Academic Exchange Plan with Newmontgard School of Magic

Sean's heart gave a violent leap, and that infatuated feeling surged up again.

He hurriedly lowered his head and took a sip of Pumpkin Juice. When he looked up again, the girl was still watching him, but the feeling had faded.

This girl definitely had Veela blood!

Sean raised his cup and smiled in acknowledgment.

But inwardly, he was already thinking that he should stay farther away from this senior in the future.

Once everyone had eaten their fill, the remaining food vanished from the plates all at once. The dishes became spotless again. A while later, Pudding arrived. There was every flavor of ice cream imaginable, apple pie, syrupy fruit tarts, chocolate cake, jam doughnuts, brandy-soaked jam pudding, strawberries, jelly, rice pudding...

Sean only sampled a little. For him, most English desserts contained far too much sugar.

When he saw Cotton beside him piling another thick layer of cream onto his dessert, Sean's teeth ached just looking at it. That stuff had to be sickeningly sweet.

As the sweet feast came to an end, Dumbledore rose to his feet once more.

"Now that everyone has eaten and drunk their fill, before your eyelids start fighting each other, I have a few points of note for the new term."

The Great Hall fell silent at once, leaving only the faint crackling of the candles.

"First-year students should take note: the wooded area on the school grounds is forbidden to all students. Some of our older students would do well to remember that too."

Dumbledore's gaze swept across the Gryffindor table.

"Also, Mr. Filch, the caretaker, has asked me to remind everyone not to use magic in the corridors between classes.

"Quidditch player tryouts will be held in the second week of this term. Any students wishing to join their House team should contact Madam Hooch."

After saying this, Dumbledore's expression turned slightly solemn. With a gentle wave of his right hand, a line of fiery red letters appeared in midair.

Newmontgard.

"Some of the older students have no doubt already heard the news. Yes, we have reached an Academic Exchange agreement with Newmontgard School of Magic."

The previously quiet Great Hall immediately erupted into noise as students began discussing it among themselves.

"That rumor actually came true? God, just thinking about those stuck-up bastards from Newmontgard makes me want to throw up," Cotton complained to the others beside him.

"Can you tell me why?" Sean asked softly, turning his head. Hermione also leaned in curiously.

"Oh, are you from a Muggle Family?" Cotton showed a look of realization, then his expression darkened unconsciously. "Ever since Newmontgard was founded, they've been declaring that they would become the most outstanding School of Magic of the new era. Then, who knows what agreement the headmasters reached—the Triwizard Tournament, which had been discontinued, was revived. The number of participants from each school was increased to three, and Newmontgard was added as a host school..."

From Cotton's dissatisfied account, Sean learned that after Newmontgard was founded, it had not only aggressively recruited students from other schools, but also constantly touted its so-called "elite education for the new generation of wizards." Yet the three European schools that had initially dismissed it suffered a crushing defeat in the first revived Triwizard Cup!

What was more, over the following decades, Newmontgard had claimed almost every championship, while Hogwarts had won the few remaining titles.

Over the decades, Newmontgard's student body had grown larger and larger. Hogwarts, located in England, was still managing well enough, but Durmstrang in Germany was now close to shutting down. It was said that Durmstrang's entire student body might not even equal the number of students in a single year at Hogwarts.

Another reason Newmontgard was so hated by Hogwarts was its magic. In Cotton's exact words, those people from Newmontgard used "Dark Arts with a layer of skin painted over them." They struck ruthlessly, with no concern for their companions' safety, and were even more vicious toward their enemies.

At the previous Triwizard Cup, held at Hogwarts just last year, one of Hogwarts' three Champions had been from Ravenclaw. He had been hit by an evil curse during the competition and spent the rest of the term lying in St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries.

The Newmontgard students who had come to Hogwarts had not shown even the slightest hint of apology. They had even openly provoked them. Quite a few clashes had broken out between the two sides.

"A pack of beasts wearing Wizarding Robes." That was Cotton's final assessment.

Sean nodded thoughtfully. No wonder those two recruiters had been so hostile toward each other back then. The bad blood between the two schools really ran deep.

Cotton glanced up at the teachers' table and complained, "They actually want us to have an Academic Exchange with those people. I really don't know what Professor Dumbledore is thinking."

Dumbledore's aged, wise face remained utterly calm. He did not even stop the commotion in the Great Hall. Only after the discussions had quieted somewhat did he raise one hand.

"This plan was decided long ago." The word Newmontgard burned quietly before him. "After the term is halfway through, they will come to Hogwarts. I hope everyone can get along amicably with these guests who have come from afar."

He paused. "Show them the pride of being Hogwarts students."

Dumbledore commanded great prestige. Though many grumbled dissatisfiedly under their breath, all the students straightened their backs.

"Lastly, I must remind you all: if you do not wish to suffer an accident and die a painful death, do not enter the corridor on the right-hand side of the fourth floor."

Sean frowned. Voldemort had not yet risen to power, yet Dumbledore had still arranged for the Philosopher's Stone?

Who was it meant for? Grindelwald? Or his followers?

Dumbledore smiled again. "Now, before everyone goes to bed, let us sing the school song together!" Sean noticed that the smiles of the other teachers seemed to have frozen.

Dumbledore did not take out his wand. With a light wave, the letters spelling Newmontgard vanished, and the flames reformed into a long set of lyrics in midair.

"Everyone may choose their own favorite tune," Dumbledore said. "Ready, sing!"

The entire school began singing at the tops of their voices:

Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Teach us something, please, Whether we be old and bald Or young with scabby knees. Our heads could do with filling With