A Certain Magical Hogwarts

Chapter 575 The Whereabouts of the Horcrux (Thanks to "snz" for the generous donation of 10,000 coins!)

The Quidditch World Cup has ended.

Wizards all over the world are eagerly awaiting the World Cup champion.

Ireland and Bulgaria haven't touched a trophy in a long time, so whoever wins will be crowned a new king and make history.

In fact, the Daily Prophet's frontline reporters had already relayed the news of Ireland's victory back to headquarters the moment Krum caught the Golden Snitch.

They even had the headline in mind: Ireland wins a thrilling victory, Bulgaria's dream shattered in England.

Judging from the title, one might assume that the two teams are evenly matched, with Bulgaria only narrowly losing.

But anyone who watched the game knows it was a complete stomp. Krum was the only saving grace.

I just can't write "crushing".

It might sound appealing, but its true value is diminished.

Why was the last World Cup considered the most classic match of this century?

It's because they fought for five days and five nights!

Only those matches that last for several days and involve elements like outdoor activities, horseless races, male-male encounters, friction, and broom-like vibrations will be repeatedly discussed by everyone.

Ideally, this would also include a few classic trash talk lines, such as "You almost stopped me."

If there are father-son relationships between team members... that would be even more exciting.

Once the buzz picks up, the newspaper will sell well.

A single sentence like "crushing" won't make people like this kind of competition.

It's all routines!

Even the stories that happen off the field are the most popular topics of conversation.

For example, with Akali's Mystery Shop's GG, Stark made a whopping five million Galleons...

Unfortunately, the newspaper was only half-printed when the boss immediately ordered a halt to printing and replaced the content overnight.

The newspapers, which were originally scheduled to be released in the morning, were also forced to be delayed by a full two hours.

The headline, which had previously featured Ireland winning the championship, has now become even more sensational:

The Death Eaters have arrived! The Dark Trio of the Quidditch World Cup.

Accompanied by a glittering black-and-white photograph with three black magic marks... it has a distinctly romantic feel.

Rita, a veteran journalist and an industry benchmark, had already written a lengthy report even though she was in the UK and had just gotten off the plane.

Naturally, it criticizes the Ministry of Magic's panic... the criminals have not been caught... lax law enforcement... dark wizards are at large... bringing shame to the country.

Rita's biggest criticism was directed at Minister Fudge himself. Especially his two phrases… "No comment" and "You reporters run faster than anything!"

In fact, the entire report was more like a personal eulogy for William.

The first half describes how bad the Ministry of Magic is, but then the tone shifts dramatically, starting with the phrase "God bless the Starks" to flatter them.

They really did lick it hard.

She described in detail how William killed the lake monster alone, and said that he rescued hundreds of wizards who had been kidnapped by Death Eaters.

Among them are celebrities such as Harry Potter and Krum.

At the end of the article, Rita also wrote a letter in blood, expressing her support for Stark to become the new Minister of Magic.

"This is outrageous, Rita!" William threw down his newspaper. "What's she trying to do? Doesn't she think I'm causing enough trouble already?"

"I think it's written pretty well." Hermione picked up the newspaper and read it over and over again.

"Rita's writing is quite good; reading her articles is like seeing them with your own eyes."

Hermione blinked, pursed her lips, and said, "Although none of the descriptions are correct."

There is indeed no correct answer.

Much of the information about Rita is hearsay, which I then fill in with my own imagination.

How did William get so badly injured while fighting the lake monster, and why did he refuse to retreat even at the cost of his life?

How come there are hundreds of kidnappers?

When William saw the kidnapped people and discovered how they were being tortured... he couldn't help but shed tears!

Did William shed tears?

When William found Draco and discovered he was still alive, he even laughed with joy.

Is this newspaper really talking about William?

"Okay, don't be angry. I'll write her a letter warning her not to say anything more."

Hermione sat down next to William, reached out her finger, and rubbed his furrowed brow.

"Minister Fudge is preparing to hold a press conference for the Ministry of Magic and has written you many letters. Are you really not going?" she asked.

William shook his head. "I'm not going. There's no need to go."

Today is the third day since the Quidditch World Cup ended.

Both logically and emotionally, the Ministry of Magic should hold a press conference to give the public an explanation.

We must not allow newspapers to smear us, otherwise it will cause widespread panic.

In the past few days, Fudge has invited William more than once, almost to the point of kneeling down and begging him.

If William is able to attend the press conference and say a few kind words, Fudge will be under much less pressure.

But William refused outright, saying he was too busy.

He really couldn't be bothered with it anymore. He already had a lot on his plate, and he had just said goodbye to a lot of friends. He was in a terrible mood.

After the World Cup, William led everyone away from the camp and to his home in the village of San Capole.

But Fleur and Gabrielle only stayed one night and returned to France the next day.

Mrs. Maxim demanded that all students leave.

She felt that Britain was too dangerous...

Okay, the truth is, she thought William was really weird.

Not long after the Venice incident, the World Cup followed suit.

She suddenly felt a chill run down her spine, as if she weren't wearing pants.

Maxim is now somewhat reluctant to participate in the Triwizard Tournament.

Nico returned to his estate; Newt also went home, as he would soon be going back to America, so he planned to take Tina with him.

Trinity stayed for only two days before hastily leaving to find her gondola.

Muggle newspapers reported that a submarine had been spotted in the English Channel.

They believe it is a nuclear submarine and that France is provoking trouble, calling for sanctions against France.

Teresa broke out in a cold sweat and hurriedly went to find her boat.

If this leads to war between the two countries, then that would be going too far.

Out of curiosity, Anne followed her.

Finally, as people came and went, only William and Hermione remained in the house, spending the last moments of their summer vacation.

The two discussed the newspaper for a while, and Hermione was preparing to make dinner when there was a knock at the door.

"Come in," William said, putting down his newspaper and looking up.

A witch walked in, dressed in a gorgeous purple dress, with wine-red eyes and long, silver hair cascading down her shoulders in curls.

William was stunned for a moment.

It's rare... Professor Barbling finally doesn't have William's handsome face.

She looked around the house curiously; this was her first time here.

The house was small and the decorations were so-so, but it was surprisingly cozy.

It feels like a home.

"Professor, it's been a long time... What would you like to drink?" Hermione stood up and asked warmly, like a hostess.

"Whiskey bar." Professor Barbling, her elegant dress flowing gracefully, walked in and sat down on the sofa.

"I have some here, here you go." William took a bottle of wine from the security cabinet.

Professor Babling snapped her fingers, and the bottle automatically poured wine into the glass.

"This wine is not bad, it's just a bit young." She sniffed it.

William rolled his eyes. This was the wine he used to lure the divine horse, so of course it was a short vintage.

However, with dragon's blood added, it's sure to suit the tastes of Babling, that vampire fairy.

"I'm leaving," Babling said, taking a sip.

William hummed in agreement, not too surprised.

Her current public identity is that of a spellcasting professor at Evamoni. Since the school is moving back to America, she will definitely be going back with them.

Of course, Newt, Tina, and Piccolo also went back with them.

"One of the Dark Marks that day was released by me," Professor Barbling said softly.

"Tom saw someone release the Dark Mark, so he had me release it too, just to join in the fun."

William was prepared for this and wasn't particularly surprised.

But what she said next surprised William.

"Tom may have to stay in England for a while longer... You need to be careful."

"Is he going to stay?"

Professor Babling said softly, "I helped him capture a wizard. He's possessing someone else and has been away from the camp quite often before."

He looked like he was searching for something.

"Looking for Horcruxes?" William raised an eyebrow.

Otherwise, there's really no way to explain Little Tom's behavior.

"Who knows?" Barbling licked her unusually bright red lips, tilted her head, and stared into William's eyes.

"This is your and Dumbledore's job. I'm just responsible for providing intelligence."

The woman touched her blood-red lips with her finger.

"There's one more thing... I cast a secret spell on that captured wizard, one that only vampires can sense."

"Based on the fluctuations of that magic, Little Tom has been wandering around a certain area of ​​the sea recently."

William nodded with a serious expression.

"Professor Dumbledore and I will go and check it out."

Seeing Professor Barbling suddenly frown, he quickly asked, "Is there anything else, Professor?"

She looked around and said, "Prepare a room for me, decorated and furnished like my office."

"If I have nothing to do in the future, I might sleep here for a night."

William and Hermione exchanged a glance and were both stunned for a moment.

What a strange request.

Glancing at the bewildered faces of the two, Professor Babling's mood improved, and she began to savor the wine more, the lingering taste of dragon blood on her tongue.

"By the way, Hermione, I'll be sleeping in your room tonight."

You're getting more and more beautiful; it's like a beautiful flower stuck in dragon dung.

"..."

……

……

(Please vote for this post, everyone.)

Thank you to "snz" for the generous donation of 10,000 coins.

Chapter 29 is due.

Sorry for the late update. I fell asleep last night with the air conditioner set too low and didn't cover myself with a blanket. I caught a cold this morning and have been feeling dizzy all day.

I'll definitely be updating more this month, but I have an exam on the 8th and I've been studying lately, so updates won't be as consistent after school starts.

(Sorry again)

(End of this chapter)