Igor's Life

With the threat of the Dark Mark eliminated, and having witnessed Skylar's astonishing power in the Pensieve, Karkaroff's mind began to stir.

He knew that Skylar's recruitment of him was not a spur-of-the-moment decision, and that he had finally found the right leader. If he wanted to gain Schelling's attention or achieve a higher position in his circle or organization, he had to prove his worth to him.

Karkaroff's background is quite complicated. He was born and raised in a middle-class, Pure-Blood Extremist Faction family in Bulgaria. At the age of 11, he chose to enroll in Durmstrang, which is generally regarded as an "elite education" by Europe wizards. However, in a conflict with his classmates, he attacked a classmate of Muggle blood with Dark Arts and was expelled by the headmaster at the time without even being given the opportunity to defend himself or appeal.

While both sides were clearly at fault in this conflict, Durmstrang had just produced Grindelwald, a Dark Lord who caused turmoil in the global wizarding world. Under pressure from public opinion, in order to quell dissatisfaction with Durmstrang's educational philosophy and to avoid suspicion, the school administration began to tilt its overall political and management system towards the wizarding faction that supported peaceful coexistence with Muggle.

Against this backdrop of public opinion, if news of the attack on Muggle- blooded wizard with Dark Arts were to spread, it would undoubtedly provide the media with an excellent reason to attack Durmstrang, rendering all the school's efforts to quell the public outcry a laughing stock—a consequence the school could hardly accept.

The headmaster's favoritism towards Muggle blood filled him with resentment, and he made a vow in his heart—that he would reform Durmstrang's admission rules in his lifetime and only accept students of pure blood!

He then transferred to Hogwarts, which was run by Armando Dippet, and there he met a group of like-minded companions. He thought he had found his soulmates— Lucius Malfoy, Trelawyn Selwyn, Corban Yaxley, Dolfin Rowle ... and under their influence, he joined the Death Eaters family.

Karkaroff, who had always wanted to fulfill his childhood dream, seized the opportunity this time. He willingly became that person—he gained access to unimaginable resources, and after ten years of hard work, he successfully returned to Durmstrang and even became the principal.

These forces had all participated to varying degrees in Grindelwald's Supreme Wizard Alliance, and after Grindelwald's downfall, they were subjected to a purge and suppression by the Ministry of Magic, resulting in a significant decline in their power.

"Please accept this iron token," Karkaroff said respectfully, presenting it to Skylar with both hands. "This is a credential granting entry to Durmstrang, and it's reserved for the Principal's exclusive use. Even I, as the Principal, possess only three of these."

"With this iron token, you can freely enter and exit Durmstrang. Once you master Apparition, you can even ignore the restrictions Apparition freely inside," Karkaroff said.

Through Lucius's covert connections and bribery, coupled with his own almost frantic efforts, he began to build his own faction in Germany, establishing connections in Germany, Denmark, and Norway, all within Pure-blood families.

He had truly seen through Lucius —there's a famous saying about the House of Malfoy, "You'll never find a House of Malfoy at a crime scene, even if the wand used in the crime is covered in their fingerprints." This saying couldn't be more fitting to describe Lucius.

[Received the "Durmstrang School Badge Iron Plaque"!]

Although Skylar was on good terms with the Hohenheim Family, the latter was an alchemical family that was completely absorbed in the study of alchemy and was not very good at politics or business.

But what he could never forget was the humiliation he suffered during his student days—he wanted to gain strength here and then return to Durmstrang to reclaim the dignity he had lost!

After Voldemort and the Death Eaters fell, his life did not become miserable or unbearable. Although he was despised by the other Death Eaters for betraying his fellow Death Eaters, a few of them—such as Lucius Malfoy— secretly maintained contact with him.

At the same time, he had many connections in Germany, Denmark, and Norway, which, to his knowledge, Skylar lacked.

With that thought, he said shrewdly, "Master Malfoy, please believe in my determination to serve you to the death."

In Germany and Switzerland, they were indeed the most powerful family, but that was based on their formidable alchemical skills. Wizards generally held mystical and profound alchemists in high esteem and fear, because alchemy could create miracles and rewrite many of the rules that limited spells and Transfiguration.

The scene returns to Skylar.

After taking over as principal, the first thing he did was to drastically tighten the admission policy, even establishing multiple screening mechanisms to ensure that Durmstrang only admitted students of pure blood who possessed ancient bloodline certificates.

"Alright," Skylar smiled with satisfaction, "I'll accept this iron medal for now."

"I've heard that Durmstrang's location is considered a top-secret information by the school, and all visitors must undergo Memory Manipulation Charm to erase their memories of it afterward. Is this true?" Skylar asked.

Karkaroff's network of connections leans more towards families that lack formidable magical power but possess astonishing wealth and a strong heritage, somewhat similar to the Ollivander Family of Great Britain.

He left Great Britain and chose to travel to the Northern Europe countries in search of new opportunities—he never forgot his vow to return to Durmstrang one day.

"That's true," Karkaroff hurriedly added, "But you, young master who holds this iron plaque, are naturally an exception. Rest assured, I guarantee with my life that the entire Durmstrang will only show you respect for your visit and will never offend you."

He pulled out a black iron plaque engraved with a double-headed eagle and a deer's head; Skylar recognized it as Durmstrang's school emblem.

Karkaroff knew perfectly well that these forces would not give up so easily; they were merely lying low, waiting for an opportunity to return to their former glory. To do this, they needed a figurehead to represent them, to bear the pressure and criticism from the masses, and to become the knife in their hands, clearing away obstacles for them.

Lucius was a man who loved making friends and mentoring younger generations. On the surface, he was a warm-hearted senior, but in reality, he only used these people as a weapon or a tool for him.

Karkaroff instantly understood where his greatest value lay.

He is the headmaster of Durmstrang, and he has the final say on Durmstrang's educational philosophy and policies. In other words, one of his reforms can affect millions of young wizards.

"There's one more thing, Master Malfoy," Karkaroff said. "Given the time, the semester is almost over. If you plan to visit Durmstrang during the summer vacation, you might want to allow more time—"

After graduation, with the help of his companions, he obtained legal residency in Great Britain and began working for the Death Eaters, recruiting Voldemort and expanding Voldemort's influence.

"I have several well-known professors at Durmstrang who are my confidants, and I would like to introduce them to you," Karkaroff continued. "I also have several loyal allies in Germany, Denmark, and Norway, and I think they would certainly like to get to know you, this young prodigy."

"Okay, I will," Skylar said. "It's settled then. I'll have my House Elf contact you to confirm the date and time later."

"Yes, Master Malfoy," Karkaroff said, "I will be waiting for you then."