Chapter 582: Concealing the Edge
Though Rita Skeeter had left with a clearly irritated expression, Wade hadn’t paid much attention to her displeasure. As a Ravenclaw himself, he was well aware: when the Eagle House truly angered, they didn’t roar like Gryffindors. Silence was the hallmark of those who were plotting something big.
He flipped through the parchment in his hands, discovering it detailed a series of recent events tied to Dark Magic. But Britain, caught in a tense period, had the Ministry of Magic strictly censoring any news that might cause unwarranted panic. Most of these incidents had never made the public eye. If not for the fact that Glenarve Forest lay so close, the woman who had rapidly aged might never have come within anyone’s line of sight.
According to the intelligence Rita had provided, unusual events had been unfolding across the globe. In Japan, a marketplace similar to Diagon Alley had suddenly seen an influx of dangerous Dark Magic artifacts—some even seeped into the Muggle world, triggering several horrifying incidents. In Brazil, a group of recently graduated students on a trip stumbled upon a grotesque creature stitched together from animal parts. The local Ministry of Magic later dismissed it as “a black bear merely wearing the skins of other animals as decoration.” In Bulgaria, a gathering of Dark Wizards resulted in the deaths of two innocent Muggles. In America, authorities captured a deranged Dark Wizard attempting to “recreate obedient Dementors.” And in Egypt, the Ministry rescued two brides of the Bulgarian team who’d been illegally trafficked—while also uncovering a high-ranking official trying to steal from the Department of Mysteries.
While the Ministry of Magic in Britain was preoccupied with organizing the Tournament, Dark Magic activities were escalating worldwide. Dark Wizards were like moles—once one surfaced, more soon followed.
Wade was pondering the reason behind this global surge when suddenly, he heard the creak of the classroom door handle turning.
He shoved the parchment into his backpack, stood up, and saw Professor Flitwick pushing the door open, smiling warmly at him.
“Wade, why are you still here? You’ll miss dinner in the Great Hall if you don’t hurry.”
“No problem,” Wade grinned. “I can always head to the kitchens. House-elves are always enthusiastic about welcoming guests.”
“Ha! You young ones will uncover every secret in this school before you know it,” Professor Flitwick chuckled, showing no sign of reprimanding him for potentially breaking school rules.
He stood by the entrance and waved him over. Once Wade reached his side, the professor added gently, “I know you like to be alone sometimes. But lately, you should be careful. Some students will do anything to win—no scruples about bullying the weak.”
“Don’t worry, Professor,” Wade said. “I can take care of myself.”
“That’s exactly what I wanted to talk to you about, Wade… Today, they tested your wand, didn’t they?”
As he spoke, Professor Flitwick bounced slightly on his toes, clearly excited.
“Assessing and misleading your opponents is a crucial strategy. Since they all seem to misunderstand your abilities, why not play into their expectations? Just… act a little more ordinary.”
Wade gave a soft nod. “I understand. I’ll be concealing my edge—reducing the risk of drawing unwanted attention.”
“Precisely,” Professor Flitwick whispered, lowering his voice. “Not just in daily activities, but even during the first two Tournament events—if possible, hold back a little. If your goal is Champion, then surviving the early rounds is victory enough.”
“I’ll keep that in mind, Professor.”
Professor Flitwick seemed genuinely concerned that Wade, young and ambitious, might recklessly reveal his full strength too soon—only to become the primary target in the later stages of the Tournament.
But Wade had no such burden. In fact, he preferred it when people underestimated him.
At moments like these, he couldn’t help but envy Cedric—Hufflepuff had a natural trustworthiness in the magical world. All anyone needed to see was his yellow-and-black scarf, and they’d automatically assume he was honest, kind-hearted.
But Ravenclaw? People always assumed a sharp mind—but questioned their character. At Hogwarts, unless Slytherin kept the hostility firmly in check, Ravenclaw rarely got along peacefully with Gryffindor or Hufflepuff.
… Wade suspected Professor Flitwick was genuinely pleased to see him striving for House honor. Lately, the professor had been treating him with increasing warmth. Not that he’d ever been cold before—but now, the way Flitwick looked at him, it was as if he were gazing upon his favorite son.
After being handed yet another bag of expensive Chocolate Frogs, Wade could only sigh. If he somehow missed out on the Champion Trophy, he half-expected the professor to cry.
Something felt odd, though. The Headmaster had never been particularly invested in such honors before. Clearly, the allure of being Hogwarts’ Tournament Champion was more powerful than anyone expected.
During the Tournament preparations, Wade occasionally met with Natalia and other fellow alchemy enthusiasts in the library, trading dense, obscure theories and exchanging lengthy, tedious alchemical manuscripts—more boring than any dictionary.
Meanwhile, Rita Skeeter’s article on the Tournament was published. The three Hogwarts champions barely got a mention. Instead, the front page of The Daily Prophet was dominated by a full-page photo of Fleur Delacour.
It was obvious—Rita had found her formula. When there was no real news, a stunningly beautiful woman was the ultimate headline grabber.
One could easily imagine the paper’s sales soaring. Someone inside might even buy several copies—reading one, saving one for display, another to show off.
During the wand test, Fleur had once mentioned that her grandmother had been a Bride of the Bulgarian team—and that Fleur’s wand core was made from her grandmother’s hair.
No one knew exactly how Rita had gathered that information, but in the second section of the paper, she’d crafted a dramatic, tragic love story centered on Fleur’s parents—complete with a photo of the couple.
For a time, the entire school buzzed with talk about “human and magical creature unions,” “what human appearance looks like in a Bride of the Bulgarian team’s eyes,” and “how to win the favor of a Bride of the Bulgarian team.”
Even though the Brides had once attacked the camp, most people conveniently forgot that detail—displaying astonishing tolerance.
Only the brave or foolish dared speak about it in front of Fleur, for fear of angering her. But even without that topic, the beautiful girl was usually in a foul mood.
Two weeks passed in the blink of an eye. Before anyone realized, the first challenge was almost upon them.
(End of Chapter)
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