Chapter 13

The older student took a brief pause, undoubtedly noticing, as did Báthory herself, that the newly enrolled wizards had become absorbed in processing the words that had just been said. Erzsébet was no exception, drawing her own conclusions. Something like this was expected, though it was surprising to hear how deteriorated things had become at Durmstrang. At least they hadn't stooped to the disgrace of admitting Muggle-borns into the school, like at Hogwarts and Ilvermorny, and that was a relief.

"And so..." the blond raised his voice slightly, drawing everyone's attention. "We're done with that topic. Any questions?" He looked around at the first-years, receiving silence in response, and nodded. "Next... let's talk about the professors. We'll start with the most important..." He paused, heightening the first-years' anticipation, then added with a note of formality, "Kayneth El-Melloi from the Archibald family. We're all familiar with the fascinating history of the Archibald family, thanks to that infamous little book, The Register of Pure-Blood Families..."

Almost everyone in the room couldn't help but grimace to varying degrees at the mention of that dreadful book. Even Báthory, to her shame, winced slightly. It would be one thing if the book merely listed the families and their brief histories — that kind of knowledge was essential for any self-respecting wizard, even half-bloods, who should at least know one of their parent's lineage and be aware of the noble families in existence.

But that wasn't all.

The book's author clearly harbored a deep resentment toward children, as it was written in the most tedious and convoluted language imaginable, completely incomprehensible to a seven-year-old — the age at which this… literary monstrosity was studied in every normal pure-blood family.

And, of course, there were no real alternatives. No other wizard had dared to undertake such a monumental task of recording the numerous Eastern European families, their histories, and all members from the founding lines. The book had only been periodically updated over time, with new information added about the families.

Some had tried to replicate this feat... but none had succeeded in matching the work of the Bulgarian author who had immortalized his fellow countrymen with this endeavor. Since then, Bulgaria's influence in Eastern European magical society had been significant. Naturally, Báthory didn't dismiss the contributions of other Bulgarians and their efforts in elevating Magical Bulgaria, but it was this book that had provided the initial push.

Still, that didn't make it any less detestable!

"Anyway... Herr Archibald is a... demanding professor. None of us would argue that he is one of the finest wizards in Europe, and Durmstrang is greatly honored that he chose to teach here. Therefore, he has every right to be... somewhat strict with all of his students," Stahlwolf emphasized the word all, making sure it landed with full weight. "Regardless of their family's standing... This right was granted to him by our esteemed parents, so don't even think about complaining about any perceived injustice. The professor of General Magical Theory has very little patience for fools. Try not to appear as one in his eyes," he finished, his tone suddenly firm and threatening, with an intensity that surprised the first-years and made them take his words to heart.

Even Báthory, who always felt older than her peers, involuntarily shivered and nodded. The whole thing had sounded and looked very convincing.

"If you behave calmly and with discipline, as befits members of our House, and don't argue with his conclusions unless you have truly unassailable arguments, I assure you... you won't have any problems," Stahlwolf continued after another pause.

Erzsébet glanced briefly at the other fifth-years. Truthfully, she liked their demeanor. None of them interrupted their leader, nor did they express any boredom despite their long silence... She wished she had subordinates like that.

"Moving on. Alexandra Turina..." the German continued. "She's the deputy headmistress... quite a strict woman. First, it should be noted that she's a protégé of Karkaroff himself and is rather partial to half-bloods like herself." He shrugged, as if to say, "There's nothing we can do about it." "So, be almost as cautious with her as you would be with Archibald. In any questionable situation, she will more likely side with the half-bloods. Yes, we don't like it either," Stahlwolf added, noting the displeasure on the faces of Báthory's peers. "But for now, there's nothing we can do about it — our families will have to deal with that. Fortunately, she only teaches History of Magic, and that's from the fifth year on, so your chances of encountering her are slim. If something does happen, though — because you never know — reach out to us. We'll try to resolve the issue." He once again stressed the word try, clearly underlining the point.

Báthory quickly understood what the older student was implying. They would stand up for their younger House members, but they weren't about to expose themselves to unnecessary risks over someone else's problems — at least not for free. All in all, they behaved exactly as one would expect of pure-bloods.

Erzsébet was already pleased with the discussion, but it wasn't over yet, as a few important points remained unaddressed.

"Now, let's move on to the Heads of Houses. Siegrein Ulrich Krimhild... Everyone knows who that is and why this great wizard is famous," the blond said, as the younger students nodded in agreement.

Báthory knew about him as well. How could she not? He was one of the key figures, especially for pure-bloods, at least in Eastern Europe. This man was as respected for them as Dumbledore was for the British Muggle-borns. A 102-year-old elder, a recipient of the Order of Merlin, First Class, an honorary advisor to the International Confederation of Wizards, and many other titles...

Moreover, while Dumbledore was arguably the most powerful wizard in the Old and New Worlds — though the situation with Asia and Africa was far more complicated — Kriemhild could rightfully be called the most powerful wizard in continental Europe. He was second only to the Tsar, as the current head of the Russian Romanovs once put it in an interview.

The German didn't go into much more detail, as it was already clear to everyone that Kriemhild was due the utmost respect. However, he wouldn't bother defending his students over trivial matters. That was what the students' own wits — and the prefects, who were given more informal authority than those in other Houses—were for.

Stahlwolf moved on to the other Heads of Houses, almost outright calling the head of the Fox-House, Henrietta Albertina Beiner, a mad experimenter. This wasn't news to Báthory. Although Beiner hadn't been teaching for long, Erzsébet's older brother had encountered her during his final years at Durmstrang.

The head of the Black Bear House was described in veiled terms as a stubborn idealist, clinging to naive beliefs. Still, for the other Houses, he was a very good head, as he wouldn't blindly defend his students in conflicts, as Kriemhild or Beiner might, but instead sought fair resolutions. Of course, this didn't apply to the half-bloods in his own House. In that respect, he was no different from the other Durmstrang teachers.

Trandafil Staykov, a Bulgarian and the head of Gryphon House, perfectly embodied the spirit of his House. He was Durmstrang's biggest Quidditch enthusiast. On top of that, he was an incredibly energetic person — if one wanted to be polite about it — and often took the lead in organizing school activities, brimming with enthusiasm for them.

In short, all the Heads of Houses, like most powerful wizards, had their eccentricities. Each time, Báthory found herself shuddering slightly at the thought — she had no desire to become like them. She was a pure-blood witch, not some sort of jester.

"And that brings us to the final topic, ladies and gentlemen," Stahlwolf once again played with his tone, drawing their attention. "Relations with the other Houses... They're complicated. But I'll do my best to explain. At the moment, we don't... get along with the Bears," he said, with some strange notes in his voice that Erzsébet didn't try to decipher. "So, try to limit your contact with them if possible. The Gryphons, like the Fox-House, tend to keep to themselves. With the Gryphons, you should beware of their reckless schemes, which rarely end well, while the Fox-House members... are particularly curious about magic. Therefore, you should be cautious around them. Often, their experiments require... test subjects," Stahlwolf said, his face contorting in a rare grimace. "And since they're smart enough not to experiment on themselves, other Houses are their target... I'm sure you can draw your own conclusions. But to be fair, they don't intentionally cause harm."

Later, as Báthory entered her room, which she shared with another pure-blood student, she decided to write down what she had learned. While the young witch had never had any complaints about her memory, she was not foolish or ignorant enough to believe that even the best memory couldn't fail at the most inconvenient moment.

So, taking out her quill and ink, the first-year set to writing.

***

Adalbert

So, the task of giving instructions to the young ones is finally done... I can't say I fully agreed with everything, but mostly I just repeated what had been said to me, what was told last year… I didn't add much of my own.

Even if something seems unfair or if I wanted to change it, this certainly isn't the venue to do it. These eleven-year-olds, already with their ingrained worldviews, would simply reject anything even remotely... liberal. These kids are far more serious than those from Ukraine, or any other place, in the 21st century.

After all, pure-bloods live by rules reminiscent of earlier centuries, where growing up happened much faster. But I don't think that's a bad thing. I don't buy into nonsense like "a child loses their childhood." The quicker they mature, the easier life will be for them later on.

Of course, I can't deny the naivety they still exhibit in certain matters. They're so fervent in believing that we're the good ones, and that the Ministry's Muggle-borns are the bad ones… But that's temporary. Once they're introduced to the workings of their family affairs, they'll all figure it out and shed those rose-tinted glasses.

As for the whole situation... If these pure-bloods, the aristocracy, were to disappear, they'd simply be replaced by the bourgeoisie and other businesspeople. I can't speak definitively about the Muggle world, but the magical world is much simpler in its structure. Thus, I can reasonably assume that Muggle-borns will end up even more exploited. Only this time, by their wealthier counterparts. After all, all of them would come from a similarly capitalist society...

So, if I were a first-generation wizard, I might formally advocate for equality, but in reality, I'd much prefer being looked down upon and disregarded rather than entering into those old-fashioned capitalist dynamics.

The nuance is that pure-blood family businesses sell their products primarily to other pure-bloods and half-bloods within their own camp. Who in their right mind would supply potential adversaries?

Selling goods to those despised Muggle-borns? Never!

In turn, Muggle-borns create products for other Muggle-borns, but not in any significant volume. Sure, one might think that family businesses, which have practically monopolized production and hold numerous patents recognized by both goblins and the Ministry, are what's holding them back from breaking into the big leagues. But here's the thing — a detail that's often conveniently forgotten: patents only apply to sales to pure-bloods and some half-bloods.

Pure-bloods couldn't care less what Muggle-borns are selling to other Muggle-borns.

All in all, as long as we don't allow fools like that self-proclaimed Lord — who could brainwash these still-naive and young pure-bloods — into power, the current status quo is the best arrangement for the magical world. If things go the way Dumbledore envisions, the magical world will end up going the same way as the Muggle world. After all, it's the old-fashioned pure-bloods who reject all the supposed benefits of the modern world and its market forces, which would ultimately crush even magic.

...Alright, I've drifted too far off track. History of Magic is next, and Turina is certainly not interested in political analysis — she wants strictly historical facts. And from a century ago, at that.

Still, despite her sympathies, the deputy headmistress is a good teacher.