The weekend swiftly passed, giving way to a new Monday.
During breakfast, Skyler occupied the most conspicuous seat at the Slytherin table. In a house that embraced a unique culture emphasizing hierarchy and admiration for the strong, traditionally only seventh-year male and female prefects and the Quidditch captain were entitled to sit in this prestigious spot.
However, Skyler, a fourth-year student, appeared entirely at ease in that seat, and no one among the Slytherins displayed any surprise or objection.
Flanking Skyler were Daphne and Astoria, while Draco, Pansy, Nott, and others were seated across the long table.
The breakfast chatter was interrupted by the arrival of owls bearing messages.
As expected, Skyler received a considerable number of letters. Over 80% of the owls that approached the Slytherin table were seeking him out.
The letters hailed from fans scattered across various European countries, including enthusiasts with monikers like Xinmiao and Shitou.
These letters not only conveyed praise and appreciation but also often contained generous gifts as tokens of admiration.
This ranged from magic artifacts up to normal souvenirs from every wizarding part of each country on the Earth.
Skyler was surprised that some of them even sent some magical delicacies and found their way to him without even spoiling.
Skyler’s score might not have been the highest in the second event, but his performance was undeniably the most captivating. The deductions he faced due to his “noble moral character” garnered sympathy from fans.
Letters poured in, accompanied by rewards, all urging him on and expressing hopes for a championship in the upcoming final project.
Among the messages were missives from his international pen pals. Mr. Chang He from China, intrigued by the novel transfiguration technique Skyler had developed, shared various perspectives and opinions for reference.
The Medieval Wizards’ Union and Silver Spear also maintained a regular correspondence, updating him on the research progress of the first half of the Book of Truth.
Akabane Sakurazuki from Japan conveyed deep admiration for Skyler’s strength and performance in the Triwizard Tournament. She expressed envy after watching the broadcast in the newspaper’s dynamic pictures.
In the Far East countries, there is a warrior challenge competition known as “Running Wizard,” held by China, Japan, and Korea in turn.
However, she pointed out that, given the name, it was evident that only male wizards could participate, leaving witches ineligible.
Yingyue acknowledged that despite her efforts to enhance her strength, she would be unable to participate in this competition.
Mr. Delacour, Mr. Evreux, Mr. Bonacude, and Mr. Amoulinou from France also sent letters of congratulations.
These individuals, thriving in the French wizarding world, enjoy a life of abundance. They are considered astute and sophisticated individuals who view Skyler’s score as inconsequential; what matters to them is the strength he has displayed.
In addition to the customary polite expressions, the letters also included various observations about changes in the French wizarding world.
As prominent figures in their respective fields, they each possessed extensive personal connections, networks, and intelligence sources that covered all levels and corners of the French wizarding society. Collaboratively, they managed to uncover clues about Walpurgis.
Indeed, after the Christmas ball, Skyler had resolved to eliminate the hidden threat of Walpurgis. At the very least, he aimed to comprehend the adversary’s concealed strength and gain intelligence to know both himself and the enemy.
Skyler had a gut feeling that, following the consecutive defeats in the Nightshade Mystic Market, the Moreau Family, and against Barbarossa, he was approaching the moment when he would encounter the true owner of Walpurgis.
Receiving numerous letters in the Great Hall of Hogwarts was not a novelty for Skyler; it was a common occurrence for individuals from the four major houses.
On this particular day, a notable departure from the norm was the influx of owls heading to the Gryffindor table, with a count no less than those delivering letters to the Slytherin table.
A gray owl made its way towards Harry.
Observing Harry’s eager anticipation for the owl, Ron couldn’t resist commenting, “Percy hasn’t had time to respond to the letter yet. We only sent Hedwig to deliver the letter to him yesterday.”
Hermione, sitting beside them, concurred with a nod.
To their surprise, after the gray owl settled on the plate in front of Harry, four more barn owls, a brown owl, and a gray wood owl swooped in.
“What’s happening?” Hermione exclaimed, swiftly grabbing Harry’s goblet to shield it from being knocked over by the flurry of owls. They jostled, vying to deliver the letter to Harry first.
“What on earth—” Harry began, taking the letter from the gray owl and reading it. “Oh, oh!” he exclaimed in frustration, his entire face flushing red with anger.
“What’s happening?” Ron inquired.
“This—this is just absurd—”
Harry handed the letter to Ron, who, along with Hermione, huddled together to peruse the contents of the letter. Unlike a handwritten note, this letter appeared to be crafted from cut-out letters taken from Witch Weekly. It read:
“You scumbag Harry, you will get your comeuppance! Parvati and Hermione deserve better men; go back to the Weasleys and play with your disgusting fencing!” These were the types of venomous letters Harry was receiving. “You shameless boy… I should boil you in green algae… Ouch!”
As Harry opened the last envelope, a yellowish odor wafted out. The green liquid sprayed onto his hands, emitting a pungent smell of gasoline, and immediately, large yellow blisters appeared on his skin.
“Undiluted Bubotuber pus!” Ron exclaimed, gingerly picking up the envelope and inspecting it.
Harry quickly grabbed a napkin and wiped the pus off his hands, but thick, painful scars already covered his fingers, resembling a pair of lumpy gloves.
“You should head to the hospital right away,” Hermione advised as the owls dispersed from around Harry. “We’ll explain the situation to Professor Sprout…”
Covering his hands, Harry swiftly exited the Great Hall. Fuming angrily, Hermione remarked, “Rita Skeeter has crossed all bounds! We didn’t settle accounts with her after the Hagrid incident, and now she’s done something like this to Harry. If this continues, it’ll be disastrous. We need to figure out how she’s snooping around us and uncovering our secrets.”
Ron, somewhat apprehensive, cautioned, “Maybe we shouldn’t. I think it’s better not to provoke this dreadful woman again.” He then pointed out, “Hey, take a look at this.”
“‘Scumbag Harry, if I catch wind of you toying with a girl’s emotions just to be with your gay friend again, watch out. I just need to find a big envelope. Next time, I’ll hex you.’ Read aloud by Ron, he concluded with a sigh, “Oh my god, these people are crazy…”