Chapter 262: A Remarkable Event
Chapter 262: A Remarkable Event
"She's showing disdain for Professor Dumbledore's speech!" Hermione said indignantly.
"Was it us who invited them here? And if they're cold, why don't they just wear a cloak?"
Hermione's complaint only received a half-hearted response from Harry, while Ron was still sulking, his eyes fixed on Malfoy, who seemed to be having a pleasant conversation with Krum.
Tonight's dinner was exceptionally lavish. The house-elves in the kitchen seemed to have pulled out all the stops, preparing a variety of dishes, including some foreign delicacies.
"This is French onion soup, and this one is French seafood stew. Personally, I prefer the onion soup. Professor Forrest took me on a trip, and I had several bowls. The seafood stew is a bit harder for me to handle, and the beef tartare is basically raw beef."
Having spent over a week exploring France, Harry was familiar with the cuisine and introduced the dishes on the long table to Ron and Hermione, dishes they hadn't seen before.
"I recognize the seafood stew. My parents took me on a holiday to France, and we tried it, but we only took one sip and never touched it again." Hermione looked at the bowl of seafood stew with a slight disdain.
Ron didn't seem interested in trying it either. However, some other Gryffindor students filled their bowls with the stew and took a taste, but no one made a second attempt.
Just as Harry and the others were concerned about Hagrid, who had just returned to the Great Hall after tending to the Beauxbatons House's horses and had a burn from an Acromantula on his hand, a clear and pleasant voice suddenly rang out behind them.
"Hi, Harry, we meet again."
Harry and the others turned around to see Fleur, her head held high, smiling as she greeted Harry.
Hermione also recognized her as the Beauxbatons girl who had laughed during Dumbledore's speech, her face partially covered by a scarf.
Ron, looking at Fleur's deep blue eyes, white teeth, and waist-length silver hair that cascaded like a waterfall, was completely mesmerized.
Harry, on the other hand, looked pleasantly surprised.
"Miss Delacour! I thought you weren't coming."
"Call me Fleur. How could I not come to Hogwarts?" She gracefully took the empty seat next to Harry, pushing Hermione to one side.
This made Hermione's opinion of the stunningly beautiful girl even worse.
"If I hadn't come, Beauxbatons wouldn't have been able to select another champion."
Her tone was as haughty as her posture, causing Hermione to look at her with a distinctly unfriendly expression.
Harry, however, wasn't particularly bothered. During the summer of his second year, he had spent a few days with Fleur and was already used to her character. He knew she was all bark and no bite, sometimes even losing her edge in front of Sherlock.
"Can you give me that bowl of seafood stew? It looks like you're not interested in it."
Ron, who had been sulking and complaining earlier but now couldn't utter a word, quickly placed the bowl of seafood stew in front of Fleur.
Fleur's deep blue eyes curved into a crescent moon.
"Thank you."
Even when thanking someone, she extended her neck like a swan, as if graciously accepting a gift of gratitude.
Ron's face turned even redder. He opened his mouth, trying hard to say "you're welcome", but no words came out.
"Did you fly all the way from the sky? From France to Britain?"
Harry was clearly more interested in Beauxbatons' mode of transportation.
"Yes, we did fly, but it wasn't a pleasant experience. It was very cold up there, especially when we entered Britain", Fleur said, sipping her French seafood stew. "I would have preferred to use Floo Powder, but Madame Maxime didn't want such a simple entrance. To maintain Beauxbatons' dignity, we had to use that elaborate carriage."
This candid statement slightly improved Hermione's rather poor impression of her.
But only slightly.
"Enough about me, what about you? How has Sherlock been doing this past year?" Fleur asked.
Hermione, who had been closely observing her, instinctively narrowed her eyes upon hearing this.
As a girl, and an exceptionally intelligent one at that, Hermione could easily pick up on details that foolish boys would miss.
Fleur had started by asking, "What about you?" but then deliberately mentioned Professor Forrest's name.
This indicated that the person she truly wanted to know about was only one. Using "you" was just a courtesy to Harry.
Moreover, the most crucial point was that when mentioning "Sherlock", Hermione could clearly see Fleur's eyes light up slightly.
Unusual, very unusual!
Hermione secretly made this assessment.
However, Harry didn't think as much as she did. He said casually, "I've been doing pretty well lately, and Professor Forrest's life should be good too." He scratched his head and continued, "But recently, he seems to have had some issues with his girlfriend. Professor Hilke hasn't spoken to him for days."
"Clang!"
The silver spoon, reflecting white light, fell helplessly onto the golden plate, producing a sharp, resonant sound.
Fleur's entire face froze, as if suddenly hit by a Petrification Spell.
"Girlfriend?"
She stared blankly at Harry, her mouth moving involuntarily as she stammered out the word Harry had just said.
Harry found her reaction bewildering and asked, "Is it strange for Professor Forrest to have a girlfriend?"
Hermione, who had been observing everything, interjected with a meaningful tone, "Don't be silly, Harry. Neither Professor Forrest nor Professor Hilke has officially acknowledged their relationship."
At that moment, Fleur seemed to come back to life, her eyes brightening again.
"Is this just your speculation?"
Harry looked puzzled.
"Even if they haven't announced it, they've been living together—"
"I've heard that Professor Hilke's home is actually next to Professor Forrest's, so it's not unusual for them to visit each other."
Hermione didn't look at Harry as she spoke but kept her gaze fixed on Fleur.
As she watched the beautiful silver-haired girl's eyes grow brighter and her face more radiant, Hermione felt she had discovered something significant.
(End of Chapter)
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