Demstran's principal is a Death Eater?
Hermione's mouth opened wide, and Harry slowly turned his head to the Dumbledore students, who were clamoring at the bar for Mrs. Rosmerta to continue serving them drinks, recalling the still-friendly Krum, he said with difficulty, "How could this be how could this school allow--"
"Hmmph--"
Sirius smirked coldly,
"There are plenty of strange things in this world. To be honest, Karakov isn't exactly a brave man; I thought he'd never dare to set foot in this country again. I didn't expect him to have the courage to bring his students to the Triwizard Tournament and even dare to show up in front of Moody and Flitwick. But that's as far as it goes, I bet you. If there's any buzz about his former master coming back, he'll run faster than anyone else. He must know that his past actions won't be forgiven..."
Sirius's tone paused for a moment before continuing,
"Similarly, he is not a forgiving person, so he resents Dumbledore for stopping Voldemort back then. Or perhaps, Astoria won over him and became the host of the Triwizard Tournament to take revenge. This is not an impossible thing."
Hermione still found it hard to imagine that Krum's headmaster had once served Voldemort, that he had once helped them in the World Cup, and just a few days ago, Krum had given her some ideas for dealing with the Triwizard Tournament tasks.
"But--"
Hermione bit her lower lip lightly,
"I can't understand why he would pick me. It doesn't make sense, does it? I've never met him before he came to Hogwarts. He couldn't just pick anyone, could he?"
Facing this question, Sirius doesn't seem to be as confident. Clearly, he has been thinking about this over the past few days.
"Yes. If he targets Harry, it's much easier to understand--"
Harry's face darkened. Whenever the topic of Voldemort came up, it always seemed to involve him.
Stumped by this question, Sirius looked a bit dejected. He leaned back in his chair, staring up at the ceiling with a serious expression on his face.
"If you say --"
Harry was following the same train of thought, twisting his brow in thought, "If he's been aware of your name for a long time."
Harry noticed that Hermione was staring at him in shock, so he quickly explained,
"He will probably mention it to his headmaster when he gets back from the World Cup. He may tell Karakov that he helped you in the matchday box. So Karakov has kept this in mind."
This explanation is not impossible, but it does seem a bit far-fetched. Neither Hermione nor Sirius showed any reaction.
"Karakov is the killer, just in our opinion. The truth may not be like this."
After a long time, Sirius spoke, and then, he quickly glanced at Harry and Hermione's chairs, his expression becoming somewhat hesitant.
"In fact, there's something else you both don't know about, and I'm not sure if I should share it with you, because I promised to keep it absolutely confidential."
"Oh, come on, Sirius, we promise to keep it confidential!"
Harry and Hermione exchanged a look, and Harry immediately became interested.
"All right, just remember to keep it a secret—"
Sirius crouched down, lowering his voice to a whisper, looking like he was up to something mysterious.
"It's like this On the day after you were chosen as a champion, Hermione, I received a letter from Astoria. He asked me to do something for him. He asked me to keep an eye on Bathilda Crouch, watching his actions in the Department and making sure no one discovers it"
"Bathilda... Bathilda Crouch..." Hermione gaped, stammering.
"Professor Blaine told you to --" Harry said coldly.
This matter completely took Hermione and Harry by surprise. They had never imagined that Professor Blaine would suspect Bathilda Crouch.
That's Professor Black! Whether it's Hermione or Harry, they both undoubtedly trust Professor Black's judgment more than anyone else!
But isn't it strange! A high-ranking official from the Ministry of Magic is why he gets involved with a minor witch?
Hermione and Harry were both thinking hard, then they looked at each other, their eyes reflecting realization.
They were not unfamiliar with Bathilda Crouch. That night of the Quidditch World Cup, they had sneaked into the dilapidated Quidditch stadium to help Harry recover his wand. There, they witnessed another terrifying event.
At the time, Hermione and Crouch had an argument. Hermione condemned Crouch for abandoning his house-elf, Glitter, when most people had already accepted that Glitter was not the one who put the Dark Mark on Harry.
Harry couldn't wait to share his theory, then eagerly awaited Sirius's evaluation.
"Don't overthink it, Harry--"
To Harry's frustration, Sirius did not agree with his theory for the second time. He smiled wryly and said,
"If Bathilda Crouch were to hold a grudge against Hermione because of this, what could he do? He couldn't possibly have achieved his current position. I'm telling you this because I think it might be related to Hermione being chosen as a champion, or it might not. You see, the conflict between Astoria and Bathilda Crouch is more complex than you might imagine; it involves politics. Well, it's not something you need to know."
"So, in other words, --"
Hermione probably understood Sirius's purpose for bringing them out today.
"You want to warn us to be cautious around the headmaster of Durmstrang and Bathilda Crouch, don't you?"
"Also, be on your guard for the champion from Karkaroff's school, Hermione --"
Sirius said solemnly,
"Of course, I know he helped us at the Quidditch World Cup, but back then, he wasn't your match. You might have read about it; Durmstrang is not like Hogwarts. Their teaching style has always been more brutal. You understand what I mean? If he gets a chance to take a shot, I think he won't hesitate to take the opportunity to eliminate a competitor."
"I heard that the school here teaches dark magic as a tradition, so it's not hard to understand why they would choose a notorious Death Eater as their headmaster."
Hermione and Harry exchanged a look under their Invisibility Cloak. Although they did not contradict Sirius, it was obvious that neither of them agreed with his evaluation of Krum.
It was nearing lunchtime, and the Three Broomsticks bar was gradually filling up with guests, including local villagers and students from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang. Some people had set their eyes on Harry and Hermione's spot, but Sirius refused them, claiming that he was waiting for someone.
During this meeting, Sirius told them some very valuable things, but to be honest, Harry was a bit disappointed. He had hoped that Sirius would directly pinpoint the killer and tell them what the killer's motive for choosing Hermione as the champion was.
Outside the window, mist and rain enveloped everything. Not far away, atop a hill eaten away by green silk, the Screwing Shack watched silently over the quiet village at its feet. And in the mists of Hogsmeade, like a lost village of times gone by, ancient and filled with mysterious vibes.
"This time, there are a few things I want to remind you to be aware of, Harry--"
After a moment of silence, Sirius began speaking again. His voice was very low, but Harry and Hermione could all hear the caution in his tone.
"What?"
Harry realized that Sirius had saved this piece of information for last, which might just be the reason he had called him out in such a hurry.
"I've been in constant communication with Remus, discussing the recent situation. As for the World Cup, you all know what happened. The Ministry has been investigating the masked wizards who attacked it, and we have indeed found some clues. A rumor has it that those imposter Death Eaters were actually hired, and behind them, there may be a true Death Eater."
Sirius's statement contradicted what the Ministry of Magic had reported in the Prophet, but which one was more credible was not a question worth pondering.
Harry furrowed his brow and listened carefully.
"--There have been many signs that Death Eaters are becoming active, and these cunning creatures who've been lurking in the gutters for more than a decade, what gives them this courage? You see, the magical world is not only under the rule of Dumbledore anymore. There's also Astoria. Unless --"
What could it be unless?
The only possible explanation is that these Death Eaters may have sensed that their master is becoming stronger.
"Everyone is keeping a close eye on Hogwarts, watching Dumbledore and Astoria. In this situation, the Triwizard Tournament being held at Hogwarts has been causing trouble. It's hard not to imagine things, so Harry, I hope you can stay alert at school. If you notice anything unusual, don't take any risks. Dumbledore, Astoria or Moody are all trustworthy people who can help solve the problem."
(Chapter ends)
