"Wizard Chess Tournament? Why do you want me to participate?" Facing the smiling Dumbledore in front of him, Alaric felt the urge to punch someone for the first time.
Why did this old guy assign him such an inexplicable task?
He was extremely busy at the moment. There were many things on his plate: the newly decorated house needed organizing, various plants had to be prepared for the new garden.
The recently acquired Philosopher's Stone hadn't been researched yet, and he also wanted to study that during the summer break.
"I've heard about your achievements," Dumbledore explained with a smile.
"You played well at the Wizard Chess level, employing a unique strategy—overwhelming opponents by controlling more pieces at the same time. I heard that it was your first time playing Wizard Chess, right?"
"Oh, your information is truly accurate," Alaric rolled his eyes dismissively.
"But I'm busy now. I have a lot of books to read, plenty of research to complete. I don't have time to participate in that international Wizard Chess tournament."
"You are the most talented student I've ever seen," Dumbledore sighed, complimenting him.
"I've seen many talented young people, but none of them works as hard as you do. They spend a lot of energy on leisure, comparison, love, and other trivial matters.
Sometimes, I even feel that you are not mature like a young person. However, I think you push yourself too hard. Why don't you take a chance to relax like other kids your age?"
"You consider the international Wizard Chess tournament as relaxation?"
"Yes, I think, for you, it is relaxation," Dumbledore looked at Alaric with a smile.
"To be honest, Hogwarts hasn't made much progress in this competition for many years. I remember, whether in my time or Professor McGonagall's time, Hogwarts always achieved good results in the international Wizard Chess tournament.
But now, for several years, no one from Hogwarts has participated in the competition. Instead, students from Beauxbatons have been making waves in this arena."
"Okay, I'll consider it." Alaric felt a bit annoyed by the conversation and reluctantly agreed.
"It won't take much of your time, at most two or three days." Dumbledore, noticing his reluctance, continued to persuade.
"I heard you've been arranging your garden recently?
If you agree to participate in this competition, regardless of the outcome, I'll personally ask Professor Sprout to give you a share of all the precious herb seeds in Hogwarts' greenhouse. How about that?"
"Are you serious?" Alaric was tempted; collecting so many types of herbs was troublesome. If he could get everything directly from Hogwarts, it would be much easier.
"Of course, I am the headmaster of Hogwarts and still have some authority." Dumbledore jokingly winked at him.
"Regardless of the outcome?"
"Regardless of the outcome. But I believe you won't just brush me off in this matter, right?"
At this point, Alaric felt that this old man was quite annoying because he indeed knew Alaric well. Alaric was always like this: either not doing something or doing it to the best of his ability.
"Alright, you win." He sighed. "As you wish, I will participate in this competition, and I'll secure the championship."
...
This edition of the International Wizard Chess Tournament took place on a small island in the Mediterranean.
The island was enchanted with an anti-illusion spell, and the method to arrive here was through a portkey.
After using the portkey, Alaric and Dumbledore appeared in a large square. Wizards were coming and going around them, and the tournament venue was inside a castle in the center of the square.
Apparently, the International Wizard Chess Tournament held a high status among wizards.
At least in terms of the number of participants, there were quite a few people at the competition venue.
Most of them came from different countries, but the majority were of European and American descent.
Alaric noticed that Dumbledore was indeed very famous internationally.
Shortly after they arrived, more than ten wizards came to greet him.
These wizards looked quite old but had strong magical abilities. It was evident that they were not simple characters.
Of course, these old folks were not here to participate in the competition.
They were either enthusiasts who purchased expensive tickets to watch the competition live or guardians accompanying younger participants.
These old people warmly introduced their young children to Dumbledore.
From the names, it seemed that most of these young people were their grandchildren. It appeared that these people all came from major wizarding families.
However, Alaric didn't like these people, so he only made perfunctory greetings when introduced to them.
Nevertheless, Dumbledore kept introducing Alaric to them.
Upon learning that Alaric was the inventor of the recently popularized mobile fireplace in the magical world, each of them looked at Alaric with surprised and admiring eyes.
"Are all the participants here so young?" Alaric asked Dumbledore softly after bidding farewell to an old wizard from Denmark.
"Oh, yes. Although there are a few elderly participants, the majority of the competitors are young," Dumbledore nodded slightly.
"You should know that playing Wizard Chess is a very energy-consuming activity. When I was young, I could play continuously with others for three days and nights, but now..."
He chuckled self-deprecatingly, "We old guys may have some advantages in magic and experience, but, you see, after just one or two rounds, we run out of energy."
Next, Dumbledore introduced Alaric to several other acquaintances.
According to Dumbledore, they were the most academically accomplished wizards in the wizarding world, frequently contributing to publications such as "Today's Transfiguration," "Innovations in Charms," and "Complete Guide to Practical Potions."
After learning Alaric's identity, these old wizards warmly welcomed the young man who had achieved so much in the field of academia at such a young age.
This time, unlike before, Alaric didn't just exchange greetings and move on.
He chatted happily with these old wizards, exchanging many academic opinions on charms, transfiguration, and more.
In the end, he even exchanged contact information with many of them, agreeing to write letters to each other.
"Oh, it's rare to see you so happy chatting with others," Dumbledore said curiously after they left.
"Mrs. Sprengler even said she wanted to introduce her granddaughter to you. I dare say, she has never admired a young person like this before."
"They are all great people." Alaric said happily, with a smile on his lips. "Their knowledge is very profound, and I have benefited a lot from our exchanges."
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