"Ah--"
A scream came from the castle gardens shrouded in mist.
Before the old oak tree chained with iron chains, Vincent faced the mist, a slight smile playing on his lips, and lowered his Serpent Staff.
Hermione, standing beside him, looked at the mist with a hint of disdain. "I never imagined that Cedric was such a cunning person."
Her gaze seemed to pierce through the mist, revealing Cedric battling a massive shadow. "You guys really have a lot of tricks up your sleeves."
Vincent blinked his big eyes, looking completely harmless, and said, "Since ancient times, deep affection cannot be retained, only tricks can win people's hearts."
Hermione's lips twitched. "You seem pretty smug, don't you? If Cho knew the truth, she'd hate us to death."
Vincent gently put his arm around her. "It's okay. Qiu hasn't watched Muggle TV shows, so she doesn't know about this kind of 'friends conspiring to save the damsel in distress' trope."
Hermione puffed out her cheeks. "Let's figure out how to clean this up. Cho isn't stupid; she'll figure it out sooner or later."
"Okay." Vincent sat down with her, leaning against the old oak tree.
He thought about it carefully, "Why don't we make the curse real?"
Hermione gently rested her head on his shoulder. "Making up stories? That's something you're good at."
Vincent reached out and pinched her nose. "You're quite the storyteller, aren't you? Have you forgotten how we fooled Fudge back in first grade?"
Quirrell's transformation into a grotesque, inhuman state was due not only to the damage to his soul caused by Voldemort's possession, but also to the relentless attacks from the six boys.
Hermione couldn't help but laugh at the thought of that fluorescent green scabies potion.
However, she quickly became serious again, "The legend of the curse of Alton Towers must be related to wizards, and in the end we completely resolved it."
Vincent nodded. "A young and beautiful witch... or rather, an old witch. She hated the castle's owner because of something, so she cursed the entire family."
Hermione glanced up at him. "Love again?"
She shifted to a more comfortable position and rested her head on his shoulder again. "I think it's possible that the castle's owner offended the old witch, which is why she cast the curse."
How about lending me money?
"What would a wizard need Muggle money for?"
"Buy pretty clothes."
Hermione smiled at him, her little hands seemingly itching to move. "Very reasonable, but I always feel like you're implying something."
Vincent blinked innocently and pressed her small hand down slightly. "No, no, it's in a woman's nature to love beauty. I personally respect and support them very much."
Hermione rubbed her forehead against his neck. "The International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy has existed for 200 years. It's unreasonable to curse Muggle, isn't it?"
Vincent took her small hand and intertwined their fingers. "Wouldn't it be better to curse the old oak tree? Every time a branch falls, a member of the castle owner's family will die."
"The curses came true one after another, and the castle owner had no choice but to chain the old oak tree to prevent its branches from falling."
"Yes, the curse only activated its defensive magic upon detecting a wizard after our arrival."
Hermione nuzzled his neck again. "I wonder if Cho will believe this story."
Vincent looked at the distant mist. "Of course I believe it. This is a story we made up together."
"Sigh—" Hermione felt particularly guilty. "If Cedric ever dares to wrong Qiu in the future, you must teach him a lesson."
"You don't even need to tell me, I'll definitely beat him to a pulp."
On the other side,
Cedric, panting heavily, sat down on the ground after successfully defeating the shadowy figure.
Qiu asked with a worried look, "Cedric, are you alright? Are you hurt?"
"It's okay, I—" Cedric clutched his chest and gasped for breath.
Qiu quickly squatted down in front of him. "Are you injured? How serious is it?"
She gently reached out to his chest, which he was covering, as if she wanted to unbutton his slightly dirty white shirt.
"I was hit by something just now," Cedric said, then took a deep breath.
He wasn't faking it; that huge dark figure really did hit him hard.
Qiu unbuttoned his shirt and saw a large bruise.
"What should I do... I didn't bring my wand..."
She sobbed softly, "Cedric, I'm sorry, if you weren't doing this for..."
Cedric pulled her into a tight embrace. "Don't blame yourself. I told you I would protect you."
Qiu couldn't see the guilt on his face. "Thank you, Cedric."
She stopped crying and noticed that the fog around her was gradually dissipating.
"We're saved?" she exclaimed with delight. "It's Vincent and the others; they lifted the curse."
"Yes." Cedric smiled wryly as he looked at the fallen figure.
No wonder it's so sturdy; it turns out it Transfiguration from the surrounding trees.
As the mist dissipated, the treant transformed back into its original form as a large tree.
Qiu helped Cedric to his feet. "Hang in there a little longer. They'll definitely find a way to treat your injuries."
A moment later, Vincent and Hermione walked over one after the other.
"Are you all alright? Cedric, are you injured?"
Vincent immediately stepped forward to treat him, and even deliberately nudged his bruised chest with his Serpent Staff.
A fleeting look of schadenfreude crossed Hermione's face.
She came to Qiu and began to talk about the curse.
Perhaps because she was worried about Cedric, or perhaps because the story was so well-crafted, Qiu didn't find anything amiss after hearing it.
This made Hermione feel even more guilty.
She Vincent a look, and Cedric quickly winced in pain.
"Um... my injury shouldn't be serious, right?"
Vincent smiled at him. "Not serious? Two ribs are broken, and they almost pierced his lung."
Qiu felt even more guilty.
The more guilty she felt, the heavier Hermione's guilt became, and Vincent followed suit, hitting her even harder.
Cedric, who was the biggest beneficiary, was in so much pain that he could hardly bear it anymore.
He knew, of course, that this was a warning to him, and he dared to swear that he would never let Qiu down in his life.
Dr. Wayne's "miraculous healing" brought him back to health, and he was completely "cured" in no time.
After the curse incident, the four who tried to sneak in clearly lost interest in continuing their visit.
"I know a restaurant where the France is particularly good."
Vincent gestured to Cedric with his eyes as he spoke.
"Brother, you've done more than enough. Shouldn't you give me some hush money?"
"I'm actually hungry." Cedric nodded emphatically. "Let's go, where's that restaurant?"
"London."
In the pouring rain, the four of them walked into the Eggplant Restaurant under umbrellas.
Gordon Ramsay, who hadn't yet become a Hell's Kitchen chef, immediately recognized Vincent and Hermione, the couple who had left a deep impression on him.
As always, the chef decides on all the menu items.