The Return to Hogwarts

"That was just a lighthearted joke. Of course, we should thank Hogwarts for their enthusiastic response. And here, we will meet a new friend, Mr. Amost Blaine, who will be representing Hogwarts at the banquet in place of Mr. Albus Dumbledore!"

Amosta nodded to the crowd with a calm smile on his face.

“Oh, Mr. Blaine, why don’t you come up and show yourself off?” Dregion said quipped. “Is it because you don’t want to be separated from the beautiful Miss Delacour?”

A burst of light laughter erupted from the crowd, some good-natured and some malicious, but a hint of embarrassment and anger flashed in Furong's azure eyes; clearly, she didn't like such jokes.

"Go up and talk to everyone, Amosta!"

Ignoring Batty's cold, hard gaze, Ludo excitedly waved to Amosta, seemingly unaware that this Wip Dreghan had ill intentions.

"That's true--"

In a matter of moments, Amosta had chosen his method through a combination of coercion and enticement.

He stepped forward slowly, facing pairs of eyes each harboring their own thoughts, and smiled nonchalantly.

"Perhaps you are unaware that before I took up the position of Head of the Hogwarts Student Safety Office, I served as a professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts. Miss Delacour's extensive magical knowledge and talent amazed me, and I was planning to learn from her about Beauxbatons' advanced teaching philosophy."

This time, the laughter was mostly good-natured, and even Madame Maxim smiled at Amosta in a friendly manner.

A hint of mockery flashed in Batty's eyes, not at Amosta, but at Whip Dregern, who was smiling like a cunning old fox.

This guy probably thinks Amostella is just a young and inexperienced wizard who only gained some fame under Dumbledore's management. That's why he dragged Amostella out to vent his dissatisfaction with Dumbledore. But judging from what Barty knows, Amostella Blaine is not someone who can be easily manipulated, whether in terms of strength or mentality!

Chapter 399 The Cocktail Party (Part 2)

2023-08-01

When Amostella used a witty and elegant remark to dispel the negative impact of his malicious joke, Whip Dregern immediately realized that the young man pushed out by Albus Dumbledore was not so simple.

He hesitated for a moment, after all, he didn't want to offend Albus Dumbledore too much, but then Karkaroff suddenly spoke.

"No need to be modest, Mr. Blaine—"

A playful smile tugged at the corner of Karkaroff's lips.

"Everyone knows that Hogwarts is the oldest magic school in Europe and the greatest magic school in the world. Both Beauxbatons and Durmstrang have drawn on Hogwarts' teaching methods."

"That's exactly right--"

The wizards present came from all over the world, graduates of different magic schools. Karkaroff's words struck a nerve with their pride, and sensing the underlying discontent, Dregern instantly made up his mind. He smiled and echoed their sentiments.

"We've gathered here to decide which school will host the Triwizard Tournament, but I think Hogwarts has it all figured out, right? Oh, I've worked with Dumbledore for many years, he must be very confident to have changed representatives at the last minute."

This is why Amosta is unwilling to "climb the social ladder" in the so-called high society, where people always have a particular fondness for plotting against their opponents through intrigue and cunning. Under the stable social rules, he must be wary of his desire to try to solve everything by force.

"I agree with some of Principal Karkarov's statements--"

Amosta smiled at Karkarov without showing any emotion.

"As we all know, Hogwarts is indeed the oldest of the three magic schools in Europe. But in terms of greatness, my humble opinion is that every magic school is a cradle for magical civilization and is great. And the word 'great' cannot be quantified by the word 'most'."

After saying this, Amosta turned to look at Dreygen and continued before Dreygen could retort.

"As for why Headmaster Dumbledore temporarily appointed me as the candidate for Hogwarts, Mr. Dregern—"

Amosta chuckled.

"Perhaps the reason he didn't want to be here is because he didn't want to steal your thunder!"

Laughter and applause erupted simultaneously in the magnificent banquet hall. Many people looked at Amosta Blaine with admiration, marveling at the outstanding improvisational skills of this rising star in the European magical world.

Staring at the elegant yet sharp Amostra Blaine, Fleur's large blue eyes burned with passion. To be honest, although she didn't think Beauxbatons was any weaker than Hogwarts, she had to admit that she couldn't find a wizard like Amostra Blaine in Beauxbatons.

Handsome, elegant, and witty, Amosta Blaine is also a powerful wizard, as evidenced by his famous deeds. Considering his age, he has a very promising future!

Barty's expression was complicated. Although Amosta's excellent response had saved face for the British Minister of Magic, the thought of Amelia, whom this guy secretly supported, made Barty unable to feel happy. However, when his gaze fell on Dregern, who had been teased by Amosta and was trying to maintain his composure, Barty's eyes revealed a hidden pleasure.

"It seems that our Mr. Amosta Blaine possesses more than just exceptional skills—"

Before the situation completely spiraled out of control, Dregern said with a smile,

"Oh, speaking of skills—"

Wip Dregern's eyes widened, and he patted Amostella on the back in a feignedly friendly manner, saying in a tone of sudden recollection,

“We all know that Mr. Albus Dumbledore is the most powerful wizard in the wizarding world today. Now that Hogwarts has another wizard with extraordinary skills, why not let everyone see him? I mean, your amazing magic, isn’t that the best way to let everyone know you?”

madness--

Barty Crouch thought to himself.

Whip Dregorn seemed to think that Amostall was a charlatan, whose supposed magical skills, aside from his glib tongue, were merely a facade presented by the Daily Prophet. However, Barty knew that this was not the case. He had heard from Cornelius, Dolores, and Rufus about the terrifying, sky-burning fire they had witnessed when they arrived at Hogsmeade.

"It's been more than half a century since the amazing battle between Dumbledore and Grindelwald that was so incredible. I mean, one man was able to fight against a hundred ferocious werewolves."

Dregern stared intently at Amosta, behaving like an admirer.

"I think everyone here wants to see your extraordinary magic. Come on, Amostella, show everyone what you're capable of. If it's spectacular enough, it might even help Hogwarts get extra points in the selection process!"

Amos's lack of immediate response led Dregern to believe he had found a way to embarrass Amos. He became increasingly convinced that the astonishing achievements reported in the newspapers were a staged performance by Dumbledore to transfer power to Amos.

In fact, there are quite a few people in the European magical world who share this idea. After all, it seems rather abnormal for a previously unknown wizard to suddenly become outstanding.

Even Albus Dumbledore, back in the day, began building his reputation while studying at Hogwarts, eventually becoming a revered great wizard, unlike Amostella Blaine, whose fame skyrocketed in just one year due to certain events, making him a household name.

"Show magic--"

After going around in circles for so long, Amosta had actually chosen this one who wanted to make a fool of himself. Amosta sighed inwardly.

In fact, Amostella's biggest flaw is the unknown gap between his graduation from Hogwarts and his return to Hogwarts. If someone were to investigate what he did during that time, it would indeed be quite troublesome.

"Heh heh, Mr. Dregern, what approach do you think I should take?"

Amosta asked with great interest.

"Of course, we need an opponent!"

"Whip Dregern said excitedly, immediately glancing at the gathered crowd. His eyes scanned back and forth, feigning to search for an opponent for Amosta. Suddenly, his gaze settled on Fleur Delacour, who was also hoping Amosta would show off her skills. He exclaimed with a hint of surprise, "

"You're the one, Miss Fleur Delacour. I think you're a suitable opponent!"

"what?!"

Furong cried out in surprise, completely unexpected that the spectacle would befall her.

“I think this is probably not a good option, Mr. Dregern.”

Mrs. Maxim stepped forward and spoke in a slightly angry voice,

"Fleur is indeed Beauxbatons' best student, but I think everyone can understand that she is still quite far behind Mr. Blaine. This is not an evenly matched battle."

“If you want a fair fight, Mrs. Maxim—”

Karkaroff immediately said,

"Only Dumbledore himself can handle that. None of the people here can take on a thousand-year-old basilisk or a hundred ferocious werewolves by themselves!"

Karkarov was joking, but his eyes were cold and devoid of any smile.

"That's exactly right--"

Dregern clapped his hands, confirming Karkaroff's statement.

“Miss Delacour is currently studying at Beauxbatons, and Mr. Blaine is a professor. Isn’t this a rare opportunity? Miss Delacour might benefit greatly from his guidance!”

What a cunning fellow!

Those who are truly clear-headed saw through Dreggen's scheme.

Amos Blaine certainly can't lose to Fleur Delacour, right? That would ruin his reputation. Of course, he also can't get bogged down in a long battle, as that would be equally humiliating for Amos Blaine.

But if Madame Maxime were to decisively defeat Fleur Delacour, she might lose face.

Chapter 400 The Cocktail Party (The End)

2023-08-02

Whip Dregern wanted to have some fun at Hogwarts, while Durmstrang's Igor Karkaroff wanted to have some fun at both Hogwarts and Beauxbatons.

Few guests in the banquet hall were oblivious; almost everyone saw through the scheme that Amosta Blaine had orchestrated, which was clearly the work of Dregern and Karkaroff.

Dregern's explanation did not completely convince Mrs. Maxim. She looked displeased and wanted to say something, but when she saw that her prized student, Fleur, seemed quite interested, she hesitated and swallowed the words that were on the tip of her tongue.

Fleur has always been the pride of Beauxbatons. Her Veela bloodline gave her outstanding looks and her own exceptional magical talent, making her the darling of her peers. Perhaps, it wouldn't be a bad thing to let her suffer a little.

With this in mind, Madame Maxime ultimately said nothing and also stopped the French Ministry of Magic officials who wanted to say something in support of Fleur.

Barty stared coldly at Whip, furious at his relentless pursuit. He had already made up his mind to go back and say hello to Dumbledore, and once this matter was over, he would teach Dregern a lesson. But the most urgent thing was to warn Amostella not to fall into a trap.

However, when Batista noticed Amosta's expressionless face and calm eyes, his slightly tense mood suddenly subsided.

“Don’t be stingy, Amosta!” Ludo exclaimed excitedly. “Let’s see what you’re capable of!”

Dreggen's scheme didn't faze Amosta, but Ludo Bagman's eager look to see the show made Amosta's forehead crease with two black lines.

Is this guy genuinely stupid as rumored, or is he up to no good?

Amosta noticed the expectation in Hibiscus's azure eyes and couldn't help but chuckle to himself. After all, she was just a young girl who hadn't graduated yet, and her mind was so innocent.

She was probably the only person in the banquet hall who genuinely wanted to test her skills.

"Since that's the case—"