specific pattern to which Krum was referring to, she feigned ignorance, pretending not to have noticed it at all.

"I beg your pardon?"

"I'm referring to that pattern!" Krum traced his fingers through the air before Hermione, his face darkening with each passing moment, "I can assure you, Hermy-own-ninny, that if anyvun else had showed me that symbol, I vould have engaged with them in a duel without a moment's hesitation!"

"What's wrong? Is there something wrong with that pattern?" Although still dealing with a sense of unease and unhappiness, Hermione couldn't suppress the flicker of curiosity that had been ignited within her regarding this matter.

"Grindelvald, that is Grindelvald's symbol!" Krum's facial muscles twisted, as if he were forcibly chewing some unpalatable substance, before he continued, "Grindelvald vos responsible for the deaths of countless people, and my own grandfather numbered among his victims. Naturally, he never had significant influence or power within this particular country. It vos videly speculated that he feared Dumbledore— a theory that vos proved to be justifiable, as proved by his ultimate fate. But that symbol—"

Krum once again gestured insistently towards Hermione, "—is definitely Grindelvald's emblem. I recognized it instantly. Perhaps you are unavare, but Grindelvald studied magic at Durmstrang. During his time there, he etched that symbol into vun of the school's walls. I had to pass by that vall on a daily basis, so I can state vith absolute certainty that I vould not be mistaken in identifying it."

Krum's tone grew increasingly cold as he continued, "At the school, there vere some fools who copied this symbol on their textbooks and clothes, under the delusion that it vould strike fear into others and make themselves look great— however, those of us who had lost loved vunes at the hands of Grindelvald taught them a lesson.

But we all know that outside the school, stupid guys like this actually exist all the time, and there are quite a few of them. They still gather under this symbol, using it as a spiritual symbol. They are nostalgic for the dark days when the wizarding world voss terrorized by Grindelvald, fantasizing that one day in the future they vill be able to live a life of doing whatever they vant."

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章 609: 0607 Rise and Fall

Gellert Grindelwald - a name that evokes both awe and terror, the first wizard to be widely known as a Dark Lord in modern magical history. At the pinnacle of his power, his influence nearly engulfed all of Europe except for Britain, with tens of thousands of wizards willingly pledging their allegiance to him and his cause.

However, Grindelwald was not content with merely terrorizing the Wizarding world; he also coveted domination over the Muggle World. To achieve his goal of total domination, he led his followers to form alliances with extremist Muggle factions, fueling and promoting wars of aggression worldwide and causing unprecedented global turmoil and suffering.

But as meteoric as Grindelwald's rise to power was, his swift fall was equally incredible and dramatic.

At the peak of Grindelwald's tyranny, when he seemed invincible, one man dared to confront him alone - Albus Dumbledore. The two wizards were then engaged in an epic duel that would determine the fate of both the wizarding and muggle worlds.

When the dust settled, Dumbledore emerged victorious and returned to Hogwarts to serve as its headmaster, while the vanquished Grindelwald imprisoned himself in Nurmengard. Grindelwald's fanatical followers, who tried desperately to rally and turn the tide, were crushed by the united allied forces of wizards from various countries under the leadership of the International Confederation of Wizards.

That war could truly be considered a catastrophe of immense proportions for the entire world, both magical and muggle. Therefore, some argue, perhaps with some justification, that in comparison, Voldemort, the evil wizard whom the British wizarding community so feared like a monstrous Dragon, was not even worth mentioning at all in the same breath with Grindelwald. Even at the peak of his power, Voldemort's forces never managed to extend their influence beyond the borders of Magical Great Britain.

However, this view, while understandable, does not properly address the fundamental issues.

The key difference was that Grindelwald did not encounter any significant obstacles or opposition in the early stages of developing his power base and was nearly unrivaled as he rose to prominence. By the time Dumbledore finally intervened, Grindelwald's forces were already deeply entrenched and well-established.

Perhaps learning from the experience and harsh lessons of the previous fight against evil, the greatest wizard of the age was much more proactive and aggressive in dealing with Voldemort from the beginning.

As soon as Voldemort's evil forces began to unite and gain momentum, Dumbledore was already sounding the alarm, warning people at various public events to be vigilant and urging them to actively resist the rising darkness. He even personally founded the Order of the Phoenix dedicated to combating Voldemort and his masked Death Eaters through both open and covert means.

Like an impenetrable quagmire, Dumbledore's efforts effectively dragged down and trapped Voldemort's forces within the borders of Britain, preventing the cruel flames of war from spreading further and engulfing more innocent wizard civilians and defenseless Muggles.

Therefore, there can be no doubt at all that both Gellert Grindelwald and Lord Voldemort were extremely evil, twisted dark wizards who mercilessly attempted to build their own cold, cruel thrones upon the suffering and subjugation of countless people, but in the end, their mad ambitions and dreams of conquest ultimately crumbled and failed.

Similarly, Bryan Watson is widely hailed and recognized as the most outstanding and impressive young wizard to emerge from Europe's magical community in recent years. With Dumbledore's increasing old age, many knowledgeable observers directly consider Watson to be the most powerful wizard of the new era.

Every young Hogwarts wizard is proud and thrilled to have such a legendary wizard as a teacher at their school, and yet here was Krum, going on gloomily about Professor Watson's alleged admiration for the infamous Grindelwald...

To be perfectly honest, if Harry had happened to be present, upon hearing such provocative words, he might well have lost his temper and punched Krum directly in the face, even though Viktor was a world-renowned Quidditch superstar!

However, Hermione almost always level-headed and rational still tried her utmost to listen calmly and objectively. In her heart, she did feel some genuine empathy and sympathy for Krum, as his own grandfather had died at Grindelwald's hands, an experience somewhat similar to the trauma Harry suffered in losing his parents to Voldemort.

But to definitively associate the upright Professor Watson with the evil Grindelwald just because of a symbol seemed to Hermione to be an exceedingly imprecise and unwarranted speculative leap.

Krum, absorbed in his own reasonable anger and instinctive hatred for Grindelwald, finally realized that the girl standing before him now looked a bit off-color, her breathing was noticeably slightly hurried and uneven, and her normally warm eyes now radiated a distinct hint of cold hostility.

"Oh, sorry!" Krum awkwardly came to his senses and hastily tried to explain and backtrack, "Votson is indeed a very admirable wizard. I'm not saying he definitely admires Grindelvald or anything like that. Err, I just meant that symbol... Maybe he's simply researching Grindelvald academically, but even that could be equally dangerous in its own way, especially for such a powerful vizard..."

"That's baseless prejudice and speculation, Krum!" Hermione took a deep breath to compose herself before continuing, glaring at Viktor Krum with an intensity that made him flinch. "Is it not entirely plausible that Professor Watson is just researching and analyzing that dark period of history from a detached academic perspective?

The simple fact that those parchments are stored in the Restricted Section and not thrown into the fireplace to be instantly burned indicates that they hold some value and worth for further study in certain academic situations. Studying such objects does not equate to actually violating the law or following Grindelwald!"

"Uh, you're absolutely right, Hermy-own-ninny, I misspoke, I just..." Krum stammered, looking extremely embarrassed and flustered. He clearly hadn't anticipated Hermione's sudden anger and intensity, and he also instinctively sensed that, because of his tactless and insensitive comments, his earnest invitation was most likely going to fall through. "So, uh, vould you perhaps… be villing to go to the ball with me..."

But no matter the odds, Krum still felt compelled to try, holding out a faint hope.

"Sorry, Krum, but I really don't think that would be at all appropriate now," Hermione said in a clipped tone. "If attending the Yule Ball is an official champion's obligation, then I will of course go as required, but under the circumstances, I'd rather attend with my fellow Gryffindor classmates."

With that, Hermione turned on her back and tossed her hair haughtily as she strode down the corridor, her arrogant manner somewhat was similar that of Fleur Delacour's characteristic haughtiness. However, after descending a few steps along the dusty stone corridor, Hermione suddenly stopped and turned back to face Krum one last time.

"And one more thing, I truly don't believe there's a single thing about Grindelwald that's worthy of Professor Watson's admiration. In fact, I'm quite certain Professor Watson is far, far superior to the likes of Grindelwald, both in terms of magical prowess and strength of moral character!"

As Hermione's footsteps faded, the corridor in front of the library returned to its usual funereal silence. Hermione had completely left the scene, leaving behind only a dejected and stunned Krum slouching sullenly at the edge of the archway, alone with his dark thoughts.

Bryan had not anticipated that he would inadvertently ruin what could have been a successful date between the two young people. At the same time, regrettably, he had also completely missed hearing some truly valuable and intriguing information contained within the conversation between Hermione and Krum.

Clutching the stack of parchments in hand, Bryan swiftly arrived on the fifth floor and stood thoughtfully in front of the old door to Professor Binns' office. It was arguably the shabbiest and most dilapidated of all the staff offices scattered throughout Hogwarts castle, a fact obviously clear by the antique cobweb-covered oaken door before him.

Doors, of course, were completely useless to Professor Binns, who could effortlessly pass through solid walls while carrying his lesson plans and the essays submitted by his young students.

When Bryan himself had been a student at Hogwarts, he too had been puzzled and intrigued by Binns' extraordinary abilities, because normal ghosts simply did not possess the power to physically touch or manipulate objects in the physical real world, let alone effortlessly switch between physical and ethereal states at will.

As for Peeves, his existence was not that of a simple ghost and could not be considered the same. This abstract question had perplexed Bryan for a very long time, until he finally returned to Hogwarts. With his eyes and perception magically improved, he began to notice some clues.

There seemed to be an extremely rare and special magic in Professor Binns' soul, a powerful magic that not only sustained his mental abilities and clarity through the long years, saving him from the fate of so many other ghosts who gradually became confused and muddled as centuries passed, but it also granted him extraordinary abilities that ordinary ghosts could not possess.

"Please come in..." A weary, gloomy voice finally emanated from behind the door a good while after Bryan gently knocked.

The office itself was fairly clean and well-maintained, as none of the long line of Hogwarts headmasters that Professor Binns had diligently served under would ever have allowed him to grade the young wizards' papers amidst dirt and rubbish.

Therefore, they periodically helped him replace the furnishings and decor in his office over the decades. Every single year, when distributing new timetables and verifying the final student enrollment list for the NEWT-level Advanced History of Magic class, Professor McGonagall would always take some time out of her own busy schedule to tidy things up a bit and keep Binns' office presentable.

Currently, the desk was piled high with thick stacks of graded assignments from students spanning all seven years as well as complicatedly prepared lesson plans stretching out for months in advance. One of the few advantages of being a ghost was not actually requiring sleep, so in terms of pure efficiency in handling his numerous professorial duties, no other Hogwarts staff member could hope to match Professor Binns' tireless work ethic.

The room itself was rather dark and gloomy, with only a sliver of pale sunlight shining through the narrow gap between the two tightly closed velvet curtains, casting a thin, pale beam of light across the flagstone floor.

As Bryan respectfully entered, the normally idle Professor Binns could be seen floating silently in front of the cold, long-extinguished fireplace, utterly lost in some deep trance.

"Good afternoon, Professor Binns. I sincerely hope I'm not disturbing you at an inconvenient time..." Bryan began softly and politely, not wishing to startle the ghost professor.

Binns slowly rotated in midair to face Bryan directly, staring at him with a scary intensity as if truly seeing him for the very first time. "Are you perhaps here to submit that unacceptable essay at long last, Mr. Zlanite?"

Professor Binns' look of surprise and confusion was not at all unusual. In his hazy, flickering recollection, it was not yet time to issue updated class timetables or finalize student enrollment lists for the term.

"Ahem, well..." Bryan coughed softly into his fist a couple of times to cover his momentary amusement. "Actually, Professor, I'm Bryan Watson, you may recall..."

"Bryan Watson?" Professor Binns repeated slowly, blinking rapidly as he racked his brain. Then a sudden spark of recognition seemed to flare behind his ghostly eyes. "Ah, might you be referring to the same Bryan Watson who, back in September 1994 at the 422nd Quidditch World Cup final, arrested the dark witch Cliodna, who was in the midst of preparing to launch a terrorist attack?"

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