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Chapter 508: Gifts
Chapter 508: Gifts
In the following days, Kyle's life remained unchanged. Every morning, he would find a stack of books on the table in the common room, sent by his peers who seemed determined to relocate the entire library.
Even the usually strict Madam Pince had relaxed the rules for borrowing books, no longer requiring the return of one book before lending another.
As a result, Kyle's dorm room was filled with piles of books, overflowing from the tables and stacked in corners, awaiting their return once the Tournament ended.
Though it was a bit of a hassle, Kyle couldn't complain about the good intentions of his peers.
However, these well-meaning gifts were of little use.
...Well, aside from the fact that there were too many books to read in a day, even if they were helpful, it would be impossible for Kyle to finish over thirty books in one sitting.
Not to mention reading... he wouldn't even be able to flip through that many.
A week later, Rita Skeeter's article was finally published.
As they ate breakfast, the owls delivered the newspapers on time.
The Prophet had also covered the Triwizard Tournament on Halloween, with a group photo of the champions, the judges, and Fudge on the front page.
A small section in the bottom right corner captured a corner of the Gryffindor table... where Harry sat, clapping excitedly.
It must be said that the photographer chosen by Fudge had an eye for detail, as the photo received much praise and many even cut it out to keep as a memento.
Harry included, who considered it his participation in the Triwizard Tournament.
Ron, of course, was extremely envious and regretted not sitting there that day.
However, the previous issue of the Prophet had mainly focused on introducing the history and origins of the Tournament.
This time, the spotlight was on the champions themselves.
First up was the most famous of them all, Viktor Krum, who dominated the pages with his illustrious career and numerous achievements, alongside a healthy dose of gossip.
This included, but was not limited to, his frequent changes in female companions, backstage brawls with his teammates, and the ousting of the previous captain to secure his own position...
All in all, it was the juicy content the public loved, described in vivid detail as if Rita Skeeter had been a witness to it all.
Fleur's article, on the other hand, was less extensive, likely due to her lack of fame. It was a modest piece, and in comparison to the explosive revelations about Krum, it could only be considered average.
But it wasn't exactly pleasant reading.
Without explicitly stating it, the article repeatedly hinted at her status as a part-veela, as well as the opinions of her fellow students at Beauxbatons, all of which were, of course, embellished by Rita Skeeter's flair for drama.
Fleur was furious and lost her appetite for breakfast.
"No wonder Madam Maxime told me to stay away from her," she said through gritted teeth, glaring at a particular paragraph.
"(She seems to be enchanting everyone she meets, even ensnaring a few Hufflepuff girls in her web.)
...Am I some sort of evil Dark witch?" she fumed.
"Oh, do I get a mention in there?" Hannah asked, leaning over to take a look. It was clear that she was one of the "Hufflepuff girls" referred to.
"Hmm..." Hannah picked up the discarded newspaper from the table and read it again.
"Kyle, why is your article so short?"
"I suppose she found me rather ordinary and not worth writing about."
The others noticed this as well and spoke up in indignation on Kyle's behalf.
However, Kyle didn't see it that way. The less of Rita Skeeter's writing, the better.
Besides, this was Hogwarts, and he didn't need the Prophet to spread his fame within these walls.
"Bang!"
At that moment, a loud crash came from the Slytherin table.
Krum seemed to have seen the newspaper article as well. The usually expressionless and disinterested boy showed a change in his demeanor for the first time.
Enraged, his face turned red, and he flipped his plate, dousing Crabbe, who was sitting across from him, with soup. Not a drop was wasted.
Krum didn't bother to apologize, or perhaps in his anger, he didn't even notice. He muttered something in Bulgarian and stormed out of the Great Hall.
Although no one present understood what he had said, Kyle guessed that it was probably a compliment about Rita Skeeter's family tree.
This issue of the Prophet had certainly stirred up everyone's anticipation for the Triwizard Tournament, making them wish it was already the 30th.
Of course, this didn't apply to the three champions... Kyle didn't know what Krum was thinking, but he could tell that Fleur had become increasingly nervous since the countdown to the first task entered its final week.
At Madam Maxime's request, she had temporarily moved out of the Hufflepuff dormitory and back into the Beauxbatons carriage, no longer attending classes in the castle with the seventh-years.
On the rare occasions when they met, she seemed distracted.
And so, it was Friday... just two days until the first task.
From the morning onwards, the castle was filled with a tangible air of excitement and anticipation.
"Nervous?" Cedric asked during breakfast, pushing plates piled with fried eggs and bacon towards Kyle.
Instead of stopping him, the others joined in, standing up to bring over plates from further away...
Soon, there was a small mountain of plates in front of Kyle.
"I'm not nervous," Kyle said, "but could you all act a little more normal?" "The first task isn't about who can eat more bacon..."
But no one listened to him.
Kyle could only speed up his eating, wanting to leave this overly enthusiastic place as soon as possible.
Just then, the mail arrived.
A large group of owls swooped into the Great Hall, delivering letters and packages to each student.
Among them, six sturdy long-eared owls stood out, carrying a long package together, which they dropped onto the Hufflepuff table.
"Kyle, this is for you!" someone shouted upon seeing the name on the package.
"For me?" Kyle finished the last of his sandwich and stood up to take a look.
"What did you buy?" Cedric asked.
"I don't know," said Kyle. "I haven't bought anything lately... but it looks like a broomstick."
The package was long, and one end was thicker than the other, a signature style of packaging from quality Quidditch shops.
As he spoke, Kyle also noticed a card hanging from the package.
"Congratulations on becoming a champion. What a wonderful surprise! I wanted to get you a gift, but I didn't know what to get, and after much thought, this seemed the most appropriate. I hope you like it.
... Sirius Black."
(End of Chapter)
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