Slytherin: Famous for All the Wrong Reasons / Uncle and Nephew Fudge, a Pair of Idiots

"The teachers are doing well; they're currently living in a nursing home off-campus," Harry replied with a smile. "They specifically reminded me to bring my Abraxan with me to greet you, so you won't worry about its life here."

"Mr. Flamel is too kind. Those two Abraxan were originally a gift from me to him, and no longer belong to me personally. But seeing how well they are being taken care of makes me very happy."

Olympe Maxime was very kind. In her interactions with Harry, she never put on any airs of superiority and always treated Harry as an equal.

Her attitude surprised some Hogwarts students who had noticed something amiss, but Beauxbatons' students remained calm, as if they didn't see anything wrong with it.

Well... except for one particular 18-year-old girl.

This is perfectly normal. Even disregarding Harry's achievements, his status as Nicolas Flamel's disciple alone is enough to put him on par with any wizard in Europe!

In the face of absolute power, age is nothing more than a number... Unfortunately, many Britain wizards cannot understand this principle.

"As for these Abraxan, this isn't my doing; you should thank our gamekeeper." As he spoke, Harry nudged Hagrid, who was clearly in a daze, with his elbow. "This is Rubeus Hagrid, the Hogwarts Professor of Care of Magical Creatures Class. He's taken meticulous care of these two horses; he'd be heartbroken if even a single feather fell out."

"I...yes, I take very good care of them! I only feed them the best single malt whisky, and I even have strength contests with them!" Feeling Harry's quiet reminder, Hagrid suddenly realized what was going on and began to tell Olympe Maxime about his daily life raising horses.

Olympe Maxime listened with a smile, a hint of excitement seemingly sparkling in her eyes.

"Anyway... I'll take good care of the horses you brought this time!" After a hesitant promise, a hint of expectation seemed to appear in Hagrid's eyes. "Um, you... no, I mean we..."

He was now completely incoherent. Suddenly seeing someone of the same background as himself, and a lady who was so beautiful in his eyes, Hagrid felt as if his tongue was completely tied in knots.

"Hagrid, I know you're very excited, but please join the ranks first," Dumbledore interrupted this grand scene of reunion among compatriots. "Our other guests have also arrived."

As soon as he finished speaking, a strange, booming sound rang in everyone's ears, sounding very deep.

The sound came from Black Lake. The students, who were standing on the hilltop overlooking the meadow, suddenly noticed that the dark water had lost its calm. Huge waves began to crash against the shore, and a turbulent whirlpool appeared in the center of the lake, as if a plug had been pulled out from the bottom of the lake.

Immediately afterwards, a long, dark pole slowly rose from the vortex; it was a mast.

Attached to the mast was a large ship, its appearance quite bizarre, resembling a skull with will-o'-the-wisps in its eyes, or the wreckage of a shipwreck recently salvaged, rocking and swaying as it sailed toward the lake shore.

The Durmstrang arrived by ship, and it was a magical vessel capable of traversing any body of water.

As the ship docked at the shore of the Black Lake, Harry couldn't help but wonder if Hogwarts was the only one of the three Europe schools that lacked a means of transportation for students to travel long distances together.

So, when the next tournament is held at a different school, how will the Hogwarts participants travel to their rival school?

While Harry was lost in thought, Durmstrang students came ashore. Each of them was quite large, roughly the same size as Crabbe and Goyle from Slytherin House.

However, as they approached, everyone realized that the reason they appeared so imposing was because they were all wearing thick fur cloaks.

The man who led them toward the castle wore a silver-white, smooth fur cloak that resembled his hair.

Harry recognized the man; Igor Karkaroff, a former Death Eater.

How could someone with such a tainted past, who only managed to escape punishment by betraying other Death Eater, rise to become the headmaster of one of the three schools in just ten years? It's hard to tell whether it was due to his exceptional abilities or the fact that the Europe Wizarding World truly had no memory of him.

"Dumbledore," Igor Karkaroff said, hurrying up the steps, "How are you, my dear old friend?"

"Excellent, thank you, Professor Karkaroff," Dumbledore replied warmly.

He had barely exchanged a few words with Olympe Maxime before Harry stole the conversation, so now he was essentially transferring all his enthusiasm to Igor Karkaroff.

"Professor Karkaroff, please take this." Professor McGonagall then thoughtfully offered the second batch of Bluebell Flames.

"Ha, this has come at just the right time!" Igor Karkaroff said with a smile, but his eyes remained cold and sharp. "Viktor has caught a cold, this will at least warm him up."

The welcoming party erupted into a cacophony of noise, all because of the appearance of a young man with a hooked nose and thick eyebrows— Viktor Krum, the best Seeker in the recently concluded Quidditch World Cup!

Many people were surprised that he would be a Durmstrang student, and what surprised them even more was that he would come to Hogwarts with the team!

As the students began to flood into the Great Hall, they could no longer contain their excitement. Many boys started whispering or shouting, while a large group of girls began rummaging through their pockets looking for quill pens to sign autographs, and some even argued over a lipstick.

Of all the students who liked Quidditch, Will was probably the only one who didn't feel anything for Viktor Krum. After all, the other's position and his ideals were completely in conflict. Will was more of a fan of the Ireland trio of suitors.

Harry found Hermione and Luna Lovegood in the surging crowd, and both girls subtly shook their heads at him... The Bluebell Flames hadn't detected anything, so it seemed there was nothing wrong with the two girls from the school.

"Then let's keep an eye on Igor Karkaroff for now." A glint of light flashed in Harry's eyes.

The Death Eater will definitely be able to confirm Voldemort's return, therefore every Death Eater must absolutely choose a new team.

Since we can't find out the enemy's movements for the time being, let's keep a close eye on this one at the school.

Chapter 623 Slytherin, Famous

After the welcoming ceremony, the students, who had been standing on the playground for a long time, were finally able to go to the Great Hall to take their seats.

The students of Beauxbatons naturally chose the Eagle House's table. After taking their seats, they looked around the entire Great Hall, their faces seemingly sullen. Many of them kept their burning bellflower flaming bottles tightly in their hands.

These students, accustomed to warmth and comfort, found it difficult to immediately adapt to the cold climate and less refined decor of Hogwarts. However, they were not entirely arrogant; at least many knew to sincerely thank Hermione.

The two students, one older and one younger, who had previously been wearing headscarves, now sat directly opposite Hahelu and his two companions, right next to Will.

However, although they didn't speak, Harry's people were all very clear about their identities.

"Harry, I came with my sister!"

Sure enough, the cute little girl immediately pulled off her headscarf after sitting down, smiled sweetly, and waved to Harry.

"Hmm..." "What a cute girl..."

The allure of the Half-Veela was truly astonishing. Although Gabrielle was not yet ten years old, after revealing her appearance, the boys around her immediately showed expressions of admiration, and some were even stunned as if struck by lightning.

Will, who was sitting right next to her, covered his eyes with his arm and moved away from the seat. Clearly, the previous experience was still fresh in his mind, and he definitely didn't want to embarrass himself again.

"It's nice to see you again, Gabrielle." Harry smiled and shook her small hand. "I hope you have a great time at Hogwarts."

"Hmph, I don't think there's anything to be happy about here," Phoebe complained in heavily accented French English. "Not only is it cold here, but the environment is also far worse than Beauxbatons!"

"Hey, no one's forcing you to stay here!" Hermione glared at her, completely infuriated by Phoebe's spoiled attitude.

"Superficial vanity will ultimately end in tragedy," Luna Lovegood uttered slowly. "There was someone who personally verified the accuracy of this statement before."

"What did you say?!"

Realizing Luna Lovegood was mocking her, Phoebe angrily ripped off her headscarf and jumped up from her seat.

In an instant, her long, silvery hair cascaded down like a waterfall, her large, azure eyes fixed on Luna Lovegood, and a clear look of anger appeared on her face.

However, her move failed to intimidate Luna Lovegood at all; instead, it caused all the boys in the audience to gasp in surprise.

The students from the nearby Eagle House were the first to be affected, with some even showing blank expressions. The students at the Gryffindor House's table next door weren't much better off. Ron Weasley, who happened to be looking over, turned bright red and opened his mouth wide as if he had something stuck in his throat.

"Alright, after all, they're guests from afar, so we should give the Beauxbatons students some time to adjust to their new environment." Harry seemed to be acting as a fair peacemaker, but his gaze towards Phoebe had become more serious. "Also, Miss Delacour, you'd better tone it down a bit..."

"Heh, he's just a kid..."

"If you don't want me to go and complain to Olympe Maxime."

"You... Humph!"

Phoebe had initially dismissed Harry's threat, but his next words stunned her completely. In the end, she could only grit her teeth and angrily sit back down in her chair.

While this little incident was unfolding, Durmstrang's classmates were still hesitating at the Great Hall entrance. This was partly because so many students were chasing after Viktor Krum for autographs, but more so because...

They weren't quite sure where they should sit.

Finally, after a series of agonizing decisions, Durmstrang's students, led by Viktor Krum, completely ignored Malfoy, who was about to break his arm, and went straight to sit at the Hufflepuff table.

Their actions caused the Slytherin House students to turn pale.

As is well known, among the three Europe schools, Durmstrang is the only one that refuses to admit students from ordinary backgrounds and openly teaches Dark Magic, so their ideals are actually the closest to those of Slytherin.

Even so, these students from the Nordic countries who came from afar still refused to associate with Slytherin House, which shows that Slytherin's reputation had long since been ruined beyond the school.

The students of Gryffindor, led by the Gryffindor House, were undoubtedly the most delighted by this scene. The Gryffindor clowns had already burst into laughter.

Harry didn't pay much attention to what was happening there; he just casually chatted with the people around him.

Slytherin House was practically invisible to him now; he was determined to crush the house completely. Whether it could be rebuilt later depended on whether the Slytherin were truly willing to adapt.

Amid the noise, everyone in the Great Hall finally found their seats. Mr. Filch, dressed in a brand-new suit, busied himself, and after checking for any missing chairs, he hurriedly added four chairs next to the head seat in the faculty section.

"Why four chairs?" Will noticed Filch's actions and asked, puzzled. "Aren't the only guests Olympe Maxime and Professor Karkaroff?"

"Officials from the Ministry of Magic will be there too," Harry explained softly.

Once everything in the Great Hall was set up, the faculty members finally began to file in, with the principals of the three schools bringing up the rear. After Olympe Maxime and Professor Karkaroff were seated, Dumbledore took his place and waved to the entire Great Hall.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, ghosts, and especially our distinguished guests! It is with great joy that I welcome you to Hogwarts. I hope and believe that you will feel comfortable and happy here!" Dumbledore smiled at the foreign students. "Our Triwizard Tournament will officially begin at the end of the banquet, and now... I invite you all to eat and drink to your heart's content, as if you were in your own home!"

After he took his seat, the faculty members also began to eat. The three principals exchanged polite words from time to time, but they were not particularly warm towards each other.

However, almost no one at the scene noticed this little incident, because a variety of delicious dishes had already appeared on the long table of the four courtyards, including some with special exotic flavors.

"Want to try some?" Harry pushed a dish that looked like a seafood medley in front of the Delacour sisters. "It's a special French fish soup made by the kitchen. See if it has any of your France flavor~"

"Thank you! This soup is delicious!" Gabrielle immediately thanked her happily.

The little girl has a very nice personality, so not only Harry, but Hermione and Luna Lovegood also like her very much, treating her like a little sister.

"It's barely edible."

But looking at her sister... well, she's clearly a beauty, so why does she have such a mouth?

However, people now ignore her sharp tongue and simply pretend they don't hear her.

Twenty minutes after the banquet began, two more people walked into the Great Hall at the same time...

Chapter 624 Fudge and his nephew, a pair of mentally challenged individuals

"Harry, look, Ludo Bagman is here."

Hermione, who was having her meal, reminded Harry that Ludo, with his large belly, and another young man were walking straight through the Great Hall.

After greeting Dumbledore, Ludo chose the empty seat next to Igor Karkaroff and they chatted like old friends reunited.

As for the other young man, he was just like the Durmstrang student earlier, now hesitating over the only remaining empty seat in the faculty section, seemingly unwilling to sit there at all.

"Why hasn't that person taken a seat yet?" Gabrielle frowned slightly at the other person's actions.

"Could it be that he's criticizing Olympe Maxime's bloodline? Damn it! This guy is an official of your Britain Ministry of Magic, how dare he break the law?!" Phoebe was already cursing, her originally beautiful face contorted with anger.

As for the other students at Beauxbatons, they were all indignant at this moment, and several of them were even about to slam their fists on the table.

"Everyone!" Harry quickly tapped the table, drawing the attention of all the France students. "This is Hogwarts. Please leave any emergencies to us. Please remain calm and focus on ensuring the successful completion of the Triwizard Tournament."

"You...are you trying to protect that bastard?" Phoebe snapped at Harry. "Do you even know what his actions mean?!"

"Of course I know!" Harry retorted without backing down. "That's why I'm willing to guarantee, in the name of my teacher, that after the Triwizard Tournament, I will give Beauxbatons and Olympe Maxime an explanation! And now, I must stop things from getting any worse!"

Having said that, Harry ignored Phoebe and immediately used magic to envelop his voice, sending his words to Hagrid's ears, instructing him to move to Olympe Maxime's side immediately.

"Harry?" Hagrid, who was eating heartily, was taken aback at first, then immediately began clearing his plate, and even used the butter on the table to tidy his beard.

"Rufus, I think you should take a seat." Dumbledore was at the head of the table, had also risen and was glaring at the young man with a hint of threat in his eyes. "We have reserved a seat for you."

"Oh... yes, I saw it..." The young man seemed startled and could only look at the empty seat again with a troubled expression.

However, just as he was about to force himself to sit there, a tall figure cut in front of him.

"Olympe Maxime, may I sit next to you?" Hagrid's voice trembled slightly, as if he were trying to appear more elegant.

"I'm glad this is the case, but... what's the deal with that kid?" A hint of anger flashed across Olympe Maxime's face. "I don't know which official he is in the Britain Ministry of Magic, but his discriminatory behavior towards Half-blood- Giant blood is a clear violation of international law..."

"I know...really, I totally understand how you feel," Hagrid said in a muffled voice, "But I think today is a really happy day, we don't need to care about that guy...do we?"

"You're right, then please have a seat, Hagrid." Olympe Maxime was finally persuaded by Hagrid's hesitant persuasion. She smiled elegantly again and invited Hagrid to continue enjoying the dinner with her.

Upon seeing this, the young man's face lit up with obvious joy, but then a hint of disdain flashed across his eyes, and he quickly walked away as if avoiding a plague.

However, he did not go to Hagrid's seat, and he could not help but show a look of disgust on his face. In the end, Professor Sprout gave up his seat, and only then did this 'superior' young master agree to sit at the long table in the faculty section.

However, what he didn't know was that his series of actions had already been seen by the students of Beauxbatons, and had even enraged them all!

"Who is that guy?" Will asked, puzzled. "Doesn't he ever act stupidly in public?"

"Rufus Fudge, 19 years old, is the Director of the Department of International Magical Cooperation, and also the nephew of the current Minister for Magic, Cornelius Fudge."

Harry casually stated the other person's background, and in a volume that many Beauxbatons students could hear.

Upon hearing the words 'Minister for Magic,' all the students understood... this guy who dared to openly discriminate against Olympe Maxime's bloodline was actually a spoiled brat who had risen to power through his uncle's connections.

To be honest, Harry could almost immediately guess Cornelius Fudge's little scheme.