LRAB Page 375
Page 375
"What's worse, the way he destroyed Fiendfire on the first day of the competition... I've only ever seen that with two wizards, and you know who I'm talking about."
"Dumbledore, you are really overthinking it."
Snape spoke, a hint of disdain in his voice.
"Levin and that mysterious man are from completely different worlds. The Dark Lord only loves himself; there has never been a place for anyone else in his heart. But Levin Green, he loves quite a few people... and of course, even more people love him."
Snape's lips curled into a mocking smile; even when mentioning his former master, he couldn't hide his contempt.
"Tom was a heartthrob at Hogwarts. No one, whether teacher or student, even ghosts, could dislike this well-mannered, polite, and academically excellent student leader."
Dumbledore picked up his teacup, took a small sip, as if savoring Snape's words.
“You’re right, Severus, there is indeed a fundamental difference between them,” he said slowly. “Levin Green is purely Muggle-born, but he’s closely allied with Jaina Proudmoore’s faction in the Ministry of Magic, and their increasingly radical political views are particularly evident.”
At this point, Dumbledore frowned, his worry evident in his expression:
“Did you know that through Levin’s connections, Jaina Proudmoore successfully recruited a group of Hogwarts graduates into her faction last summer, all of them the best? These young people were drawn to Levin’s club and gradually, without being influenced, began to resonate with the tenets of Jaina’s faction.”
He paused, his gaze turning deep to Snape: "Oh, Severus, have you noticed that Levin not only shares similarities with Tom, but also with the young Gellert? They are both exceptionally talented, both are rigorous, strong, and opinionated in character, and both are equally passionate about exploring dark magic and forbidden knowledge, using it without any restraint."
Dumbledore's voice gradually lowered, and a look of reminiscence appeared on his face.
Snape suddenly looked up, his sharp gaze searching Dumbledore's expression, and scathing words slipped out: "Excuse my bluntness, Dumbledore, isn't this the kind of personality you admire?"
As soon as the words left his mouth, Snape realized he had misspoke.
He coughed lightly twice, trying to cover his embarrassment: "Dumbledore, as far as I know, the young Grindelwald did not devote all his energy to creating new magic like Levin did. Although Grindelwald also studied forbidden magic, he had no interest in creating new things. In comparison, Levin Grindelwald has created at least a hundred interesting spells."
As Snape spoke, he waved his wand, and a ball of light flew from the tip of the wand, flitting about in the headmaster's office like a lost firefly.
This is Levin's [Dancing Light] spell, which is also the most widely known spell among Levin's arcane magic to date.
Many young wizards, even those who didn't join the Academy of Knowledge, learned this useful little spell through other means.
Upon hearing this, Dumbledore firmly stated, "I believe that he, like Gellert, is also secretly conducting various experiments. Otherwise, it would be impossible for him to have mastered so much magic at such a young age that cannot be learned in school."
Snape also expressed his opinion: "Dumbledore, a man like Levin Grindelwald, is full of strong desires, moves among witches and enjoys himself, so his character is relatively more realistic. He cannot be as reckless as Grindelwald in pursuing his ideals, even though they both have the ability to achieve them."
“That makes me even more worried.” Dumbledore’s face was full of worry. “Gellert was more enthusiastic when he was young, and sometimes even like the Weasley twins, he liked to play pranks. Like Levin, his conceited nature made him very eager to fight his opponents fairly.”
Snape added, "But there are still fundamental differences between them!"
“Yes, you see things very clearly. They are indeed different,” Dumbledore agreed.
At this point, Dumbledore closed his eyes slightly, as if lost in deep memories: "Gellert was a pure idealist. He was very successful in impersonating Percival Graves, but in the end, unable to bear the fact that poor Credence Byrburn had become an Obscured and was killed by the American Aurors, he couldn't help but reveal his ideals, thus exposing himself."
Dumbledore opened his eyes again, his gaze deep: "Levin, however, is different. When he discovers that direct confrontation cannot guarantee his victory, he will not hesitate to use methods that go beyond the rules..."
As Dumbledore continued his narration, his brow furrowed deeper and deeper.
"There's one more thing, and it's the most important thing."
He said in a deep voice, “Sir Nicholas, the fat monk, and the school’s portrait all told me that they found a mark similar to that of the Death Eaters on those girls. What surprised me was that Levin seemed to have used some method to keep Lady Grey from me, and she refused to reveal any information about them. You know, Severus and Gellert did not completely lose trust in me until after the tragedy I caused with Aberforth.”
Dumbledore fell silent.
His expression was filled with sorrow, and he paused for a long time, as if trying to sort out the chaos in his heart.
“Gellert only started building his army after he got the Elder Wand, and Levin… there were young wizards with marks similar to Death Eaters at his school, most of the Aurors in the Ministry of Magic were controlled by Jaina’s faction, and the Academy of Knowledge had almost become a reserve force for Jaina’s faction… all of this already speaks volumes.”
Dumbledore's voice was deep and powerful, each word seeming to be squeezed out from the depths of his heart.
Snape listened, growing more and more astonished. He had never imagined that Levin Green had quietly achieved this feat.
His heart began to churn, and his understanding of Levin was somewhat overturned.
But for some reason, he appreciated Levin's approach more than Dumbledore's:
Decisive, efficient, yet with a bottom line.
“Green and Gellert have different ways of doing things now,” Dumbledore continued. “They do act entirely within the bounds of the law, but they prefer to control and amend the law to achieve their own ends.”
Dumbledore paused, his gaze shifting to Snape with a hint of pleading:
“Severus, I have also formed the Order of the Phoenix myself. I do not intend to take action against Levin and Jaina’s factions, nor do I have any reason to do so. I simply hope that you can keep a close eye on things for this old man, even if it’s just by looking at those who are on good terms with him, to observe his movements and signs… We must ensure that the prophecy is fulfilled.”
For the first time, Snape discovered that the greatest white wizard in the world, who had defeated two Dark Lords, was now troubled by Voldemort's return and Levengrim's rise.
His eyes, the eyes behind those glasses, eyes that had always been wise, now looked so old and tired.
“Of course I will do as you command.” Snape nodded, his tone firm, “but…”
He leaned forward, resting his hands on the table. "Dumbledore, if Levin and Jaina really did something outrageous, how would you respond?"
Snape's question resonated powerfully in the headmaster's office. He stared at Dumbledore, awaiting his answer.
"You treated Tom the same way back then, and what did you do in return? You promised to protect Lily, and what did you do then? You just taught Lily an ancient spell called 'Guardian of Love,' which requires self-sacrifice to cast? And then you borrowed their invisibility cloaks before the incident?"
After Snape finished speaking, the headmaster's office fell into a deathly silence.
The air seemed to freeze, leaving only the tense and heavy breathing of the two people.
Chapter 410 Mrs. Weasley chooses... a son-in-law?
The third match of the three-way battle has finally come to an end, but the waves it stirred up are far from over.
As the two strongest of the six warriors, Hermione and Fleur became famous, completely captivating audiences across Europe with their amazing strength and stunning beauty.
For wizards who advocate for equality, Hermione and Fleur's victory has a deeper significance.
Because of these two, Hermione Granger is Muggle-born, and Fleur Delacour is Veela-blooded, both of which are bloodlines most despised by pure-blood cults, but their victory together shattered the bloodline theory advocated by pure-blood cults.
Through their achievements, they proved to the world that lineage is not the only criterion for determining everything.
In that issue of "The Quibbler," someone wrote a powerful article, proudly declaring that Hermione and Fleur's victory, and Krum, Polyakov, and Dumont's defeat, were the best embodiment of equality over bloodline theory.
In the past, "The Quibbler" was often filled with unconventional urban legends, explorations of cryptozoology, and various anti-mainstream and anti-Ministry of Magic conspiracy theories, and was therefore always looked down upon by proud purebloods.
Even though The Quibbles has begun to gradually transform and has more and more readers, the stereotypes still persist.
This article was once again categorized by blood supremacists as one of the usual anti-mainstream conspiracy theories, and nobody cared.
Who would have thought that this article would cause such a stir, receiving enthusiastic responses not only from egalitarians, half-blood wizards, and Muggle wizards.
"The Quibbler" was regarded as a pioneer of equality and gained many readers. The article's views sparked a profound discussion about equality and lineage in wizarding society.
From tabloids to mainstream newspapers, more and more media outlets began to publish articles mocking the obsolescence of pure-blood wizardry, the complete defeat of wizards trained through their methods in the competition among the new generation of young wizards—even Harry Potter, who came in third in the dueling tournament, was a half-blood wizard—and proclaiming that the era of equality for all had arrived.
Once the storm of public opinion arose, it inevitably triggered various online battles. Hermione and Fleur were elevated to a pedestal, becoming role models and examples for the younger generation of wizards.
Their names and images have been mentioned and celebrated countless times, inspiring more wizards to pursue equality and freedom.
However, behind this media storm, "Sing a Different Tune," which was the first to speak out, and its behind-the-scenes promoters quietly withdrew. They gained a lot of attention and profit from this controversy, but at the right time, they chose to step down from the spotlight and keep their achievements hidden.
Compared to this public opinion storm of pure-bloodism and egalitarianism, the other two hot topics pale in comparison.
One aspect is the praise for the match itself.
The powerful live streaming system truly made a splash in Europe. Both the Arcane Eye camera and the Illusion Playback System were a hot topic among the spectators. Brands that purchased pre-match and half-match advertising through the Illusion Playback System, such as the "Yaguchi-kiku" flying broom, Kribitch Wizard's colorful firecrackers, and Bubblegum Super Bubble Gum, saw a significant increase in sales.
Bagman's plan to promote the live streaming system had been delayed for a long time due to the high price of the system, but now he was overjoyed to have received several orders from Quidditch clubs.
Therefore, Levin has already begun planning to start an alchemy company during the summer vacation.
Furthermore, the format of inviting celebrities to perform during halftime significantly boosted the entertainment value and discussion surrounding the match. In addition, the preparation and service for the match were excellent, and the supporting services for spectators were also very good – the accommodation and shopping experiences provided by Hogsmeade were satisfactory. As a result, the audience gave the match high praise.
As for the Hogsmeade merchants who made a fortune before and after the match, they sent many thank-you letters to the Ministry of Magic. If it weren't for the Ministry of Magic's advance contact and request, they wouldn't have been able to prepare so many empty rooms and customize so many match souvenirs before the tourists arrived.
After causing a major blunder during the World Cup, the Department of Magical Sports and the Department of International Magical Cooperation finally got their moment in the spotlight.
In this matter, Barty Crouch was absent from work for a long time and it is unknown what he was busy with. Therefore, the real organizer of this competition was Ludo Bagman, who was constantly coordinating and running around. As a result, he was rewarded and gradually transformed from a department mascot into a director with real power.
But only he knew that many of the brilliant suggestions—such as live-streaming big-screen ads, celebrity performances, and coordinating with Hogsmeade businesses in advance to handle tourist surges through overall planning—were not his own, but rather came from Levin Green.
His success symbolizes that Jaina's forces have gained another foothold of power within the Ministry of Magic.
As for the other hot topic of public opinion, that is naturally the love triangle between Harry, Ron, and Krum.
Following three previous reports, the emotional entanglement between the three has clearly reached a point where...
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This is an indispensable part of the fierce competition, and it even adds a dramatic touch to the event itself.
Rita Skeeter didn't even need to set the pace; many media outlets themselves unearthed several memorable moments during the match.
For example, Harry dedicated his victory in the first match to Ron Weasley, and the deep affection he showed at that moment was enough to touch the heartstrings of every viewer.
The duel between Harry Potter and Victor Krum over Ron was even more tense and exciting, with the two ultimately evenly matched, leaving countless speculations about this romance.
As these fragments continue to circulate and be interpreted, the whole story becomes more and more real and captivating.
Whenever Ron's name is mentioned, people can't help but think of the emotional battle between Harry and Krum.
Ron has become the "center of an emotional vortex" in the public eye, a charming yet "sinful" man.
After the dust settled on the third match of the Triwizard Tournament, Hogwarts returned to its peaceful daily routine.
Time flies, and Easter, which is very popular among young wizards, arrives in the increasingly warm weather.
Perhaps out of nostalgia for Easter in Azeroth, Jaina prepared a special surprise for Levin on this holiday that symbolizes new life and hope—a pile of Easter eggs painted with scenes of Azeroth.
Each egg is as large as a dragon egg, and the delicate brushstrokes on the eggshell depict the beautiful scenery of that distant land in her memory.
The candies hidden inside the Easter eggs are even more eye-catching, with a dazzling array of different flavors, all of which are Honey Duke's most popular desserts.
Not only Jaina, but even Mrs. Molly Weasley sent Levin a carefully prepared Easter egg filled with toffee she made herself.
Levin tasted one; although it didn't taste as good as Honeydukes candy, it had its own unique flavor.
Meanwhile, on the Durmstrang ship, Krum also received an Easter gift from Mrs. Weasley.
Upon opening the package, Krum was surprised to find that it contained colorful eggs smaller than quail eggs.
"How on earth did she find such a small Easter egg?" Krum asked incredulously.
After studying it for a long time, he came to the conclusion: "She must have read the rumors in The Wizarding Weekly."
With a dark expression and a furrowed brow, Yu Krum impatiently smashed the Easter egg to pieces.
Indeed, as Clumsy (Zhao Le Zhao) said, Mrs. Molly Weasley has been following the rumors about her youngest son Ron, Harry, and Clumsy ever since the World Cup.
At first, she didn't believe the reports, but as time went on and more and more "evidence" emerged—such as those "confident" reports and those ambiguous pictures—she began to waver and consider whether she should accept her son's possible coming-out partner.