The Final Showdown

The three returned to the castle for lunch. (Reading M)

"Father—Mother!" Draco exclaimed in surprise as he sat down at the Slytherin table. "What are you doing here?"

"Come watch Skylar's final match!" Narcissa said with a loving smile, "And while you're at it, come see my darling Draco."

Lucius grunted and said in a deep voice, "Draco, how did you do on the exam?"

"Ah, well... I think it should be alright," Draco said. "I can't remember all the names of those rebellious Goblin, and honestly, who would remember them? I just made up a few, but anyway, History of Magic knowledge isn't really of any practical use to our future endeavors, right?"

Lucius was about to say something when Narcissa interrupted him, "You're right. Only those pedantic old scholars are interested in studying these ancient, trivial matters. Back in the day, even your mother made things up for her History of Magic exam... In the future, if you want to know anything, you can naturally have the servants look it up for you."

Lucius sighed, shook his head, and said with a wry smile, "Narcissa, you spoil him too much. Look at Skylar, his History of Magic is incredible; even the History of Magic consultants hired by the family are probably far inferior to him."

Although Malfoy Manor only houses a butler and a House Elf, this doesn't mean the House of Malfoy has no other servants. Lucius, managing the family business, often needs advice and planning from various people; these individuals are collectively known as "advisors."

They are often specialists in certain fields, possessing extensive knowledge or extremely unique skills in their respective areas. They do not usually live in the manor, but are required to respond to the patriarch's summons at any time to answer his questions or offer advice.

At this moment, Daphne, Astoria, and Pansy also sat down.

"Hello, Auntie and Uncle," the three girls greeted sweetly.

"Ah," Narcissa gave them a warm hug, "Miss Greengrass, and Miss Parkinson, you've both grown even more beautiful in just a few years."

"Auntie, you too! I just saw you from afar and was wondering when Skylar got a sister," Daphne teased.

"Hehe, you're so good with words." Narcissa grinned from ear to ear, quickly exchanging a glance with Lucius, and both of them nodded almost imperceptibly.

"Come on, we're all 'one of us,' sit down and eat together!" Narcissa invited the three girls to sit next to her.

Lunch at Hogwarts was no different from usual, consisting of roast beef, roast chicken, pork chops, lamb chops, and the like, served with mashed potatoes or baked potatoes, plus some vegetable salad.

Narcissa merely poked at the lamb chops on her plate with her knife and fork before stopping eating.

She said with some disdain, "The food here is terrible. You must be suffering terribly here." Then she looked at her two sons with some sympathy. Draco didn't seem to mind, but Skylar felt quite uncomfortable under that gaze.

Skylar felt it was just a meal and there was no need to make a big fuss about it. The food provided by Hogwarts could not compare to that of Pure-blood families, after all, it offered free boarding education and had to take care of the living needs of hundreds of students. Imagine if House Elf were to provide dragon meat steaks for every student, Hogwarts' funds would run out very quickly.

But Narcissa's words were a bit of an exaggeration. The cooking magic of the House Elf at Hogwarts was inherited from the great gourmet Hufflepuff himself. Even if they had to compromise on quality because of the large quantity of food they were cooking, the overall level was certainly not bad.

"Aunt Narcissa, I think it's actually not bad," Pansy chimed in from the side.

"Oh, and having to eat with a bunch of paupers is torture." Narcissa glanced at Mrs. Weasley, who was sitting at the Gryffindor table with Harry and Ron, and shook her head in disgust.

"Dumbledore probably thought his so-called 'fair treatment' demonstrated his philanthropy," Lucius said sarcastically, stroking his silver serpent-headed cane.

Fortunately, they were far enough apart that Mrs. Weasley didn't hear them, otherwise there would have been another heated argument.

After lunch, Skylar parted ways with his parents.

Daphne, Pansy, and Astoria volunteered to take Lucius and his wife for a walk outside the castle to see Durmstrang's Ghost Ship and Beauxbatons' luxurious carriage.

Skylar sat alone by the lake, quietly watching the shimmering water.

He didn't know how he should feel right now.

His overwhelming strength made him lose all hope for the match.

According to the original book, the obstacles Harry encountered along the way included Hagrid's Blast-Ended Skrewt, a Boggart, a golden mist that turned the world upside down, a Sphinx, and a giant Acromantula. That's it?

The original story is told from Harry's perspective, and Harry was able to reach the finish line without any major incidents because of Mad-Eye Moody's secret assistance. Even so, the competition was designed to showcase the highest level of skill that elite seventh-year students could demonstrate. The content of the competition had already been finalized by the Department of International Magical Cooperation and the Department of Magical Games and Sports of the Ministry of Magic before the start of the school year, so even if the butterfly effect caused by Skylar led to an increase in the strength of the competitors, it would not affect the content of the competition.

This means that the competition is designed to be based on the skill level of Cedric Diggory, Viktor Krum, and Phoebe Delacour from the original story.

Even if these three were tied together, they wouldn't be enough for Skylar to beat up.

Seeing this, Skylar could no longer feel the excitement, anticipation, and enthusiasm of the other Champion... He sighed softly; he just wanted to end all of this quickly and then welcome Voldemort's return...

Voldemort, oh Voldemort, I hope you won't disappoint me too much.

Time passed slowly, and then the sun sank in the west, its rays turning a mesmerizing orange-yellow.

Dinner time arrived, and everyone gathered in the Great Hall.

Dinner was more lavish than usual, and many students ate heartily. Ludo Bagman and Cornelius Fudge sat down at the faculty table. Bagman seemed quite happy, but Cornelius Fudge, sitting next to Madame Maxime, kept a straight face and remained silent.

Skylar smiled. Fudge appeared to have a very harmonious relationship with Dumbledore, giving the impression that they were on the same side. However, in reality, Dumbledore fundamental beliefs were completely opposite. He harbored prejudice against Muggle and Muggle-born wizard, though he didn't easily show it. But when it came to Half-Giant, Vampire, Werewolf, or other outcasts with bad reputations, his dislike and disgust were clearly written on his face.

As the enchanted ceiling turned from blue to a dark purple twilight, Dumbledore stood up at the faculty desk, and everyone fell silent.

"Ladies and gentlemen, in five minutes I will invite you to the Quidditch Pitch to watch the final game of the Triwizard Tournament. Now, Champion, please follow Mr. Bagman to the pitch." He stroked his long, silvery-white beard and spoke in a deep voice.

The Champion stood up and left their seats, and all the students applauded them.

This was the final battle. As the competition progressed, the four Champion's performances won over the hearts of the Hogwarts students, who cheered and applauded for each Champion's efforts, courage, and strength.

Astoria crossed her arms over her chest, her fingers clenched tightly. "Skylar, you have to win!"

Daphne smiled and said, "I won't say anything more. Everyone will be waiting for you at the celebration tonight."

Skylar smiled and nodded, then suddenly turned around. With each step, the Night Star Cloak hanging on his shoulder billowed high in the wind, creating a sharp arc and leaving a dashing silhouette in everyone's eyes.