Chapter 777
The Judges
Chapter 777 The Judges
Seraphine Picqueli is younger than Dumbledore, but she is also over a hundred years old. She served as president of the Magical Congress of the United States in the 1920s, and although she is now old, she remains elegant and graceful.
"Hello, Ms. Picqueli."
Wade reached out and shook her hand, saying, "You are a female leader I greatly admire. I know that you made many achievements when you served as the president of the Magic Congress... It is an honor to participate in this grand event with you."
He was at a loss for words, so he subconsciously quoted what Hermione had said before.
Ms. Piqueli couldn't help but laugh, and teased Morrie, "What a frank and lovely child... Terence, your student is much more modest than you."
Professor Morrie seemed oblivious to her sarcasm, nodding and saying, "Of course... my students are naturally excellent in every way."
Everyone laughed.
Wade withdrew his hand, a hint of doubt flashing in his eyes.
He had thought that Ms. Picqueli would take the opportunity of shaking hands to secretly pass on important information to him, but the handshake was just a handshake and there was nothing fishy about it.
Just as Wade was trying to figure out what the other person was thinking, Mrs. Picqueri looked at Wade and said, "What has Dumbledore been up to lately? I thought I would see him at the game! But he didn't show up."
Fontana, who was sitting in the middle of the judges' panel, leaned over and said quickly, "As is customary, I also invited Mr. Dumbledore to be a judge, but unfortunately he declined!"
"What else could they be busy with?" Professor Mori chuckled. "Having captured so many Death Eaters, Wizengamo will probably be quite busy for the rest of the year."
Everyone knows that Albus Dumbledore is not only the headmaster of Hogwarts, but also the president of the International Confederation of Wizards and the chief wizard of Wizengamor.
However, the latter two titles are more of an honorary title, and Dumbledore rarely participates in actual management and decision-making, mostly just offering advice to others in a roundabout way.
But with the capture of a group of Death Eaters who had been at large for over a decade, Wizengamo and Azkaban were suddenly burdened with a great deal of heavy work.
Such a big matter cannot be left unattended even by Dumbledore. It is reasonable for him to stay in England to deal with the various follow-up effects.
Everyone expressed their understanding, and Silas Hawthorne even asked curiously, "The arrest of a group of pure-blood wizards must be an earthquake for your British magical community, right? Can the Ministry of Magic withstand the pressure and sentence them all?"
"Is that even a question?" Mori laughed. "The Lestrange family was even more powerful back then, and they were all sent to Azkaban, and they haven't come out yet."
Hawthorne asked, "How many years has it been? Those people from back then should all be dead by now, right?"
“He’d go mad if he didn’t die,” said Gilbert Fontana. “What is Azkaban? The most terrifying wizarding prison in the entire wizarding world. Honestly, I’d rather die than end up in a place like that!”
The conversation quickly shifted to Mystic and the Death Eaters. Only Mrs. Piccolo smiled helplessly, but she couldn't continue talking about Dumbledore with Wade.
Wade looked at her and said respectfully, in a student's tone, "Madam, may I visit you after the competition?"
“Of course,” Ms. Picqueli said with a gentle smile. “I would love to welcome such an outstanding young person as you as a guest.”
“Hey, Terence.” Silas Hawthorne nudged Professor Morrie, deliberately using a divisive tone, “Look, your student is about to be poached!”
Professor Morrie said dismissively, "If an alchemist only learns from one teacher, he's destined to never surpass them in his lifetime. So I'd love for everyone to teach him their best skills—" He looked at Hawthorne with covetous eyes and continued:
"So Silas, when will you be able to find the time to talk to Wade about your research on spatial magic?"
"Ah?" Hawthorne said, feigning shyness, "If you're going to teach... you'll have to pay tuition, right? I won't charge much, just a bag of gold will do..."
Morrie said with a straight face, "No! We were just chatting casually, why would I charge you?"
Hawthorne gaped in shock: "Free...freebie?"
Morrie, who was concerned about maintaining a certain level of decorum, was speechless at his choice of words, while the others burst into laughter.
Wade looked at Professor Morrie, a smile flashing in his eyes.
—He had never seen this side of Professor Morrie before.
Professor Morrie was always erudite and patient, speaking at a steady pace, with a kind smile, his full head of silver hair neatly combed, and his wizard robes always clean and tidy.
He was a typical scholar, a kind mentor, and a reassuring elder.
But now, being with these familiar faces, he seemed to have become much younger. He was so lively that he would joke around and tease others, which amused Wade and made him feel closer to Professor Morrie.
However, before the smile on his face could fully bloom, a faint gloom settled over Vader's heart.
Professor Morrie was also present at the competition. Why didn't Dumbledore entrust Professor Morrie with the task of delivering intelligence?
and……
Wade's gaze swept over Professor Morrie's cuffs before immediately looking away.
The dark blue robe had slight wear marks on the cuffs and the pattern on the edge of the pockets was slightly faded, indicating that the robe had been washed at least twice.
Wade, by his nature, would continue to wear his clothes even if they were washed two hundred times, as long as they weren't damaged, but Professor Morrie was not like that.
Although this elderly man did not pursue luxury, he always paid attention to his appearance, and his robes were always bright and crisp. Especially when attending important occasions, he would have formal robes custom-made.
Recalling what Antoine had said before... that Professor Morrie had sold off most of his assets, Wade couldn't help but feel a little worried.
So... Professor Morrie has a very serious financial problem... and it hasn't been resolved yet?
Out of respect for privacy, Wade did not inquire privately unless Professor Morrie brought it up.
But at this moment, he decided to wait until after the game to ask Marchionne what difficulties Professor Mori had encountered that required a lot of money.
If needed, the Gray family's secret stash of money can certainly provide assistance...
"Clap! Clap! Clap!"
The chairman of the jury, Gilbert Fontana, suddenly clapped his hands and urged:
"It's almost time, everyone! The audience is mostly seated, and it's time for our judging panel to take their seats too! Let's make our best appearance... This is going to be broadcast live worldwide!"
(End of this chapter)