bioinnovel Chapter 283 This is too much!
Chapter 283 This is too much!
Chapter 283 This is too much!
Hagrid and Mrs. Maxim, both half-giants.
One acted as if they were on a blind date, while the other was all business.
"My horse only drinks single malt whisky," Mrs. Maxim instructed.
"I promise you, I'll take good care of them!" Hagrid said excitedly, his face flushed.
Before Hagrid could introduce himself further, Mrs. Maxime waved her hand and led the Beauxbatons students into the castle.
The Beauxbatons students, who valued style over warmth, were finally saved. Their bodies trembled, and their faces showed reverence as they entered the warm and bright castle one after another. Mrs. Maxim was gone, leaving Hagrid standing alone, looking as miserable and aggrieved as a child weighing hundreds of pounds.
The night was still, the autumn wind was bleak, and Hagrid, with a gaze that seemed to hold a thousand years, looked at the tiny Belvina for help.
Its pitiful little eyes seemed to say: You have a lot of clever ideas, help me think of a solution!
Belvina didn't really want to pay attention to Rupert Hagrid, but she couldn't resist the half-giant's direct stare.
With no other choice, Belvina squeezed out a few syllables through gritted teeth, which drifted lightly into Hagrid's ears on the evening breeze.
She said, "Never talk about anything related to bloodlines, especially the bloodlines of the two of you."
Having spent many years in the Ministry of Magic, Belvina wouldn't claim to be an expert judge of character, but she certainly has her own unique insights.
Judging from their previous interactions and that instant connection, it seems that Mrs. Maxim is intentionally concealing the fact that she is a half-giant.
If Hagrid were to bring up the very thing that's most sensitive topic, Mrs. Maxim would likely not only fail to appreciate his sincerity but would also feel disrespected.
Upon hearing Belvina's kind reminder, Hagrid, who had been looking bewildered, said "Oh" and then walked towards the twelve enormous divine horses, his frustration replaced by excitement.
Well, how should I put it?
Mrs. Maxim, whom he fell in love with at first sight, was certainly important.
However, the twelve extraordinary divine horses were equally important.
Time passed slowly, but the Durmstrang delegation still hadn't appeared, and the Hogwarts students waiting in line were already shivering slightly from the cold.
The once neatly arranged student lines became chaotic, and the bolder students couldn't help but complain in hushed tones about the cold weather and Durmstrang's lateness.
Feeling a slight chill, Belvina tightened the cloak draped over her shoulders, unable to help but speculate maliciously about Karkaroff's lateness—he must have done it on purpose, absolutely!
Even Barty Crouch lost his patience. He pulled a pocket watch from his robe pocket, checked the time, and said impatiently, "It's 6:30. They've wasted too much of our time."
Whether it was the Ministry of Magic officials or the entire school faculty and students, most of them looked up at the deep blue night sky with eager eyes, anxiously waiting for the Durmstrang delegation to arrive.
Just as more and more students were starting to tremble, Durmstrang, who was long overdue, finally appeared.
A strange rumbling sound suddenly came from the darkness, the eerie sound like the sound of a toilet being flushed amplified countless times.
"In the lake!" someone shouted. "Look, Black Lake!"
The eyes of the entire school's teachers and students immediately turned to the distant Black Lake. The once calm lake surface was no longer calm, and huge splashes of water surged and churned.
Waves kept washing over the damp lake shore.
Immediately afterwards, a huge whirlpool appeared on the surface of the Black Lake, like a bathtub plug being pulled out, or like someone pressing the flush button on a toilet.
At the center of the giant whirlpool, a long, dark pole slowly rose, followed by sails and rigging. A magnificent three-masted sailing ship slowly emerged from the water, cutting through layers of waves and sailing toward the shore.
Whenever wizards from all over the world gather together, they can't help but want to show off.
Just as the tents at the Quidditch World Cup campsites compete for attention, so too does the entrance ceremony for the Triwizard Tournament.
Beauxbatons' giant carriage and Durmstrang's three-masted sailing ship deeply impressed the Hogwarts students present.
Belvina stood on tiptoe, gazing at the three-comb sailboats gliding across the lake.
The capsized boat looked very strange, as if it had just been pulled from the bottom of the lake.
The portholes of the capsized ship shimmered with a dim, misty light, making it look like a legendary ghost ship.
"Wow!" Belvina exclaimed, "Wow!" She never thought she would see the Flying Dutchman at Hogwarts in her lifetime.
Just as Belvina was marveling at the dream collaboration, Durmstrang's three-masted sailboat docked, an anchor was thrown into the shallow water, and a plank was placed on the shore.
Then, Igor Karkarov led a group of burly men off the ship with an imposing air, as if they were not going ashore but preparing for boarding action.
Those who knew them knew they were there to participate in the Triwizard Tournament; those who didn't might have thought they were there to rob Hogwarts.
It's no wonder Belvina was having these wild thoughts; the sense of déjà vu was just too strong, making it impossible for her not to think that way.
If Beauxbatons students are like young masters and ladies going on an outing, Durmstrang students are like gangsters showing off their horses, almost all of them are burly men.
The sense of impending bandit landing gradually dissipated as Durmstrang students slowly approached the castle along the lawn.
The Durmstrang students looked tall and imposing because they all wore thick fur cloaks, the tangled and disheveled cloaks making them appear even larger.
"Dumbledore!" Igor Karkaroff, the leader, exclaimed enthusiastically.
Karkaroff wore a magnificent silver-white cloak, its fur smooth and glossy, clearly indicating its high value.
"How are you, my old buddy?" Karkaroff said enthusiastically, his voice sweet and mellow, much like a stereotypical villain.
"Excellent, thank you, Professor Karkaroff," Dumbledore replied.
The question-and-answer session between the two principals easily led one to believe that they were old friends and that tonight's meeting was a reunion of old acquaintances.
In reality, the last time Dumbledore and Karkaroff met was probably more than a decade ago in the Ministry of Magic's inquisition.
At that time, Albus Dumbledore was the chief of Wizengamot, while Igor Karkaroff was a prisoner, a Death Eater who betrayed his master to save his own life.
Seeing Karkaroff shake hands with Dumbledore, Belvina put on a big smile. Although she was disgusted with him, she still did her job to appear welcoming.
However, what was unexpected was that Barty Crouch was unwilling to even do a superficial job, making no attempt to hide his contempt for Karkaroff.
"Mr. Crouch, you seem to dislike Professor Karkaroff," Belvina whispered, her sweet smile still on her face.
"They all say you know the department's old case files inside and out. Don't you know why?" Barty Crouch replied softly, still looking down on Karkaroff.
Karkaroff was still chatting with Dumbledore not far away. Although he was smiling, there was no smile in his eyes, only indifference.
"Viktor, come here quickly," Karkaroff said affectionately. "You don't mind, Dumbledore, do you? Viktor has a bit of a cold..."
As he spoke, a Durmstrang student stepped forward at Karkarov's prompting.
The boy had a striking hooked nose, thick, dark eyebrows, and his legs appeared to be slightly bowed.
During the fog, the students of Hogwarts were in an uproar, even more excited than when they saw the giant pink and blue carriage and the three-comb sails, and whispers filled the air.
"Krum!"
"Viktor Krum!"
The boy Karkaroff was so caring towards was none other than Quidditch superstar Viktor Krum.
Just two months ago at the Quidditch World Cup, Krum led the Bulgarian team to the finals and even caught the Golden Snitch during the finals.
Although the Bulgarian team performed poorly on the night of the finals, being unilaterally slaughtered by the Irish team, Viktor Krumm's performance was impressive, with two Lonski feints nearly defeating Ireland's Lynch.
At that moment, Barty Crouch suddenly whispered, "After all these years, Karkaroff hasn't changed at all."
"Is Mr. Crouch referring to his adoration for world-famous stars?" Belvina asked knowingly. "If I were a school principal, I'd probably give him special treatment too, wouldn't I? That's Viktor Krum, isn't it?"
"I actually think Dumbledore's treatment of Harry Potter is more commendable," Barty Crouch said. "Students are students; they shouldn't be treated differently, much less given special treatment."
This statement is quite in line with Barty Crouch's character.
He also inadvertently clarified the misunderstanding at the World Cup campsite that night; he wasn't targeting the boy who had miraculously survived, but was simply following protocol. Just then, the seemingly enthusiastic Igor Karkaroff finally noticed everyone except Dumbledore.
It's also possible that Karkaroff sensed someone was around and then realized that there were other people standing behind Dumbledore.
"Mr. Crouch, it's so good to see you here!" Karkaroff said greasyly, striding forward and extending a hand.
"It's good to see you here, Karkaroff," Barty Crouch said meaningfully, extending his hand to shake Karkaroff's hand briefly before letting go.
Despite being snubbed, Karkarov remained unfazed, his fake smile still shining brightly.
He grinned, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth, and said, "Mr. Crouch, you should visit Durmstrang sometime. We've known each other for a long time. I prefer Hogwarts to the distant Durmstrang." Barty Crouch's words were still laced with sarcasm. "When the Triwizard Tournament is less demanding, I might invite you to London."
After being repeatedly rebuffed, even a shameless person like Karkaroff could no longer endure it. He turned to look at Belvina, whose smile was even more hypocritical than his own.
"Miss Black, we meet again." Karkaroff's smile became even more insincere, as if he wanted to outshine Belvina.
"Professor Karkaroff, I've missed you dearly since we parted in London."
Belvina continued with a smile, "By the way, I remember you missed Mr. Crouch a lot back then. Tonight, old friends are reunited, so you should have a few drinks."
Upon hearing this, Igor Karkarov's smile froze on his face, and his goatee twitched slightly—this was going too far!