John's relationship with the Golden Trio wasn't as good as it had been.
In their first and second years, they could still be considered friends.
But as they grew older, their interactions became fewer and fewer.
If it weren't for Hermione today, Ron would've had to pay the price for insulting Cedric.
After all, to John, Cedric was a true friend.
As for Harry and Ron, they were just the protagonists from the books he had read in his past life, which he can't even fully remember due to the shock his brain experienced after transmigrating here.
The boy who lived, the one who saved everyone by killing the Dark Lord when he was a baby, the Savior of the wizarding world...
For some reason, John thought of Dumbledore.
That old man, step by step, had pushed Harry into the role of the protagonist. You could even say that the title "Savior" was given to Harry by Dumbledore himself.
A wave of gloom settled on John's face, and he remained silent.
Heinrich was also reticent, as usual.
In the days that followed, John continued teaching Neville in the Shrieking Shack.
He caught some mice, bugs, and the like for practice.
At first, Neville could only use the Cruciatus Curse on insects. But eventually, he progressed to using it on small animals, which was good enough.
"Calm your emotions, Neville."
Seeing Neville struggle to calm down after using the Cruciatus Curse, John placed a hand on him and used mind and soul magic to soothe his emotions.
The downside of dark magic was precisely this—it subtly influenced the user.
John was learning from Draco about being a prick to others and was becoming good at it.
John's continuous provocation and efforts to stir up Neville's hatred toward himself often left Neville unable to keep his composure.
Neville gasped for breath, his bloodshot eyes staring at John as he rasped, "Sorry, John."
He adjusted himself repeatedly to resist the urge to punch John.
Though, in truth, he had done so before—only to be promptly beaten by John in return.
With John's combat abilities, no one aside from Hagrid could really rival him.
John cast an Aguamenti charm to help Neville fully regain his composure.
As Neville returned to his usual self, John sighed and asked, "Neville, do you want to give up? It's not too late."
Neville wiped the water off his face and clenched his fists, replying, "John, I'll stick with it."
Although he didn't fully understand why John wanted him to learn the Cruciatus Curse, as long as it could save his parents, he was willing to endure.
For that, John felt a pang of guilt.
"Alright, tomorrow the two schools will arrive. Make sure you adjust your mindset. Your Cruciatus Curse is good enough now."
John sent Neville away to calm down, not wanting to risk being ambushed while unprepared.
When he returned to the Constellation Society's secret room, he noticed a new Firebolt displayed next to his own.
"Draco really is ostentatious."
There was no need to guess who it belonged to. Malfoy must have noticed John decorating the room with his belongings and decided to do the same.
Taking out a few magic crystals produced by the secret room, John began processing and crafting them.
By the time he finished and left, it was already late at night. Walking silently through the castle, he encountered Snape patrolling the corridors. John quickly cast a Disillusionment Charm to avoid detection.
...
October 30th.
The students were instructed to wear their cloaks.
Snape, disgruntled about his class being cut short by half an hour, scowled and barked at the Slytherins to hurry down to the Entrance Hall.
The Heads of Houses were busy managing their respective students, with Professor McGonagall appearing even more stern than usual.
"Weasley, straighten your hat."
"Miss Patil, remove that ridiculous and laughable thing from your hair."
A scolded Ron hastily fixed his hat, while a displeased Parvati Patil frowned and removed a large butterfly ornament from the end of her braid.
Professor McGonagall didn't glance at them but instead turned to address the group loudly, "Follow me, everyone. First years at the front, no pushing!"
She worked hard to maintain control over the nearly chaotic crowd.
The students filed down the steps in a line and stood in front of the castle.
The cold evening brought a crisp freshness to the air, with a slight chill seeping in.
The night sky was falling, and a pale, translucent moon hung over the Forbidden Forest.
Hagrid stood nearby, holding two large fans that seemed like tools for directing traffic.
The students eagerly chatted about all the fresh and exciting possibilities, including how the two visiting schools would arrive.
Some suggested by train, others said it might be a Portkey.
Flying broomsticks, Apparition... Various theories filled the air, and they seemed quite intrigued by the students from other schools.
Draco Malfoy glanced around and, noticing Heinrich's absence, whispered, "Where's that Heinrich guy gone?"
"Have you forgotten that he's just a temporary transfer student here?" John cast him a sidelong glance and replied flatly, "He's a Durmstrang student. Naturally, he wouldn't be here with us to welcome them."
"Ah, that makes sense," Malfoy said, finally understanding.
Ever since Malfoy started his physical training, John had noticed that Malfoy seemed to use his brain less and less.
As for Goyle and Crabbe, the two large boys, they only seemed to grow in size—nothing else about them seemed to develop at all.
John had once suspected that Goyle and Crabbe might have traces of magical creature blood in them. Malfoy asked, "John, how do you think they'll arrive?"
Clearly, Malfoy's curiosity had been piqued by the discussion.
Daphne stood on tiptoe, her face wearing a haughty, indifferent expression.
John found it amusing—she was obviously curious.
After thinking for a moment, he said, "Beauxbatons is likely coming in a carriage pulled by flying horses. Madame Maxime raises twelve Abraxan horses."
"As for Durmstrang, I'm not as familiar, but Heinrich mentioned their school has a black ship. They're probably coming by sea."
As he speculated, a black dot appeared in the distant sky.
At first, it was just a speck, but as it grew closer, it became larger and more distinct.
A student spotted it and screamed, "It's a dragon!"
"Don't be ridiculous—it's a flying house!" another student retorted.
The enormous object flew over the treetops of the Forbidden Forest. The castle windows illuminated it, revealing a massive carriage.
Calling it a house wasn't entirely wrong, as the carriage was enormous—practically the size of a small building.
It was being pulled through the air by twelve winged Abraxan horses, each as large as an elephant.
Fuuushh~~
The carriage descended rapidly, its wings stirring up a powerful wind that forced three rows of students to step back in a hurry.
Daphne, standing on tiptoe, lost her balance as the retreating students bumped into her, causing her to fall backward.
"Ah—!"
Just as she let out a scream, thinking she was about to hit the ground, a hand firmly caught her by the waist.
Steadying herself, she opened her eyes and found herself staring at a face up close—features with a distinctly Slavic elegance. Daphne's cheeks flushed involuntarily.
John glanced at Astoria, who was standing ahead. He thought he saw a ...sly glint in her eyes.
"Are you alright?"
With his hand still supporting her slim, soft waist, John helped Daphne regain her footing.
Daphne's ears burned red as she lowered her head and murmured a barely audible "Mm-hmm."
Once both of them had steadied themselves, they turned their attention to the carriage that had landed ahead.
The Abraxan horses pulling the carriage looked far more spirited compared to when John had last encountered them—each one holding its head high.
The carriage door bore a crest of two golden, crossed wands, with three stars shooting out from the tip of each wand.
The door opened, and a boy in a light blue robe stepped out, bowing as he unfolded a golden staircase beneath the carriage before stepping aside.
Then, a gleaming high-heeled shoe emerged from the carriage.
It belonged to Madame Maxime. She appeared as magnificent as ever, dressed in luxurious attire. Her hair was tied back into a shiny bun, and she was adorned with an array of beautiful opal jewelry.
Her black satin dress clung elegantly to her figure, covering her from head to toe.
Dumbledore led the applause, and the students followed enthusiastically. Many craned their necks, eager to get a clear view of the visiting headmistress.
Madame Maxime was extraordinarily tall. When she extended her hand, Dumbledore performed a courtly hand-kiss without even needing to bend over.
"Welcome, Madame Maxime," Dumbledore said warmly. "Welcome to Hogwarts."
"Dumbledore," Madame Maxime replied in her deep voice, "I trust you are well."
"Very well, thank you," Dumbledore responded.
"My students," Madame Maxime said casually, waving a hand behind her.
About twelve or thirteen young men and women descended from the carriage, forming a neat line behind Madame Maxime.
Each of them looked to be around eighteen or nineteen years old. However, their thin clothing left them visibly shivering in the chilly air.
Harry was observing them closely when something caught his eye—one of the students had something sparkling on their chest.
Looking more carefully, he realized it was a badge, glittering like stars in the night sky.
But the student's face was obscured, hidden in the shadow cast by Madame Maxime's towering figure.
Nearby, Hagrid, equally large in stature, seemed unsure where to place his hands. When Madame Maxime nodded toward him, he grinned foolishly in return.
He eagerly promised to take good care of the Abraxan horses.
Madame Maxime led her students up the steps, disappearing into the castle.
After a while, a strange gurgling sound echoed, drawing John's attention to the lake.
"In the lake!"
The calm surface of the Black Lake became turbulent as a large whirlpool formed in its center.
A long, dark mast slowly rose from the vortex, followed by the emergence of a grand ship.
The ship gleamed under the moonlight, its eerie appearance resembling a skeleton, as if it had just been dredged up from the depths of the lake.
An iron anchor splashed into the shallow water, and a plank was lowered onto the shore.
A group of people disembarked from the ship.
They were all tall and broad-shouldered, wearing heavy fur cloaks.
The man leading them had silver-white fur draped over his shoulders, soft and sleek, matching his equally silver hair.
The man greeted Dumbledore warmly.
This must be the headmaster of Durmstrang, Karkaroff.
He had a tall and thin frame, with a pointed goatee whose tip was curled into a small twist.
Despite his outwardly enthusiastic demeanor, he exuded a sense of cold detachment.
"Viktor, come here and warm up."
Karkaroff beckoned Krum to come forward, completely ignoring the other students.
John finally understood why Heinrich had such a low opinion of him.
_______
A/N: They are finally here! This is gonna be fun! Heheheh~
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