Chapter 550: Karkaroff

Ron looked around to see what had become of Krum, and his question was answered almost instantly.

They were now level with the Slytherin table, and Karkaroff had just approached his students.

"Back to the ship, then," he was saying. "Viktor, how are you feeling? did you take your medicine in time? have you had enough to eat? should I send for some mulled wine from the kitchens?"

Krum shook his head sadly as he pulled on his furs.

"Professor, I'd like some wine," one of the other Durmstrang boys said hopefully.

"I wasn't offering it to you, Poliakoff," Karkaroff spat, his warmly paternal air disappearing in an instant. "I noticed you've been spraying food all over the front of your tunic again, clean it up quick, you filthy boy..."

Karkaroff turned and led his students towards the doors, arriving at them at exactly the same moment as Ivan, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Hermione, Colin, Ginny, Fred and George.

They all stopped to let Karkaroff go through first.

"Thank you," Karkaroff said nonchalantly, looking at them.

And then Karkaroff froze. He turned his head to Harry and looked at him as if he couldn't believe his eyes.

Behind their headmaster, the Durmstrang students stopped as well.

Karkaroff's eyes slowly moved up Harry's face and fixed on his scar.

The Durmstrang students were also looking curiously at Harry, and awe could be seen etched on some of their faces.

The boy who had food all over his clothes nudged the girl next to him and pointed openly at Harry's forehead.

Krum also looked at Harry with scrutinizing eyes, and then his gaze landed on Ivan and Hermione.

Ivan looked at him and felt that Krum's eyes seemed to hold some strange emotions.

Sensing Ivan looking at him again, Krum hurriedly turned his head the other way.

This was really strange. They had seen each other at the Quidditch World Championships last time. Why did Krum seem to be avoiding eye contact with him?

"You are..." Karkaroff said slowly.

"Yes, he's Harry Potter," a growling voice said from behind them.

Karkaroff turned around. Mad-Eye Moody stood there, leaning on his cane, one magical eye staring unblinkingly at the headmaster of Durmstrang.

Karkaroff's color drained from his face, revealing a terrible look of mingled fury and fear.

"You!" he said, staring at Moody as if he wasn't sure he was really seeing him.

"Me," Moody said grimly. "And unless you have something to say to Potter, Karkaroff, you should move. You're blocking the door."

It was true; half the students in the Hall were now waiting behind them, looking over their shoulders to see what the cause of the hold-up was.

Without another word, Professor Karkaroff took his students with him.

Moody watched him until he was out of sight, his magic eye fixed on his back, with a look of intense displeasure on his mutilated face.

In front of Karkaroff, even if he was posing as Moody, Caresius' reaction was too extreme.

Ivan stood thinking for a moment, separated from the crowd, and said he would go say good night to Gabrielle and then return.

But in fact, he followed Moody up the remote side staircase to the empty office on the second floor.

"Boy, I warned you, we'd better have less contact!" Caresius gritted his teeth and said.

At that moment, they were standing in the dark hallway, although they were very close, they couldn't see each other clearly.

"Do you seem to have a grudge against Karkaroff?" asked Ivan directly, ignoring his warning.

"That sly fellow is causing me and my people more trouble in the Nordic region. That's my business; I'll take care of it. The only thing you should know is that Karkaroff is very dangerous. Don't be fooled by his appearance." Caresius said quietly, "He is a Death Eater."

"Once, he has betrayed Voldemort, but there is no denying that he is indeed dangerous." Ivan paused and continued, "However, he shouldn't be our current target. Have you found the man tonight? is it possible that he is Barty Crouch?"

"Barty Crouch is obviously under control, at least he looks like himself. I've seen him with my own eyes, but I'm not sure he's the fake. I repeat again. He does not trust me. He has not told me his plan." Caresius whispered, "I only came to attract everyone's attention. This is the task I was given by Voldemort. It is also a punishment for my last failure. If you don't want me to be discovered immediately, get out of here and go back to sleep!"

Ivan turned and left; it seemed that Caresius didn't know any more than he did.

When he returned to the Common Room, the young wizards were gathered there to discuss the Goblet of Fire.

Fred and George were selling their Aging potion, and a crowd surrounded them.

It seemed that if the Aging worked after tomorrow's verification, they planned to sell it en masse.

Hermione ignored them, holding a thick book in her hand, and constantly recording something.

Ivan waved and returned alone to his dormitory.

He pulled out the Marauder's Map, placed it on the bed, and tapped it gently with his wand.

Ivan quickly looked for Barty Crouch Jr.'s name on it. In Dumbledore's office, he saw Dumbledore, Karkaroff, Madame Maxime, Barty Crouch and Ludo Bagman.

The five of them seemed to be talking about something. Since Barty Crouch Jr. and his father had the same name, it was unclear whether it was him or not.

Ivan's finger gently slid down and stroked the familiar names.

The people from Beauxbatons slept in their carriage and made their way to him.

The Durmstrang students had already returned to the ship. On the map, the location of the lake was a mass of white mist, covering everyone's name, and everything was invisible. The ship's powerful protective magic rendered the Marauder's Map useless.

It seemed Ivan needed another chance to verify Durmstrang.

Ivan looked carefully again before putting the map away.

He looked up at the ceiling and considered the matter again. If he were Bartemius Crouch, son, how would he act?

Voldemort, Caresius, Karkaroff, Barty Crouch Jr. and Barty Crouch, whose faces kept going round and round in his mind, made him think that the coming events were probably not going in the direction he had envisioned....