Thud!
Staring at the wooden door slammed shut, Draco let out a helpless smile.
"Come to think of it, how many times have I been kicked out now?"
Muttering to himself, he finally lowered his gaze to the book in his hands. He wasn't an idiot—of course he could guess his tsundere godfather's intentions.
'So… the first task probably has something to do with storms. Or we'll have to deal with harsh weather like that when the time comes?' Draco slowly put the book away as speculation filled his mind.
His expression turned a bit strange as another thought occurred to him.
Looking back on it carefully, who said Hagrid was the only one with access to the task details? They really didn't need to focus solely on him all this time.
It seemed they'd overlooked several professors...
"Were we really searching far away when the answer was right in front of us?"
After giving himself a wry laugh, Draco stepped forward again, planning to share this new information with Pansy and the others waiting for him.
At the same time, another witch came to mind.
If it were her, she could easily identify which Magical Creatures had connections to storms...
...
November arrived with biting cold, yet it did nothing to stifle the young wizards' excitement.
The long-awaited First Task of the Triwizard Tournament was finally taking place this afternoon beside the Forbidden Forest.
Like the calm before a storm, the Great Hall was unnervingly quiet that morning. If not for the frequent glances thrown at the four champions, one might have mistaken the atmosphere for an OWL examination hall...
"Draco, did you bring your wand? Do you still remember your spells? And—wait! Do you feel unwell anywhere? Should we—"
"Granger, could you calm down? You're making me lose my appetite!"
"Parkinson? These preparations are important. Don't you go over everything before exams?
And besides, what does your appetite have to do with me?"
"You—ugh!"
"Wha—?!"
Watching the all-too-familiar scene unfold, Draco closed his book with a sigh and lightly tapped each of them on the head.
He was the one about to compete, yet somehow it felt like they were the ones taking the test.
More importantly, he'd already lost count of how many times he'd heard the same conversation since sunrise...
Realizing this wasn't the moment for an argument, Pansy and the others quickly redirected their attention back to Draco.
"Are you really sure it's…?"
"Keep it down. This is a secret. We're not even sure the other champions know yet. This is Draco's advantage. And with Snape's clue plus that golden feather, the answer is practically obvious. What else is there to question?"
Indeed, after Draco brought out the book Snape had given him and compared it with the feather he'd found near Hagrid's hut, piecing together the truth wasn't difficult for Draco or Hermione.
Not to mention, they could have asked Luna each morning—she was especially knowledgeable in this area.
Of course, to avoid drawing attention, Draco and the others ultimately chose not to ask Luna anything about it...
"Unless you want Potter to find out about this."
Flustered by Pansy's remark, Hermione shot back loudly, "I didn't mean that at all! It's just… I heard something else."
"Something else? What do you mean?"
"Even though I didn't get any information about the upcoming task from Hagrid, there's one thing that's been bothering me."
Ever since Draco received Snape's hint, he hadn't visited Hagrid again. Hermione alone felt Hagrid was hiding something, so she kept making visits and subtly probing him.
And now, it sounded like she really had uncovered something...
The way Hermione suddenly lowered her voice and the mysterious look on her face sent Draco and Pansy's curiosity soaring.
The two exchanged a glance, silently communicating for several seconds.
Aside from the Triwizard Tournament and Hagrid's overdue romance, what else about Hagrid could possibly matter?
After dragging her chair closer, Hermione finally shared her discovery. "Hagrid said the original task wasn't supposed to be like this. It looks like someone from the Ministry stepped in and made changes."
"You mean…"
"Exactly. The original plan was to use several dragons… as part of the task."
"Dragons!?"
Pansy's startled cry drew the attention of nearby students, who only turned away once nothing more followed.
Unlike Pansy's shock, a trace of disappointment flickered across Draco's face.
If it had been dragons, that would've given him a huge advantage...
...
Once lunch ended, Professor McGonagall led Harry Potter over to Draco's table.
"Mr. Malfoy, all champions must now head to the designated grounds. You'll prepare there and complete your first task."
"Understood."
Draco gave the two tense, worried girls beside him a reassuring look before standing up. He would've found it far more surprising if Snape had taken on this duty instead.
Thinking of his godfather's recent strange moods, Draco instinctively glanced over at Harry Potter, who was heading toward the preparation area.
Harry was speaking with Professor McGonagall…
"Alright, don't be nervous and keep your head clear. We've stationed wizards nearby. If anything goes wrong, they'll step in and take control of the situation. What matters most is using your abilities to the fullest. No one thinks you're any less capable than the others, so… Harry, are you alright?"
"I'm fine, Professor McGonagall."
"...."
Harry's anxious nerves were written plainly across his face. His stiff smile didn't look "fine" in the slightest.
Knowing her comfort wasn't helping, Minerva McGonagall sighed. But soon, her gaze shifted to Draco, and her expression turned slightly strange.
Compared to Harry, Draco Malfoy stood calm and self-assured. Even as the Head of Gryffindor, she had to admit this student—despite his recent dip in reputation—was exceptionally capable...
Draco, unaware of her scrutiny, frowned as he looked up at the sky that had suddenly changed.
The morning had been bright and cloudless. Now it was dark and heavy.
Knowing exactly what caused it, Draco rolled his neck lightly.
The wind had begun to rise...