Gathering Ends

As a seventh-grade student who had just come of age, Morozov's strength was not far from that of Phoebe Delacour, even if there was some difference. In addition, Phoebe arrived with anger and determination, and the two immediately fought fiercely, with Phoebe even having a slight advantage.

This shows that Morozov's own strength was nothing special. If he hadn't seized the advantage of timing and location through this strange magical ritual, he wouldn't have been able to defeat Skylar so badly.

Now that he has emerged from his hiding place, his defeat is inevitable.

Skylar walked up behind him and said softly, "Morozov, your opponent is me."

"Ma... Malfoy? You're alright?" Morozov's expression changed drastically. He was genuinely surprised to see Skylar completely unharmed. Then, he suddenly realized what was happening and said, "You... you deliberately took the attack, then got injured and passed out, just to lure me out?"

"Yes, that's right, it seems you're not too stupid," Skylar smiled, "But it's too late to say anything now."

After Morozov forced Phoebe back with a powerful offensive spell, he immediately turned and fled. From the moment he saw that Skylar was unharmed, he knew that he would not be Skylar's match in a normal one-on-one duel.

Since he couldn't Apparition here, as long as he was fast enough and successfully escaped using the terrain, Skylar wouldn't be able to catch him. Once he could hide again, the situation would be in his favor once more.

But to his surprise, Skylar did something that left him speechless—

Skylar took flight.

It was even faster than Broomstick, and landed right in front of him in an instant.

Morozov had just raised his wand when he suddenly found it flying out of his control and landing in Skylar's hand.

Morozov's eyes narrowed, and his face turned deathly pale. This was Expelliarmus cast using a silent, Wandless Magic technique.

He knelt on the ground, his eyes vacant, his face completely devoid of fighting spirit; he had no courage left to fight Skylar.

The first day of the Potions Championship has ended.

After Skylar rescued everyone, Raffaella was not ungrateful. Besides being grateful for Skylar's kindness, witnessing Skylar strength also made her want to befriend Skylar, or at least not become his enemy.

She persuaded Mara and Alison to each give a portion of the Potions ingredients they had collected to Skylar, including rare ingredients such as Fairy Wings, Phantom-Scent Grass, and poppy fruits. This allowed Skylar to collect all the remaining ingredients effortlessly.

After nine hours of gathering, everyone returned to the entrance of the Magic Garden. Morozov's actions, once exposed, caused a huge uproar. He had violated many of the competition rules, so unsurprisingly, he was disqualified.

As the only one among the remaining six contestants to have collected all the necessary materials, Skylar is undoubtedly the favorite to win this year's Potions Championship.

The Potions Championship consists of two events. The First Task involves gathering materials in the Magic Garden and processing them. The Second Task involves brewing a Potions using the gathered materials. Although the organizers do not specify a particular Potions, they usually provide a range. For example, the topic of the previous tournament was a potion that permanently enhances a wizard's abilities, and the winner brewed an all-powerful potion and won.

The organizers want the participants to be back in top form, so the Second Task will begin early tomorrow morning.

That evening, all the participants were accommodated in a small inn in the village to rest and spend the night.

As night falls, the hotel restaurant is bathed in warm, soft light. The long wooden table is laden with fragrant food: steak, roast chicken, stew, cheese platters, and various desserts and drinks, filling the air with an enticing aroma.

All the participants sat around the dining table. After a long day of intense collection, everyone looked exhausted, but at the same time, they also felt a sense of relief, as if they had survived a disaster.

"Skylar, you actually took care of that madman all by yourself!" Mara clicked his tongue in amazement, looking at Skylar with disbelief. "We were completely trapped, with absolutely no chance to fight back."

Raffaella was wolfing down a large piece of roasted meat when she rolled her eyes and said, "If I couldn't still move, I really would have thought I was going to die in that godforsaken place when I saw Skylar in."

"Yes," Alison nodded, looking at Skylar with a complicated expression, and said softly, "If it weren't for you, we might really not have made it out."

Seferis sat to one side, his face ashen. His wounds had been treated, but the humiliation of being hung from the tree still lingered in his mind, leaving him sullen and silent.

"Alright, alright." Skylar leisurely cut a piece of steak and said with a smile, "It was just a minor incident. Morozov's Dark Arts is indeed troublesome, but it's not insurmountable."

"You make it sound so easy," Mara rolled her eyes. "When Raffaella told us you had a thorn piercing your chest, we all thought you were finished."

"Hmph." Raffaella snorted coldly, tore off a piece of flesh and stuffed it into his mouth, mumbling, "That guy is a monster. An ordinary person would have died long ago if they had suffered that kind of injury."

Phoebe sat quietly beside Skylar without saying a word. Her gaze was fixed on Skylar, her eyes flickering slightly, as if she wanted to say something but hesitated to speak.

After chatting for a while, fatigue gradually set in, and everyone yawned and went back to their rooms to rest.

Skylar returned to his room, took off his robe, loosened his collar, and was about to take a shower when there was a soft knock on the door.

"Who?" he asked casually.

"... It's me."

Skylar raised an eyebrow, walked over and opened the door, and saw Phoebe standing in the doorway.

She wore a light blue silk robe, her long golden hair flowing smoothly down her back, and her eyes shone gently in the lamplight. She looked hesitant, her fingers tightly gripping the hem of her robe, as if she were gathering her courage.

Skylar smiled and stepped aside. "Come in."

Phoebe nodded gently and went into the room. Skylar closed the door behind him and looked back at her.

What do you want?

Phoebe stood in the center of the room, pursing her lips as if preparing something. After a long while, she finally whispered, "Skylar... thank you for today."

Skylar raised an eyebrow. "Thank you for what?"

Phoebe looked at him intently, her voice choked with emotion, "Thank you for saving me."

Skylar smiled and said, "You don't need to thank me, we're partners."

Phoebe shook her head, a complex emotion flickering in her blue eyes. "It's not just because of this time... From the beginning of the competition until now, every single time, I've felt you silently taking care of me."

Skylar didn't speak, but just watched her quietly, waiting for her to continue.

Phoebe took a deep breath, finally mustered her courage, and whispered, "Skylar, I... like you."

Skylar was slightly taken aback.

He was certainly not oblivious; Phoebe's gaze, her attitude, and her subtle actions all revealed certain clues, but he was still somewhat surprised when she actually said it.

Skylar did not respond immediately, but Phoebe's heart was pounding at its limit.

"Skylar..." she called his name softly, her eyes full of seriousness and expectation, "I've thought about it for a long time, and I've made up my mind."

Skylar remained awkwardly silent.

Although he remained outwardly composed, he was actually struggling internally. Phoebe's vivacity and cheerfulness had left a deep impression on him, and they had indeed developed some affection for each other over the past few days.

But honestly, he never imagined that Phoebe would confess her feelings to him. First of all, Phoebe was older than him, and the two had hardly crossed paths in their past lives. During their year at Hogwarts, they had barely spoken. Even though they had gotten along very well in the past few days, in Skylar's view, it was at most a little more ambiguous than close friendship, far from being a real romantic relationship.

Furthermore, given Phoebe's proud personality, it was even less likely that she would take the initiative in a romantic relationship. Therefore, her confession truly put Skylar in a dilemma.

His silence made Phoebe a little flustered; her fingertips trembled slightly, and a hint of disappointment flashed in her eyes. But the next second, she suddenly raised her head, as if she had made up her mind, and stood on tiptoe to kiss Skylar's lips.

Skylar's pupils contracted slightly.

Phoebe's lips were soft yet burning hot, carrying a hint of urgency mixed with her nervousness and anticipation.

Skylar neither pulled away nor refused; instead, he reached out and wrapped his arms around her waist, drawing her closer to him, and returned the kiss.

Their breaths mingled, Phoebe's heart pounded so hard it felt like it was about to burst out of her chest.

Skylar's hand gently stroked down her back, and Phoebe trembled slightly involuntarily. She climbed onto his shoulder and kissed him even more deeply.

The night was deep, and moonlight streamed through the window, casting its glow on their intertwined figures. An ambiguous yet passionate atmosphere filled the air...