Volume 4: The Sea and the Ship Heading North Chapter 266 Portrait
The students of Hogwarts were settled in the castle's Great Hall.
There was a simple layout here, and it looked like Durmstrang had already prepared to take them in.
Rosier did not restrict Jon and the others' freedom, but most students were still a little nervous in the unfamiliar environment, and none of them were in the mood to walk around the castle.
Jon was very curious about every magic school. He told Rosier that he wanted to visit the school.
In response, the vice-headmaster of Durmstrang did not refuse, but only asked Jon if he still needed a guide.
Jon declined her kindness and had no intention of having a guide follow him. Hermione, on the other hand, didn't want to sit in the hall all the time, so she went outside with Jon.
Compared to when they first arrived here, there were fewer Durmstrang students in the corridor at this time. They seemed to be having the last class of the afternoon. After this class, it would be dinner time, and a party would be held for the arrival of Hogwarts students.
"Actually, there's nothing to be curious about in this school. Even though the cultural customs are different, the three magic schools in Europe are basically the same. What we should really focus on is what they are learning now."
After walking out of the hall, Jon and Hermione walked up the stairs together, talking to her in a low voice.
"Like I told you just now, Hogwarts Castle used to be an open and equal school. It became what it is now because Voldemort became the headmaster. And the current headmaster of Durmstrang is not an ordinary person either, so what I am really curious about is what kind of changes he has made to this school."
Unlike Jon, Hermione did not know the true identity of the old man known as "the Headmaster".
"Is the principal of this school... a famous person?"
No matter how studious she was, only about a year had passed since she was rescued from Hogwarts Castle and put on the carriage. She still didn't know the history of the wizarding world.
Jon shrugged.
"Of course he is famous. Professor Dumbledore was preventing the headmaster of this school from ruling the world when the current Dark Lord was still attending school here."
Hermione's eyes widened.
"Professor Dumbledore is on hostile terms with him?"
"It's the kind of love-hate relationship." Jon said casually, "They used to have a very good relationship, but later parted ways due to ideological differences. After that, the professor became so famous because he won a duel that determined the future fate of the wizarding world."
"Now..." Hermione said hesitantly.
Jon said calmly.
"From what we have seen so far, it seems that they have reached some kind of agreement and reconciled. But to be honest, if you know about the aspirations and deeds of the headmaster of this school, I don't think he simply wants to help Professor Dumbledore defeat the Dark Lord. He should have other ideas of his own, or maybe he has rekindled his ideals before being defeated by the professor."
While they were talking, they had already arrived at the corridor on the second floor of the castle, and a portrait of a wizard wearing a wooden mask and a black robe suddenly shouted loudly.
"Tell me your name! Outsider! This is Durmstrang, you won't be allowed to run wild!"
He spoke English with a slight Welsh accent, which both Jon and Hermione could understand.
They did not ignore the portrait. In fact, most of the portraits in the magic castle were another manifestation of the people in the paintings. That is to say, they had the thinking of normal people, but most of them were a little exaggerated and funny.
"Hello sir, we are students visiting from Hogwarts."
"Aha! So you're spies from Hogwarts!" The masked wizard began to walk back and forth in the picture frame excitedly, "What do you want to do? Are you still dissatisfied with the result of the Triwizard Tournament held in Durmstrang that year? It's useless! The championship belongs to Durmstrang! You can't take away the Triwizard Cup!"
He seemed to be immersed in his own world. Even if Jon just greeted him with a very ordinary greeting, he could come up with all kinds of strange and bizarre responses.
"If Luna came, she would definitely enjoy interacting with this painting," Hermione muttered.
"The moon! What moon? You plan to team up with werewolves to break into Durmstrang and take away the Triwizard Cup on the night of the full moon! It is indeed a despicable Hogwarts! I will report it to Green immediately. Oh, no! It is Principal Bagshot! We must not let your trick succeed!"
He screamed and ran away from his own frame, shouting "Bagshot is the greatest headmaster, he will definitely stop your conspiracy" while rushing through other portraits.
The people in the other portraits looked at the rude masked wizard angrily, and then a group of people crowded into a frame and started whispering at them in a language that sounded like German, which Jon and Hermione could not understand.
Among them, there was a portrait of a well-dressed noble lady who glared at the other portraits, as if embarrassed by their impoliteness. Then she spoke to Jon and the others in somewhat unfamiliar English with an apologetic look on her face.
"I apologize to you for Shackleton's behavior, kid. He is like this. He was once expelled from Hogwarts and then accepted by Durmstrang. So he becomes a little nervous when he hears the name of Hogwarts."
"It's okay, ma'am." Jon thought for a moment, "Can I ask you what courses Durmstrang usually has to take?"
"Of course it's no secret." The lady looked very kind, and she said with great interest, "Although I have not been to other magic schools, the curriculum settings of the three European magic schools should be the same. The main courses are basically spells, transfiguration, defense against the dark arts, potions, herbalism, astronomy, etc., but the focus of Hogwarts' courses is more balanced. I heard that Beauxbatons pays more attention to alchemy, and our Durmstrang has included dueling magic in the regular teaching."
This was obviously not the information Jon wanted to know, so he raised his eyebrows and continued to ask.
"And what else?"
"Besides that..." the lady said with a smile, "because of our headmaster Bagshot's unique hobby, he listed Muggle Studies as a major course. It is also a compulsory course for students after they enter the first grade. For this purpose, he even specially invited a real Muggle teacher from the Muggles."
When she said "please", her face was obviously embarrassed.
