Harry breathed a long sigh of relief as he left the Black Swan Club Room.
He didn't know if his decision was right; he only knew that the invisible pressure that had been weighing him down had mostly disappeared.
Standing by the corridor window, he gazed at the Forbidden Forest and the Black Lake, muttering to himself, "And Beauxbatons and Durmstrang..."
After finishing the map Vincent and Hermione returned to the Owl Court Club Room and saw Harry transformed back into the optimistic and positive young man he always was. They instantly understood what his decision truly meant.
To the average person, revealing clues to a rival might seem like a foolish move, but no one has the right to laugh at Harry.
Whether he acted out of a sense of peace or a desire for fair competition, this is a shining example of humanity.
The weekend has arrived.
As the first rays of sunlight shone on Hogwarts Castle, Vincent and Hermione, having finally finished mapping out the entire Forbidden Forest, arrived at the Black Lake.
Although the lake no longer freezes over, you can still feel its coldness when you get close.
Hermione crouched down and put her little hand inside, but the bone-chilling cold made her hastily pull her hand back.
"This is too cold. The temperature at the bottom of the lake must be even lower."
Vincent raised his wand and covered her and his own bodies with an invisible film. "The Champion will find a way. Let's think about how to map this place."
A castle is a three-dimensional structure, but breaking it down into individual planes is not complicated.
Although the Forbidden Forest looks large, much of it is actually flat land without any undulations.
Black Lake is much more complex, with a vast expanse of water and unknown depth. If it were to only display a flat surface like Muggle radar, the new map would be inaccurate. However, constructing a 3D model would be too time-consuming.
"Take it slow." Hermione sat on the shore, carefully dipping her feet into the Black Lake. "Our main task is to ambush and capture that Death Eaters's trying to cause trouble. If we can capture him alive, we might just get Voldemort..."
She paused, her eyes filled with unwavering determination, "Maybe we can find out Voldemort's hiding place."
Vincent chuckled and nodded, then shook his head. "Hopefully, these Death Eaters are all like lunatics. Those who were sent by Voldemort to infiltrate the school must at least have passed his test of loyalty."
Hermione sighed softly and submerged both legs in the lake.
I did not feel the bone-chilling cold, nor did I feel the resistance of the water.
She rallied her spirits and said, "Okay, let's go."
Vincent handed her an earpiece that connected to Magical Communicator, and after she put it on, he took her little hand and they jumped into the Black Lake together.
Contrary to its dark exterior, the lake water inside is actually exceptionally clear.
He couldn't help but think of the Voldemort cave where the Goblin Slytherin Locket, where there was also a large, cold, dark lake.
The difference is that Black Lake is home to many aquatic creatures, while there are only countless Inferi made by taking away life.
"Test, test—can you hear me?"
"Received, the sound is fine."
After testing the headset, we can now dive deeper.
They had only descended a few meters when a figure in the distance was rapidly rising to the surface.
Vincent and Hermione exchanged a glance and quickly used the Mirroring Curse to lock the space in front of them.
The man hadn't actually noticed them. He was only wearing underwear, and his skin was extremely pale, indicating that he had been at the bottom of the cold, Black Lake for a long time.
"It's Viktor Krum!" Hermione relaxed her guard. "It seems he, like Phoebe, has chosen to believe Harry."
Vincent's expression turned somewhat strange. "Durmstrang's large ship is docked on the other side of the lake. Why would he come here?"
Hermione's lips curled up slightly as she leaned closer to him with a smile. "It must be to familiarize yourself with the environment here beforehand."
"Oh yeah." He turned his head away. "But you don't have to wear only underwear, do you? You're a seventh grader, can't you combine the Bubblehead Charm and the protective spell?"
Hermione glanced back at Viktor Krum was about to rise to the surface of the lake.
He has a good physique, strong and muscular, but that's about it.
Her gaze moved downwards, from Vincent's exposed neck to his chest covered by his clothes.
Some things are not as simple as they seem on the surface; you have to experience them firsthand to know the truth.
She shook her head vigorously to cool down her burning face.
Seeing that Vincent was still looking at something with his face turned to the side, she gently stirred the water with her small hand and moved closer to him again.
"Not everyone is as good as you. Viktor Krum has professional golf training, how can he possibly balance his studies at the same time?"
"Oh."
Such an obvious dismissive attitude—she's definitely jealous.
She gripped Vincent's large hand tightly. "Look at you, during the day you have to attend classes and find time to draw new maps, and at night after training Harry's physical fitness, you have to improve his Flying Boots. Only after you finish all these things can you start building your dream car from the smallest screw."
She took his large hand in her hands, her eyes Winky. "And you've not just started getting busy recently. You've been able to juggle so many things since first grade. I dare say there's no one in the world more outstanding than you."
Vincent was a little embarrassed by her praise, "Uh... really..."
"Of course." Hermione looked at him very seriously. "My boyfriend is the best in every way, and he even has the superpower to turn a cloudy day into a sunny one. Being with you, I feel like I like myself even more."
Her praise was so powerful that it melted Vincent's heart.
He tried to remain calm, but the uncontrollable upward curve of his lips betrayed his true feelings.
He decided to cherish this memory and replay it on repeat whenever they argued in the future.
"Um... Viktor Krum seems to have come ashore, let's continue diving."
"Wait!" Hermione tilted her head and raised her hand, recording his flawed expression through the Magical Communicator.
"Huh?" Vincent was full of questions.
She winked mischievously, "I haven't learned how to extract memories yet."
Vincent's expression quickly returned to normal. She stopped grinning and seriously patted his head with her small hand. "Okay, okay, stop fooling around. You look so shy..."
She paused for a few seconds, then a mischievous smile reappeared on her lips. "Actually, it's extremely precious."
Vincent froze, letting her stroke his head through the protective charm and the Bubblehead Charm.
At first, I would be shy when holding hands, then I became bolder and bolder, and now I take the initiative to tease.
Vincent suddenly grabbed her small hand, and the thin film covering their bodies disappeared, replaced by a large bubble that could block the surrounding water.
His expression turned serious. "Don't move. There's something in your eyes."
Hermione was taken aback at first, and only realized what was happening when she belatedly loosened her jaw.
There was nothing else in her eyes but Vincent.
(Ten thousand words omitted here) (^O^)/
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