Chapter 141 Fleur
"Over here, could I take a group photo with the champions first?" Rita Skeeter said, pointing to the three chairs nearby.
Su Yu didn't say much, sitting down on one of the three chairs alongside Krum and Fleur. Rita Skeeter came up and shook hands with the two men first, but pointedly did not shake hands with Fleur, which made Fleur look a bit awkward.
After shaking hands, Su Yu started looking around.
"Hmm, what are you looking for, Mr. Sean Foley?" Rita Skeeter asked, puzzled.
Su Yu ignored her. After searching for a long time and finding nothing, he simply wiped the hand he had used to shake Rita Skeeter's hand on Kurama, only then letting out a long sigh of relief.
Everyone nearby burst into laughter. Kurama was so angry that she opened her mouth and bit Su Yu, then jumped into Daphne's arms, tearfully asking Daphne to wipe her clean, as she felt dirty...
Now it was Rita Skeeter's turn to be embarrassed; even Fleur laughed out loud. However, a professional is a professional, and Rita Skeeter quickly adjusted her state.
She slowly stepped forward and touched Fleur's cheek, "Let us guess, what kind of story is hidden beneath these rosy cheeks?" Then she patted Fleur's face hard.
She walked over to Krum, touching the nervous-looking Krum, "And what kind of secrets are hidden within these strong muscles?"
"In short, how did we become champions? My readers are waiting in anticipation!"
Immediately, before she could aim at Su Yu, Su Yu raised his hand to interrupt her.
"Stop! Malfoy, drag her to the dark room first, two hours of the Cruciatus Curse, and only then let her talk to me. Go."
Malfoy tossed his head at Crabbe and Goyle, and the three of them immediately grabbed Rita Skeeter by her hair and dragged her into the nearby storage room.
"Oh, damn it, what are you doing! How dare you treat me like this! Are you Death Eaters?"
Rita Skeeter screamed in a disheveled mess. Perhaps because Goyle was too ungentlemanly and pulled her hair too hard, her cursing turned into pleas for mercy.
"I beg you, don't do this to me! I was wrong, please let me go, okay? I beg you, ah!!!!!!"
A series of miserable screams came from the storage room. To avoid scaring his little girlfriend, Theodore thoughtfully cast a Silencing Charm.
Fleur looked at Su Yu in horror. Is this guy a demon? She had only met him twice, just twice! How many illegal things has he done? Wuwuwu, Madame Maxime, where are you? I feel so unsafe...
"Alright... let's do something else, shall we? Let's proceed with the Wand Weighing!" Minister Bagman stood up, speaking while watching Su Yu's expression.
Before long, Headmaster Dumbledore pushed the door open and walked in. Seeing the Silencing Charm outside the nearby storage room, he looked at Minister Bagman in surprise, and Minister Bagman gave an awkward smile.
"Well, er, it's just that the children from your school's Slytherin House wanted to have a private conversation with Rita Skeeter, so they set that up."
Headmaster Dumbledore looked at Su Yu and the others, and upon noticing who was missing, he didn't say much.
"Very well, let them chat for now. Student Sean Foley, remember to call them over for the Wand Weighing later, don't forget. Now, everyone from Durmstrang Institute, follow me, the Wand Weighing ceremony is about to begin."
Krum led his classmates out. Now Fleur was even more panicked. Only Hogwarts students and Beauxbatonsstudents remained here. If Su Yu suddenly turned into a Great Demon King, what should she do? Should she let him bully her... Eww... Where did her thoughts go... How embarrassing...
Fleur sat there by herself, suddenly blushing a little, which left Su Yu, who was playing with Kurama nearby, looking very surprised. What is this girl doing?
Some time later, Headmaster Dumbledore walked back in, "Alright, now, Beauxbatons students, follow me as well. Durmstrang Institute has finished all their testing. Miss Delacour? Can you hear me?"
"Ah? Oh, I'll lead the team over right away." Fleur raised her head from her fantasies, and with a face full of crimson, she quickly led her team away from there.
"Did you just use an illusion on her?" Farley walked over at this moment, leisurely straightening Su Yu's collar.
"??? Why is this my fault again? I clearly didn't do anything!" Su Yu felt like Farley was trying to strangle him and kept asking Cassandra for help.
"Don't think we don't know about you and Luna, dear." Cassandra just leaned down and spoke softly into Su Yu's ear.
"Just let me die..." Su Yu spread his hands, preparing to meet his demise.
"Pfft," Cho Chang, who was nearby, laughed out loud. This bad guy was finally being dealt with; serves him right!
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"Just right," Ollivander said, holding Blaise's wand. "Ten and a half inches, medium hardness, made of olive wood, with a dragon heartstring core. Flexible, adept at dueling and disguise. No problems. Next!"
"My own handmade wands are easier to check. Nine and a quarter inches, made of ash wood, with a Unicorn hair core. Exquisite, rather flexible. I remember your name is PansyParkinson, right? I still remember you, young lady."
"Young Master Malfoy, it just so happens—I forgot to mention it at the time—the core used in your wand and the core used in Miss Parkinson's wand were taken from a male and female pair of Unicorns. They were a couple, very affectionate. Ten inches, hawthorn wood, elasticity is acceptable. No problems."
"That's quite interesting," Su Yu muttered. "Hawthorn hides thorns, ash holds the heart. One thought of good or evil, one thought of loyalty."
"What are you muttering about?" Cassandra poked Su Yu.
Before Su Yu could speak, Kurama translated what he had just recited for the others, since Su Yu had said that line of poetry in the language of the East.
"Eh? Su Yu, I didn't know you were so poetic?" Cho Changwas the first to voice her opinion, as she was the only one present who knew the language of the East.
"This is just brilliant!" Pansy decided that when she got back, she would carve this poem onto her wand! And she would steal Malfoy's wand too, and carve half on each!
Young Master Malfoy's face turned red instantly, stammering and defending himself that he didn't have that idea, definitely not, absolutely not...
"Alright, last one. Student Sean Foley, I heard that a master in the East, in his own words, was forced by a You-Know-Who to use a divine material said to be impossible to appear in the mortal world, to reluctantly forge one of those useless things that Western Wizards use. It almost made him cough up blood. That should be the one you're holding in your hand, right?"
"Is that so? I didn't know. My dad didn't say anything back then. I just asked him if he had a more unique wand, and he sent me this." This was the first time Su Yu had heard that there was such a story behind his wand.
Chapter 142: Fireproof Wood (Thanks to Yang An kn for the two "Power of Love" donations! Thank you.)
"As expected, this is the one. Fourteen and one-third inches, Qilin horn. It's been so many years since I've last seen one," Ollivander said, holding Su Yu's wand excitedly. The red base shimmered with a blue, ghostly light, the two colors intertwining, flowing, and cycling along the shaft as if never-ending. "Is this Fireproof Wood? The legendary divine volcanic wood from the Kunlun Burning Sky, where it burns day and night, undaunted by fierce storms or torrential rain, consumed by fire yet never reduced to ash..."
"Fireproof Wood?" The group looked at Su Yu.
"Oh, you're talking about Fireproof Wood. Headmaster Dumbledore didn't recognize it back then, and I didn't say much about it. I heard from my dad that the classic of mountains and seas records a type of tree in the Burning Sky Fire Forest of Kunlun. It lives in an environment of perennial high temperatures, surrounded by magma, with constant subterranean fire. Its leaves ignite into sparks the moment they touch the ground. It blooms once every thousand years, crimson like a flame lotus, scattering sparks when hit by the wind. The entire tree carries flames from birth, never extinguishing day or night. Even branches that have been cut off will continue to burn, never going out."
"Has this tree become a spirit? Does such a tree really exist?" Even with all his experience, Malfoy was still a novice in front of the East.
"I remember reading about it in ancient books on the mountain. Does such a thing still exist? It's incredible! As expected, it's a waste of a treasure. If this were made into a magical artifact, wouldn't it be ten thousand times better than what we have now?" Cho Chang felt a twinge of pain in her chest.
"I remember chatting with that master," Ollivander said, slowly calming down. "He said this wand can achieve survival in desperate situations, rebirth from fire, immunity to all poisons, and maintenance of one's state of mind. I don't know if it's true or not."
"Immunity to all poisons probably isn't useful. I've been knocked out by alcohol several times already," Su Yu said, taking back his wand and complaining.
"Does fake alcohol count as poison?" Farley asked, a bit confused.
"It shouldn't count. At the very least, I've never used fake alcohol when brewing poisons..." Neville answered very seriously.
"Why are you brewing poisons for no reason?" Fred and George surrounded Neville. "Give us some, will you? We can sell them for money! Really!"
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"Why not just finish her off? Why keep this female reporter alive?" Malfoy, along with Goyle and Crabbe, dragged the unconscious Rita Skeeter back to the Slytherin Common Room, feeling puzzled.
The dim common room was illuminated by the flickering reflections of the lake water, with only the soft sound of water flowing. In the corner, the stone fireplace burned with a warm flame, its orange light dancing and dispelling the damp chill of the dungeon.
"The world of martial arts isn't just about fighting and killing; it's about human relationships and worldly wisdom..." Su Yu said, dragging out his accent, and slowly sat on the sofa. "Keeping her alive is sometimes more useful than killing her. Public opinion is something we must keep in our own hands."
"Oh! Does that mean we can smear Potter however we want in the future?" Malfoy thought excitedly.
"Is that all the ambition you have?" Callis rolled her eyes at Malfoy, seemingly dissatisfied with his pursuits. "We could spread rumors about the story between Headmaster Dumbledore and the little boy Harry!"
"Your ambition is about the same as his..." Theodoreadjusted his glasses, ruthlessly mocking the two useless people.
"I'm hungry..." Goyle whispered to Crabbe.
"I've been hungry for a while, but I just saw a cheesecake on the table and stuffed it into my mouth!" Crabbe wiped his mouth with his hand, destroying the evidence.
"What? You actually stole it?" Goyle threw a punch, and the two began to wrestle, rolling around on the floor.
"My cheesecake!!~!!" Kurama had just gone to wash her face, and upon returning, saw that her cheesecake was gone. "My cheesecake!!!!"
"Throw those three out first..." Su Yu covered his forehead, suddenly feeling very exhausted. Then, still a bit worried, he added, "Let them go to the Great Hall to get something to eat. We'll continue discussing Rita Skeeter's matter."
Daphne hurriedly picked up the still impotently raging Kurama and walked out of the common room with Goyleand Crabbe.
"Rita Skeeter, I know you can hear me. No need to pretend." Su Yu turned around and nudged the motionless Rita lying on the floor with the tip of his toe.
Rita's hair was messy, plastered against her cheeks, and her signature exaggerated makeup was smeared into a complete mess. She looked as if she had been soaked in sweat. The dark green Quick-Quotes Quill used for fabricating rumors lay on the floor, having rolled quite a distance away.
"Did I tell you to stand up?"
Just as she was about to stand up, hearing Su Yu's words, her legs went weak, and she collapsed back onto the ground in a pathetic heap, her body trembling uncontrollably. She looked up at Su Yu in front of her, her eyes filled with nothing but extreme fear.
That mouth, which was once adept at twisting right and wrong and possessed a silver tongue, now only offered panicked pleas, her voice trembling uncontrollably.
"I was wrong! I was wrong! Please, let me go! Please, spare me..."
Rita hurriedly raised her hands to wipe her eyes frantically, babbling incoherently as she desperately begged for mercy.
She clutched her hem tightly, bowing her head humbly, her body trembling incessantly. Her posture was utterly pathetic and servile, completely devoid of the arrogance of a famous reporter for The Daily Prophet.
Su Yu looked down at the trembling woman kneeling on the ground, his tone calm and composed, revealing no hint of joy or anger.
"Don't be nervous, madam."
Su Yu crossed his legs, his gaze sweeping indifferently over her pathetic appearance.
"I won't kill you. You are most skilled at chasing shadows, manipulating public opinion, writing rumors, and playing with people's hearts—these talents are still very useful."
Rita stiffened, looking up abruptly, her eyes filled with disbelief, panic, and a glimmer of hope. She hurriedly held her breath, not daring to interrupt.
"From today on, drop those boring tabloid gimmicks." Su Yunodded slightly, his words carrying an irresistible pressure.
"I want you to work for me, control the public opinion of the magic world, cover my tracks, and spread the information I need. If you are obedient, you will be safe and sound. If you are disobedient..."
How could Rita dare to resist even a little bit? She hurriedly nodded heavily, her forehead almost touching the floor. Her voice was still trembling, but it was full of absolute obedience: "I will listen! I will do everything you say! From now on, I will only work for you. I will write whatever you tell me to write. I will never speak without authorization, and I will never betray you! I will be completely at your service!"
Rita Skeeter completely abandoned all pride and dignity, her heart filled only with thoughts of survival and loyalty, respectfully waiting for his instructions.
"Don't be in such a hurry, Rita." Su Yu took out a Shadow Compass Society badge from his storage ring, but instead of handing it to her, he directly struck it into her chest.
"Don't be afraid. I said I won't kill you."
But Rita Skeeter was still shaking like a sieve.
"This badge can protect you when you are in danger, but more importantly, it can devour your soul when you betray me, making you unable to ever be reincarnated. That is ten thousand times more painful than the Cruciatus Curse, and it is eternal. I hope you don't try it. Do you understand?"
Chapter 143: Spreading Rumors
The first task Su Yu assigned to Rita Skeeter was to write about the wild history of that man named Tom Riddle.
The next day, the headline of The Daily Prophet blazed with the words "The Loves and Hates of You-Know-Who."
It detailed how You-Know-Who was once secret lovers with Hagrid, how they fell in love, and how passionate they were. Heaven is my witness, when Hagrid proposed a breakup, You-Know-Who, in order to win him back, abandoned his own handsome face and transformed into the shape of Hagrid's favorite magical creature. The above content was provided by Myrtle, who discovered them arguing in the bathroom back then, and because of this, the young girl sacrificed her life...
In the following days, very explosive content was released every day. Like how You-Know-Who didn't know his mother had used a love potion on his father, and then, without understanding the situation, he killed his father. So in the end, he turned love into hate, and as a result, he didn't like girls, only men—that was out of guilt for his father.
There was also why You-Know-Who was so extreme back then: it was because Headmaster Dumbledore always liked to bring young boys back to the Principal's office. Back then it was You-Know-Who, now it is Potter.
Even more outrageous was that You-Know-Who might be the child adopted by Headmaster Dumbledore and that man together, because like father like son—dragons beget dragons, phoenixes beget phoenixes, and a mouse's son can dig holes—You-Know-Who was just inheriting his adoptive father...
It was just bitter for Su Yu. He had been hanging at the entrance of the Great Hall for a day. Professor Graves had personally hung him up. All the Professors, seeing the angry Grindelwald, did not dare to step forward to stop it. By the way, Kurama was also hung on Su Yu's waist because the last part was thought up by Kurama.
When Harry finished class, he saw Su Yu and Kuramahanging on the door of the Great Hall. Hermione was standing on a ladder, feeding Kurama cheesecake bite by bite. Daphne and Ginny were holding the ladder underneath. Kurama was yelling while eating.
"Why! Didn't we just spread some rumors about them? Yet they want to hang us on the wall? Mmm... delicious... But then again, aren't they a bit wrong too!! This cheesecake is too delicious! Awoo..."
Malfoy was currently lying on the long table in the Great Hall, playing ostrich, trembling a little. Goyle and Crabbewere guarding him together. Pansy and Astoria kept rolling their eyes. That story about Headmaster Dumbledore and the young boy Harry was exactly from Malfoy's hand.
Su Yu was indifferent. He was still heartlessly greeting passing classmates while on the wall. Fred and George, however, were a bit unconvinced; they hadn't enjoyed this kind of treatment yet! Why should only Su Yu be in the spotlight!
Not long after, with a boom, Professor Snape, looking disheveled, dragged the two of them and hung them next to Su Yu.
"Hi Su Yu! We blew up Professor Snape's office! Awesome, right!"
"..."
"I punish you two to sober up up there for two days!"
"Yay! We have one more day than Su Yu!"
"Then it's three days! Also, 20 points from Gryffindor!" Professor Snape walked away with a dark face, limping and furious.
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On Saturday, when Su Yu and the others came out from the side door of the Castle, Kurama was lying on his shoulder, its tail hanging in front of his chest, swaying back and forth.
Su Yu was wearing a dark gray trench coat today, with a scarf wrapped twice around his neck, the end of which was stepped on by Kurama's paw. He tugged at it, but it didn't move.
"You're stepping on my scarf."
"I did it on purpose! Hehe!" Kurama shook the longevity lock on its neck happily.
Daphne walked on Su Yu's left, wearing a light blue thick robe, her hair loose and a bit messy from the wind, reaching up to tidy it from time to time.
She was carrying a small basket, which contained some butter cookies she had baked herself—saying she wanted to let the proprietress of Honeydukes taste them and give some advice on the recipe.
Hermione walked on Su Yu's right, wearing a Gryffindor-colored red and gold scarf, wrapped thickly several times, revealing only her eyes. Her curly hair was squeezed into a mess under her hat, with a few strands poking out from under the brim, fluttering in the wind.
"You're wearing so much, aren't you hot?" Ginny walked up from behind, wearing a dark red thick coat, her hair tied in a low ponytail, holding a sugar quill in her hand, chewing it with a crunch—she had started eating before even leaving the school gate.
"It's already October, how could it be hot." Hermione's voice came from behind the scarf.
Su Yu didn't join their bickering, scooping Kurama off his shoulder and holding her in his arms. Kurama changed position, burying its face in the crook of his arm, its tail curled up to cover its nose.
Daphne glanced at Kurama, fished a small cookie from the basket and handed it over. Kurama stretched out a paw from behind its tail, took it, and retracted it.
"You sure spoil her." Su Yu said.
"Because she is better behaved than you."
...
The leaves of the old oak tree at the entrance of Hogsmeade Village had already fallen halfway, its bare branches reaching toward the sky like an old man's outstretched fingers.
Under the tree was a stone tablet with "Hogsmeade — Founded in the 13th Century" carved on it. The inscription had been worn smooth by wind and rain, and only a few letters could be barely recognized.
The roofs of the cottages were covered in deep red creeper vines, and the maple leaves transitioned from golden yellow to orange-red. When the wind blew, the whole street looked like it was raining colors.
The display window of Honeydukes candy shop had been decorated for autumn. In the window sat a large pumpkin made of frosting. The pumpkin's mouth was grinned wide, revealing a row of crooked candy teeth, and its eyes were two black licorice candies.
Next to the pumpkin was a mountain of candy—Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, Chocolate Frogs, Fizzing Whizzbees, Exploding Bonbons—colorful and shining under the lights.
The shop was very warm, the fire in the fireplace was burning brightly, and the air was filled with the sweet scent of sugar and chocolate.
Several Hogwarts students were crowded in front of the candy counter, chattering about something. A chubby boy was clutching a bag of gold coins, standing on tiptoe to reach the counter.
Hermione headed straight for the fudge counter, Ginnyfollowing behind her, still chewing on the stick of that sugar quill. Although she had finished eating the candy, she couldn't bear to throw the stick away.
Daphne walked up to the proprietress, handed over the small basket. The proprietress took it, opened the lid and sniffed, her eyes lighting up.
"Added cinnamon powder?" The proprietress asked.
"A little bit." Daphne said, "And cardamom."
The proprietress broke off a small piece and put it in her mouth, chewed twice, and a look of "I must have this recipe" appeared on her face.
"Little girl, you come to bring me cookies every week, I feel embarrassed."
"As long as you like them." Daphne smiled.
Chapter 144: The "Chicken-Stealing" Fake Trick
Su Yu leaned against the counter, Kurama poking her head out from his arms, staring at the row of cheesecakes in the case.
There were four flavors of cheesecake — original, blueberry, caramel, and chestnut. The autumn limited edition was chestnut, with a fine layer of chestnut powder sprinkled on top, and a small piece of candied chestnut inserted in the center.
Kurama's ears perked up.
"Chestnut," Kurama said.
"You said the caramel one was delicious last week," Su Yusaid.
"Then I want them all!"
Su Yu glanced at her; Kurama's expression was very serious. Su Yu asked the proprietress for a piece of chestnut cheesecake, placed it on the counter, and had the rest packed to go.
Kurama jumped down from his arms and squatted next to the cake, nibbling it in small bites. Cake crumbs fell on the counter, and she used her paws to rake them together and licked them clean.
Ginny walked over with a bag of Fizzing Whizzbees. Seeing how Kurama was eating the cake, she couldn't help but laugh. "The way she eats is exactly like you."
"Too lazy to chew," Hermione added.
When they left Honeydukes, Ginny's bag had three more items: Fizzing Whizzbees, Chocolate Frogs, and a pack of Acid Pops.
Hermione bought a bag of fudge and a small box of Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans.
Daphne's basket was empty; the cookies had been left with the proprietress in exchange for a small jar of homemade toffee.
Daphne tucked the jar of toffee into her bag.
"She said she'd teach me how to make fudge when I come next time."
"Isn't it enough that you know how to bake cookies? You still want to learn how to make candy?"
Hermione and Ginny looked at this sister exuding maternal love with envy.
"There's no harm in learning more," Daphne said.
They walked along the cobblestone road. There weren't many pedestrians on the street; just a few here and there, some browsing shops, some taking a walk, others sitting on benches soaking up the sun. A ginger cat crouched at the entrance of the post office, squinting and licking its paw. Perhaps it had just woken up, looking dazed, and hadn't noticed Kurama.
Kurama, perched on Su Yu's shoulder, saw the cat. She jumped over and gave it a slap. The cat instantly sobered up, sat obediently, and saluted Kurama. Only then was Kurama satisfied. She was basically the village bully now; all the animals in Hogsmeade were respectful when they saw Kurama.
The Three Broomsticks pub was in the center of town. A string of lanterns hung at the entrance, swaying gently in the wind and casting a warm yellow light.
The door was open, and noisy chatter and laughter drifted out, mixed with the aroma of butterbeer and roasted meat.
Su Yu pushed the door open and entered. Kurama jumped down from his shoulder and ran to the fireplace first, squatting by the hearth to toast her wind-tousled fur smooth.
Ginny followed, found a table by the window, and sat down. Hermione and Daphne also sat down. Su Yu went to the bar to order four butterbeers and a glass of milk.
Madam Rosmerta was wearing a dark red robe today, her blonde hair pinned up on top of her head, her face carrying that relaxed smile of someone who had seen it all. She pushed the butterbeers toward Su Yu and glanced at Kurama, who was squatting by the fireplace.
Su Yu carried the tray back to their table, distributed the butterbeers to the girls, and placed the milk in front of Kurama by the fireplace. Kurama dipped her face into the cup, took a few licks, then lifted her head, a ring of white milk foam on her nose.
Su Yu took a sip of beer—it tasted as awful as ever. Watching Daphne, who was wiping Kurama's mouth, he simply lay back on Ginny's lap, stretched slowly, and let out a comfortable hum.
Hermione was beside him, head down, flipping through a candy catalog she'd picked up at Honeydukes. Daphnewas sipping her butterbeer in small mouthfuls, occasionally having to wipe the paws and mouth of the little troublemaker.
By the time they left the Three Broomsticks, the sun had already dipped to the west.
The light shifted from orange to golden-red, dyeing the entire street in warm tones. The tree shadows stretched long, casting black stripes on the ground like piano keys.
"Going to Gladrags?" Ginny asked.
"Yes," Hermione said. "I want to buy a new pair of gloves."
"Didn't you just buy that pair of gloves last year?" Ginnyasked.
"I don't like last year's color anymore, and I still need to get two sets for Cassandra and Farley."
Gladrags Wizardwear was opposite the Three Broomsticks. The shop window displayed some new styles of robes in this year's trendy dark emerald and dark purple, with silver patterns embroidered on the collars. Hermionepushed the door open, and Ginny and the others followed behind her.
Su Yu looked at the dazzling array of gloves lining the store and felt a headache coming on. He had just followed them in on impulse; he shouldn't have come in if he'd known.
"Does this look good? Su Yu." Ginny picked up a pair, put them on, and asked Su Yu.
"It's beautiful, it really suits you, it's absolutely perfect!"
"You didn't even look at it, hey!"
After they messed around for a long time, Hermionebought several pairs of gloves, and Ginny bought some yarn—she was going to knit a scarf for Su Yu when she got back. Daphne stood in front of a scarf, hesitating a bit.
"What's wrong?" Su Yu asked from the side.
"I feel like the color doesn't really suit me, but the pattern is quite nice."
Su Yu looked at the dark green scarf. "I think it suits you quite well."
After saying that, he grabbed the scarf and put it into the shopping bag.
Daphne glanced at him, the corners of her mouth curling up. "Alright then, I'll listen to you this time."
The group walked back along the street. The sun had lowered further; the light had shifted from golden-red to orange-red, and the distant mountains were dyed a pale purple. There were fewer pedestrians on the street, and shops began to close, the sound of rolling doors being pulled down echoing through the empty street.
When they reached the village entrance, Su Yu looked back at Hogsmeade once. The setting sun had plated the entire street in a layer of golden light. In the distance, the Castleturned into a dark silhouette in the twilight, with only the flags on the tower peaks fluttering slightly in the wind.
"Coming next week?"
"Definitely coming next week," Hermione said. "Next week is the Hogsmeade weekend, and the pair of gloves I wanted to buy was out of stock. The proprietress said they'd be in next week."
"You still want to buy gloves?" Ginny didn't quite understand.
"This time it's for myself; the pair I wanted to buy for Su Yuwas out of stock."
"Hermione, you don't seem very happy today," Daphneasked the question she had wanted to ask all day.
"Yeah, you've seemed absent-minded all day," Ginny also couldn't help but ask.
"It's all because of that Krum person recently!" This question seemed to open the floodgates, and Hermionebegan to complain.
"Groups of girls sneaking behind the bookshelves, whispering, which means I can't focus on reading!"
"And what's so good about how he looks? Is he handsome? Those girls worship him just because he knows some chicken-stealing fake trick!"
"Uh... are you trying to say, the Wronski Feint?" Su Yuthought for a long time before he managed to squeeze out that sentence.
Chapter 145: Blaise the Rabbit Boss
"If you want to read, why not just go to the Slytherin Common Room next time?" Su Yu ruffled Hermione's hair. "I'll give you the key to that specially designed lounge. Nobody goes there usually. If you want to borrow books, just ask Isolde; she's a Professor and can approve anything."
"Alright, let's not talk about him," Hermione didn't want to bring up such unpleasant matters in front of Su Yu either. She took Su Yu's large hand, and the group walked back to school happily.
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The flames in the fireplace danced quietly, and the stone walls glowed with a warm, soft light. The air was filled with the faint scent of cedar and the cozy, smoky aroma of the fireplace, peaceful and languid.
Large velvet sofas sank into soft curves, and Su Yu lay quietly, leaning on Daphne's lap.
Several empty chairs were scattered around, with silver snake carvings flickering in the firelight. Farley and Cassandra were admiring the gloves Hermione had brought back. The firewood crackled occasionally, and the entire Slytherin Common Room was immersed in a relaxed, steady tranquility.
The door to the Slytherin Common Room opened, and Callis poked her head in stealthily, moving slowly as she tried to head toward her bedroom.
"Callis, what are you doing? And why are you holding a rabbit? Is it for a midnight snack?" Theodore, who had just returned from a date, happened to enter the Slytherin Common Room at that moment and saw the sneaky Callis.
"Rabbit? Where's a rabbit!" Pansy sat up from the sofa, stretching her neck to look at the door. "Ahhhhh! What a beautiful rabbit! Let big sister hold it!"
She had to return it in a few days. "Um... I'm just taking care of it for a friend..." Callis was a bit nervous due to Pansy's fuss. "Sorry, Pansy, it's a bit timid..."
"Are we eating rabbit tonight?" Young Master Malfoy also poked his head out, while Goyle and Crabbe had already gone to prepare firewood.
"I've already said... it's my friend's! I'm just helping to take care of it for a few days, okay..."
"Did he just look down on Malfoy?" Theodore took off his coat and placed it on the coat rack nearby.
"Eh? You noticed it too? I thought I was imagining it." Pansysaid in surprise, patting Astoria next to her.
"That look, it feels so familiar..." Although Astoria wasn't as excited as Pansy, she was also looking curiously at the beautiful rabbit.
Su Yu and the others also looked over. He even used his Tenseigan, then revealed a meaningful smile and whispered it to the girls. The girls were all a bit surprised. Kurama didn't even open her eyes; she knew who it was just by smelling the scent. Su Yu signaled the girls not to say anything, then lay back down on Daphne's lap, closing his eyes to rest contentedly.
"I also think this look is very familiar!" Young Master Malfoythought for a long time before suddenly speaking up.
"Blaise!"
"Blaise!"
Pansy and Astoria said in unison.
"So, this rabbit is raised by Blaise? No wonder the expression looks so familiar!" Malfoy complained. How could it be exactly the same as its owner?
"Speaking of which, has anyone seen Blaise these past few days?" Theodore wanted to pet the rabbit, but the rabbit dodged and slipped away. "Hey, that little look of disdain, it's so similar."
"That's right, I haven't seen him for days either. Where did he go?" Pansy looked at Callis.
"Do you think there's a possibility..." Su Yu sighed.
"Um... I don't know..." Callis was extremely nervous now. The rabbit in her arms was being squeezed, struggling to breathe, and its little legs were kicking wildly.
"I know!" The genius Young Master Malfoy logged on, his expression carrying a hint of triumph. "Did he ask for leave to go home!"
"Um..." The plot twist almost gave Callis and Su Yuwhiplash.
"I also want to ask for leave to go home, there's so much homework..." Pansy suddenly remembered her Potion Class essay wasn't finished yet, and she immediately became dispirited.
"Um, if there's nothing else, I'll head back to my room..." Seeing the others start discussing the Potion Class essay, Callis hurriedly returned to her room.
The next day, after Su Yu got up and washed up, he just arrived at the Slytherin Common Room when he saw Callis rushing out of her room, handing the rabbit in her arms to Pansy.
"I need to go to the Owlry. Pansy, can you help me take care of it? I'm afraid the Head's Qingluan will eat rabbit meat."
"Mm... okay..." Pansy hadn't even reacted before the rabbit was already in her arms.
"Coocoo..." The rabbit looked at Callis with its big, watery eyes.
"Be good, wait for me a moment, I'll be back soon, be good, okay~" Callis patted the rabbit's little head, and after giving instructions, she left the Slytherin Common Room.
Watching this scene, Su Yu walked over and flicked the rabbit's head, then followed Daphne and the others to the Great Hall to eat.
"Are you hungry?"
"..."
"Why are you just like Blaise! You've really learned all of his temper!"
"..."
"And you're turning your butt toward me!"
"..."
"Then are you going to eat or not? I have carrots, you know~"
"..."
Before long, the Slytherin group chat kept pinging non-stop. Su Yu took out the chat diary and saw Pansyconstantly posting photos of her putting makeup on the rabbit and dressing it up in various outfits.
Astoria: "Ahhhhhh so cute!"
Callis: "Ahhh so cute!"
Hermione: "@Su Yu! I want one!"
Ginny: "@Su Yu! I want one!"
Olivia: "Theodore, can we raise a rabbit too?"
Theodore: "I'm dying of laughter."
Theodore has saved the photo shared by Pansy.
Malfoy: "What happened? Where did this ugly rabbit come from? Also, who ate my cake!"
In the following days, Theodore plastered the photos of Blaise disguised as a rabbit and wearing makeup all over Hogwarts, so until graduation, no one knew what Blaise's Animagus form was.
You ask why Pansy suddenly decided to play house with a rabbit? That was naturally Su Yu's idea. He even said to remember to send photos after dressing it up, which is how this all happened...
In the evening, in the Great Hall, Pansy was complaining while poking at the leftovers on her plate with a fork.
"Merlin's beard! Are these savages Trolls? Have they never eaten a meal before?"
"Dear, what's wrong?" Callis took the napkin Blaisehanded to her and wiped her mouth.
"Look at them, they're picking up leftovers to eat every day. Even the shaved ice I couldn't finish just now was taken by them to eat. Are they kitchen trash cans?"
"You've got it easy. Last time in Hogsmeade, a savage took the butterbeer I hadn't finished and drank it right in front of me and Blaise."
"Yeah, at the time, Callis and I were both staring at him in shock. I almost took him out on the spot. It was Callis who looked at me and said if I hit him, tomorrow every student at Hogwarts would know that I, Blaise, was beating up a beggar in Hogsmeade..."
Chapter 146: map of mountains and seas
Harry had been feeling incredibly annoyed these past few days.
His best friend didn't understand him and was even jealous of him.
The Ravenclaw students suspected him and despised him.
The Hufflepuff students were hostile toward him and mocked him.
As for the Slytherin students? Oh! God, they looked down on everyone with equal arrogance.
He was now both scared and terrified; how did he get dragged into the Eight-Wizard Tournament? People could die!
Today was another day for the whole school to set off for Hogsmeade. Harry rubbed his messy hair, looked at the latest copy of The Daily Prophet, and then threw it fiercely into the fireplace. That Rita Skeeter! Lately, instead of spreading rumors about Lord Voldemort, she had started crazily spreading rumors about him...
Things like how he often secretly wiped away tears alone, how he had his legs broken by The Dursleys at the age of three, how he had to go down into mines to dig for eighteen hours a day, and how he had to climb into chimneys to sweep soot upon returning, without them even turning off the fire below!
His butt was covered in whip marks every day. Harry, looking like this, was clearly a true-blue, Union Jack-loving gentleman of old London.
When he was rescued by Rubeus Hagrid after receiving his acceptance letter to Hogwarts, he supposedly proclaimed that he couldn't repay the Queen's kindness. You ask why Headmaster Dumbledore turned a blind eye to Harry? Because Headmaster Dumbledore was a remnant of the Queen Victoria era! Maybe Dumbledore had done the same when he was a child!
Arriving at the Great Hall, Hermione looked at today's The Daily Prophet and sighed at how incredibly tenacious Harry's vitality was. She had heard Su Yu say that those children who swept chimneys were disposable, yet Harryhad managed to live this long; it really wasn't easy.
So now Harry had earned a nickname at Hogwarts: the "Sobbing Rubber Man," meaning he liked to secretly cry for no reason and was as unkillable as a rubber man...
Harry strongly suspected that this was coined by Malfoy, but if Malfoy heard this, he would definitely slap Harryacross the face. Clearly, this was the Chief's doing; what did it have to do with him? Could he, Master Malfoy, have the brain to come up with such a nickname? Wasn't this the kind of thing those Eastern talents liked to do? He had only thrown 2,000 Galleons to make everyone spread it; he wasn't that much of a prankster!
"Hey, Sobbing Rubber Man, who are you planning to go to Hogsmeade with today?" Hermione asked the newly arrived Harry while eating boiled potatoes.
"Hermione! Don't call me that, these days have been absolutely terrible!" Harry said, clutching his head in pain. "I'm not going with Ron! I'm going to wear my Invisibility Cloak!"
"Fine, Harry, that's a really stupid decision..." Hermione cut the potato and took a bite. "I'm going with Ginny today to pick out some things for Su Yu, but Su Yu is accompanying his two queenly ladies today, so you can come with us, but can we not talk to you? Really, you wearing your Invisibility Cloak makes us look like fools, and we can't tell if our eyes are looking at you."
That evening, Harry received a letter from Sirius Black and told Hermione about observing with Rubeus Hagrid while wearing the Invisibility Cloak.
On Sunday morning, while Su Yu was still asleep, Hermione rushed in in a panic, causing Farley to pinch her little nose before getting dressed and going to wash up.
In the common room, Su Yu, who had been forcibly pulled up by Hermione, leaned into her arms and spoke as if sleepwalking.
"You mean, Harry and Sirius Black suspect that Karkaroffof the Durmstrang Institute is behind it? Putting Harry and Neville's names into the goblet of fire?"
"Yes, they discussed it for two weeks before locking onto Karkaroff as the culprit." Hermione imitated Daphne's usual demeanor, patting Su Yu's back and moving him to a more comfortable position.
"Stop guessing. For this kind of thing, you should trust someone with a brain, not Harry and Sirius Black; they clearly don't have that..." Su Yu was almost laughing. In the seven books of Harry Potter, had they ever guessed anything right? Trusting them was worse than trusting Goyle and Crabbe.
"Uh... they aren't that brainless, are they?" Hermionerealized for a moment and became a bit uncertain.
"There's one more thing. Last night, Harry went out in his Invisibility Cloak and saw the content of the first task with Rubeus Hagrid! This time, Headmaster Dumbledore seems to have specifically made a trip to your East and borrowed something."
"Oh? What is it?" Su Yu was quite interested in this.
"I heard from Harry that it seems to be a painting, a landscape painting, that can become very, very large when unrolled, but he and Rubeus Hagrid didn't know what it was for, because Rubeus Hagrid's main purpose last night was to go on a date with Madame Maxime..."
"Heh, I can imagine what a date between two people with Giant blood would be like." Su Yu felt a bit nauseated. "Let's go. Let's go to the owlery and have Qingluan hurry back to Longhu Mountain to ask my stepmother if she knows anything."
"If you act like this, won't your mother beat you to death if she finds out?" Hermione was a bit worried. Su Yu was calling Aunt Cho Chang so naturally; what would his mother think if she found out?
"Don't worry, Su Yu's mother definitely won't beat him to death, just half to death. I'll run far away when that happens so she won't hit me." Kurama was eating cheesecake on the side. She had eaten quite a lot of snacks sent by Aunt Cho Chang. As the saying goes, if you eat someone's food, you have a short mouth; if you take someone's things, you have a short hand. Since she had been eating and taking, she only hoped that she wouldn't be implicated when Su Yu got beaten up later.
Qingluan had gained quite a bit of weight recently. She liked to run over to Aunt Cho Chang's place when she had nothing to do. After all, they were professional at raising divine beasts, and there were all kinds of spiritual elixirs. Under the guidance of Zhang Qinwan, Qingluan secretly ate a lot, which made the Old Celestial Master so angry that he pulled out several strands of his beard.
It wasn't until Monday night that Qingluan returned to Hogwarts with a pile of things and letters. Kurama had been lying lazily on Daphne's lap teasing Crookshanks, but the moment she saw the snacks Qingluan brought back, she woke up instantly, rushed over, and started devouring them.
Su Yu opened the letter immediately and started reading.
"My good baby Su Yu: It has been a long time since we last met, and I have been thinking of you constantly.
Have you been eating well lately? I heard you like Huaiyang cuisine, so I specifically had Qingluan bring some for you to taste, along with a recipe so that the House-elfthere can learn to make them.
The weather is slowly getting colder, remember to wear more clothes. Boys out on their own sometimes don't pay attention to these things, so I asked Cho Chang to remind you often. I hope you won't be annoyed. I also specially knitted a sweater and scarf for you. I hope you like them. Auntie's craftsmanship isn't very good, so please bear with it.
As for the matter you inquired about, I also asked the Old Celestial Master. That treasure is called the map of mountains and seas. This object is an innate supreme treasure created by ancient powerful beings. The scroll contains the entire vast wilderness of mountains and seas; it replicates all mountains, rivers, and strange beasts, as well as the territories in all directions. It encompasses all the strange beasts and spirits of the world, and within this secret realm, everything moves about, naturally forming a world of its own."
Chapter 147: Harry Runs Away
"However, the entrance your Principal borrowed is just that—an entrance, not the map of mountains and seas itself. It can only open up a specific area, but which one, even the Old Celestial Master doesn't know. By the way, you could ask your father about this. After all, the map of mountains and seas was once the supreme treasure of your Su family, before it was handed over to the imperial court and passed down to the present day, currently kept at the headquarters of the Beijing Special Affairs Bureau. I don't believe your Su family didn't leave any contingencies back then. So, you can ask him for the specific details. While you're at it, please ask him if he's doing well lately, but don't mention me."
"According to what your stepmother said, are the creatures we have to face in the first round the exotic beasts from the classic of mountains and seas?" Cassandra finished reading the letter and handed it to the impatient Hermioneand Ginny, who also wanted to see what the letter said.
"Possibly. Nobody knows exactly what the situation is inside. However, if it really contains the kind of exotic beasts and rare creatures I understand them to be, we most likely won't be able to defeat them..."
As Su Yu spoke, he opened the food box. Upon seeing the food inside, he tapped Kurama on the head, as if to say, "Look at you, acting so cheap; this is the real good stuff!"
Kurama slapped Su Yu's finger in dissatisfaction, but when she looked up and saw the food box in front of him, her eyes began to sparkle. She instantly jumped onto the table, her longevity lock swinging wildly, waiting for Su Yu to serve her a portion.
"Merlin's beard! What is all this? Why can't I understand any of it? What is the classic of mountains and seas? And what are these exotic beasts and rare creatures you're talking about?"
Hermione and Ginny looked up, somewhat confused after reading the letter.
"The classic of mountains and seas was among the books Carson gave you back then, you just didn't notice it. I picked it up and read it later, which is why Cassandra knows about the situation inside." Daphne said leisurely, stirring her coffee gently with a spoon.
"Then where is that book? Where is it now?"
"I'm not too sure. Ask Farley; she was the one who took the book last."
"Don't look at me. I haven't read that classic of mountains and seas thing. I just remember that one day the corner of my bed was a bit uneven, and I saw a book on Cassandra's table before she went to sleep. I asked her about it, and she said she had already finished reading it, so I took it to prop up the bed corner. It's all Su Yu's fault..."
"Which bed?"
"The one in my dormitory."
Hermione and Ginny instantly rushed to Farley's dormitory and pulled the classic of mountains and seas out from the corner of her bed, though the book had been slightly deformed by the pressure of the bed.
"Thank goodness, it's still readable." Hermione gently blew the dust off the book and began to flip through it.
The opening page had a few lines of large characters written on it:
What the earth carries,
Between the six directions,
Within the four seas,
Illuminated by the sun and moon,
Measured by the stars,
Recorded by the four seasons,
Regulated by the Tai Sui,
Where spirits are born,
Their forms are strange,
Some short-lived, some long-lived,
Only a sage can understand their way.
"What is all this?"
"I don't understand it either... Why is it all in Chinese characters? Is there no translation?" Hermione placed the book in front of Su Yu and Kurama, who were busy stuffing their faces, and looked at Su Yu with expectant eyes.
"Don't look at me. Although I know Chinese, I don't understand Classical Chinese..." Kurama spoke first, then turned her head away while chomping on a Nanjing roast duck to continue eating.
"I can't help it either. I can't exactly translate Classical Chinese for you, can I?" Su Yu raised both hands in a gesture of surrender.
"Why not? Can't Classical Chinese be translated?" Ginnyasked, somewhat confused.
"Hmm... let me use an analogy. You know idioms, right? Dongda idioms are like simple file compression packages; any Dongda person can understand them at a glance, but in English, you'd need a whole bunch of explanations. Classical Chinese is even more so because it's pure compression. If I were to translate it for you, don't let its small size fool you; I might not even finish translating it by the time the first exam ends..."
"Then how do Cassandra and Daphne read it?" the persistent Hermione continued to ask.
"You mean us? We just think the illustrations inside are nice. We're just looking at the pictures; we don't know what the specific content is. Occasionally, Su Yu chimes in, saying this and that are delicious, or what this and that are useful for." Daphne finished the last bit of coffee in her cup and revealed the truth.
"Speaking of which, I still need to make a call to my father, so I won't stay here any longer..." Seeing the situation turning against him, Su Yu immediately found an excuse, stood up, left, and walked into the separate lounge.
By the time Hermione and Ginny returned to the Gryffindor common room to tell Harry and the Weasley Twins about the situation, the three of them were even more bewildered. What on earth was this classic of mountains and seas?!
The Weasley Twins exclaimed that Dongda's encryption system was truly formidable; it was clearly just text, but when combined like this, others couldn't understand anything, yet they themselves could understand it all...
As for Neville, he returned very late every night, and sometimes didn't come back at all. No one knew where he went, and he wouldn't say when asked, remaining full of mystery. Hermione just hoped he wouldn't forget that he still had to participate in the competition tomorrow.
As for Su Yu, no one knew what he talked about with his father, but they talked for quite a long time. By the time he came out and returned to the dormitory, Cassandra and Farley were already asleep on his bed. Su Yu tiptoed to wash up, moved the dead-asleep Kurama to the foot of the bed, slipped in himself, and fell into a deep sleep holding the two women. Using Kurama as a foot warmer was really comfortable!
The next morning, today was the day of the competition. Early in the morning, Hermione, with dark circles under her eyes, followed Ginny out of the Gryffindor common room and came to the Great Hall. She sat listlessly beside Su Yuand leaned on his shoulder; she seemed not yet fully awake.
Su Yu touched her forehead, and after finding that Hermione had no symptoms of fever or a cold, he held her hand and told her to rest a little longer.
"Oh my god, Hermione, what's wrong with you? Why don't you have some white fungus and lotus seed soup that I specifically had the Whisk make this morning? It's very nutritious." Daphne looked at Hermione, who looked like a wilted eggplant, and asked her with some concern.
"I'm fine, Daphne. I just spent until two-thirty in the morning teaching that sobbing rubber man how to learn Accio, and then first thing this morning, I caught him packing his luggage, preparing to run away. I'm exhausted..."
"Huh? Sobbing... no... Harry is preparing to run away?" Daphne seemed a bit shocked. Was this kid under that much pressure?
"In the end, I analyzed it with him. Where could he run to? To Sirius's place? He seemed to feel that fleeing to his house would be a bit shameful. But if he fled to The Dursleys, he thought about it and decided to face everything instead. He would rather die than go back to The Dursleys. So this sobbing rubber man is currently putting his luggage back in its place. Merlin's beard, what a terrible day..."
Goyle and Crabbe were stuffing as much food as possible into their Undetectable Extension Bags because they had heard they would be staying in the secret realm for about a week, and they would only be able to make fires and cook in the wild.
Chapter 148: The First Match Begins (I)
After breakfast, all the contestants began to head to the large classroom above the Great Hall. The opening ceremony for the first match would be held in the morning, and then, in the afternoon, all the teachers and students of Hogwarts School would come to watch, which meant the competition would officially begin.
When Su Yu saw Harry, he was still a bit nervous, his hands tightly clenched together, and it looked like he was sweating quite a bit.
The conspicuous Master Malfoy walked up, wearing an exaggerated expression, "Oh, look, isn't this the sobbing rubber man? Don't be nervous. If anything happens, just hide behind me. Don't worry, I definitely won't be the first one to throw you out."
"But your father isn't there, Malfoy. Don't wet your pants when the time comes!" Harry was always like this with Malfoy; when it came to bickering, Harry had never lost, but Master Malfoy still enjoyed it tirelessly—it was just like love.
"You jerk! I just wanted to comfort him! I've decided, I will definitely be the first one to throw him out!" Master Malfoywas dragged away by Astoria, who had come to watch the commotion, because she saw that if she didn't stop them, Pansy would be ready to join the fray too. Neither of you can out-talk him, you unlucky kids.
Neville had changed into a clean robe today, his hair was neatly styled, and he carried a shoulder bag slung across his body. It was bulging, and no one knew what was inside. The Weasley Twins were still their usual laid-back selves, looking just like two hoodlums.
The two little badgers from Hufflepuff had arrived early and were whispering about something on the side. Cho Chang and Olivia arrived last.
A quick glance at the Hogwarts School team showed they looked just like a puppet army, completely unorganized and undisciplined. Each of them was as lax as if they were on vacation, standing out in stark contrast to the other seven schools.
Minister for Magic Fudge stood on the high platform, reading that long and tedious welcome speech. The eight Principals stood on both sides, looking imposing. Minister Bagman looked at all this with envy, imagining how great it would be if it were him standing on the platform.
Half an hour later.
"Alright, let's not waste any more words. Now, I will announce the rules for the first match."
Minister Fudge had been rambling for a long time, but he finally started to explain the rules for the first match.
"First of all, the place you are about to enter is... this canvas! Inside it is a vast secret realm, though only a very small area is open to you this time."
The warriors below looked in astonishment at the canvas that was nearly half a kilometer long. On it, one could see mountains shrouded in clouds, wild beasts roaming, and students standing close by could even see the sun, moon, stars, plants, and living creatures.
"Quiet. This map, known as the map of mountains and seas, is provided by the Eastern Ministry of Magic! Here, we must thank Headmaster Dumbledore!"
Applause erupted from below.
"Alright, let's go over the rules. Eight schools, twenty people in each group. You will enter eight different regions. Once inside, you will receive hints. Based on your respective hints, through teamwork, you must obtain the fur or scales of the exotic beasts in your corresponding field. The duration is one week. That is to say, if you do not obtain the corresponding items within seven days, you fail. Conversely, the faster you obtain them, the higher your score! Also, the more you obtain, the higher your score will be!"
The students below began to murmur. Su Yu frowned. The uncertainty was too great. What if they were assigned a Qiongqi, Taotie, or Hundun? How were they supposed to fight that? Were they really going to throw Harry over to feed them? One Harry wouldn't even be enough to fill their stomachs...
Harry, standing on the side, suddenly felt a chill down his spine. It was as if he was being watched by something dirty.
"May I interrupt?" Su Yu couldn't hold back in the end and asked.
Everyone's eyes turned towards Su Yu.
"What is it? Student Sean Foley?"
Minister Fudge was a bit flustered. He didn't know why Su Yu had suddenly spoken up.
"I would like to ask, is this region from the classic of mountains, or the classic of seas?"
Minister Fudge stood there, stunned. Was there such a distinction? He turned to look at Headmaster Dumbledore. Headmaster Dumbledore didn't really know either; he had just troubled his Eastern Minister friend to help him find this item and help him divide it into eight areas, asking for it to be simple enough for students to pass. As for how the map of mountains and seas was divided or what areas were assigned to them, he really didn't know either.
Su Yu looked at their expressions and understood. They really didn't know the classification of the classic of mountains and seas. The classic of mountains and seaswas divided into five chapters of the classic of mountains and thirteen chapters of the classic of seas. If it were the five chapters of the classic of mountains, it would be fine, as there were no evil spirits or man-eating beasts inside. But if they went to the classic of seas, then it would be over; it was full of great horrors.
After Minister Fudge finished his speech, Headmaster Dumbledore emphasized the precautions once more, and the warriors from all schools were dismissed, waiting for the match to begin in the afternoon. In the meantime, they still had plenty of time to prepare.
After Goyle and Crabbe returned, they rushed straight into the House-elf kitchen. This was the task Cassandra had given them: to bring all the pots and pans. Since it was wilderness survival, they definitely needed to eat. They also had Blaise take Theodore, Malfoy, and the others to prepare tents and daily necessities, while Daphne and the girls went to prepare some clean water, just in case.
The two little badgers from Hufflepuff went back to prepare some herbs and medical supplies, while Nevillewalked alone into the basement. He wanted to go get some more useful things; he now had a bit of fear of insufficient firepower.
"Harry, I think we need more weapons, don't we?" Georgepatted Harry on the shoulder from the side.
"Yes, I feel like we might need more Dragon ash, sulfur, skunk essence, Goblin silver powder..." Fred counted on his fingers.
"And more gold coins!"
"Right! Uh, no, wait. Why do we need gold coins?" Fred's brain couldn't quite keep up for a moment.
"Obviously for me!" Kurama jumped up, her longevity lock jingling.
Farley dragged Kurama back. This troublemaker—the Weasleys were already so poor, how much gold did she expect them to cough up for her?
The morning passed quickly. After everyone gathered at noon and finished eating, all the students of Hogwarts School began to walk towards the Quidditch Pitch one after another.
Hermione, Ginny, and Astoria kept cheering everyone on. Even Luna, who was usually ethereal, held the school flag and cheered for everyone.
The entire Quidditch Pitch stands were full of onlookers, students, and Ministry of Magic members. Several Professors were comforting the students of their respective houses. Professor McGonagall's voice was even trembling a little; she was truly worried about this group of children. This cursed goblet of fire had selected all the children she was most worried about.
Professor Snape didn't say much. With Su Yu leading the team, if he were still worried, then there was no point in him going himself. So, he just handed Su Yu a bag of items and urged them to be careful.
(Tomorrow we are entering the classic of mountains and seas. Harry Potter plus the classic of mountains and seas—I don't even know what I was thinking, hahahaha.)