Grindelwald's Reward

After Professor Goodman announced the news, Sean was momentarily at a loss for words.

The contestant's true form was actually the competition event, and the organizer transformed into his appearance to help him win the championship—it was all done through cheating using dragon language, and there wasn't even a fake duel.

Haha—suddenly I feel sorry for those players who were knocked unconscious by my own mistakes.

The Hungarian Horntail looked up at the sky, let out one last dragon roar, and then returned to its cave.

Sean waved to the students in the stands who were too busy marveling to applaud, and then followed him into the cave.

One dragon walked alone into the depths of the cave. Sean turned around and found that Grindelwald had returned to his original form.

"Well done, Sean. Your control of the force is excellent. That means you have a complete understanding of your new body. You've only been using Animagus for a week. It's truly an amazing talent." Grindelwald returned to his usual posture, hands behind his back and head slightly raised.

Sean transformed back into human form, straightened his slightly wrinkled Wizard Robes, and said helplessly, "Thank you for the compliment, sir."

"Don't always act like a little adult. You're only in second grade, aren't you?" Grindelwald winked at him. "Even without considering other factors, today's experience is strangely enough to make you want to sing a song."

"But the other contestants probably won't find it amazing..." Sean shrugged.

Grindelwald raised an eyebrow noncommittally. "I thought they could do more, but it turns out, no one even noticed that this Fire Dragon's thought process was different from a normal Fire Dragon. In the end, the elites I've trained for years were all fooled by a Disillusionment Charm. Disappointing—"

"Sir, you can't really blame them..." Sean wanted to say something nice about those unfortunate guys, but honestly, he wondered if he could have done any better if he were in their situation.

Besides, wasn't it you who didn't want to give away the reward in the first place...?

However, Grindelwald's eyebrows furrowed higher and higher, while his eyes narrowed slightly. Sean had spent some time with him and knew that this was a sign that Grindelwald was somewhat angry.

Anyway, it's none of my business... Sean obediently shut his mouth and stopped trying to provoke trouble.

Grindelwald snorted, "Reckless, impetuous, and even infighting in the midst of danger... I have always admitted that my educational philosophy is very radical. How many friendships can a wizard trust in his lifetime? In the end, the most trustworthy thing is still his own strength."

He slowly paced back and forth. "So, their competition and their selfishness are all within my expectations, and in a sense, they are what I taught them—but I didn't teach them to be stupid."

Grindelwald sighed in disappointment and said quietly, "Sean, don't do this kind of job as headmaster anymore—stupid and reckless kids will always ruin your good mindset that you've cultivated for decades."

But I'm only in second grade, one of those stupid and reckless brats you're talking about...

"Alright, now it's time to give the winners their prizes," Grindelwald's mood was as unpredictable as the weather in the Scottish Highlands. He was back to his amiable self. "You can go out with your prizes. I need to go back and think about how to give those little brats some extra training."

Sean looked at the wooden box in confusion. Wasn't there no reward inside? He had put the Golden Egg in there himself, and there was nothing inside.

He walked over, opened the wooden box, picked up the largest Golden Egg, and opened it. Just as he expected, it was empty.

Grindelwald's voice grew fainter as he walked away. "That's the reward. Use your little brain."

Sean looked down at the huge Golden Egg in his hand; he had to hold it with both arms to lift it.

Does it have to sink into water like the Golden Egg in the Triwizard Cup to discover the secret? But there wasn't an extremely piercing scream when it was opened just now...

That's strange... I'll have to go back and study it more carefully. I need to get out of here now...

Sean, holding the Golden Egg, slowly walked out of the cave.

As soon as he appeared in the sunlight, a thunderous roar of applause and cheers erupted.

The Hogwarts students were especially excited. Their own students had won the competition, which was practically equivalent to the school's anniversary celebration, and it was more refreshing than iced Pumpkin Juice on a hot summer day.

The applause from Newmontgard wasn't as enthusiastic, but it was still genuine.

Although Sean didn't defeat the Fire Dragon head-on, and the Dragon Speaker took a shortcut, it was still a demonstration of Sean's strength. It's important to know that naturally born Magus are extremely rare, and the Dragon Speaker Magus is a talent that hasn't appeared in centuries.

Sean squinted at the sky, a sudden sense of emptiness popping into his head. "Something's weird..."

If these people knew that the Sean Wallerup they just saw was Grindelwald in disguise... and that the so-called Dragon Speaker was just a poor imitation, and that he had only just called himself an idiot...

It's unbelievable...

Sean accepted the cheers and applause without hesitation; after spending so much time with Grindelwald, he had become quite thick-skinned.

As he walked out of the arena and returned to the crowd, the Weasley twins cheered and rushed over to hug him.

"No, Fred, George, no..." Before Sean could finish speaking, the Weasley brothers lifted him up and tossed him high into the air.

Other Hogwarts students also enthusiastically rushed forward.

Sean, bobbing up and down in the air, could only helplessly accept this way of celebrating. Winning as the main event of the competition seemed to be a truly bizarre experience that only happens once in a lifetime...

The celebration lasted a long time, and Hermione and Daisy didn't even have a chance to squeeze in and say a few words. In the end, the students crowded around Sean and walked back, touching the Golden Egg all the way.

As they reached the castle entrance, the crowd suddenly parted to form a path, where a girl was looking at Sean in the center with a mixture of curiosity and grievance.

She wore the uniform of a fifth-grade student in Newmontgard, had long, smooth, platinum-blonde hair, and was quite a pretty girl.

Sean was completely bewildered. He didn't recognize the girl in front of him at all, so why was the crowd making way for her, and why were Fred and George acting like they knew it?

Does that mean that when I was underground as Fire Dragon, Grindelwald, who was in his own form, did something...?

"Who is she..." Sean nudged Fred beside him without showing any emotion and asked quietly.

"As expected of the Magic Little Prince of Hogwarts, Sean, you truly live up to your reputation!" Fred exclaimed with admiration.

"Magic Little Prince" was the nickname the Weasley twins had given him on short notice. Sean had refused it thirteen times, but the two rascals had repeated the nickname more than twenty times.

"Wallerup," the girl blinked, "it was just an accident. I didn't take good care of Miren. I came to tell you that you don't need to buy me a new toad—"

Compensation? Toad?

Sean's lips twitched. What exactly did Grindelwald do when he transformed into his likeness?!

Having fooled the girl named Iluka Otmarin and finally shaken off the others, Sean arrived at the underground practice room.

Sure enough, Hermione and Daisy were already waiting inside.

"Hey, nice weather today, uh?" Sean greeted him, slightly out of breath, while straightening his wrinkled robe.

The two girls in front of him clearly realized that the Hungarian Horntail was actually himself.

"Sean— " Hermione used her usual interrogative tone.

"What's wrong..." Sean tried to feign innocence, but it seemed that the only way was to deny it to the death.

After hesitating for a moment, Sean chose to confess. "Okay, I'll tell you—"

Hiding some details and the secret of Grindelwald's Transfiguration ability, Sean tells the two of them about how he helped them.

"No wonder you didn't participate in the last round... that was Illusion Charm cast by Mr. Grindelwald ... Good heavens, Sean, you're so bold..." Hermione exclaimed in amazement.

"I knew it! That Hungarian Horntail had an annoying vibe; it must be Sean." Little White Flower innocent-looking Daisy, proudly raised her head.

"Hey girl, given that you said I have an annoying quality, I won't compliment your keen observation." Sean flicked Daisy's smooth forehead.

Daisy stuck out her tongue and grinned as she slipped behind Hermione.

"So, just because the prizes weren't enough, they needed you to cheat? Mr. Grindelwald really is—" Hermione hesitated for a long time before finally saying, "He really does whatever he wants..."

"Obviously, that's the kind of person he is. However, I still have to repay the favor I owed him," Sean shrugged and held up the Golden Egg. "And there's a reward too, although I don't know exactly what it is yet..."

Hermione and Daisy also curiously gathered around, and the three of them opened the Golden Egg again and again to examine it carefully, but they still couldn't discover the secret within.

After that, Sean took the Golden Egg to the bathroom, but no matter whether he sank Golden Egg into the water or used Fire-Making Spell, the thing didn't change at all.

Sean strained his eyes but still couldn't find any writing or symbols on it.

Having no other choice, Sean could only put the Golden Egg into his ring and then head to the Great Hall for tonight's dinner.

However, since all of the school's students were killed and many were still receiving treatment in the Hospital Wing, the atmosphere in the Great Hall was not very enthusiastic.

This situation became even more pronounced when the expressionless Grindelwald took the seat of honor.

"The banquet begins."

He said just that, and the food appeared on the long table. However, the food didn't taste very good to the students of Newmontgard.

"Oh, Mr. Grindelwald doesn't seem too happy?" Hermione said cautiously, glancing at the teacher's desk as Slicing Charm her steak.

Grindelwald at the center was talking to Professor Rosier and Professor Goodman.

Having expended a great deal of energy, Sean was trying his best to maintain an elegant storm as he inhaled food.

"...&*...*%*%￥%"

"What did you say?"

Sean swallowed the food in his mouth and said, "I said, he was indeed not very happy. Obviously, the performance of the Newmontgard students did not meet his expectations."

"But," Hermione glanced around discreetly, lowering her voice automatically, "Wasn't that a trap you two set together?"

"That's what they say, but Mr. Grindelwald is very demanding, and—" Sean shrugged, "He's never been a reasonable man."

"But he usually looks just like Professor Dumbledore..."

"Hmm, maybe it's just how it appears..."

Why do you say that?

Hermione's suspicions were soon confirmed.

After the dinner, the students hurriedly ate a few bites of Pudding and cake, and the desserts on the table quickly disappeared.

Then, Grindelwald slowly stood up.

His opening remarks made all the students of Newmontgard lower their heads.

"It's embarrassing, I'm really embarrassed for you."

Grindelwald's voice was filled with regret and anger.

"Look at you, students of Newmontgard! Look at the badges on your chests, look at the wands in your hands! With this kind of performance, you dare to call yourselves elites?"

"You have disappointed me greatly." Grindelwald's words were undisguised, direct, and barbed.

"I don't like to waste words. Every student of Newmontgard here, listen up, memorize this, and then relay it word for word to those guys lying in the hospital," he leaned forward slightly, his gaze stern. "Every choice you've made is incomprehensible to me, every mistake you've made is frowning. Everyone must write a two-foot-long paper on the habits of Fire Dragon and how to deal with them, and you must be proficient in the spells mentioned."

"Then," he straightened up and looked at everyone, "Starting today, you will only have half a day off on Sunday afternoons every week. The rest of the time you will be studying!"

Grindelwald's imposing gaze swept across the entire Great Hall, and everyone he looked at lowered their heads even further.

"The banquet is over," he suddenly smiled at the Hogwarts students, his tone becoming gentle and steady, "Your guests who have traveled from afar deserve praise. You may choose whether or not to attend the tutoring sessions on the rest day, and the winner—"

He drawled, "Sean Wallerup, fifty points added to your personal score, and you will receive a classroom all to yourself. I grant you permission to run your own Magic Club, which anyone can apply to join, and you can set the admission criteria yourself."

"I hope we can improve by learning from each other."

Grindelwald finished his speech and strode out of the Great Hall.

The students glanced furtively at Sean, who looked completely bewildered.

I'd love to get extra points, but why is there another Magic Club here?

Sean looked in the direction Grindelwald had left, and he could already feel the slightly burning gazes of the people around him.

Now, many students from Newmontgard can openly approach him, right?

How about we solicit names for a club? And then solicit names for its followers?