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"Potter! Weasley! You two made the front page!"
Malfoy's voice sliced through the din of the Great Hall like a jagged blade.
He stood by the Slytherin table, holding a copy of The Daily Prophet high in the air, a brilliant smile on his face that only appeared when he found Harry in trouble.
The gaze of the entire Great Hall shifted toward him in unison.
More accurately, toward the newspaper in his hand.
"Listen to this bit—" Malfoy cleared his throat, intentionally projecting his voice to ensure every table could hear him clearly.
"Harry Potter has found his first love at Hogwarts—Ronnie Weasley."
Someone at the Ravenclaw table couldn't hold it in and let out a snort of laughter.
The corners of Malfoy's mouth curled higher as he continued reading: "Miss Weasley is stunningly beautiful and hails from a pure-blood family. Like Harry, she is a top student at the school, though she is not a champion in this Triwizard Tournament. Regrettably, this pair..."
Before he could finish, Harry had already lunged forward.
His movements were so fast that even he hadn't fully processed them.
By the time he came to his senses, he had snatched the newspaper from Malfoy's hand and crumpled it into a ball in his fist.
Malfoy wasn't even annoyed.
He took a step back, crossing his arms with that punchable grin still plastered on his face.
"What's the matter, Potter? Don't want everyone to know your little secret?"
Harry ignored him. He looked down at the crumpled newspaper in his hand, his head buzzing and his mind a complete blank.
Before he could even flatten it out to see what was written inside, a dark figure drifted into the Great Hall.
Snape's pace was neither fast nor slow, yet it carried a pressure that sent chills down one's spine. His gaze was like two ice blades, stabbing directly at Harry.
Harry subconsciously gripped the newspaper even tighter.
Snape walked up to him and stopped.
"Potter."
Slow and deliberate, every syllable sounded as if it had been rolled over his tongue three times before being spat out.
"Show me. I wonder if there is anything interesting inside."
Harry's mind raced.
Although he hadn't had time to read it closely, just hearing the few lines Malfoy had read told him it was definitely nothing good.
"It's nothing," he said, hiding the newspaper behind his back. "Just... some rumors."
Snape raised an eyebrow.
"Gossip," he repeated the word. "Potter, are you suggesting I should believe the words coming out of your mouth?"
Harry's face flushed red.
"Quickly now," Snape's voice grew more oppressive. "Give that thing to me. Unless you want Gryffindor to lose a hundred points because of you."
Lynn sucked in a breath. Had he ever spoken to Snape like that?
Probably not, he realized with relief, and continued to enjoy the drama with a clear conscience.
Harry bit his lip. Finally, he reached out and handed over the crumpled ball of newspaper.
Snape took it, smoothed it out, and looked down for a few moments.
Then—
"Tsk."
He made a soft, ambiguous sound.
The sound wasn't loud, but in the now pin-drop-silent Great Hall, every word was clearly audible.
Snape looked up, his gaze sweeping over Harry, then over to Ron, who looked like he wanted to crawl into a hole in the floor. The corners of his mouth twitched upward.
"My name is Harry Potter, and I was born prematurely. Gifted from a young age, on the day I was born, a Qilin ran to my bedside. At three or four months old, I experienced a magic riot, causing a massive natural disaster for my family..."
An uncontrollable burst of laughter erupted in the Great Hall.
Harry squeezed his eyes shut.
He just wanted to find a crack in the floor to crawl into and never come out.
Rita Skeeter's article spread through all of Hogwarts in just one morning.
No, not just Hogwarts.
According to Hermione, when she wrote home, her parents had seen related reports in the Muggle newspapers.
No one knew how Rita managed to get her articles into the Muggle media.
For a time, Harry and Ron's fame in Britain surpassed even Dumbledore's, reaching a level where everyone knew their names.
"First Love Ronnie" replaced "Champion of Azkaban" as the hottest meme of the year at Hogwarts.
In the Gryffindor common room, someone had cut out that passage from the newspaper and pinned it to the notice board, with a heart pierced by an arrow drawn next to it in wand-light, and "Harry & Ronnie, Forever" written underneath.
Ginny tore the paper down in a rage, but the next morning, a new one appeared in the same spot.
In the corridors, whenever Harry and Ron appeared, people would point and whisper.
"Look, that's Harry Potter!"
"Is that redhead next to him his first love?"
"Ronnie Weasley? She looks... quite good?"
"I heard she's a top student?"
"Who knows, that's what the paper said..."
At first, Ron would rush up to argue with people. But he soon realized that arguing was useless. The more agitated he got, the harder they laughed.
So he started to hide.
Hiding in corridors, hiding from the Great Hall, hiding from anywhere people might be.
Hermione also tried to comfort them, saying that no one would remember this kind of gossip in a few days.
But to Harry, these few days felt longer than his entire life combined.
But time does not stop for anyone's embarrassment.
It kept moving forward.
The atmosphere in the Castle began to grow tense.
The whispers in the corridors gradually shifted from "Harry and Ronnie" to "What do you think the First Task will be?", "I heard a large section of the Forbidden Forest has been cordoned off," and "The champions have been acting very mysteriously lately."
In the last week of November, all of Hogwarts was permeated with the oppressive feeling of a gathering storm.
November 29th, afternoon.
The bell rang for the end of the last class.
As the students packed their bags and prepared to leave the classroom, Professor McGonagall's voice suddenly crackled over the announcement system:
"Attention, please. Tomorrow, November 30th, all classes are canceled."
The classroom went silent for a moment before erupting into a roar of cheers.
Professor McGonagall's voice continued, drowning out the noise:
"All students are to have breakfast in the Great Hall at eight o'clock tomorrow morning sharp. Following breakfast, you will proceed by house to the Quidditch Pitch to watch the event."
The cheering grew even louder.
Some began banging on desks, others whistling...
November 30th.
The day of the competition.
The early morning at Hogwarts was shrouded in a thin layer of mist, and the silhouette of the Forbidden Forest stood like a silent wall beneath the gray-white sky. Occasional bird calls from the distance were quickly scattered by the wind.
Lynn and the other champions were led to a specially prepared room on the edge of the Forbidden Forest.
The room wasn't large, but it was more than enough to hold over twenty people.
Several magical maps hung on the walls, and the fire in the hearth blazed brightly, making the entire room warm and cozy.
Ludo Bagman was already waiting inside.
Today, he wore bright yellow and purple robes, with that look of eternal hyper-energy on his face. Seeing the champions enter, he waved enthusiastically.
"Good morning, champions! How did everyone sleep?"
No one answered him.
He didn't seem to mind, walking over to a long table and pointing to a large map spread out upon it.
"Come, come, everyone have a look. Let me introduce you to the First Task."
The group immediately crowded around.
The map showed the Forbidden Forest—but not the part they were usually allowed to enter. A large area was circled in bold red lines, labeled "Restricted Zone."
The edges of the red lines were densely marked with various warning symbols, making it look like a military operations map.
"The location for this task is right here," Ludo said, tapping the area with his finger. "Deep within the Forbidden Forest, a large area we've sealed off with the highest level of magic. It's quite large, and the terrain is complex—woods, streams, valleys, caves—it has everything."
He looked up, scanning the champions. His smile faded slightly, replaced by a more solemn expression.
"All of you will enter this area simultaneously."
The room went quiet for a moment.
"Only by completing the task can you leave," Ludo added. "There is no option to withdraw halfway. Once you're in, you stay until the task is over."
Krum's face remained expressionless. Fleur frowned slightly but didn't speak. Cedric looked focused, while Amina maintained her usual calm. Harry's face was a bit pale, but he tried his best to remain steady.
Katya stood at the edge of the group, her gaze involuntarily drifting toward Lynn for a moment before she quickly looked away.
"As for how to complete the task—"
Ludo paused for effect, then waved his hand in the air.
Pop.
A gleaming golden egg appeared out of thin air on the table.
It wasn't an ordinary egg; it was about the size of a palm, its surface so smooth it was reflective, glowing with an enticing golden luster under the candlelight.
"This is your objective," Ludo said, pointing to the golden egg. "Each team must find three of these items to complete the task."
"Is it that simple?" someone asked—it was Daniel from Castelobruxo, his English heavily accented with a South American lilt.
Ludo smiled.
"Simple?" he repeated, shaking his head. "The things guarding these aren't so easy to deal with."
He paused, then added, "As for where exactly the golden eggs are hidden, you'll have to find them yourselves. I can only give you one hint—there are some very special creatures in the Forbidden Forest."
Silence fell over the room once more.
The champions exchanged glances, their faces reflecting a mix of emotions—nervousness, excitement, apprehension, and anticipation.
"Are we allowed to bring food?"
A voice broke the silence.
Everyone turned to look at the speaker—it was Chloe from Beauxbatons. She looked a bit nervous, her fingers subconsciously twisting the hem of her robes.
Ludo shook his head.
"No."
His answer was firm. "The Forbidden Forest has everything. Berries, mushrooms, edible plants, drinkable streams—as long as you know how to find and identify them."
Chloe's face turned a shade paler.
Fleur gently patted her hand and whispered something in French, appearing to comfort her.
"In any case—" Ludo clapped his hands, drawing everyone's attention back. "Those are the rules. You'll find out the specifics once you're inside."
He looked out the window. Most of the mist had dissipated, and sunlight was beginning to filter through the treetops.
"It's about time," he said. "Time to head out."