Yet the shocking revelations for Sean weren't over.
The final member of Ilvermorny's team—a tall, well-built seventh-year boy—stepped forward and signed his name. When he finished, Dumbledore read it aloud.
"Agilbert Fontana."
The name might have sounded unfamiliar to most people. It didn't appear in the main Harry Potter storyline at all.
But Sean knew exactly who this person was.
In his previous life, he had once come across information about Agilbert Fontana by coincidence. Twenty-six years later—around 2016—this man would become the headmaster of Ilvermorny, taking office when he was only in his early forties.
Of course, Snape had become Headmaster of Hogwarts at thirty-seven, even younger than Fontana. But anyone capable of becoming a headmaster was no simple wizard.
Perhaps Fontana was actually the most dangerous competitor among Ilvermorny's six.
"Hogwarts' road to victory won't be easy," Sean thought with concern for the upcoming matches.
After the registration ended, it was nearly time for the banquet.
The eighteen visiting students from the three schools took their seats at a long table specially arranged for them, while their professors joined the Hogwarts faculty at the staff table.
Morisse sat beside Snape.
To Snape's left was Kellyn.
Next to her sat Conrad Coates from Uagadou.
Beside him was Heda Hopper from Castelobruxo.
On Morisse's right were Hagrid and Mick.
Hagrid looked completely delighted by the lively atmosphere of the banquet.
Mick, however, looked like a man suffering from severe paranoia, constantly casting suspicious glances at the students from the three visiting schools.
Morisse had been staring at Kellyn all evening. Now he wanted to raise a toast with her, but didn't quite dare.
So he pulled Snape into it.
"Professor Snape, let's have a drink. Professor Lindsay, you too," Morisse said, leaning sideways and sticking his head out to invite them.
At first Snape didn't think anything of it.
But after the fifth time Morisse dragged him into another toast, Snape finally realized something.
He had become a tool.
"I believe I've had a little too much to drink," Snape said calmly. "I should step outside for a moment."
He showed no sign whatsoever of actually being drunk.
Once Snape left, the obstacle between Morisse and Kellyn disappeared.
After hesitating for a moment, Morisse finally gathered his courage and slid into Snape's empty seat.
"Professor Lindsay, you seem to have quite the tolerance for alcohol," he began.
Kellyn's fair cheeks were slightly flushed with pink.
She brushed a lock of hair behind her ear and smiled.
"The wine at Hogwarts is quite good. I couldn't resist drinking a little more."
That simple gesture seemed like a masterpiece of art in Morisse's eyes.
He was utterly mesmerized.
Sean, however, wasn't paying attention to Morisse.
Something far more interesting had caught his interest.
Professor Conrad Coates from Uagadou stood up holding a jar. He announced that he would perform an African dance as entertainment for the students.
Everyone knew Africans were famous for their dancing.
Dumbledore immediately agreed.
Five members of the Uagadou team stepped forward—everyone except the half-giant.
Coates carefully placed the jar on the floor and swiftly removed the lid.
Everyone's attention instantly shifted toward it.
Sean did the same.
He even activated his Magic vision.
The jar emitted a glow of magical power—it was clearly a magical object.
When the creature inside finally appeared, Sean involuntarily held his breath.
His hand slipped inside his robe and gripped his wand.
A snake's head slowly emerged from the jar.
It was roughly the size of a football.
Its tongue flicked in the air as it slithered outward.
A few seconds later, another snake head appeared.
Then a third head emerged, hissing loudly.
It wasn't three snakes.
It was one snake—with three heads.
A Runespoor.
A magical creature native to Africa.
Each of its heads possessed independent thoughts.
The left head was the planner. It decided where the body should go and what it should do.
The middle head was the dreamer. It constantly drifted through grand fantasies and could remain motionless for days.
The right head—the last one to emerge—was the critic. It hissed endlessly, judging and criticizing the other two heads' actions.
The fangs in the right head's mouth were extremely venomous.
Runespoors rarely lived long lives.
Their three heads often attacked one another.
Unable to tolerate the constant hissing of the critic head, the other two heads frequently joined forces in attempts to bite it off.
The jar clearly had been enchanted with an Extension Charm.
Otherwise, it would have been impossible to fit a three-meter-long snake inside.
"False alarm."
Sean patted his chest and relaxed his grip on his wand.
Seeing a giant snake at Hogwarts had naturally made him tense.
After all, a monstrous basilisk was currently sleeping somewhere beneath the castle.
While Sean had overreacted, the other students were simply amazed.
Most of them had never seen a three-headed snake before.
Hagrid, on the other hand, was thrilled.
"Blimey! A Runespoor!" he exclaimed. "They're rare even in their homeland of Burkina Faso!"
His eyes shone with excitement.
Professor Coates slowly waved his hands.
The three heads of the Runespoor swayed along with his movements, almost like an Indian snake charmer dancing with his cobra.
Meanwhile, the five Uagadou students leapt forward and began performing an energetic African dance, their exaggerated movements full of rhythm and vitality.
The students watched with fascination.
Dumbledore gave Coates an approving nod.
Coates grinned widely, his white teeth gleaming.
"Director Crouch keeps looking over here," Cassius whispered.
Sean was enjoying the dance and replied casually.
"Of course. There's another Crouch sitting here too."
Cassius shook his head.
"I don't think he's looking at Chris."
"He's looking at you."
"Huh? Me?"
Sean turned toward the center of the staff table.
Sure enough, Crouch was watching him.
"Did I do something wrong? He's been acting strange since earlier."
"Chris," Sean leaned toward her, "does your grandfather have some problem with me?"
"No," Chris replied. "During the summer, I told my grandfather there was a genius at school named Sean Grylls. Maybe you caught his interest."
Sean shivered slightly.
The way that sounded felt oddly unsettling.
When the banquet ended, Hagrid hurried over to speak with Professor Coates, staring curiously at the jar in his hands.
Sean also moved closer.
He had realized that obtaining blood from Fluffy the three-headed dog was probably impossible this year.
But now a new opportunity had appeared.
Three-headed snake blood would work just as well.
Just as he was about to leave the table, Crouch called out to him.
"Grylls. Chris tells me you're quite the prominent figure at school."
"She exaggerates," Sean said modestly.
"Dumbledore mentioned that last week you passed the 'September Final Examination' again."
The Hogwarts students had given Sean's special exam a nickname.
The "September Final."
An end-of-year exam held in the very first month of school.
"It wasn't easy," Sean said with a relieved expression. "Fortunately I had previewed most of the material during the summer."
He made it sound as though he had barely succeeded through hard work.
"If you have time during the holidays," Crouch said, "you're welcome to visit the Crouch estate with Chris."
Sean's inner voice screamed in refusal.
Your house has a Death Eater living in it, he thought. Don't think I don't know.
But outwardly he smiled politely.
"It would be my honor. I look forward to visiting your home during the holidays, Director."
Meanwhile, Hagrid and Coates were chatting enthusiastically.
They seemed to have become friends very quickly.
Hagrid warmly invited Coates to visit his hut.
Unable to refuse the enthusiasm, Coates agreed and left the Great Hall with him.
Mick, however, was clearly displeased with Hagrid's decision.
He didn't want strangers visiting the hut.
So instead of going back with them, he decided to wander around the castle for a while.
But in Sean's eyes, this wandering only made him more suspicious.
For one simple reason.
Aside from Morisse, Mick had already become Sean's second most suspicious person this semester.
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