Harry's thoughts were a tangled mess. After a long while, he let out a deep breath. "I know. They're all watching to see how I handle this."
"But you don't really have a choice. They're guests. Even if their attitude is a little nasty, you can't retaliate forcefully."
That was the etiquette expected of a host, something McGonagall had stressed repeatedly.
Of course, the more practical issue was that Harry didn't think he could beat that French witch. She had started school before him, had greater magical power and knowledge, and was even taller than he was-
If he really lost his temper, he would only be digging his own grave.
Maybe that woman named Fleur Delacour was deliberately trying to provoke him, then defeat him and utterly humiliate him!
Despite his youth, Harry understood human nature quite well.
"What a vicious woman!" Ron said angrily. "She's the one who came asking us for-"
"Don't flatter yourself, Ronald. They're asking Vaughn for help. It has nothing to do with us."
"Vaughn is part of Hogwarts too. By 'us,' I meant all of us!" Ron insisted stubbornly, then asked in confusion, "Come to think of it, aren't those people afraid of offending Vaughn? Whatever you say, provoking Harry is an insult to Vaughn!"
Harry and Hermione said nothing.
They rolled their eyes, at a loss for words.
They had discussed this before, but Ron had clearly forgotten again. It was precisely because those people feared Vaughn that they would probably make Harry their target.
Still, nothing was certain.
Harry recalled how, roughly an hour earlier, when the French witch had provoked him, the young witches and wizards from the delegations of Durmstrang, the Central Refining Academy, Ilvermorny, and other schools had stopped nearby, their eyes gleaming with eagerness.
He had a