A day at Hogwarts.

Chapter 553 Waiting for you to make a big splash

The front-page photo of The Daily Prophet looked like a red-hot branding iron stuck to the hearts of the fairies.

Beneath the huge headline was a blurry yet shocking photo: the door to a vault was smashed to pieces.

This is a photo taken by the old man back then. Dumbledore can still recognize the fleeting figure on the edge.

The news once again ruthlessly exposed the holes the fairies were trying so hard to cover up—a vault deep inside Gringotts had been robbed.

Despite Gringotts security chief Gronouk's insistence in front of the flashing lights that it was "just an internal exercise," The Quibbler's sharp questioning was like a venomous sting: "A fairy's vow or a thousand-year-old joke?"

The winds have shifted among wizards. Many initially thought the Gringotts robbery was just a hoax by wizards involved in an inheritance dispute, but now someone has recognized the stolen vault, and the owners are theoretically all together in Azkaban.

The wizards exchanged uneasy glances; trust teetered like a sandcastle, and Gringotts's "absolutely safe" signboard was instantly covered in a thick layer of dust.

The fairies' counterattack came swiftly.

Just one day later, the front page of the Daily Prophet was changed to a dazzling gold headline: "Push the limits! Gringotts No-Rules Vault Cracking Contest - 30,000 Galleons Await Your Arrival!"

The accompanying photo shows Gronook standing in front of a huge billboard, his pointed chin almost piercing the frame.

He shrieked at reporters from all over the world: "Rules? There are no rules! Use your magic, your wisdom, any method you can think of—as long as you break through the vault's ultimate defenses and touch the 30,000 Galleons inside, they are yours!"

He glanced around, a defiant glint in his narrow, dark eyes, and deliberately raised his voice: "We will prove to the world that Gringotts' defenses are the best in the world, a peak that no wizard—no matter how bright their future—can surpass!"

The heavy string of "30000" in the photo burned in the heart of every wizard.

Keen observers noticed an illustration in the corner of the notice board: a blurry little wizard holding a long wand was hiding behind a huge plate of pies, with the words "Coward?" scribbled next to him.

It's obvious who the fairies are targeting.

Charles tossed the newspaper onto the table in the Gryffindor common room and continued doing his homework, a playful smile curving his lips.

Previously, the fairies had been relatively restrained, ostensibly holding a higher-level decryption challenge. But now, provoked by Jack's photos, they have become extremely agitated.

Charles thought to himself, "When it comes to dealing with fairies, we really have to rely on the old man."

Hermione asked Charles anxiously, "What are your company planning to do now?"

Charles replied seriously, "Our company is planning a group vacation to the Caribbean, but I can't go. Professor Dumbledore won't approve my leave for that."

After returning from the vault, he told his colleagues that he had resolved the issue, and they quickly came up with the most effective way to generate buzz.

Charles thought it was pretty good, so he told a reporter to arrange the coverage.

The following day, the Daily Prophet published a front-page headline about the staff of Farbatton Castle going on a three-day vacation to the Caribbean, which happened to coincide with the "30,000 Galleons Challenge".

Krum approached Charles before Fleur, who had a multi-year endorsement contract with Farbatton Castle, their reputations intertwined, and their fates were intertwined.

A fan who works at the Daily Prophet privately told him that Gringotts had bought the front-page headline for tomorrow's event to drag him down with them.

Charles and he whispered something to each other in the corner.

For the next few days, everyone at Farbatton Castle remained silent about the matter, claiming they were preoccupied with other things and couldn't concentrate on work, spending all their time thinking about going on vacation. Meanwhile, Krum reappeared in the advertising section, promoting the upcoming "World Summer Theme Set Menu" at Dancing Grass Restaurant.

Rita Skeeter was in a bind. The news report had to be written in a veiled way, criticizing Farbatton Castle for fleeing without a fight, but in retrospect, it was actually mocking Gringotts. The wording needed to be carefully considered, and she would have to pay extra.

Some people sensed something amiss, such as Professor McGonagall.

She knew Charles too well; he was a man who always sought revenge. Back then, Malfoy was almost beaten to death for letting bugs into the greenhouse. It would be better to believe that Dumbledore didn't hide sweets in the headmaster's office than to believe that Charles would be indifferent to that.

Dumbledore thought the same thing; he could swear on the sweets he kept in his office that Charles would definitely do something about it.

Professor Flitwick went to the principal's office to submit a leave of absence to participate in the competition. Dumbledore asked him, "Do you think Charles Smith is a good boy?"

The same words were spoken by Voldemort.

He glanced around at the Death Eaters and said to Bellatrix and Rodolphus, "I know that kid well. He won't stand idly by. He'll probably have already broken into Gringotts' vaults by now."

The Death Eaters were skeptical, as breaking into the vault before the tournament was far more difficult than breaking in on the day of the competition.

Mrs. Maxim and Professor Agard also noticed the strange reaction from Hogwarts.

Agard was not familiar with Charles, but he was very familiar with Krum.

At first, Krum was worried that his commercial value would be damaged. After whispering with Charles, he happily filmed a new advertisement, which would be strange if there were no problems.

In response to the principal's doubts, Krum said, "I've heard that Charles is very close to Sirius Black and Rita Skeeter."

Talented athletes have keen intuition, and this intuition is not limited to the sports field.

Agard quickly understood his meaning and asked, "You think Karkaroff's affairs are related to him?"

Krum said, "Erica told me privately that the people Karkaroff brought in had a grudge against Charles."

Agard thought to himself that Charles should not be underestimated, which made sense when considering Hogwarts' reaction. So he said, "Your task now is the upcoming Triwizard Tournament final. Don't waste your energy on other things."

He decided that Durmstrang would not get involved.

Mrs. Maxime made the same decision, mainly because she had heard a lot from Hagrid about Harry's "glorious past" concerning Charles.

Harry had never gotten the better of Charles since childhood; at most, he could only gloat for a day before the retaliation came.

Therefore, Lady Maxime was convinced that Charles would do something, and the unusual holiday at Falcated Castle seemed very strange, so she asked the students of Beauxbatons to focus on the final of the Triwizard Tournament.

With the Gringotts Challenge drawing ever closer, Charles continues to eat and drink as usual, refusing to give Hermione any sweets he wants, and even giving Ginny the sweets he's seized in an attempt to sow discord—just like always.

Dumbledore was a little uneasy. The calmer Charles was, the more he seemed to be up to something big. In order to keep an eye on him, he hinted that he should help him. He could disguise himself as Aberforth and not be recognized.

Grindelwald then said directly to Charles, "Do you need my help? I'm very experienced. I can disguise myself as Albus's silly brother and I won't be discovered."

(End of this chapter)