Chapter 122
The delegation from Durmstrang entered the castle alongside the students from Hogwarts.
Once inside the Great Hall, the Hogwarts students took their seats at their respective house tables.
At this time, everyone could see that the students from Beauxbatons had chosen to sit at the Ravenclaw table. After sitting down, they looked around the hall with glum expressions. Among them, three students, clearly female by their figures, were still tightly wrapping their heads with scarves and headscarves.
The Durmstrang delegation remained gathered at the entrance, seeming unsure of where they should sit.
Even after sitting down, Goyle was still speaking in a tone of great shock: "I can't believe it! It's Krum, Draco! Viktor Krum!"
Several young witches and wizards were sneaking glances at the Durmstrang representatives at the entrance, with the most attention undoubtedly focused on the Bulgarian national team's Seeker—Viktor Krum.
This time, everyone got a close look at Krum, who had a striking hooked nose and two thick, dark eyebrows, his expression very gloomy.
"For heaven's sake, Goyle, he's just a Quidditch player," Draco said, feigning calm, but he couldn't help but direct his gaze that way.
"But it's Krum!" Pansy exclaimed dramatically. "Do you think he would sign my hat with lipstick?"
Audrey and Tracy Davis then began to argue over a lipstick.
Soren was also watching the Durmstrang group, but he wasn't looking at Krum; he was focused on the only female member of the Durmstrang delegation.
No one thought Soren was looking at a beauty. At that moment, they all appeared particularly tall, wrapped in thick fur cloaks. The female figure was indistinguishable.
What truly caught Soren's attention was her magical aura.
Soren sniffed and a glint flashed in his eyes.
Thanks to the "Source of Life" transformation, Soren's sense of smell was sharper than that of a bloodhound.
This was a familiar scent to him—the unique smell of an alchemist, one that could only be possessed by someone who had long dealt with alchemy, mixed with the scent of women's perfume, making it even more distinctive.
This special scent, even from several feet away and mixed with the body odors of others, was still like a point of light in the darkness for Soren, easily discernible.
At the same time, his magical eye could detect the unusual magical energy surrounding her. Her magical level was not weak, but it was comparable to that of the other Durmstrang students, even slightly inferior to Krum.
However, Soren's magical eye could only see a gray haze, making it impossible to see clearly, which gave him an unusually cold and unreal feeling. He had a premonition that her magical energy was sealed by some alchemical means; if she were to release all her magic, her level would likely be at least equal to his, if not higher.
The Durmstrang students finally decided to sit at the Slytherin table.
Perhaps it was because the clothing, appearance, and demeanor of the Slytherin students were more in line with their aesthetic!
As they removed their heavy fur cloaks, they looked up with interest at the dark, starry ceiling. Two of the students even picked up golden plates and tall wine goblets, examining them closely, clearly intrigued.
After shedding their fur cloaks, the Durmstrang students didn't appear as tall, more comparable to the seventh-year students at Hogwarts. However, most of the boys had Eastern European features, with rugged facial lines and uniformly cropped military-style haircuts. This immediately conveyed the discipline of Durmstrang.
Krum's seat was right next to Draco, and Soren could see that Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle were quite pleased with themselves. Draco was leaning in with a smile, whispering to Krum, and soon they were chatting and laughing.
This was not surprising; Durmstrang was a magical school that only accepted pure-blood students, and Karkaroff's management style was very similar to that of a Muggle military academy, characterised by high-pressure management and a strong emphasis on strict discipline, creating an atmosphere filled with a sense of pure-blood supremacy and a penchant for violence.
It is not surprising that their students and Slytherins can easily chat together.
Sitting opposite Soren was the female student who had caught his attention.
She had already taken off her cloak, revealing a bright red Durmstrang uniform underneath, which was fitted tightly to her body, showcasing her curvaceous figure. Her features were mature and dignified, with light blue eyes that made her seem wise and intelligent. Her fair skin and rosy lips, combined with her indifferent expression, gave her a captivating charm. Her arrival almost drew the attention of all the Slytherin wizards at the long table.
However, she did not show any sign of being bothered by the attention of those around her. Instead, she looked at Soren with her sparkling blue pupils, observing him with interest, her mouth and eyes filled with smiles.
Soren naturally felt it; the girl opposite him was observing him, and it was a blatant, unreserved kind of gaze—if it were in any other situation, it would be quite normal; Soren was somewhat famous throughout Europe, and his appearance had appeared on the covers of major media across Europe. It was not surprising to be recognized.
However, at this moment, Soren felt quite awkward.
He did not believe that her sitting opposite him was merely a coincidence. Although there was indeed an empty seat in front of him, the Durmstrang students had deliberately avoided that seat. Of course, their actions were quite subtle, but how could that escape Soren's keen perception?
Nevertheless, out of courtesy as a noble gentleman, Soren took the initiative to greet her: "Good evening, beautiful lady. I am Malfoy, and on behalf of Slytherin, I welcome you to Hogwarts. I hope you find the environment here satisfactory."
The other party chuckled softly, "Soren Malfoy—" Her star-like gaze sparkled, and there was a clear accent from the northern countries, though her English was quite fluent. "I've heard your name—"
"The young master of the Malfoy family, the youngest Sir Merlin, the youth representative of the Medieval European Wizarding Association, the inventor of the anti-nausea bracelet, the author of 'Me and the Basilisk at Hogwarts'—I've read your masterpiece several times, and I've admired you for a long time. It's really a pleasure to meet you today! By the way, I almost forgot to mention, my name is—Eleanor von Hohenheim..."
Soren's expression grew serious.
He was not an ignorant poor boy. He had certainly heard of this surname and was very aware of the weight it carried in the international wizarding community.
Since the Middle Ages, over the past thousand years, there have been no fewer than a hundred genius figures and extraordinary heroes in the wizarding world, but to say that only a few can truly be remembered through the ages, called "legends of a generation," there are indeed only a handful.
At least, as far as Soren knew, there were only five.
Legendary wizard Merlin is undoubtedly one of them. The current headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, can also be considered one. Nicolas Flamel, who successfully created the Philosopher's Stone, is another.
The remaining two, while not as widely known as the first three, are certainly names familiar to all wizards.
The alchemist Paracelsus, born in Switzerland and settled in Germany.
Paracelsus is the name he chose for himself; before that, his full name was Theophrastus von Hohenheim!
Interestingly, although everyone knows the name Paracelsus, they are quite vague about his deeds and would be clueless if asked.
Paracelsus is one of the 102 Chocolate Frog cards, but the card only states that he is an alchemist skilled in medical magic and mentions his discovery that the ability to speak Parseltongue can be inherited through bloodlines. Compared to the descriptions of Dumbledore, Merlin, and Nicolas Flamel on the cards, his achievements are quite insignificant.
However, the legendary status of Paracelsus is beyond doubt.
In the wizarding world, the two most common exclamations are well-known—one is "Merlin's beard!" and the other is "Thank you, Paracelsus!"
This shows the status of Paracelsus in the wizarding community.
Moreover, Soren remembered that one of his tasks included exploring Paracelsus's secret chamber, which Aquila valued highly enough to rank this chamber alongside the other six major chambers, indicating a lot on its own.
Soren's pupils uncontrollably turned toward the family crest on the upper left of the girl's chest, and indeed it was the emblem of the Hohenheim family!
Eleanor was very pleased with Soren's reaction, showing a graceful smile, her fingers lightly playing with a golden wine goblet. As she gently slid her fingers along the rim of the cup, the goblet emitted a very subtle vibration, and red wine inexplicably overflowed from the empty goblet!
Soren's pupils slightly constricted.
Transfiguration cannot create food out of thin air—wizards can use replenishing charms, expanding charms, and duplication charms to increase food and drink, but it is impossible to create food from nothing!
This is alchemy!
And it is a kind of alchemy that Soren had never seen before!
When he looked again at Eleanor's breathtakingly beautiful face, the only thing left in Soren's eyes was seriousness.
"I say, Eleanor, why do you love to show off so much? After all, he's just another student..." A robust boy sitting not far from Eleanor on her right spoke. His figure resembled that of a grown-up Goyle and Crabbe, and his features were very rugged, showing distinct Eastern European characteristics. While speaking, he was unceremoniously gulping down the wine from his flask, with a few drops even spilling onto his robe.
Soren knew his name was Polyak, as he had introduced himself while flirting with Daphne, which Soren overheard.
Soren revealed a knowing smile and said softly, "I don't think this is a form of showing off!"
"Miss Hohenheim, when you cast your spell just now, I discovered a secret!" Soren said with a faint smile.
"Oh, what secret?" Eleanor leaned slightly forward, her face coming a bit closer to Soren's, her deep blue eyes swirling with captivating charm, "Tell me, you're making me curious!"
Soren grinned like a sly fox that had successfully stolen a chicken and whispered in a voice only the two could hear, "You smell of decay."
A shrewd glint flashed in Eleanor's eyes, but she smiled and said, "Impressive! You really noticed! This is our little secret—" She turned to Daphne and a few other girls, "Not even your little girlfriends are allowed to say it!"
Eleanor's candid admission did not surprise Soren. Although the Hohenheim family's deeds are rarely circulated, the branches of alchemy, while broad and complex, ultimately lead to the same goal. Given Soren's knowledge and understanding of alchemy, it wasn't too difficult to guess the type of alchemy Eleanor was studying.
Alchemy, alchemy, it sounds good—put simply, the ultimate indicators of alchemy are the same: first, "immortality," then "resurrection," and finally the last stage is "transcending eternity." "Eternity" refers to the limitations of time and space, or in other alchemical terms, it means apotheosis. The so-called Philosopher's Stone, Time-Turner, Resurrection Stone, etc., are merely different means, but the ultimate goal is consistent.
To study the relationship between alchemy and the human body, part of alchemical research also includes dealing with corpses. However, with various cleaning spells and potions at a wizard's disposal, removing unpleasant odors is quite easy.
The only explanation for someone like Eleanor to consistently emit a faint smell of decay is necromancy.
Necromancy, also known as death magic, is a magical branch that combines dark magic and alchemy.
The most famous necromancy in the wizarding world is the art of animating corpses.
In the original work, the Resurrection Stone, which forcibly summons souls and can even delay Voldemort for Harry, likely falls within this magical domain.
Soren nodded, as if agreeing to keep her secret.
The two then began to chat about the differences between their two schools, as if everything that had just happened had never occurred.
Only Soren knew in his heart that it seemed the plot of this semester was becoming increasingly interesting.
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