207: Cheating and Poor Cedric

Stuffing Malfoy's sudden and inexplicable sense of guilt back where it came from, John wondered if he should send Malfoy to the library for a while.

As one of the top three on the "Most Hated List," you actually feel guilty?

But since when did Hermione become the beautiful, top-student witch Harry had a romantic encounter with? When did those two start dating?

"Well, let Rita write whatever she wants, but tell her to cut out the nonsense."

Massaging his temples, John felt that Rita had really let her imagination run wild.

Or maybe he had underestimated her talent for stirring up trouble.

Hearing that the article was full of lies, Malfoy immediately went to provoke Harry.

Pansy, holding hands with her best friend Daphne, stared at the newspaper and scoffed sourly, "Stunning beauty? Her?"

It was clear Pansy had strong opinions on the matter.

Meanwhile, Hermione was equally irritated.

She was already swamped with work, and now she had to deal with being falsely labeled as Harry's girlfriend?

As if she wouldn't know if she were his girlfriend?

That's called motherly love, okay?!

Hermione, who had been forced into the role of an unwilling mother figure, was not happy about it.

To make matters worse, she had been stuck playing messenger between Harry and Ron during their fight, and her frustration had reached its peak.

Finally, it was time for the trip to Hogsmeade.

John glanced at Malfoy, who was planning to buy a new polishing kit to maintain his Firebolt. Stroking his chin, he held a letter from Tommy in his hand.

 There's a cliff near the orphanage—it might be a possible Horcrux hiding spot.

Having more people on the job made things easier. After thorough investigation, they had finally managed to locate the cave from the memory.

Memorizing the location, John planned to find an opportunity to explore it.

Of course, the place was extremely dangerous—he had no intention of going alone.

Why go solo when you can form a raid party?

As they headed for Hogsmeade, Malfoy, who had been walking beside John, was swiftly sent packing by Daphne's sharp glare.

No awareness at all!

Secretly pinching John's sleeve, Daphne's eyes curved into a smile.

"Want to grab a drink at the pub?"

For once, John had some free time, and while his sense of taste was still intact, the butterbeer at the Three Broomsticks was definitely worth it.

Daphne, delighted at the chance for some alone time, quickly agreed.

The two of them entered the pub and found a table to sit at.

Looking around, John noticed that the Silverhand Cellar series was selling particularly well, with one drink—Crunchy Ice Fruit Delight—being especially popular.

After drinking it, one would burp out a bubble that instantly froze.

It might seem childish to young wizards, but for adult wizards, it was just right.

John ordered two butterbeers, and before long, he noticed Ron entering with a few other Gryffindors.

Looks like this breakup is pretty final.

It was rare to see the Golden Trio acting separately. John took a sip of his beer, then caught sight of a ring of foam sticking to Daphne's lips. Without thinking, he casually grabbed a napkin and wiped it off for her.

He truly did it without any ulterior motive—meanwhile, Daphne froze in place.

"Hermione?"

Noticing Hermione walking in alone, John saw her order two butterbeers.

His eyes narrowed as he spotted her discreetly sliding one of the beers under the table.

An Invisibility Cloak? That's way more advanced than Barty Jr.'s.

John had to focus carefully before noticing even the slightest trace of it.

It was completely unlike Barty Jr.'s cloak, which could still be seen through.

Returning his attention to Daphne, he was surprised to find her face as red as an apple.

"What's wrong with you?"

"A-Ah.."

Daphne stammered, completely losing her usual dignified demeanor as a young lady.

Outside, Pansy, who had been out shopping, suddenly pressed her face against the glass as if she had seen something shocking. Her wide eyes stared unblinkingly into the tavern.

This action immediately caught Malfoy's attention. He dragged Goyle and Crabbe over, and the three of them squeezed into the already narrow space in front of the window.

Now, four people were crammed together, their burning curiosity practically visible in the air.

They were completely oblivious to the strange looks they were getting from passersby.

Inside the bustling tavern, Madam Rosmerta was clearly displeased—because Moody had brought his own drink.

John's seat was in a rather secluded corner, but Moody's magical eye was quick to lock onto him.

Sitting next to Moody was Hagrid. The magical eye spun again and shifted toward Hermione's direction.

Moody patted Hagrid on the shoulder, prompting Hagrid to notice Hermione as well.

The two of them walked toward her table.

John's ears twitched slightly as he picked up on Hagrid's gruff whisper, partially obscured by his thick beard.

"Harry, come to my hut at midnight. Wear your Invisibility Cloak."

After saying that, Hagrid then awkwardly acted out a half-hearted goodbye to Hermione.

Little did he know, John had overheard everything.

He stared at Moody's retreating back and muttered to himself, "Moody's magical eye can actually see through Invisibility Cloaks… And why is Hagrid asking Harry to meet him at midnight?"

Wearing the Invisibility Cloak meant there was something to hide.

This piqued John's curiosity, especially since it seemed like Moody had been the one to remind Hagrid.

I'll check it out tonight.

With that thought, he took another sip of his butterbeer. Hmm, tasted like plain water.

...

By the time John returned to Hogwarts, the sky had just darkened.

Oh shit! She's gonna murder another good fruit!

He noticed Daphne heading toward the kitchen and quickly pulled her back.

"Just take a break for today."

Daphne wasn't listening at all—her eyes were fixed on the hand he had grabbed, her face turning as red as a persimmon.

After much persuasion, John finally got her to drop the idea of cooking.

He let out a sigh of relief and, upon entering the Great Hall, saw Malfoy being used like a servant, carrying a ridiculous amount of shopping bags.

Even Goyle and Crabbe looked utterly miserable, both of their hands full.

"Shopping is all about the experience!" Pansy declared grandly. But in reality, she kept winking at Daphne.

Today, she had gotten her fill of watching Daphne and John's interactions. As Daphne's best friend, she was even more excited about Daphne's progress than her own love life.

Unfortunately, Malfoy suffered the most.

He had planned to spend the day coming up with ways to humiliate Harry, but instead, he got dragged along as a human pack mule.

Large and small bags of goodies, many of which came from Honeydukes.

Pansy generously shared them with the Slytherins.

Pansy: I got my fill of romance today, so you all get some too!

John thought Pansy's occasional bouts of madness were understandable—after all, Malfoy had also acted on impulse when he distributed those badges to the entire school for free.

Those two were definitely cut from the same cloth.

...

Midnight.

John never even returned to the dormitory. He walked straight out of the Constellation Society's secret chamber.

He strolled openly through the corridors past curfew and even ran into Mrs. Norris.

He picked her up for a quick petting session and slipped her two small fish treats as a bribe.

Then, just around the corner, he bumped into Filch.

The two of them locked eyes in a silent standoff.

John cleared his throat. After a brief, mutual understanding, both of them deliberately turned their heads away, pretending not to see each other.

To avoid further encounters, John cast a Disillusionment Charm on himself.

With no further interruptions, he arrived at Hagrid's hut. Not far away stood the massive Beauxbatons carriage.

Crouching outside the door, he soon heard a knock.

When the door opened, Harry slipped inside, pulling off his Invisibility Cloak.

John was speechless.

Why did this feel like some kind of secret rendezvous?

Just as he was about to move closer, a Zouwu suddenly burst out of the Forbidden Forest. Its left eye was still blind, but the right one had recovered slightly. 

It darted around chaotically, sniffing the air before crouching down in front of John, trying to reach out with its paw to confirm his presence. 

"Cut it out." 

John was flicked by the Zouwu's tail. He patted its massive lowered head in reassurance. 

"I've got things to do. I'll come see you in the daytime." 

Activating his mental magic, he calmed the creature. The Zouwu obediently nodded, but as it walked away, it kept glancing back at him, clearly reluctant to leave. 

A while later, Hagrid emerged from his hut, dressed in formal attire, his hair meticulously combed. 

John's eyes widened. He had to focus to spot Harry walking beside him. 

They approached the Beauxbatons carriage and knocked on the door. The one who answered was Madame Maxime, also dressed elegantly. 

Hagrid extended an invitation to Madame Maxime, and John's expression turned odd. 

"Did Hagrid really invite Harry to watch him go on a date?" he muttered. 

He highly doubted Hagrid was that... mischievous. 

Watching them leave, John decided to follow. 

He admitted—he was a little curious to witness Hagrid's first date. 

Then, from the bushes, he spotted Karkaroff.

He was a bit stunned—were all these headmasters really this idle? 

One was on a date, another was lurking in the bushes. 

At this rate, would he run into Dumbledore next? 

If so, where would Dumbledore be hiding? Under the carriage? 

He noticed that Karkaroff was heading in the same direction as Hagrid, which made him even more curious. 

Following along, he soon heard some commotion in the distance. 

First, a few men shouting loudly, then a deafening, high-pitched roar. 

"A dragon's roar… why does it sound so familiar?" 

John quickened his pace, and soon, he saw a group of men jumping around anxiously in front of several dragons. 

There were four in total, all roaring fiercely. 

He suddenly recalled Fleur mentioning that the first task was a test of courage. 

And what could be a better test of courage than a dragon? 

His expression darkened. 

"They explicitly said the task couldn't be revealed in advance, yet one by one, you're all finding loopholes to cheat, huh?" 

He glanced at Hagrid, who had brought Madame Maxime along, and couldn't help but feel a little sorry for him.

Was this the magical world's version of a honey trap?

The headmasters personally seducing people just for a tournament? 

And honestly, weren't they just bullying the honest guy here? 

John glanced at everyone present—Karkaroff, Madame Maxime, Hagrid, and Harry. 

So they were all in on the cheating scheme, huh? And poor Cedric, the only decent guy, was completely left out....

John felt like Cedric was the hapless prey in a melon patch, surrounded by juicy gossip, yet he didn't get to taste a single bite. 

ROAR—!

||THIS ISN'T FAIR!!!||

A familiar roar echoed through the air. John turned around and spotted a Hungarian Horntail that looked strangely familiar. 

"Amoham?"

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