Opening

Inside a lakeside Castle nestled among the hills of the Scottish Highlands, in a quaint and imposing tower dormitory, the blankets on a four-poster bed draped with black curtains were suddenly pulled back. A black-haired, green-eyed boy stretched out his thin arm and fumbled around for a while. The moment he put his glasses on his nose, everything around him became clear.

Through the faint starlight and moonlight streaming in through the half-open glass window, one could see the simple and tidy furnishings inside the room, the old wooden ceiling, the faded Cannons posters on the walls, and five identical four-poster beds.

Looking tired and unable to sleep, Harry Potter took in the room's contents, especially the summer blanket on the next bed that rose and fell slowly with his even breathing, and his friend sleeping soundly under the blanket.

The words spoken by the fireplace in the meeting room resurfaced in his mind. Observing Sirius Black and Loren's conversation from Harry's perspective, he couldn't deduce anything.

Why did Sirius Black apologize to Loren? What did he do wrong that he felt guilty towards Loren? What is it that Loren refuses to forgive? And why did he say he no longer has nightmares...?

Why did Sirius Black disappear for over a year and then suddenly reappear claiming he was getting married, with the wedding taking place during the summer vacation?

In the afternoon, while accompanying them on a tour of the school, Harry pestered his godfather for hours with questions, but got nothing out of him.

I don't want to think about it anymore. Let them do what they want. He has a match tomorrow.

Harry looked away, let out a long sigh, tugged at the blanket in front of him, and leaned back to lie down.

Insomnia makes my head feel dizzy, as if heavy, murky lake water has filled my brain. All sorts of doubts are like bubbles rising from the bottom of the lake, gurgling in my ears.

As expected, Harry woke up late the next day. When he opened his eyes, there was no one in the dormitory. His head was a little dizzy from sleeping too long after insomnia.

Ron should be showing Mrs. Weasley and Bill around the school, Neville should be helping Professor Sprout tidy up the Greenhouse, Loren should be with Hermione, perhaps by the lake, or perhaps on the hill behind the Castle.

Harry looked up, his gaze passing through the open window and down.

The sky was a clear, deep blue, as if it had been washed clean. Occasionally, a few restless birds would flit by, their movements graceful. At the edge of the horizon, the Forbidden Forest was lush with trees, their leaves gleaming green in the sunlight.

It looks like it's going to be a rare good day.

The faint scent of fresh grass at the tip of my nose, a refreshing aroma, seemed to relax my mind and dispel the restlessness in my heart.

Harry slowly tidied up and washed up, then strolled downstairs and realized it was lunchtime. He walked briskly to the long table and sat down, next to the Weasley and their five children who had spent the morning strolling around the Castle.

"How are you feeling, Harry?" Ron asked, holding a steaming hot vegetable and meat pancake. "I called you twice when I came downstairs this morning, but you were sleeping soundly, so I didn't."

"Thanks to you, I slept soundly." Harry saw Loren and Hermione sitting on his right, chatting and laughing as usual, and secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

"Where's Sirius Black? I can't find him."

"He went to Hagrid to send out invitations, remember, the wedding this summer."

"Oh, I had no idea..."

"Cedric, keep it up!"

"Hogwarts is counting on you!"

The Gryffindor table and the Hufflepuff table were next to each other. On quiet afternoons, while waiting for the match to begin, Loren could always hear cheers and encouragement coming from next door.

Throughout the afternoon, Cedric showed no impatience whatsoever. No matter who passed by him, no matter how important the passage in his spellbook was, he would look up and give the person a gentle smile whenever they greeted him.

"I will."

"Hogwarts still has Harry."

"..."

Loren's ears twitched, he stretched, and muttered to himself, "Will anything unexpected happen tonight? Dumbledore may have his own plans, but plans never keep up with changes..."

"I'm going to the restroom."

Loren stood up and walked out of the Great Hall. After exiting the door, he turned a corner, went down a few steps down the stairs, turned another corner, and pushed open the door to see the fruit painting.

I scratched the bright green pear, and as the pear giggled, the Kitchen door opened.

"Excuse me, are Winky and Winky there?"

Time is like the mist on the shore of Black Lake, evaporated by the summer sun and then dispersed by the breeze. The young wizards watched as the Enchanted Ceiling of the Great Hall gradually turned from blue to dark purple twilight, and the heat of June gradually subsided as night fell.

We talked for an afternoon, from summer homework to previewing the next school year's content, from vacation trips to where to go fishing... After dinner, the girl was probably a little tired and gradually quieted down, poking at the strawberries on her ice cream with a small silver spoon. As the shaved ice was stirred, it released wisps of white steam, cool and refreshing.

Loren scooped up a spoonful and put it in his mouth, exhaling white breath:

"Why is it strawberry flavored again? Don't you get tired of it?"

"Not greasy."

"Stay in the stands and watch the game tonight, don't wander off."

"There seems to be a hidden meaning in what you said."

"I don't. It mainly depends on what Headmaster Dumbledore decides to do."

"?"

The two shared their shaved ice, chatting idly. At the High Table, Dumbledore stood up; his beard, carefully groomed, was smooth and neat.

"Ladies and gentlemen, please line up to enter the Quidditch Pitch to watch the final match of the Goblet of Fire Triwizard Tournament. Now, Champion, please follow Mr. Bagman into the pitch first."

The Great Hall erupted in cheers as students watched Bagman lead them away, each applauding their chosen Champion.

"Are you feeling alright, Harry?"

"Are you confident, Cedric?"

"Krum! Krum! Krum..."

"Go for it, Gravis!"

"Phoebe, I like you!"

"..."

Five minutes later, the professors led the audience toward the Quidditch Pitch.

The sky was a clear, deep blue, stars began to appear, and the moon was still just a narrow crescent.

Molly, holding Ginny's hand in one hand and Hermione's in the other, seemed to have forgotten what had happened yesterday afternoon, and smiled broadly as she muttered:

"What a wonderful change of pace! It's even more exciting than the Quidditch World Cup night. Watching Harry's final match doesn't even require cooking... Arthur must be green with envy!"

"Mrs. Weasley..."

Hermione was led along with a helpless expression. "There were tens of thousands of spectators at the Quidditch World Cup that night, but only a few hundred at the Goblet of Fire. How could it be more lively than that night?"

Molly's smile never stopped, "Hey, listen to me, the most popular player at the Quidditch World Cup was Viktor Krum, right? But now Krum is just one of the five Champion. There are four others who are just as good as him or even better."

"..."

George and Fred, following behind, looked distressed as they watched the audience members pass by one by one, as if each customer was constantly slipping away.

The snacks and drinks in their hands, the banners and signs above their heads...

That was originally the capital they used to make fun of their shop!

George closed his eyes in despair, while Fred beside him looked even more grief-stricken.

The Quidditch Pitch originally consisted of four outer stands surrounding the pitch, with the grass divided into different areas by white lines, Quidditch hoop standing on either side.

But now the place is completely unrecognizable. The four stands have been lowered and gradually raised from the inside out. Inside, a twenty-foot-high hedge surrounds the edge of the field. The Untraceable Extension Charm has caused the light to be misaligned, and the audience can only barely catch a glimpse of what's inside the maze.

Hundreds of students filed in, filling the air with excited chatter and the sound of hurried footsteps.

I don't know how the people around us moved, but in the end, only Loren and Hermione were left; the others had scattered. Fortunately, there were plenty of seats, but only a few less sociable young wizards sat in the back. Most of the audience squeezed to the front, standing and tiptoeing to peer into the maze.

Why are so many people pushing to the front? Even those in the first row can't see the maze clearly.

"Let's step back a little."

Loren pulled Hermione's hand and led her to the back.

Once they reached the fourth row, the space became more spacious, and the two were pleasantly surprised to find many familiar faces sitting in the back, such as Neville and Hannah, Draco and his little gang...

The most conspicuous were Luna and Rolf, who wore lion-head hats with a prominent lightning bolt-shaped scar on their foreheads, making them easy to spot as Harry's supporters.

Luna sat in her seat, her two feet dangling in the air and gently swinging, her silver eyes slightly shining, her expressionless yet giving off a pleasant feeling.

Loren and Hermione sat down next to him, chuckling and teasing each other:

"Hey, why are the Hufflepuff carrying Gryffindor's mascot?"

Luna hummed twice without speaking, Rolf translated for her. "Cedric doesn't need the support of both of us, but Harry does."

"Be careful you don't get mistaken for a traitor when you go home tonight."

"Won't."

Where do you plan to go during the holidays?

"Hmm..." Rolf hesitated for a moment, "Mr. Gravis. and Mrs. Gravis have invited us to visit New York again."

"Pickley's parents? Inviting you to New York?"

"I mainly invited my grandfather."

"..."

The image of the couple of different skin colors flashed before Loren's eyes, and he also recalled the major crime Newt Scamander committed in New York: "Wasn't your grandfather prohibited from entering the country and required to undergo strict screening?"

"This time, there's a legitimate reason to investigate the Basilisk, but the main mission is to help the American Magical Congress establish a Fantastic Beasts sanctuary. The Werewolf Inferi incident has given the International Confederation a new understanding of non-human Magical Creatures, and they've realized that Fantastic Beasts can play a greater role..."

"Would your grandfather agree?" Hermione tilted her head and asked in a low voice. "Mr. Scamander has always been against wizards using Fantastic Beasts. As you know, the preface to every book of ' Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them ' advocates for the return of animals to nature."

"That's why he came to me. He disagreed with me."

Rolf sighed softly, "I really don't know what they're thinking. I'm only a third-year student, just a little wizard who hasn't graduated yet. How can I possibly persuade the adults in my family?"

"Yes, you're still a child..." Loren said with a sigh of comfort, patting his shoulder affectionately.

"..."

Rolf's eyebrows slowly furrowed together.

No, why does it sound so awkward coming from you?

"They're out!"

From not far ahead came the rough cheers of Mr. Diggory. Amos Diggory: "Look, there's my son, the tallest one! See him...?"

The Champion emerged from the locker room, draped in capes of different colors, which billowed in the night breeze.

The professors accompanying him were also dressed differently than usual. McGonagall, Flitwick, and Professor Moody all had large, glittering red stars on their hats, while Hagrid was different; Hagrid's red star was on the back of his velvet vest.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the final match of the Goblet of Fire Triwizard Tournament is about to begin!" Bagman's magically amplified voice echoed through the stands. "Let me announce the current scores! Harry Potter, 53 points! Cedric Diggory, 54 points! They've taken first place in the first two events, and Hogwarts School is firmly in first place..."

The applause and cheers startled the birds in the Forbidden Forest into the darkening night sky.

In the referee's seat, Dumbledore sat in the very center of the seat. The red light of the torches in the distance illuminated the wrinkles on his face, but he did not look old.

He turned to the Ministry of Magic's special referee beside him, a smile playing on his lips, "Before the competition begins, would you like to check the maze's layout, Barty?"

Crouch said calmly, "You're as cautious as ever, Headmaster. However, many of the maze's mechanisms are one-time use and difficult to restore in a short time. I believe the Ministry of Ministry of Magic construction workers and Professor Sprout are meticulous and conscientious, so there's no need for further testing."

He raised an eyebrow, as if belatedly remembering. "Oh right, and Professor Hagrid. Please forgive me, I always forget he's now the Professor of Care of Magical Creatures at Hogwarts."

"To correct you, he is an excellent and competent professor," Dumbledore a smile.

"Yes, I've already noticed it at work."

Crouch chuckled and pointed to the big man standing on the court, scratching his head and grinning. "He's also a patrolman for this game. If he sees the Champion ' signal, I believe he'll rush into the maze immediately and rescue the injured Champion."

"..."

Even though Madam Maxime was prepared, her olive-colored face still showed a change when she heard the score, which was far behind that of the other schools, and she sighed softly.

Phoebe failed to complete the Second Task, and the score was too far behind to catch up.

For Beauxbatons, the Goblet of Fire was over, but she came to Hogwarts for more than just the competition.

The Half-blood- giant woman's gaze shifted subtly, landing on the back row of the stands, where a young wizard with black hair and black eyes was fiddling with the lion head hat of the person next to her. As they played around, the pendant around her neck was faintly visible.

Hearing the noise around him, Karkaroff snapped out of his reverie. The commentator had already finished reading out Krum's second-to-last score, but he didn't care at all. He looked around expressionlessly, a hint of hidden anxiety in his eyes.