[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-hogwarts-john-wick":3,"chapter-hogwarts-john-wick-hogwarts-john-wick-chapter-296":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Hogwarts’ John Wick",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1646080,2109,"296: The Hog’s Head Inn","hogwarts-john-wick-chapter-296",296,"\u003Cp>\"The Ministry of Magic is preparing something.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Great Hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Golden Trio had gathered together, and Hermione was speaking in a low voice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ron was stuffing sausages into his mouth and mumbled through a full mouth, \"Preparing what?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Don't you think it's strange,\" Hermione glanced around and whispered, \"that the Ministry is suddenly interfering in Hogwarts' education?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Didn't you say last time that Barty Crouch came to power and started reforms?\" Ron finally swallowed what was in his mouth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hermione's eyes widened—furious at his lack of awareness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Harry suddenly said, \"Voldemort.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What?\" Ron looked at him in surprise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Harry continued, \"Crouch knows about Voldemort's return. He's training students so they'll have the power to protect themselves.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he spoke, he looked over at Neville, who was buried in writing a letter, and said in a low voice, \"Crouch isn't satisfied with Dumbledore's teaching—he wants his own army.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Army?!\" Ron exclaimed, then leaned closer and lowered his voice, \"You mean the Ministry wants to turn Hogwarts into a weapons factory?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I'm afraid so.\" Harry went on, \"Crouch isn't just unhappy with education—he's dissatisfied with Dumbledore's current influence. He wants to boost the Ministry's power.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hermione cut in, \"That's not necessarily a bad thing—I mean, as long as he's willing to fight You-Know-Who.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It's also possible that Voldemort's target will be Hogwarts.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Harry had a particularly sharp instinct about certain matters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But Crouch picked the wrong person,\" Ron looked at the back of Harry's hand and grumbled, \"Umbridge isn't a good person.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"There's one question,\" Hermione asked with a frown, \"why doesn't Crouch team up with Dumbledore?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"He doesn't like Dumbledore's influence,\" Harry analyzed, \"or rather, in his eyes, there's no difference between Dumbledore and Voldemort.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One is a white Dark Lord, the other a black one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hermione gasped—this was not a good sign.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From their perspective, Dumbledore had never shown that kind of ambition. But Crouch's baseless suspicion might lead to something bad.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I swear, Dumbledore's never wanted to control the wizarding world,\" Ron said indignantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But he has the ability to, doesn't he?\" Hermione, with her sharp political sense, said seriously, \"The point isn't whether he wants to—it's whether he could.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I don't want to end up in Crouch's army going to war against Dumbledore,\" Ron said angrily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hermione also thought that scenario sounded terrible—at least for them, it wouldn't be a good thing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While they were discussing the possibilities for Hogwarts' future, Umbridge's investigation operations were quietly underway.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In class, her figure could always be seen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Professor Flitwick was conducting orchestra practice when Umbridge showed up uninvited.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Professor Flitwick looked rather helpless, and that helplessness cracked a little when Umbridge took out her ruler.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During Snape's classes, he could always feel a gaze coming from the corner of the room—his carefully crafted elegant phrasing was swallowed back down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Professor McGonagall hated people interfering during her lessons, but Umbridge did exactly that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eventually, it even led to a confrontation between McGonagall and Umbridge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boys and girls who were sitting together were forcibly separated just because Umbridge walked by. Students with distinctive personal style were forced to change their appearance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To put it another way, even a dog passing by would get \"corrected\" by Umbridge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her control freak tendencies were suffocating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>John watched as Tom, upon returning, spun around furiously in place—it looked like she wanted to bite something just to let off steam.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The effect might've been a little too good,\" John mused.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had originally intended to use Umbridge to chip away at Dumbledore's prestige, but the results had gone a bit overboard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had underestimated Umbridge—now all of Hogwarts was filled with complaints.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There weren't many complaints about the Ministry itself, though, thanks to another professor sent by them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Professor Oz Hield was widely praised. She taught material the previous professors hadn't covered, and no one had to worry she was secretly some terrifying creature in disguise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Given the friction between Oz Hield and Umbridge, no one believed the Ministry had intentionally sent someone just to torment them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dumbledore had temporarily stepped down from his position as headmaster, but the students who had hoped he would step forward to save them received no response.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When faced with adversity, the strong try to turn the tide, while the weak point fingers at those with power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clearly, Hogwarts was still a place where the weak were the majority.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They believed the rumors and lashed out at the powerful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as they had once criticized Dumbledore for being too lenient, now they complained in the same breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why, as headmaster of Hogwarts, couldn't you fight for better treatment on our behalf?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You're Dumbledore, the most powerful wizard in the magical world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You're supposed to stand with us.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps to Dumbledore, things hadn't yet reached a point where they were unbearable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But discontent among the students had already begun to quietly brew.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hogsmeade.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>John accompanied Daphne to The Literati's Nook.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although John thought the stationery sold here couldn't possibly compare to what he could make himself, Daphne liked shopping here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aside from ink and quills, they also bought some parchment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What do you think of this color?\" Daphne asked with great interest, holding up a bottle of sky-blue ink, like a girl showing off a new outfit and asking if it looked good.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>John picked it up and examined it, raising an eyebrow in surprise. \"This is invisible ink. Are you planning to write secrets?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ah?\" Daphne looked flustered. \"No, I just grabbed it at random.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This kind of ink doesn't offer much confidentiality,\" John said, shaking his head. \"A simple Revelio charm would expose everything.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Putting the ink back, John added in a soft voice, \"If you need a type of confidential ink, I can get you something better.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Alright,\" Daphne said, a little disappointed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>John glanced outside, raising an eyebrow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Daphne noticed his expression and asked, \"What is it?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Feel like checking out a new place?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>John extended the invitation, and Daphne happily accepted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They walked out of The Literati's Nook, and John offered his small satchel, loading the quills inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Recalling how quickly Daphne went through ink and quills, he spoke as they walked, \"If you don't mind…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What?\" Daphne leaned in closer to John and quietly grabbed his sleeve.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>John thought for a moment and said, \"I can make you a new quill.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That would be great!\" Daphne said in surprise and delight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When they arrived at the destination, the smile on Daphne's face stiffened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As they pushed the door open, a strong smell of mutton hit them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The place wasn't exactly welcoming.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thick grime coated several bulging windows, barely letting in any light. On the coarse wooden tables sat stubby candle ends and a heavy layer of dust.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The cups looked like they hadn't been washed in ages.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Coming from a well-off family, Daphne's pretty face was full of disgust.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bar owner looked up and saw John, seeming a little surprised.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They sat down at a small table, and John tapped it lightly—dust and grease instantly fell away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It looked almost like a newly purchased table.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>John pulled a silver bottle of liquor from his satchel and conjured two cups with a flick of his hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No outside drinks allowed here,\" grumbled the bar owner—a tall, thin old man with a strange temperament, his long hair and beard a dusty gray-white.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stared at John with clear hostility.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were a few other people in the bar, and they looked at John with amused expressions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A young lad bringing a girl along.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was the impression they had of John.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They wanted to see how this boy would avoid embarrassing himself in front of the girl.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mocking gazes gathered on John.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He ignored them and opened the bottle. A fragrant aroma of wine wafted out, seemingly stirring a few cravings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The clean, clear crystal wine glass was filled with the liquor, and the scent became even more alluring.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gulp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No one knew who made the sound—it seemed someone had been enticed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>John poured the glass a third full, then handed it to Daphne like a gentleman.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Daphne smiled sweetly and said Thank you.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bar owner looked like he was about to explode, his chest heaving violently, and then…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He turned around and went back to the bar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The people who had been expecting a show were stunned. Was this really the same owner of the Hog's Head?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like a prince and princess who had wandered among commoners, the two of them drank their fine, luxurious wine as if the dingy setting around them didn't exist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>__________\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Read 12 Chaps ahead:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Patreon: Dragonel\u003C\u002Fp>",1439,"2026-06-06T11:45:53.361Z",1,"novelbin.me","d5c27777ad46c749af36303dd7043acbab747f59840a28e3829b45b315184340","hogwarts-john-wick-chapter-297","hogwarts-john-wick-chapter-295",577,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fhogwarts-john-wick-cover.jpg"]