"Where... is this place?"
According to old Shafiq's warning, enemy spies were mixed in among Durmstrang itself. So in order to avoid arousing suspicion, and to keep anyone from learning of their plans before things truly began, Baron had not told his classmates what would happen today in advance. He had not revealed even the slightest hint to Avada, the person he trusted most.
After all, both his father and Dumbledore—who had communicated with him in secret—had repeatedly sworn that the champions' safety would absolutely not be a problem. Baron trusted them.
So when the Hogwarts students around him suddenly saw him pull a key from his sleeve and open a doorway out of thin air, most of them looked completely bewildered, with some even showing a trace of suspicion. After all, far too many abnormal things had already happened today...
"A safe house!"
Baron answered briefly and did not waste time giving further explanations. Instead, he was the first to step through.
"Dumbledore arranged it in secret—he already foresaw that something like today would happen, and he knew he would be defeated in the duel. But he has a follow-up plan that can guarantee both his own safety and Ken's... We don't have that luxury!"
"So we're just abandoning everything here and running away like this?" someone asked in disbelief.
"That was the Headmaster's intention as well."
Baron still stood in the doorway, gripping the key and maintaining the portal's opening.
"There will be plenty of Dark wizards entering Durmstrang soon to deal with the remaining students. If we stay, not only will we be unable to help, we'll only become a burden and drag the Headmaster down further... Trust me. Protecting our own safety right now is the greatest help we can give him!"
The crowd fell silent again, but this time not for long.
Thanks to the trust they had built up through living together in a foreign land day after day, a second person soon stepped past Baron and crossed through the doorway into Leach University, followed by a third, a fourth...
Until, at last, every Hogwarts student except Avada vanished soundlessly into the chaos at Durmstrang.
Finally... I've done everything I was supposed to do. I only hope things go smoothly on the Headmaster's and Ken's side...
After confirming that all the Hogwarts students apart from Avada had entered the space where the university was located, Baron finally let out a sigh of relief. The huge stone that had weighed on his heart for months at last dropped away completely.
Although he himself did not know much about this place calling itself "Leach University," the fact remained that his father and Professor Dumbledore—two of the people he trusted most—had repeatedly guaranteed its safety and harmlessness. There was naturally no need for him to overthink it further. And what had just happened only proved even more clearly that their words could indeed be trusted...
Click.
With the sound of a key turning, the university portal that had still been standing open immediately shut, completely sealing away all the chaos outside.
What the students now faced was only an enormous, empty hall.
There were no windows here, no sunlight, and yet neither the hall's size—large enough to rival a stadium—nor its ceiling, more than ten meters high, gave people the slightest feeling of oppression.
Its decoration was also remarkably classical and luxurious. In addition to sofas and bookshelves, there were even fountains and pianos placed throughout the hall.
It was simply more extravagant than the common rooms at Hogwarts.
"...What an enormous space!"
The Hogwarts students present were all elites qualified to become champion candidates, so their eyesight and judgment naturally surpassed those of ordinary students. Almost the instant they entered, they recognized that this place was extraordinary.
So after their initial tension gradually faded, people began looking around and exclaiming in amazement.
"This... this is all created by the Undetectable Extension Charm?!"
"It really looks like it... Merlin's beard! A space this huge can actually be carried around!"
"Was this made by the Headmaster?"
...
Almost everyone immediately assumed without hesitation that this space was Dumbledore's handiwork. As a result, they became much less worried about their Headmaster's safety.
For a long time now, Hogwarts students had possessed a nearly blind trust in Dumbledore's abilities, and what they were seeing now undoubtedly deepened that feeling even further. And Baron had also just said that everything that had happened before was within the Headmaster's expectations...
So the answer seemed obvious—
Dumbledore's earlier defeat had to have been an act. Everything was part of the Headmaster's plan!
Even Baron himself could not immediately refute that conclusion. He did not know Leach University particularly well either, much less whether Dumbledore had played any part in its construction.
What if he really had?
"Mm... Right, if that's the case, then we're safe now—but what about the Beauxbatons and Durmstrang students?"
After marveling at the space for a while, someone suddenly realized the issue.
"Baron said earlier that a lot of Dark wizards would be coming to deal with the remaining students, didn't he? Then wouldn't they be in danger too?"
"Oh, come on—even Durmstrang's Headmaster took the lead in betraying everyone," someone immediately retorted. "Who among them is still trustworthy? For all we know, quite a few of them are on the same side as those Dark wizards who are about to arrive!"
"But—"
"All right, there's no need to worry about them."
Baron, who had said very little since closing the door, suddenly spoke up and cut off the discussion.
"My responsibility is only to safely guide all of you from Hogwarts into this place. As for Beauxbatons and Durmstrang, they naturally have people they trust to guide them as well... Judging by the time, they should be arriving soon."
Almost the instant Baron's words fell, a familiar doorway suddenly appeared out of nowhere on a nearby wall and creaked open, revealing a scene they had seen only a short while ago...
"Form a line! Keep order!"
"Move faster! Don't dawdle! The doorway's only this big, and we don't have much time!"
"Keep moving inside! Leave room for the students behind you!"
Under the astonished gazes of the Hogwarts students, a crowd of young faces in red cloaks poured through that door in a rush and came onto the same floor as them.
Quite a few of those newcomers also noticed the Hogwarts students standing there and cast equally surprised looks in their direction—
They were the Durmstrang students!
And before either side could even begin questioning the other, another identical portal opened on the opposite side. This time, a line of young people in pale blue robes stepped through in orderly fashion, likewise turning astonished eyes toward both the Hogwarts and Durmstrang groups—
They were the Beauxbatons students.
Clearly, among their students or professors as well, there were people from Leach University responsible for opening portals with keys and bringing them in.
And as for why one person had not simply brought everyone together at once, Baron guessed it was probably because Karkaroff and Ludo Bagman's betrayal had already triggered suspicion among all three schools. If they had not been led in batches by people from their own side, then distrust alone might have caused delays and needlessly reduced efficiency...
(End of Chapter)