As Jon walked forward, he thought about the enormous sperm whale that had swallowed him whole not long ago. If he remembered correctly, some Durmstrang students had just mentioned its name—
Leviathan, the sea monster from the Bible said to dwell beneath the North Sea, the embodiment of "Envy" among the Seven Deadly Sins... Though Muggle legends weren't always accurate, most had some grounding in truth.
So what connection did that whale have with Durmstrang?
Still, as a school with nearly a thousand years of history—especially one as famously secretive as Durmstrang—it was bound to harbor its share of mysteries.
Jon didn't ask any questions and simply followed the Durmstrang students through the gates.
After a few steps, he saw a massive black ship stranded in the square to one side. It looked eerie—like the skeletal remains of a long-forgotten shipwreck. The portholes flickered with dim, misty light, resembling the eyes of a ghost.
There was no mistaking it—this was the ship Karkaroff had brought to Hogwarts last year with the Durmstrang students.
On the ghostly vessel, a white-haired old man was polishing the deck... He looked like some kind of caretaker.
A few steps further, Jon spotted the wall he'd seen in Grindelwald's memories.
Where the Deathly Hallows symbol had once been, a massive stone slab now covered the spot, engraved with the Durmstrang Academy crest. As the Durmstrang students passed the wall, they deliberately took a wide detour. Jon sensibly followed their lead, keeping his distance.
A few minutes later, they stopped—before them stood Durmstrang Castle.
Just as Viktor Krum had mentioned to Hermione at the Christmas feast, the castle had only four floors, far smaller than Hogwarts. It was also incredibly crowded. Jon saw students in blood-red robes and fur cloaks moving up and down the staircases, almost packing them solid.
That didn't quite match Krum's claim that Durmstrang was more spacious than Hogwarts... Probably just him showing off in front of the girl he liked.
Despite it being late June, it was clear Durmstrang students hadn't started their summer break yet. For Northern European schools, summer holidays were short, while Christmas and New Year's breaks tended to be much longer.
...
As soon as they entered the castle, two statues came into view.
The one on the left depicted a young witch wearing a pointed hat, kneeling on one knee and gazing up at the sky. A small inscription beneath it read:
Nerida Vulchanova (1013–1047), Founding Headmistress of Durmstrang Institute of Magic, one of the greatest witches in Balkan history. Born in Varna, Bulgaria, in 1013, she founded Durmstrang in 1042.
She had died in her thirties... quite rare in the wizarding world. Typically, powerful witches and wizards could easily ward off illness and live to a ripe old age.
Jon mused on this as his gaze shifted to the second statue—a much older wizard with his wand raised high, pointing forward, a peculiar smile curling his lips.
Beneath it read:
Harfang Munter (1010–1139), Second Headmaster of Durmstrang Institute, renowned European duelist and master of war magic. Born in Constantinople, Byzantium, in 1010. Participated in the founding of Durmstrang in 1042 and became Headmaster in 1047.
Jon looked from one statue to the other, muttering under his breath. Two Balkan wizards traveling all the way to Scandinavia to found a magical school—that was true international vision.
But why did the name Harfang Munter sound so familiar...?
Jon searched his memory before recalling where he'd seen it—Chapter 26 of Secrets of the Darkest Art:
"The earliest known Fiendfyre curse was discovered in the 11th century by a wizard named Harfang Munter from Northern Europe and a witch..."
So, this headmaster had been quite the dark arts expert in his time?
Jon gave the sinister-looking statue one last glance before heading deeper into the castle.
He squeezed through the crowded staircase and casually stopped a passing student.
"Excuse me," he asked, "do you know where Professor Winston Vance's office is? He teaches Dark Magic Research."
"Professor Vance!"
The girl, who looked a year or two younger than Jon, wrinkled her nose in disgust.
"It's the small room on the far right of the second floor!"
"Alright, thanks!"
...
At the far end of the second floor, Jon reached the small room she had mentioned. The door was slightly ajar, and he carefully pushed it open.
Softly, he called out, "Professor Vance..."
No response.
The office was dim, its windows tightly shut, giving the room a gloomy, oppressive feel. To the right of the entrance lay a massive skull—judging by its size and shape, it likely belonged to a Swedish Short-Snout dragon. On the left wall hung a silver robe that looked very much like an Invisibility Cloak.
The room was far larger on the inside than it appeared from the outside, cluttered with all kinds of strange objects.
One peculiar device resembled a golden TV antenna, emitting a faint humming sound. On the opposite wall hung a copper-framed mirror reflecting shadowy figures, and a huge black chest in the corner trembled as if something inside were moving.
"Professor Vance?" Jon called again.
Still nothing.
He stepped further inside and spotted a faded symbol on the far wall—a triangle encircling a circle, bisected by a single vertical line. It seemed the Deathly Hallows emblem was still quite popular at Durmstrang.
Jon was lost in thought when suddenly—
"Good afternoon!"
A slightly chilling voice spoke from behind him.
Jon turned to see a frail old man with a goatee step through the doorway.
"Can I help you, boy?"
The man's lips twisted into a sly grin, revealing a row of yellowed teeth.
With a flick of his hand, the door slammed shut with a loud bang.