Hey, before you know it, it's already so late?"

Outside the Piskalev cemetery, Newt looked up at the darkening sky.

Moscow is still some distance from St. Petersburg, and in order to avoid revealing his identity in front of Ivanov, Newt ended up choosing to come here by train with the old man, rather than taking some more "wizard" approach.

In fact, it seems that it was a very fortunate and perfect choice.

After all, strictly speaking, Ivanovic was finally convicted by the wizarding court as a criminal who "violated the law of secrecy", and as a well-known top wizard in the wizarding world today, Newt would inevitably arouse some suspicion if he was too high-profile.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Ivanov, but I still have some business to attend to, or we'll stop here today...... We'll meet here tomorrow morning at nine o'clock, and of course, I'll cover the cost of accommodation......."

Newt took out his pocket watch from his bosom, glanced at it, and pointed to the "Motherland-Mother" sculpture at the entrance to the cemetery.

As he spoke, Newt pulled out a small stack of banknotes from his wallet and handed it to Ivanov.

Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, the ensuing Great Depression has severely hit every sector of Russia, and even the entire European country, and the once crowded Piskalev Cemetery has become one of the most deserted places.

Foreign tourists rarely come here to pay their respects, and St. Petersburg has so much more interesting and historical sights than here.

As for the residents living in this city, they almost never come here, and the heavy pressure of life has long made them nostalgic for the past, and it is already very difficult to maintain the most basic food and clothing.

As a result, the Piskalev Cemetery became the most secluded and safe corner of St. Petersburg at this time.

"Mr. Scamander, what are you...... Well, thanks. ”

Ivanov was about to subconsciously refuse, and then suddenly stopped in the middle of speaking, hesitated for a few seconds, gritted his teeth, took the stack of banknotes from Newt Scamander, and smiled a little awkwardly.

"I don't have any medals on me that I can sell, but I'll definitely find you another one tomorrow, and the guide fee for the next week will be included in it, as long as it's in Russia, even if it's a city I'm not so familiar with, I'll definitely help you find a reliable local guide-"

Ivanov's previous medals had been given to Newt when he was in the cemetery.

Although, in theory, Ivanov might have been able to sell them for a higher price for other tourists if they were sold separately, in the old man's opinion, these medals could only be medals and not decorations in the hands of certain people.

You know, a few dozen pounds is already quite a considerable income for the current Ivanov.

"By the way, Mr. Scamander, if you don't mind, I'd like to ask an extra ......"

After a few seconds of hesitation, the old man lowered his eyes slightly, his eyes missed Newt's gaze at the collar of his trench coat, his lips pursed, and he asked softly cautiously, like a mosquito.

"That friend of yours, how many medals does he expect to buy?"

"How many medals?" Scamander frowned, looking at Ivanov with some confusion.

"Hmm...... It's like this......"

Ivanov's originally straight back seemed to bend a little more, and his eyes wandered to explain.

"I have quite a few comrades-in-arms, and they have a lot of various medals there, I mean, if your friend has a lot of money, I can actually help him ask more, collect more - of course, not too much, I know that it is enough to collect one medal of the same kind, just in case, in case...... You have more friends......"

"Money, my friend......"

Newt was slightly stunned, and subconsciously thought of a certain white-haired little loli being surrounded in the center by a group of Gringotts goblins who were slightly shorter than her, surrounded by a scene of golden gallons, and replied in a firm tone after thinking about it.

"Don't worry, Mr. Ivanov, besides, all my money is with her, and if it were her, it would be fine. ”

"She?"

Ivanov glanced at Newt and shook his head with a dumb smile.

Hey, these lucky and poor old English gentlemen.

In this comparison, although he was a little embarrassed, at least he didn't have to face the terrible she-bear when he went home.

Of course, if Natasha didn't have a ...... back then

Ivanov's eyes were slightly dazed, and then he quickly shook his head and came back to his senses.

Now was not the time for sadness and reminiscences, he had more important things to do later.

Ivanov carefully folded the stack of pounds in his hand, put it in the pocket of the lining of his clothes, and slapped his face several times with seriousness, just as he had with the bullets he carried with him, and then exhaled lightly.

"Thank you very much, Mr. Scamander. Tomorrow at half past eight, I will be here on time for you. ”

After a slight pause, Ivanov looked around at the pale yellow streetlights that were gradually lighting up around him, and turned his head to look at Newt Scamander, who was thinking about something, with an embarrassed smile on his face.

"I'm sorry, sir. I'm going to pay a few old friends a little bit more than that, and if you don't need me anywhere else, I'll go first. ”

"It's okay, I'm the same...... I also...... There's something I'd like to ask about. ”

Newt Scamander took a deep breath and subconsciously clenched the parchment he was holding in his hand that recorded the current address of Ivanovic's house—the information he had asked his friends at the Ministry of Magic to find out with great difficulty.

The two old men, each with their own concerns, nodded absentmindedly to each other and parted under the streetlights.

"See you tomorrow, then, Mr. Scamander. ”

"See you tomorrow, Mr. Ivanov. ”

............

At night in St. Petersburg, the air is fresh and cold.

"Hey, old man, I'm bringing back good news today!

Ivanov raised his head, looked beyond the dilapidated perimeter and landed on the upper floors of a building in the distance.

It was an apartment building for soldiers on duty at a nearby military base.

At one point, the five-storey building was filled with soldiers and their families. But since the collapse of the Soviet Union, when it was officially disbanded, they were hastily relocated to other parts of the vast country. In just a few months, the building was empty, and only a few people who couldn't find a home still lived here.

At this moment, the entire apartment building is immersed in a kind of dying old darkness, with only a few windows letting in dim light, as if stubbornly telling the people around them that there are still people living here.

Ivanov skillfully found the location of the collapse of the wall and walked down. Although it was only a knee-high hurdle, he found it very strenuous—like drilling through enemy barbed wire on the battlefield forty years ago.

He walked in through the main door of the apartment, and by the faint moonlight came to a door on the third floor, and was about to knock on the door, but a hoarse female voice came from the room: "Ivanov, is that you?"

Ivanov pushed the door open and walked in.

The only light in the room came from an old kerosene lamp. In the dim light, Ivanov saw old picture frames hanging on the wall, plates with broken edges, rusty heating racks, and the hostess standing at the dining table fumbling for Ivanov to pour water.

Her name is Sonya. The wife of Ivanov's old comrade-in-arms, Yuri Zhirkov.

Ivanov's old comrade-in-arms, Yuri, took part in the Great Patriotic War and several subsequent wars, large and small.

The cold winter of Stalingrad decades ago did not kill him, and the great disarmament of the Khrushchev era did not break him, and even poverty, disability, and disease did not bring him to his knees.

But just last year, when news of the collapse of the Soviet Union spread across the country via radio.

Yuri Zhirkov, who was shocked by the bad news, fell headlong in the canal on the side of the road and never woke up.

In 1991, this was an insurmountable hurdle for many people.

The history of this country is like someone who has been slashed in two, like a red sausage.

After the death of Yuri Zhirkov, the lives of his wife and children became a problem, but fortunately, Ivanov and several other comrades-in-arms often helped them. But then life became more and more difficult, and several other comrades-in-arms also lost their sources of livelihood one by one.

In the end, Ivanov, who was barely a low-ranking non-commissioned officer, was the one who was in a better situation - his Natasha did not survive with him until the end of the war, and in those days, love was too extravagant.

Because of this, Ivanov, who has no family and nothing to worry about, is naturally much less stressed in terms of survival.

"By the way, what about little Zhirkov? Why didn't you see him. ”

Ivanov asked as he took the cup from Sonya.

"He's out to work. Sonia sat down opposite Ivanov with difficulty propping up the table, her face haggard, but her voice unconsciously raised, and she spoke of the pride of the parents of children:

"He works as a stevedore at the railway station, fifteen kilometres away, and he has to go to work at night...... It's not easy to find a stable job now, but luckily Vakiri is strong...... Just like his father. ”

Yes, what a great lad, strong, tenacious, Ivanov saw in him the shadow of his comrade-in-arms in his youth.

Unfortunately, times have changed, and the difficulties of the times have made individual efforts futile.

In this country where the economy, politics, and people's livelihood are in complete chaos, even a good child like little Zhirkov who goes out early and returns late and works hard can only maintain the lowest food and clothing line for him and his mother in today's world.

Ivanov took a sip of the water in the cup with emotion, and subconsciously frowned.

It's cold and slightly sour...... It reminded him of the bad days of decades ago when he was hiding in trenches and rubble.

Immediately afterward, he realized that this glass of water had been saved by Sonia with a rain collector.

Since the apartment was abandoned, the water and electricity have been cut off, and the people who live here have to buy the cheapest and most smoked kerosene for lamps, and if they want to drink water, they have to catch rainwater, and if they want to turn on the heating in winter, it is a fantasy. Being in such an environment for a long time will cause the human body to deteriorate.

In fact, Ivanov had already discovered that Sonia's physical condition was even worse than the last time he came. The sight of Sonia fumbling with a cup in the dim light reminded Ivanov of a disease - night blindness.

Ivanov did not know the exact cause of night blindness, but remembered that it seemed to be related to malnutrition.

Thinking of this, the figure of the British veteran appeared in front of Ivanov's eyes.

Newt's appearance even made Ivanov think that perhaps the brothers who died in the Great Patriotic War and even later in the big and small wars were the lucky ones. They died with ideals, and at least in the eyes of the people they were real heroes, while other living veterans were only seen as a liability.

Ah, by the way, that English veteran named Newt Scamander.

Ivanov finally remembered the purpose of the trip. He pulled his hand out of his pocket and placed a few pounds sterling, which had been flattened in front of Sonya. Then a medal of valor of the 3rd degree awarded by the USSR was placed next to the pound.

Instead of looking down at the things on the table, Sonia touched them one after the other. When her hand touched the angular surface of the 3rd Class Medal of Valor, a puzzled look was evident on her face.

The last time they met, Sonia personally handed the medal to Ivanov and asked him to sell it for a good price.

But now Ivanov has returned the medal to himself, where did the money come from?

Soon, she figured out what happened: "Ivanov, you sold your medal, right?"

"Haha, you know, my medal is worth more than you do. Mine is the Order of Valor, 2nd degree, and your husband's is 3rd degree. ”

"Not the problem. No, I can't take this money, so you might as well help me sell my husband's badge. ”

Sonia pushed the badge back, along with a few pounds.

"No, Sonya, you have to keep it. This is a testament to Yuri's bravery in destroying a Tiger tank on his own, and you should leave him to Vakiri, or give it to him when Vakiri's child is born, instead of trying to sell it. ”

The moment he said this, Ivanov regretted it a little -

Yes, the USSR has collapsed, and in this new world of market economy, everything is clearly priced. The glory and sacrifice of a battle hero's life can be packed and taken away – often in dollars, and the price is not expensive.

Buyers only care if there's a legend behind the medal, as it makes a great conversation at their tea party. And the sacrifices and costs paid for this medal are considered unimportant.

How could the wife of a laureate of the Order of the Patriotic War of the 2nd degree, if it were not for the fact that she was really desperate, think of selling it?

On the other hand, Ivanov's decision to do so was not improvised.

It is difficult for the youngest generation in Russia to understand the generation of Ivanov and Ivanovich. It's not because they've been upheld by capitalism or communism, or because of their age gap.

Even at Ivanov's age, ordinary people of the younger generation will pursue very ordinary things.

Bisque, vodka, warm home, kind wife and healthy children.

- But Ivanov: What they want is a strong Motherland.

Did the USSR collapse?

This seems to be an unquestionable question. But in Ivanov's opinion, it was not the case, he always believed that the Motherland did not fall, she just ...... It's so tiring. She just needs a break.

Someday she'll get back on her feet, and yes she will!

When that day comes, what will we use to tell the younger generation what kind of people their parents are?

Do you want to put the right to speak in the hands of that group of capitalists?

Then they will say that in Chernobyl we were held at gunpoint by the commissars, they will say that in Berlin it was the Americans who replaced the flag in the Reichstag, and they would even say that the Soviet Union provoked the Second World War.

It is easy for people to grow old, and even great nations cannot last forever.

But the medal is not easy to change, and every corner of it contains courage and glory. In the hands of the capitalists, it was worth only a small number of dollars, but in the USSR it ...... Or that it is priceless in the hearts of the people of the former Soviet Union, at least it can tell the younger generation what kind of people their parents and even more distant ancestors used to be -

They were eagles flying in the skies over Ukraine;

They were ghosts that lurked in the ruins of Leningrad;

They were the Grim Reaper who had rushed out of the flames of Stalingrad;

They were giant bears charging in the Kursk hills;

They were the backs of Pripyat without hesitation;

They......

- Definitely not a burden for this country!

"Sonya, keep it. There's some money, and you need it more than I do. ”

"But your medal ......"

"Ha, it's useless for me to keep those things, I don't have children. ”

When he said this, Ivanov tried to make himself look more relaxed.

Sonia thought for a moment before nodding with guilt: "Thank you, Ivanov, thank you." ”

It was only then that Ivanov really settled down.

He knows that there are many diseases that seem to be very serious, but in fact, all it takes is a few nutritious meals, or a period of normal rest, and the body can recover quickly. The money Ivanov gave Sonia was not a huge amount, but it could help her get through the rest of her life, such as buying some meat or finding a doctor......

In short, at least Ivanov will not have to worry about her for some time to come.

After sitting for a while, Ivanov got up to take his leave.

Newt Scamander gave him a total of eighty-five pounds, which was not a small amount.

Ivanov divided the money into a lot of parts, ready to give relief to a couple of old fellows.

The places where these people lived were not close to each other, and if Ivanov still wanted to go to the old place on time tomorrow morning to meet Scamander, then he might have to hurry, besides...... He also needs to help Newt collect some more medals.

As he left the apartment, Ivanov saw what appeared to be some colorful graffiti on the walls of the hallway. The graffiti was not in Russian letters, but in English, and in a colorful way, Ivanov was very irritated to watch.

The graffiti looks like the handiwork of young people, and after 1991, the country's history seems to have been cut in two.

The first half seems to be full of dictatorship and tyranny, while the second half is light and hope. Against this backdrop, some young people act as if they were sworn in to destruct, as if that would erase the reality of their birth in this country.

Ivanov raised his chin contemptuously, as if he didn't want to lose his momentum in the face of the graffiti from the Western world, and the Soviet Army was always the first compared to the pampered British, French, and Americans.

Slowly, Ivanov, who was carrying a large sum of pounds, felt as if he had returned to forty years ago.

They tensed their nerves and fired in all directions.

Tanks, replenishment, flares, artillery were defeated by them. Then they crowded forward with the next charge.

He strode forward, his stiff spine seemed to slowly soothe, and the years seemed to return the youth that had been taken from him, and at the same time, what returned to his body was the belief that had long been worn out by time.

Ivanov walked forward step by step, fantasizing that he had once again put on a Soviet uniform and walked on Red Square. In fact, it is walking in a world flooded with colorful graffiti.

He took one step, one step, and one step with determination......

Until the lonely back disappears at the end of the mottled corridor.

............

And at the same time, the other side.

As a wizard family, Novat Ivanovich's family was not easy to find.

With Ivanov's help, Newt tried to find out Ivanovich's address in non-magical government departments.

But at this point in time, Russia was rebuilding its government, and the efficiency of all departments was appallingly low - both in the non-magical world and in the magical world, and everyone was devoting their energy to sharing the little bear meat left over from the feast.

Thankfully, Newt still has a few reliable acquaintances in the former Soviet Ministry of Magical Internal Affairs.

Moreover, for some reason, Novat Ivanovich himself is a "celebrity" in this land.

In addition to being told a few words of caution, the news about the Ivanovich family came quickly.

Luckily, Novat Ivanovich's family still lives in St. Petersburg, which saves Newt Scamander the trouble of going back and forth to find his way.

After separating from the former Soviet veteran, Newt followed the signs and went to Ivanovich's house alone.

By the time Newt knocked on the door of the imposing-looking single-family building, it was already dark.

The moment the door was opened, Newt saw the person who opened the door and was sure he was in the wrong place.

He identified the other man from the deep features, his tall stature, and his overly piercing eyes—yes, it was Novat's son. He is almost exactly like Novat when he was younger.

"Who are you looking for?" said the person who opened the door.

Newt nodded slightly, and asked with a smile, "Is this Novat Ivanovich's home?"

The smile on the face of the person who opened the door disappeared.

He looked at Newt Scalmander carefully, frowned slightly, and shouted something behind him.

Immediately afterward, Newt saw a woman behind him go upstairs with a little girl who was less than ten years old. And when it was confirmed that the little girl had left, the other party opened the door and welcomed Newt into the door.

In Ivanovic's mansion, in the living room, Newt formally met the son of the deceased.

His name was Yermak Ivanovich, and he was a Soviet sorcerer, of course, a Russian sorcerer.

Sadly, Newt didn't feel the slightest sense of relaxation from visiting an old friend's house.

Although Yermak instructed his wife to make tea for Newt, since the two sat down on the chairs in the reception room, apart from a few brief greetings and introductions, they drank tea almost without saying a word.

The atmosphere in the whole living room was very delicate, and the faint vigilance of the other party made Newt feel uncomfortable.

There is no doubt that Newt's visit did not seem to be welcome.

When the other party did not take the initiative to speak, Newt also tried to avoid stirring up topics related to Novat first.

Newt Scamander's eyes were taken away from "Little Ivanovich" and he began to observe the furnishings in the room quietly, and soon his attention was drawn to a picture frame hanging above the stove.

In the frame hangs a delicate medallion. There was a red droplet-shaped object on it, like a piece of blood dripping, and on this drop of blood there were three dotted lines staggered from each other, marked with α, β, and γ.

Suddenly, Newt felt "Little Ivanovich" pull out his wand, but it didn't seem to be coming at him.

Syllable!

With a crisp click, the frame with the medal flipped over, revealing the gray underside.

Newt frowned, retracting his gaze from the frame, and his gaze returned to "Little Ivanovich", who was putting away his wand.

Yermak didn't seem to care about the extremely rude behavior just now, dusted off his clothes lightly, and spoke in a tone that was not salty: "Newt Scamander, a well-known magical beast expert in the wizarding world. Why are you here?"

Newt placed the teacup on the table and smiled good-naturedly:

"I'm an old friend of your father, Novat Ivanovich, and I don't know if Novat has ever mentioned it to you...... Although we haven't seen each other for many years. Actually, I wanted to meet an old friend today......"

"Now that you've been able to find it here, I think you've already been to Spikemasup's cemetery, right?"

"Yes. ”

"Then your purpose has been accomplished. Yermak raised an eyebrow and said in a flat tone.

"But I don't know exactly what's going on, and everybody is so secretive about Novat that I'll have to come here and find out what happened. What the hell happened six years ago and why ......"

Yermak Ivanovich waved his hand somewhat roughly, impatiently interrupting Newt's words.

"There's really nothing to say. The story is very simple - there was a nuclear accident in Chernobyl, and the wizards thought that it was the Muggles' own fault and had to let them solve it themselves, so they ordered all wizards in the Soviet Union to evacuate and not interfere in the matter. But my father violated the ban and it was blatant. The end result was that he contracted 'radiation sickness' and had his wand taken away for violating wizarding secrecy. ”

"Radiation sickness?"

"Yes, or rather, a name you'll surely understand—the Death of the Wizards. ”

"......" Newt didn't answer.

He knew that the Death of the Wizard was an insoluble curse - he didn't know how to prevent it, he didn't know how to heal the Cursed One, and the Wizards healed and rejuvenated the Cursed One, but it turned out to be even more painful for the Cursed.

Although it has long been known that the Soviets paid a huge price in that catastrophe, it is all from the newspapers. Knowing today, Newt has come to terms with the phrase "great price" through the news of his old friend's death.

Newt picked up the teacup and took a sip, the bitter tea didn't calm his heart.

He thought for a moment before he spoke, "Your father...... The last time we fought side by side was against Grindelwald and he was very brave. He was a very amazing person. ”

"Amazing people?" Yermak sneered.

"He did all this just because a bunch of imbecile Muggles couldn't wipe their butts clean. Do you know what he got as a result?"

Yermak pointed to the medal Newt had seen just now, and snorted coldly:

"A thousand rubles in compensation and a broken medal, I honestly don't know if that broken iron is a trick used by the Muggle government to tease us. Oh, and by the way, there's the Wizengamot verdict. ”

"And do you know what the price he paid was to? He ignored the rules of the wizarding world! He quit his stable job at the Cordos Dorez School of Witchcraft and Wizardry!

"And all this...... Just for a bunch of stupid Muggles!"

"You call him a great man?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, I really don't know that in your English dictionary, the definition of the word great is to abandon responsibility!"

Yermak's sudden agitation made Newt more than good, Newt Scamander's hand rested on the ear of the teacup with some embarrassment, but he didn't know whether to put it on the table or pretend to take a sip as if nothing happened.

At this moment, the door to the living room was suddenly pushed open.

Newt saw the little girl who had just gone upstairs standing in the doorway.

The little girl looked less than ten years old, and her voice was milky, but unusually resolute:

"Grandpa is not a bad person! Grandpa is an amazing hero!"

Irina Ivanovich's appearance was taken by surprise, he first opened his mouth in disbelief, and then his voice suddenly became stern: "Irina, we have discussed this topic many times. Your grandfather wasn't much of a hero. Now, obediently, go back upstairs. ”

"No, Daddy!"

The little girl shouted in a louder voice: "Grandpa, he is a hero, he has saved a lot of innocent people." I read the book that says that without their efforts, more people would have died, and even the whole of Europe would have died!"

"I shouldn't have let you read those Muggle books if I had known I. ”

Yermak said, "Your grandfather was a wizard, his world was wizarding, and the group of people he saved were only Muggles. ”

Very old-fashioned statement—Newt thought to himself, and the man in front of him was the person Alina said needed to change. But then Irina Jr.'s speech made Newt raise an eyebrow.

"But, grandpa saves people!"

“...... You'll find out when you've gone to magic school. Anna, take her back to her room. ”

Yermak Ivanovich froze slightly, then waved his hand angrily, raised his voice and commanded the woman standing behind Irina, but before he could finish speaking, there was a deafening loud bang in the living room.

Then he immediately exclaimed, "Holy, Irina!"

The woman was shaken to the side.

The furniture in the reception room began to shake violently, and the flames in the furnace made a crackling explosion, and then suddenly burst into flames, and the flames began to spread out like an angry beast.

Yermak immediately drew his wand, and a blue light emitted from the tip of his wand, limiting the surging fire.

He turned to Irina and shouted, "Irina, calm down!"

The easiest way to deal with this loss of control is to divert the child's attention from the things that make them emotional.

Luckily, Newt has several "friends" who are very good at solving this problem.

Newt lifted his cuffs slightly, and a little guy like a dragonfly, but red throughout, with three pairs of legs, two small horns on its head, and a structure similar to an airplane's tail on both sides of the tail, vibrated its wings and flew out.

"Red Dragonfly" flew around Irina Ivanovich a few times.

With an inexplicable fluctuation of magic, Irina who was still full of anger just now suddenly couldn't help but yawn, and a touch of sleepiness quickly appeared on her face, and the flames by the fireplace and the strange noise in the living room gradually dissipated.

The woman who had been vibrated just now also stood up again.

Yermak Ivanovich, seeing that she was fine, breathed a sigh of relief and re-ordered her to take Irina upstairs.

Soon, the door to the parlor was closed again, and only Newt and Yermak were left in the room.

There was another long silence.

Newt could sense the mixed emotions in Yermak's eyes when he looked at him.

"I have to thank you, sir. ”

Yermak spoke, his tone softened a lot compared to before, "I heard about your reputation in the field of magical beasts research, but I didn't expect magical beasts to do such a thing...... How do you domesticate them?"

"It's my friend. Newt laughed.

As he spoke, Newt placed a little water from his teacup on top of the saucer, and the "red dragonfly" circled around the living room nimbly before landing on the saucer, taking small sips of tea with his mouthpiece.

Yermak sighed and set his teacup aside. He took a bottle of wine out of the cabinet and shook it at Newt. Newt waved his hand, and Yermak took out another cup and poured it for himself.

Yermak took a sip, then stared at the clear and transparent liquid in the cup, and said slowly:

"That day, news from the Ministry of Magic arrived first, and the Muggle government's radio was about half an hour late. When the order from the Ministry of Magic came, my father immediately began to pack his belongings and prepare to evacuate, but ...... When the Muggle government's telegram came, he was gone anyway - through Floo, he went straight to Chernobyl, becoming one of the first people to go to the nuclear-contaminated area. ”

"Everyone else says that the people who went to Chernobyl fought the atom with a shovel. There is also a joke that the machine came to the roof of Chernobyl for five minutes and then broke down. But the Soviets drank some vodka and did it for two hours - I couldn't laugh, I really couldn't laugh. ”

Yermak drained his glass and poured himself another glass.

His voice was cold, but it revealed a hint of loneliness:

"My father's last days...... Very painful. Acute radiation sickness, he was necrotic all over his body. This disease cannot be cured with spells, it will only make him more and more miserable...... Eventually, someone from the Ministry of Magic arrived, announced at his bedside that he had violated the law of secrecy, and took his wand as he lay dying. ”

"The Muggle government awarded him a medal – the Medal of Participant in the Chernobyl nuclear power plant accident. But later, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, a large number of the same medals were put on the market, making such medals suddenly worthless. ”

Yermak laughed and shook the bottle, his voice full of mockery:

"That's what he got his life for, is it really worth it?"

Newt didn't know what to say, all he could say was, "Your father is a great man." ”

"yes, of course he's amazing. He was my father, and how proud I was of him. But he ended up abandoning the wizarding world, abandoning me, abandoning Irina...... So I'll never forgive him, ever. ”

Yermak's voice was no longer filled with resentment, but with a deep anguish and helplessness.

“...... I'm sorry. ”

Newt suddenly felt a little panicked in his heart, and opened his mouth, not knowing what to say.

After another long silence, Newt Scamander looked around the messy living room and the door to the upstairs room, thought for a moment, and then took the initiative to break the silence and divert the subject.

"Speaking of which, your daughter's magical talent is quite good, and she will definitely become the most popular student in the school in the future!"

"School?......"

Yermak Ivanovich grinned, a hint of sarcasm on his face.

"Kordos Dorez School of Witchcraft and Wizardry doesn't forget her father's betrayal, Irina is eleven years old now, but now that August is almost over, she hasn't received an acceptance letter from the school - you know what that means, right?"

"Don't forget, Mr. Scamander, that the 'Wizard's Death' is contagious! Irina, as well as the children of the 'traitors to the wizarding world', are considered by most people to be a plague. Do you think the noble, decent School of Witchcraft and Wizardry of Cordos Dorez would allow such a cursed child to set foot in their school?"

"How so! Ridiculous! It's been six years!"

Newt's brow furrowed, and he looked at the white marks on the edge of the fireplace that had been burned by the heat.

"This kid has such a good talent for magic, if he can't go to school, it will be too ......"

"Huh...... There's no old guy like Albus Dumbledore here, so I can still let Irina go to Hogwarts......?

Yermak Ivanovich smiled bitterly, put down the bottle in his hand and let out a long sigh.

"Wait, what did you just say?"

At this moment, Newt Scamander was suddenly stunned.

"I'll have to teach Irina myself......"

"No, no, it's the previous sentence - yes! Of course! Hogwarts, Hogwarts...... If, well, let me think about it...... If it's this year's Hogwarts...... Maybe ......"

Newt had in mind the re-employment contract at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry that was sitting on his desk.

If he agrees to the little witch's request, then as a full professor and former headmaster and current vice-headmaster of Hogwarts, he naturally has the right to add several names to this year's Hogwarts student list.

Merely......

"Really? Do you have a way? Mr. Scamander!"

Yermak Ivanovich stood up, looked at Newt with an excited expression, and said incoherently.

"Irina is very obedient! She is really a good boy! By the way, her English is also very good, and she is very familiar with the awkward spells, and when her father was alive, he would often tease Irina with the school test questions and textbooks. ”

"I ...... I'm not sure ...... either."

Newt clenched his fists a little distraught, subconsciously dodging Ivanovic's expectant gaze, and also stood up and picked up the gray top hat on the table, as if someone had cast a tongue-stammering spell, and said in a slurred voice.

"I'll try my best...... I'll get back to you in a few days......"

If it's just Irina, maybe ...... Maybe he could use his friendship to ask Dumbledore to make an exception and do him a small favor, but—if that's the case—

Newt remembered the dossier that the Ministry of Magic official who had helped him find the Ivanovich family had shown him.

[1986, 'Pripyat City Large-scale Leak Case']

[Sealing time: permanent]

[Crimes: Violating the International Federation of Wizards' Secrecy Law, ignoring the Wizengamot Court and the International Federation of Wizarding and Wizarding Wizards' evacuation orders, seriously affecting the resumption of teaching and learning at the Dorez School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in Kodos, and causing the death of many wizards......]

[Number of wizards involved: 231]

That's ......

More than 200 families......

Walking out of the gates of the Ivanovich family, Newt looked up at the sky that had completely darkened, and stomped his feet in the sparsely populated bluestone streets of St. Petersburg, feeling dazed and irritated inside.

The wizarding world, or the world......

And what happened to the laws they once believed in and guarded......

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After three days, a 10,000-character chapter every day!

(End of chapter)