Chapter 557: Malfoy's Metamorphosis
Chapter 557: Malfoy's Metamorphosis
[The Triwizard Tournament Representatives will arrive at 6 PM on Friday, October 30. Afternoon classes will end half an hour early...]
A large notice was posted in the entrance hall, visible to everyone coming and going. Students hoping to participate in the Tournament became increasingly anxious.
"There's only a week left!" Marcus Belby from Ravenclaw said anxiously, "But I still haven't mastered the Stupefy spell... It would be great if the Spells Study Circle met every day."
"Are you planning to participate in the Tournament?" his friend Ford laughed, "Do you think you'll be chosen as a champion? The real experts are your teachers!"
He raised his chin to indicate someone, and Belby turned to see Wade and a few friends walking over from the greenhouses.
Belby looked at his friend seriously, "Who knows what the criteria for selecting champions are? Considering the dangers of the competition, I think age will be a significant factor. The school will likely prioritize adults."
Ford nodded gravely, "True... If a minor dies in the Tournament, the Ministry of Magic will have a hard time explaining it."
Belby didn't catch the sarcasm in his tone and continued, "And we don't know what the challenges will be, right? They've tested puzzle-solving, finding objects, identifying traps, memory, judgment, and leadership in the past. Even if someone is excellent, they can't be better than everyone in every area. We might still have a chance."
"Alright... So you're not completely out of the running..." Ford scratched his head, "Good luck, then."
The number of students like Belby, who believed they had a clear advantage in some areas and still hoped to become Hogwarts champions, was actually not many.
Many students still talked about the Tournament daily, but their interest had shifted to watching the spectacle.
After nearly two months of study and training, most students, like Ford, had recognized the gap between themselves and certain others and had given up on the fantasy of being chosen as champions.
However, the number of students attending the Spells Study Circle didn't decrease; it increased.
During the twice-weekly sessions, students found that once-obscure concepts became clear, and each success built their confidence and satisfaction. The deep sense of achievement was so rewarding that it was more captivating than any game.
Intelligent beings instinctively crave strength and the ability to control more power, desiring visible results from their efforts.
But most of the time, learning is too difficult, and the lack of progress over a long period is a painful torment. People gradually give up, pretending they don't care, and are then captured by simpler pleasures.
In the Spells Study Circle, students often experienced the feeling of breaking through barriers and gaining clarity, entering a state of lightness and fulfillment, and wanting to remain immersed in it.
As a result, some students who initially had no intention of joining quietly started attending the Practice Room on time.
This included many Slytherins, such as Draco Malfoy.
When Harry saw his "rival" in the Practice Room, his eyes widened. Ron, Dean, and Seamus, the other Gryffindors, wore mocking expressions, ready to mock him.
But Hermione sternly stopped them.
"Have you forgotten the rules of the Spells Study Circle?" the brown-haired girl said, arms crossed, "Here, there are no grade or house distinctions. Everyone is treated equally, and anyone can join!"
"Hey, Hermione, you know we're doing this for you", Ron complained, "You forgot how that guy insulted you... and us?"
"Of course I haven't forgotten!" Hermione said firmly, "I'm stopping you for your own good, not for him! Do you want to break the rules and get kicked out of the Spells Study Circle?"
Ron and the others were speechless.
They looked back at the podium and saw Wade quietly watching them, his gaze not encouraging them to confront Malfoy.
Dean muttered, "Ravenclaws are so... It's only right to stand up for your friends, isn't it?"
Ron didn't say anything but thought the same—sometimes rules need to be flexible.
Hermione raised an eyebrow, her gaze piercing Dean, and said sternly, "Malfoy bullies others, and we all know he's despicable and shallow. But if we bully others, do you think that makes it right?"
Dean was speechless. Malfoy?
"Alright, there will be other opportunities to deal with Malfoy, but don't cause trouble here", Harry said, pushing Ron and the others aside. "Remember why we're here."
Malfoy, standing in the corner, pale and expressionless, seemed unaware of the Gryffindors' recent argument just a few meters away.
His once-arrogant face now looked terribly haggard, with dark shadows under his eyes, and his condition was visibly poor.
When the tutoring session began, Wade didn't give him any special treatment. He neither singled him out nor favored him, treating him like any other student, as if he were just another face in the crowd.
Malfoy had prepared himself for a fight and expected to be mocked by Wade, Harry, and the others. He gritted his teeth, thinking he could endure it.
But when Wade gave a few pointers and walked past, Malfoy realized that the hardest thing to bear wasn't the hatred and enmity, but the fact that he seemed to be completely ignored.
At nine o'clock, the bell rang, and Wade clapped his hands, announcing the end of the Spells Study Circle.
At the sound of this, Malfoy was the first to rush out. He quickly walked to the restroom, closed the door, and leaned against the wall, trying to ease the oppressive discomfort in his chest.
After a while, he emerged from the stall, bracing himself on the sink and staring at his reflection in the mirror.
"Ha, did you see his face?" a boy laughed loudly, "If it weren't for his father's money, who would even notice him?"
"Hasn't Lucius Malfoy been found yet?" another student asked.
"No, my uncle works at the Ministry of Magic. He says Mrs. Malfoy has hired many people, but they have no leads! I bet he's dead!"
"Then Draco will inherit a lot of wealth, right?"
"What good is inheriting wealth if he can't protect it?"
"I heard the Ministry of Magic plans to investigate Lucius Malfoy's connection to the camp attack. If he's involved, their vault might be seized."
"Then our 'Master Malfoy' will be left with nothing... Hahaha..."
The malicious laughter echoed through the hallway, gradually fading away. Malfoy felt a sharp pain in his stomach, his throat tightening, and a chill seeping into his bones.
He recognized the voices... They weren't his enemies from Gryffindor, but Slytherins.
But he didn't have the courage to storm out of the restroom and confront them, exposing their hypocrisy and nastiness.
At that moment, he realized with crystal clarity that he was no longer the "Master Malfoy" who could do as he pleased under his father's protection.
(End of Chapter)
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