Daily News: The Prophet of Hogwarts

Chapter 287 Durmstrang

As expected, Ryan, still processing the information from the day, nodded and replied to Professor McGonagall that he understood and, to some extent, agreed with Durmstrang's request.

In reality, his plan was that once he got to Durmstrang, Karkaroff would no longer have the final say on what to do, since Durmstrang would already be surnamed Wells.

After all, judging from the rumors, Karkaroff's character is such that he is easily swayed by poverty and power, and he flatters his superiors while bullying his inferiors. This can be seen from his time joining the Death Eaters and turning against Voldemort after his downfall.

"Today's whistleblower report is quite interesting. It says that Durmstrang will be the site of Krum's fall during Quidditch practice—"

Let's see what information comes out tomorrow.

Ryan sensed something was wrong, but he wasn't sure yet.

He set aside his own thoughts and, to demonstrate that his visit to Durmstrang was a friendly one, he went to the Forbidden Forest's armory to select some wondrous little items that would showcase his goodwill. He also solidified some alchemical golems and carried them with him using a Seamless Extension Charm: "This way, everything will be foolproof. I believe all the teachers and students of Durmstrang will feel my sincere intentions!"

As if the heavens were affirming Ryan's idea, as he finished packing his things, Professor McGonagall told him that Durmstrang had agreed to his visit and that he needed to teleport through the fireplace, but after leaving, he would need to use a memory charm to erase his memory of the Durmstrang school's address.

Ryan readily agreed, patted the makeshift pouch at his waist with great interest, and headed towards the fireplace.

Watching Ryan disappear into the fire, McGonagall felt a little worried, fearing that Ryan might do something that would damage Hogwarts' reputation.

Durmstrang.

Karkaroff received a letter from Minerva McGonagall, an old acquaintance he had always kept at a distance.

Of course, he had to present an arrogant attitude in the letter, otherwise he would be looked down upon and appear to lack confidence. This was his consistent style of doing things.

"That kid Ryan Welsh is coming to visit." He muttered to himself about the visit, but his mind was already on Voldemort's capture at Hogwarts. He couldn't believe Ryan wasn't involved. "But his willingness to follow Durmstrang's customs...does that mean I can be a little more assertive? He'll surely give this prestigious, thousand-year-old school some face, won't he?"

This was a momentous event involving all magic schools worldwide, and Karkaroff naturally wanted to build up enough prestige for Durmstrang and himself in his heart. He wanted future records of magical history to show that he, Karkaroff, was a renowned wizard who transcended vulgar interests, possessed lofty ambitions, and led Durmstrang to its pinnacle.

"Go find Krum; he will be my student representative and join me in welcoming Hogwarts," Karkaroff said to those around him.

"Yes." The person beside him hurriedly left to find Durmstrang's best student, Karkaroff's darling, Krum.

This was a private visit, not an official competition, so when Karkaroff and Krum arrived at the fireplace in the hall, Ryan had already arrived at Durmstrang.

Seeing this, Karkaroff gestured for Krum to step forward and strike up a conversation, while he himself adopted the airs of a principal. After all, in his view, Ryan was a student, and Krum was also a student. As long as the rules were followed, there was not much difference between them.

Krum appeared tall and somber: "Hello, Mr. Ryan, welcome to Durmstrang."

"Welcome? Not necessarily." Seeing that Karkaroff remained silent, Ryan knew that someone wanted to show off and take advantage of the situation.

If it were a highly respected senior, Ryan wouldn't mind giving them a compliment; after all, in the adult world, it's all about mutual benefit.

But what is Karkaroff?

Is he considered a lackey of the Voldemort-branded power bank that Harry always carries around?

"Demstrand is really cold. I heard that only pure-blood wizards can enroll? All that tuition money from pure-blood families has been swallowed up by you, Karkaroff?"

Ryan shook his head and commented, "Is the heating only available in your office? Are students freezing to death in the dorms?"

Just as Krum was about to lash out, he met Ryan's indifferent gaze. He instinctively stepped back. He had seen that look before; it was when he met a dark wizard. If the professor hadn't been there, this famous Quidditch star might have met his end prematurely.

Karkaroff had originally intended to adopt a more assertive stance, using his position as principal to gain an advantage in the conversation, but he hadn't expected Ryan to completely ignore him and instead launch a direct and forceful attack.

He roared, "It seems Dumbledore didn't teach you any manners! Now! Right now! Get out of Durmstrang!"

"Voldemort spoke to me like that too." Ryan made up a story, but it wasn't true: "He's still locked up in the basement. Actually, I've always thought it was a pity. This infamous Dark Lord should have been able to identify his former lackeys in court."

Upon hearing this, Karkarov roared like a rabid dog suddenly having an epileptic seizure: "Get out! Get out right now!"

"Quiet," Ryan waved his hand.

Instantly, Karkarov clutched his throat and collapsed to the ground, unable to utter a sound.

Today was the most bizarre day Krum had ever witnessed: "You! What do you want to do? You killed the principal!"

""

"Murder? No way. I'll just shut him up for two minutes. Several teachers don't approve of me getting my hands dirty unless absolutely necessary. And I've always been respectful of my teachers, that's something everyone knows. You can't just accuse me like that."

As they spoke, crackling flames ignited, bringing warmth: "Oh, by the way, don't worry, these are just ordinary flames, not Fiery Blaze."

Krum helped Karkaroff to his feet: "Fiendfyre! That's extremely dangerous dark magic! Second only to the Unforgivable Curse!"

Ryan sat down casually, raising an eyebrow. "Did I come to the wrong place? Isn't this Durmstrang? The school that's known as the most tolerant of dark magic in the global wizarding world, the school that can directly teach dark magic on campus. A school that only admits pure-blood wizards. And yet it claims Fiendfire is dangerous?"

"Hmm, it seems Mr. Krum is not very familiar with the reputation of his school, nor is he aware of Mr. Karkaroff's past experiences. I should let Mr. Karkaroff continue speaking."

With that, he snapped his fingers, lifting the censorship on Karkarov.

"Fiercefire! Fiercefire?" Karkaroff's tone shifted from shock and anger to confusion, with fear creeping into the final syllable.

Ryan guessed what Karkaroff was thinking and smiled, a sharp glint in his eyes: "Voldemort must be quite skilled in dark magic. As one of his most trusted Death Eaters, I see Mr. Karkaroff is quite surprised. Why?"

In Karkaroff's mind, the figure of Ryan standing in the flames overlapped with the image of that spirited young man from his past memories.

His lips were trembling, but he forced himself to stay focused and used this incident to threaten Lai Lai: "You! You! That's something no wizard in the world is allowed to do! You're finished! I'm going to expose this to the world!"