Chapter 273: The Ghosts' Message
Chapter 273: The Ghosts' Message (Please Subscribe, Favorite, and Vote)
While Liam was fully immersed in the ocean of knowledge, Harry felt utterly dejected.
When he returned to the Common Room alone, he received an unprecedented welcome, especially after everyone learned that the other Champion, Liam, had gone to the Library. All this enthusiasm was directed at Harry.
Everyone bombarded Harry with questions about how he had managed to get his name into the Goblet of Fire, and they kept shoving all sorts of food into his hands.
Harry explained over and over again, but no one believed him. No one was willing to listen when he said he wasn't hungry, and even fewer noticed that he had no desire to celebrate this at all.
Harry tried multiple times to go back to the dormitory, but the enthusiastic crowd always surrounded him with questions. He regretted not going to the Library with Liam. Finally, after Harry lost control and burst out, the crowd finally let him go back to the dormitory.
But an even greater despair awaited him there. Harry had hoped to confide in his best friend Ron, but Ron looked at him with a strange and unfamiliar expression, questioning him. Harry went to bed feeling that the day had been terrible.
However, Liam was unaware of Harry's ordeal. When he returned to the Common Room later that evening, the celebration had already died down. After chatting with his roommates, he went to bed as usual.
The next morning, Liam woke up very early. After getting ready, he met Hermione in the Common Room, and they went to the Great Hall for breakfast together.
Since it was the weekend, there weren't many people having breakfast so early. Only a few students were scattered at their respective house tables. As Liam started eating, he noticed Ron and Ginny walking into the Great Hall. They seemed to be arguing, and Ginny looked angry. She abruptly broke away from Ron and walked over to Liam.
"Good morning, Hermione. Good morning, Liam", Ginny greeted as she sat down next to Hermione, then picked up a piece of bread and added some pickles and bacon.
"Did you just have an argument with your brother?" Hermione asked, concerned. She and Ginny had always been close, so it was natural for her to ask.
"It's nothing serious", Ginny said, swallowing her food. "My brother is a good person, but he can be jealous, possessive, and not very smart. He insists that Harry put his name in the Goblet of Fire himself."
After saying this, Ginny looked at Hermione and Liam and asked, "You don't believe that, do you?"
"Of course not", Hermione replied. "It might be harsh to say, but Liam and I tutored Harry for half a term last year. We know his level, and there's no way he could have broken Dumbledore's Age Line."
"Besides, Headmaster Dumbledore didn't think Harry put his name in the Goblet of Fire yesterday", Liam added.
"Thanks, but most of the other students don't think the same way", Ginny said, hastily finishing her breakfast. She then took a handkerchief from her pocket, wrapped a few pieces of bread in it, and bid farewell to Liam and Hermione.
"I think Harry must be in a bad mood today, so I'm bringing him some food", she explained before running out of the Great Hall. Unlike Harry, who was often emotionally oblivious, Ginny was much more perceptive. Thanks to the butterfly effect caused by Liam, she hadn't embarrassed herself during the Valentine's Day incident in the Chamber of Secrets and hadn't been controlled by Voldemort's Horcrux. In this new scenario, Ginny had taken the initiative to get closer to Harry, and their relationship had improved. As someone who had liked Harry for so long, Ginny wouldn't miss this opportunity to boost his morale while he was feeling down.
After finishing their meal, Liam and Hermione split up to inform the others about the cancellation of today's Study Group meeting. Liam, panting from the run, arrived near the Ravenclaw Tower just as Zhang Qiu and Cedric were coming down the stairs.
"Liam, congratulations on becoming Hogwarts' Champion", Cedric said sincerely, extending his hand for a handshake after informing Zhang Qiu about the cancellation and asking her to pass the message to Luna and Alicia.
Liam's smile was equally genuine. Although his intervention had cost Cedric the chance to be the Champion, it had also freed him from the shadow of death.
After parting ways with them, Liam headed to the Library to meet Hermione. Along the way, most wizards, especially those from Muggle-born families, showed their support and welcome for Liam. After all, in their eyes, Liam had earned his Honor Points through his knowledge and strength, making him the true Champion of Hogwarts, unlike Harry.
For the rest of the day, Liam and Hermione spent their time in the Library, poring over the books they had borrowed from the Restricted Section. By evening, they were very satisfied with their findings. During this time, a few girls seemed to want Liam's autograph, but they glanced at Hermione sitting nearby and left without approaching.
During the Halloween break, besides reading, Liam also took half a day to prepare a grand meal for Nearly Headless Nick in the Room of Requirement to celebrate his Death Anniversary.
"Seriously, Liam, you didn't need to do this for us this year. You have to shine for Hogwarts, after all", Nick said, feeling a bit embarrassed.
"It's no trouble. I can't spend all my time preparing for the competition. This is a good opportunity to take a break. Besides, my skills have improved a lot, so it only takes me half a day to prepare everything now."
Seeing that he couldn't dissuade Liam, Nick tried to recall some stories about past Triwizard Tournaments to share with him as a gesture of gratitude.
"I've experienced many Triwizard Tournaments at Hogwarts, and they are actually dangerous competitions where people can die. Although I don't know what this year's tasks will be, fighting against massive beasts is a likely scenario. After all, the tournament was interrupted for so long, and if they're reviving it, they'll probably want to include such tasks as a tribute to the old traditions", Nick said, cradling his head in his left hand and scratching it with his right.
"Moreover, I've heard the portraits discussing the importance of safety repeatedly. So this time, they will likely choose a controllable beast. After discussions among us ghosts, we think the most probable scenario is a Dragon Combat. After all, wizards can now raise dragons, and it's a fitting way to honor tradition."
"These ghosts have even guessed this much. Their centuries of experience are indeed impressive", Liam thought, then asked habitually, "Do you have any tips on how to deal with dragons?"
"I do know a thing or two", Nick said unexpectedly. "If I remember correctly, in the early days of the Triwizard Tournament, there were no restrictions on weapons, as long as they were made by the participants themselves. The Restricted Section of Hogwarts has sketches of the weapons they created back then. I heard from Brother Barrow the Friar that you're quite skilled in Alchemy. You might find something useful there."
Indeed, building a good relationship with these experienced Hogwarts veterans always pays off.
(End of Chapter)
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