Subtle Atmosphere

"Ladies and gentlemen, we have finally made a decision. Our Mermaid leader Mercurius, has told us everything that happened beneath the lake. Therefore, we have decided to score each of you Champion out of a maximum of fifty points, as follows..."

"First up is Phoebe Delacour of Beauxbatons. Despite her excellent use of the Bubble-Head Charm, she was attacked by Grindylow as she approached her target and failed to rescue the hostage. We give her twenty-five points."

"Cedric Diggory of Hogwarts, who also used the Bubble-Head Charm and was the first to return with hostages. Therefore, we give him forty-seven points."

"Viktor Krum of Durmstrang used Transfiguration, albeit incompletely, but still very effective. He was the second to return with the hostages. We give him 40 points."

"Finally, there were the two most special Champion, Harry Potter from Hogwarts and Pickley Gravis from Ilvermorny. One of them consumed Gillyweed, and the other held a mysterious leaf in his mouth, both achieving amazing results. Although they were the last Champion to return, they also took more than the allotted hour."

"However, the Mermaid leader told us that Mr. Potter was the first to find the hostages, but he was unable to return in time because he wanted to ensure that all the hostages returned safely, rather than just caring about his own. Mr. Gravis could have been the fourth to complete the mission, but he couldn't bear to see his competitors in danger, nor could he bear to abandon hostages who were not his own."

"After deliberation by the majority of the judges, it was determined that this Splinching high moral character. Therefore, Mr. Potter's score is forty-five points, and Mr. Gravis's score is forty-two points!"

"The third and final project will take place on the evening of June 24th. Champion will be informed of the project details a month in advance. Thank you all for Champion support!"

"..."

The sky was dim, and the deep blue night sky was faintly turning black, but this did not prevent the Great Hall dome from lighting up with a large area of magnificent red and gold clouds, as if a small fragment had been stolen from the real sky last summer, decorating the entire Great Hall with a scene of molten gold at sunset.

The young wizards gathered around the five hostages and five Champion, eagerly asking questions about the exciting adventures that had taken place in the underwater world.

The long-awaited expectation of the past three months has finally come true, but they only spent the morning staring at the gray-black lake in the cold wind. You should know that the first project was supposed to be a thrilling and exciting showdown between Fire Dragon.

The Champion ' ears never quieted down after leaving the water. Wherever they went, curious students followed behind, cheering. Their shrill chatter was even more unbearable than the gurgling sound of the water bubbles underwater.

Harry felt as if all sorts of noises had turned into heavy sludge filling his head, making his brain throb and his prefrontal cortex dizzy, so he could no longer hear what the people around him were saying.

Just like when they first met, Gravis sat at the long table in Gryffindor. Only the onlookers were no longer as reserved and shy as they had been at first; they were all uninhibited, especially this young man named Lee Jordan, who was patting Grevis's shoulder with all his might, trying to extract the story of his last minute underwater from him.

"When I saw Harry being overwhelmed by the Mermaid, I didn't think twice and just..."

After Gravis finished speaking in a daze, he saw the two red-haired Twins next to Lee Jordan raise their arms and shout loudly to sell their wares.

"The most detailed account of the underwater competition, narrated by commentator Lee Jordan!"

"You can listen to it without paying! Simply purchase Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes products!"

"Canary Cream Biscuits are 10% off, and Fake Wand are 30% off..."

The little wizards who had been surrounding them immediately dispersed and crowded around the three of them, creating a scene even more crowded than a supermarket Christmas sale.

But this is good, at least my ears can finally have some peace and quiet.

Gravis glanced at the long table, picked up his wine glass, went behind the youngest Champion, and patted him on the shoulder. "Hey, Harry."

"Oh, um..." Harry turned his head and saw it was him, quickly swallowing the steak in his mouth. "Oh, hello, Gravis."

"Just call me Pickley," Gravis said with a slight smile.

"Uh, okay, Pickley." Harry choked a little, avoiding eye contact with the person in front of him, feeling somewhat embarrassed.

Gravis raised his glass to him in thanks. "Thank you. I couldn't have gotten such a high score without you."

Harry quickly raised his glass and clinked it against his, then blushed slightly when he saw that his glass contained milk. "I should be the one thanking you. If you hadn't saved me, I probably wouldn't have gotten any points. Thank you, Grey... Pickley."

Gravis clinked glasses with his, downed the champagne in one gulp, his smile growing even more genuine. Before leaving, he turned back and said, "Harry, you are a true Champion."

Harry picked up his knife and fork again, still a little confused, and couldn't help but wonder as he aimed at the steak.

What does that mean?

It sounds so mature, I feel like I can't compare to them...

Forget it, this mature demeanor doesn't suit him; it suits people like Loren and Hermione.

Harry glanced to the side out of the corner of his eye and saw Loren secretly taking Hermione's roasted chicken leg. He paused for a moment, realizing he was overthinking it; there was no Loren.

Compared to the lively and festive atmosphere among the students, the atmosphere at the High Table seemed somewhat subtle.

Madam Maxime gracefully parted with a roasted pork knuckle, its crust crispy and sizzling with oil. Although it had shrunk a bit after roasting, it was still bigger than some wizards' heads.

However, the giantess moved slowly and methodically, without the slightest disorder, and even the oil was only on her lips. Seeing this scene, those around her couldn't help but feel strange.

Then look at another Half-Giant not far away, staring intently in this direction...

Karkaroff looked away, his sense of unease growing stronger.

Headmaster Fontana's heart was pounding with excitement. Thinking about what had happened during the day, he couldn't help but chuckle softly, "Albus, I must say, there are many things we can learn from Hogwarts ' education. I think we should strengthen our ties even after the Triwizard Tournament of Goblet of Fire is over."

"It's an honor." Dumbledore laughed heartily. "Speaking of which, Hogwarts and Ilvermorny should be like family; we are brother schools, don't you think?"

"Yes, like brothers!" Headmaster Fontana raised his glass excitedly. "To the great Salazar Slytherin."

Crouch's eyes lit up, and he raised his glass to join in. "To the great Salazar Slytherin."

"Homage to all the great wizards who founded and protected the school," Dumbledore smile.

Upon hearing this, Madam Maxime raised her glass as well. "I think great schools all have something in common, not just in terms of magical skill or combat prowess, but also..."

She gave Karkaroff a deep look. "And the cultivation of morality and character, the schools that train good wizards."

Karkaroff's mustache trembled with rage. Who was he implying? That Durmstrang was training only dark wizards?

These two schools are clearly producing idiots, who would think that the competition would actually drown people?

The time limit was set simply to get them to return within a specified time. Who would waste time trying to be a hero?

He angrily raised his glass and clinked it against theirs, making a sound so loud it seemed the glass would shatter.

"That's right, but I think magical skills are a wizard's basic ability. The prerequisite for upholding moral character is having the ability to protect oneself, right?" Karkaroff said, panting. "If the students he teaches can't even protect themselves, and when they encounter a real battle, they can't even last until the end of the battle, and they are defeated by the aftereffects of other people's spells, then such morality is useless."

Anyone could tell he was implying that Phoebe Delacour's skills were crude, that she couldn't even pass the simplest underwater breathing and Grindylow tests, and that she scored the lowest in the entire game... Madam Maxime's chest heaved violently with anger.

The toast ended in a subtly awkward atmosphere.

The simple-minded Ludo Bagman took a big gulp of chilled wine, and every inch of his senses, from his throat to his stomach, trembled with bliss.

He felt his wallet getting fuller and fuller. The favorite, Viktor Krum, came in second to last, and Harry Potter came in second. With just these two items, his debt was halved.

By the time the Third Task is completed, he will not only be able to pay off his debts, but also become a millionaire!

Speaking of debts, is there some that you don't have to pay back...?

"Smack!"

The girl's soft, white fingers slapped the back of his hand, and it still hurt a little. Loren withdrew his unclean little hand, opened his eyes and glared at her. "Oh, you, Granger, I was just trying to help you digest some unhealthy food, and you hit me."

Hermione glanced at the roasted chicken leg he had touched, pursed her lips, and silently pushed it into the man's plate with her spoon.

This person's hand touched mine; I wonder what kind of sweets it was stained with, and maybe even...

The girl glanced at his lips, and the fleeting look of disdain deeply hurt Loren.

"You actually look down on me!"

"No."

"I saw it all!"

You've misjudged.

"Impossible, my eyes are Magic Power, I can see clearly."

"..." Hermione passed on another chicken wing, "Here's some compensation for you."

Loren swallowed hard and muttered, "This little bit of compensation can't make up for the damage to my fragile heart. But since you're so good at admitting your mistake, I'll let it go for now."

Hermione watched him eat, and a smile involuntarily crept onto her lips.

In her letter, her mother said that one should exercise restraint when interacting with someone they like, as restraint helps keep the feelings fresh and the happiness last as long as possible. She probably had a slight disagreement, as she would never get tired of him as long as he was by her side.

The Fantasy Book, the Library.

The deep blue seawater engulfed the entire world, bubbles bubbled up from the wooden shelves and books, faint sounds from the seabed pressed against my eardrums, and a cool, refreshing sensation reached my mind.

A Mermaid with smooth, shiny scales floated on the bookshelf, swaying her powerful tail fin. The invisible ripples she created overturned several thin books on the adjacent bookshelf, the pages turning with a rustling sound like the wind.

An old man in a silver robe slowly floated through the air, holding a playbook in his hands, looking helpless. This Library had been Fiendfyre and soaked by seawater, and there weren't many ways left for him to mess around with it.

What should we do next? Landfill with soil?

With a wave of his hand, the muscular Mermaid restored the underwater Library to its normal state. Loren landed in front of the old man and asked with a puzzled look, "Why is it that the Mermaid leader I saw today had almost no Magic Power, but the Old Merman who turned into foam had Magic Power radiance that was almost as Dumbledore's?"

"In fact, whether it's Mermaid, Centaur, or giants... these humanoid creatures can live well in nature by relying on their bodies and intelligence that surpasses that of animals, so they don't focus on the study of magic." Flamel was focused on reading and didn't look up. "A few exceptionally talented individuals can comprehend powerful enough magic from the ocean, stars, and earth to become elders of their tribes, so their traditional education doesn't emphasize magic either."

Loren's mind flashed through the images of all the Centaur he had ever seen: Firenze, Bane, Ronan...

It seems that no magic was displayed at all. Even when dealing with Voldemort, only hooves and arrows were used. The only thing that could be associated with magic was Divination, but that basically didn't require Magic Power.

However, humanoid creatures don't really have any unique Magic Power. Since they're going to use magic anyway, their own bodies are more suitable.

Thinking about it this way, Fantastic Beasts really are amazing.

After a moment of reflection, Loren released his wand, closed his eyes, and focused on sensing his own body.

A layer of fine, soft white fur silently grew from his skin, and a straight, sharp horn slowly sprouted from the top of his head. Before he knew it, his body was suspended in the air, and his limbs transformed into hooves. Half a minute later, a snow-white Unicorn appeared on the spot.

Thanks to Professor Hagrid's teachings and the vivid teaching aids he found, Loren basically figured out the anatomy of the Unicorn.

Loren tried to wiggle his hoof and then felt the Magic Power within his body again.

His body's instincts told him that his first attack should be a headbutt with his horn, followed by a kick with his hooves. If that didn't work, he could lie down and wait for the enemy to drink his cursed blood, allowing him to prolong his life while experiencing intense pain.

Well... in the Wizarding World where people can easily breathe fire and petrify, it's not so much powerful as to be completely powerless.

It's even kind of cute.

Flamel looked up from his book and glanced at him. "You should have noticed by now that most Fantastic Beasts ' Magic Power is no longer of much help to you. The Fire Dragon's flames are no match for your Fiendfyre, and the Basilisk's petrification is only slightly faster than your Binding Charm... Back in New York and Devon, you didn't need to transform into Basilisk to solve the problems."

"Wizards are the most powerful Fantastic Beasts."

Loren returned to his original form and shrugged. "You're right, but a Basilisk that suddenly appears is more worry-free than a powerful wizard that suddenly appears."