https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-494-The-Partiality-of-Severus-Snape/12538834/
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Chapter 495: The Upcoming Guests
Chapter 495: The Upcoming Guests
News of the Triwizard Tournament spread like wildfire throughout the castle, and in just one night, Sirius Black was all but forgotten.
Topics that were once the talk of the school were now overshadowed as discussions for the next week revolved solely around the tournament.
The most popular topic of debate was the selection of the champions.
Each house had their own candidates—Draco Malfoy from Slytherin, Anthony Goldstein from Ravenclaw, and Angelina Johnson from Gryffindor... Despite Fred and George's insistence that they were the true contenders, the reality was that the twins' combined supporters didn't even amount to half of Angelina's.
Unlike the other houses, Hufflepuff had two students with equally strong support.
A third of the house backed Cedric, while the other third supported Kyle, with the remaining students too conflicted to decide, changing allegiances daily.
However, there was no animosity or rivalry between the Hufflepuffs. In their eyes, it would be a joyous occasion regardless of whether Cedric or Kyle was chosen as the champion.
On the weekend, Fred and George made an early trip to Hogsmeade and returned with a variety of purchases from Zonko's.
In their words, these were "secret weapons" in preparation for the Triwizard Tournament.
Kyle had reason to suspect that if either of the twins were chosen as a champion, Stinkbombs would undoubtedly play an indispensable role in their strategy.
The expression on Professor McGonagall's face would be priceless then...
As the days passed, the atmosphere in the castle grew increasingly excited. Everyone was curious about the students from the other two schools.
Additionally, the castle underwent a thorough cleaning in preparation for the upcoming guests.
Dirty portraits were scrubbed clean, and the armor in the corridors was polished to a gleaming shine, even reflective enough to use as a mirror, which the armor was not accustomed to.
On several occasions, Kyle spotted suits of armor lying on the ground, attempting to rub some dirt on themselves, only to be cleaned again by Filch within minutes using a clean cloth.
Filch had become even more insufferable lately, flying into a rage if anyone's shoes weren't spotless, not even sparing a speck of dust.
The professors, too, seemed unusually tense.
The arrival of the elite students and headmasters from the other two schools was a first for the long-serving professors.
In this tense atmosphere, a week passed by in no time.
On the morning of October 30th, as Kyle made his way downstairs for breakfast, he found the Great Hall adorned with new decorations. Huge silk banners hung on the walls, reminiscent of the times when the House Cup was awarded.
But whereas there used to be only one house banner, there were now four, and the banner behind the headmaster's table had been replaced with the Hogwarts coat of arms—a lion, an eagle, a badger, and a serpent intertwined around a large letter 'H'.
As soon as Kyle and Connor sat down at the table, they were surrounded by curious students asking after their well-being and inquiring about their confidence for the tournament...
Kyle could only repeatedly explain that the day's events were solely for welcoming the guests from the other schools, and the selection of champions would take place at a later date.
From the moment he woke up that morning, he had already repeated this explanation more than twenty times.
"I've never seen anything like this..." Connor poured Kyle a cup of pumpkin juice. "It's as if the entire castle is on edge. Last night, Diana spent an hour choosing her hair accessories, only to get up in the middle of the night to change her mind and select a different set."
"Good morning..." Cedric arrived as well, yawning widely as he sat down, clearly not having had a good rest either.
"Kyle, do you know much about Beauxbatons and Durmstrang?" he asked.
"I know a fair bit." Kyle thought for a moment. "Krum is a student at Durmstrang, remember? We met him at the Quidditch World Cup. He'll definitely be back for this and is likely to be their champion."
"Oh, right, Krum..." Cedric said, lifting his head.
Viktor Krum's Quidditch fame was so dazzling that he often forgot that the boy was still a student.
However, Cedric didn't pay much mind to Kyle's assertion that Krum would be Durmstrang's champion... Quidditch stardom didn't equate to Triwizard Tournament prowess.
"What about Beauxbatons, then...?" he continued. "I've been to that school before, but it was during the holidays, so there was no one around."
"I know the Headmistress of Beauxbatons, Madame Maxim." Kyle said.
"What? The Headmistress of Beauxbatons?" Cedric's interest was piqued. "What's she like? Is she similar to Headmaster Dumbledore?"
"She's quite a bit younger." Kyle placed a slice of fried egg on his bread. "I can assure you that when you first see her, you'll be very surprised."
"Is she amazing?" Connor asked curiously.
"Definitely, she's the Headmistress of Beauxbatons, after all." Kyle said, "But what I'm saying has nothing to do with her abilities. It's just that when you first see her, you'll be astonished."
Cedric and Connor grew even more curious, but Kyle didn't elaborate further.
"You'll find out soon enough. If I say it now, it'll ruin the surprise." He was going to uphold the Hogwarts tradition of keeping secrets.
Cedric was itching to know more, and he could now empathize with how Fred and George must have felt on the train... It was indeed a frustrating feeling.
In class that day, no one could concentrate. The classroom was filled with an expectant joy, and even the professors seemed absent-minded.
During Transfiguration, Professor McGonagall had them review what they had learned before, sternly correcting each student's mistakes.
"This is fourth-year material, and some of you are still making mistakes!" By the end of class, Professor McGonagall was shaking with anger.
She was concerned that if the students from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang found out, they might think she was incompetent.
The following Charms lesson was also a review.
Professor Flitwick summarized some commonly used charms and patiently had them practice for two whole lessons.
The only class unaffected by external factors was History of Magic.
This subject was always the same; aside from a small event like the Triwizard Tournament, even if Voldemort were to join forces with the Ministry of Magic to attack Hogwarts that afternoon, as long as school wasn't canceled, they'd still be in the classroom reciting the date and location of the Giant Wars.
...
(End of Chapter)
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