Harry Potter and the Obscurus

Chapter 115 The Tradition of the Triwizard Tournament

On his way back to his dormitory from Hagrid's hut, Harry used the water of the Black Lake to hear the clues the mermaids had hidden in their songs.

"Come to the source of our voice and find us."

"We cannot sing on the ground."

"You have only one hour; you must retrieve it."

"Reclaim the treasure we took from you."

Clearly, the main objective of the second project is for the warriors to reclaim something that belongs to them within an hour, provided they have the ability to breathe and survive underwater.

Scuba potions, head-diving charms, gill sac grass, and Muggle diving oxygen tanks...

Harry had far too many answers in his head. Even if he didn't prepare anything and happily played until the exam in February next year, he would never be caught off guard or overwhelmed.

The winter night was quiet, with only a few stars and a bright moon. The exhilarating feeling of speeding through the dragon project and then resolving one problem after another left Harry feeling incredibly relaxed. Rita Skeeter and the Weasley twins' gambling spree seemed to have been completely forgotten. Suddenly, a bold and brilliant idea popped into Harry's mind.

"How about I just use Animagus to deal with the second project?"

"what?"

Mo Ran was stunned, then quickly advised:

"Are you sure? You're going to compete in front of thousands of people. If you use Animagus directly, it's equivalent to registering your Animagus identity with the Ministry of Magic."

Harry seemed to have anticipated that Mo Ran would say that, and upon hearing his old friend's advice, he immediately listed several advantages of cultivating Animagus.

“You’re absolutely right, but if I mastered Animagus, it would be a huge help in both combat and reconnaissance. If I’m lucky, I might even be able to fly without a broom, giving me more options whether facing Voldemort or other situations. And think about it, Professor McGonagall is a renowned Transfiguration master in Europe, but how many people can recognize her tabby Animagus? Animals all look so alike; unless someone witnesses the transformation firsthand, no one can tell them apart.”

"Wait, wait, wait, you still want to fly? Didn't you say you were going to use Animagus to get through the second project? What kind of creature in the world can both fly and dive for an hour?"

"If ordinary animals won't work, why not become a magical creature? Just because no one has done it before doesn't mean I can't! We finally managed to bring the Thunderbird back and train it to become the most uncontrollable weather element of the Animagus, which completely solved the problem. Isn't now the time to take it a step further?"

Harry's answer left Mo Ran speechless. He had never doubted whether Harry could successfully cultivate Animagus, but he was worried about the risk that Voldemort and the Death Eaters would find out about Harry's Animagus transformation.

But as the saying goes, "Riding a swift horse in the spring breeze, one can see all the flowers of Chang'an in a single day."

How could Harry, at only fourteen years old, not feel triumphant after overwhelmingly defeating a formidable opponent in the first event of the Triwizard Tournament? Geniuses are not afraid of setbacks, but more importantly, they must maintain their self-confidence under any circumstances.

With that in mind, Mo Ran stopped worrying about whether Voldemort might be up to something in the dark.

When soldiers come, we'll meet them head-on; when water comes, we'll dam it. As long as he and Harry have enough strength, they don't need to fear any so-called Dark Lord.

......

The training schedule for Animagus had to be postponed until after Christmas, even after Harry and Morgen united. After Harry gained the lead in the first event, Professor McGonagall became even more fully engaged in the Triwizard Tournament.

"A Christmas ball!"

Professor McGonagall, who had led the Gryffindor students to an empty classroom, announced this loudly to everyone:

"It's an important tradition of the Triwizard Tournament! At the same time, it's also a great opportunity for us to get to know our foreign guests! The ball is usually only open to students in their fourth year and above, but if older students are willing to invite their younger schoolmates, they can also participate in the ball as dance partners."

A small commotion broke out among the fourth-year girls, led by Lavender Brown. Their eyes swept over the Gryffindor boys sitting opposite them, before finally settling on Harry.

"The ball will be held in the auditorium at 8 p.m. on Christmas Eve and will not end until midnight."

Professor McGonagall glanced in the direction of the girls and continued:

"All students attending the ball must prepare a formal gown. I hope everyone will take the time to dress properly and fully immerse themselves in and enjoy this grand occasion. However, this does not mean you can be lax! I would be heartbroken if I saw any Gryffindor student disgrace the school and the house on such an important occasion! Now, Mr. Filch..."

Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle...

A giant upright phonograph made a series of tuning sounds, followed by melodious and soothing background music filling the room.

Professor McGonagall straightened the cuffs of her robe, walked to the center of the classroom, struck a very professional dance pose, and said:

"To be both elegant and carefree, the opening dance of the ball is of utmost importance. One must move with the agility of a swan and a lion, bursting with passion, rather than becoming a bunch of chattering, clumsy baboons, Mr. Ronald Weasley."

"what?"

Ron's voice trembled slightly even though he hadn't said anything.

"Could you please come to the middle of the classroom and help me with the demonstration?"

"Hehe~ Let's go, Ron~"

Harry and a few others gave Ron a shove in the back, while Fred and George gave their brother a teasing whistle. This made Ron's face burn even redder than his hair.

"Put your right hand on my waist."

"where?"

"Put your arms on your waist, then extend your left arm and place it on top of my right hand. Step to the rhythm, one, two, three, one, two, three... Classmates, stand up and try practicing!"

Upon hearing this, the boys who had been happily watching Ron and the professor dance fell silent.

At this stage of adolescence, no matter how loudly they proclaim it, they cannot hide the fact that they are even more shy and timid than girls.

The frantic practice lasted for about half an hour. When the lion cubs finally got permission from Professor McGonagall to leave, everyone looked embarrassed.

"Potter, Granger, please stay a moment, I have something to say to you."

Harry and Hermione didn't waltz in front of their classmates; known for their academic prowess, they even assumed their Headmistress was going to discuss academic topics. Unexpectedly, after everyone had left, Professor McGonagall, known for her strictness, gave them an unexpected private lesson.

"You two need to spend more time on dance practice. I will speak with your professor and from now until Christmas, neither of you will need to hand in any more homework."

"Oh my god... I've finished writing."

“What did you say? Miss Granger?”

"No, it's nothing, Professor... but... may I ask why?"

"As is customary, the Triwizard Tournament champions will dance at the ball, and you two are expected to set a good example for Hogwarts and Gryffindor. If there are no problems, I'll register your names in a bit... You won't be changing your partners, right?"

Harry was a little puzzled by the slightly expectant look in Professor McGonagall's eyes. But then again, he really wouldn't choose any girl other than Hermione as his dance partner.

"Don't worry, Professor, Hermione and I will be ready."

"That's great."

Professor McGonagall smiled and nodded after receiving an affirmative answer, then took out an antique-looking silver key and said:

"Here's the key to the faculty lounge on the second floor. I've already asked the house-elf to clean it up. You two can practice there when you have time. Now, hurry up and go to the auditorium to get something to eat."

"Okay, Professor, we'll go in a bit."

......

A few minutes later, Hermione, who had walked with Harry to the Great Hall, finally composed herself.

To some extent, she was happy that Harry had expressed his willingness to choose her; however, since Harry had answered after Professor McGonagall asked him a question, she was also unsure whether there was a hint of helplessness in his choice.

"Harry, I understand if you want to invite others to the ball..."

"what?"

Startled by Hermione's words, Harry turned around and asked:

"What? Wait, you're not thinking of going with someone else...?"

"Of course I didn't."

Hermione's voice suddenly became several decibels louder, which drew the attention of many students in the Great Hall as the two walked in through the door.

"It's Potter and Granger."

"Good heavens, can't they each have some time to themselves? I was thinking of inviting Potter to the ball..."

The whispers around them didn't bother Harry; on the contrary, they allowed him to keenly understand why Hermione had just said those words. Looking at the bustling crowd around the four long tables, Harry gently took Hermione's arm, pulled her to face him, and said:

"So, dear Miss Hermione Granger, would you be my dance partner and join me at the Christmas Ball?"

"Ho!"

Amidst gasps of astonishment, the young wizards in the hall fell silent.

Thanks to Rita Skeeter's report, all the wizards in Britain who follow the Triwizard Tournament now know that the Savior has a special witch by his side. As the person standing in front of Harry, Hermione's heart was pounding at 120 beats per minute, and the rapid flow of blood even made her vocal cords feel sticky.

She said in a low, strained voice:

“I… cough! I mean, I promise you, Harry. I promise to go to the ball with you.”

The cheers that erupted from the Gryffindor table threw the entire Great Hall into chaos. Even Harry, aside from Hermione, didn't hear the rest of the "I promise you" part. Amid the confusion, only Mo Ran noticed a few girls quietly leaving the Great Hall, unable to hide their disappointment. Fortunately, these girls had never interacted with Harry before, so he didn't need to investigate further.

In the days that followed, Hogwarts became more and more lively. Excited by the ball, the students focused almost all their attention on things outside of their studies. Gradually, all sorts of rumors began to circulate throughout the campus about Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

"Headmaster Dumbledore purchased over eight hundred barrels of butterbeer and flavored mead from the Three Broomsticks Tavern."

"The guest performer at midnight on Christmas Day is the WWN (Wizard Network) music and songwriting duo, the Weird Sisters."

"Hibiscus Delacour is said to be going to the ball with a red-haired Gryffindor boy."

......

And so, the time came to the last day before Christmas Eve.

"Why do girls always have to go out in groups? I feel like I'll have to wait until my next life to find a girl who goes out alone."

"Don't you already have Furong? Why are you still thinking about other girls?"

"Go to hell, Harry, you're making fun of me too."

Just as Ron punched Harry on the shoulder and said those words, about a dozen girls walked by. They looked the two Gryffindor boys up and down, then chuckled and whispered among themselves.

"How about you learn from the Muggle cowboys in America and use a rope to lasso one?"

Harry's suggestion earned him another eye roll from his friend, Ron, who shook his head and sighed:

"It's really a case of some people dying of thirst while others are drowning in water... The school is just not holding the Academy Cup this year, it's not like they won't expel students. Why don't you suggest I just use the Soul-Stealing Curse to trick a girl into coming? If I were half as famous as you, I wouldn't have to worry like this."

Hearing Ron's complaint, Harry stopped joking. He looked around and, after making sure no one was around, whispered to Ron:

"Hermione told me that her roommate Lavender Brown has asked her about you several times. Why don't you try inviting her?"

"Huh? Really...really?"

Ron's voice sounded conflicted.

At first, he just didn't know who he wanted to invite, but once he found out that a girl was interested in him, whether he could muster up the courage became another problem.

“Listen to me, Ron.”

Harry patted his old friend on the shoulder and said:

"Find a suitable opportunity to invite Lavender out and make things clear. Don't just yell at him and run away, understand?"

"Okay, okay, go find something else to do! Like, go check out the Charms classroom. Professor Flitwick said he's waiting to prepare for next semester's Charms class with you!"

Ron did have the idea of ​​changing the subject, but as he said, ever since the first event of the Triwizard Tournament, Professor Felix Flitwick had actually started inviting Harry to be his partner in Charms class.

In his own words:

"The talent for improvising spell combinations in combat cannot be acquired through learning, but I still hope you can learn something from Mr. Potter. Even if you don't reach the same level, you can at least improve your understanding of the underlying logic of when to use spells."

Given that Harry's ability to subdue the dragon with his powerful magic was undeniable, and that Harry himself admitted to learning the ingenious use of spell combinations from Professor Flitwick, Charms class naturally became one of only two courses in the school where students could still listen attentively.

In fact, apart from Professor Sybil Trelawney, most teachers didn't want their students to be idle. They couldn't expect an inattentive class to study as usual, but every class still had to be attended.

Professor Binns talked about the period of the goblin rebellion in his fourth-year history of magic class.

That blood-soaked, thrilling story was described by him as dull as Percy's cauldron quality report. Many students struggling with their history of magic assignments speculated that perhaps only someone so boring and monotonous could overcome the barrier of death to continue teaching the living.

As for Professor Snape, there's no need to even mention him.

Unable to deduct points from Gryffindor, he assigned twice as much homework as usual to students outside of Slytherin. He seemed to prefer washing his hair with Lily's shampoo every day rather than seeing Harry and the others relax.

As for another course that can capture students' attention, it is naturally Defense Against the Dark Arts.

Professor Moody, nicknamed "Mad-Eye," taught the tricks of resisting the Imperius Curse through his own teaching and demonstration, which made him a better Defense Against the Dark Arts professor in the eyes of some students than Lupin.

......

The heavy snowfall blanketed Hogwarts Castle and the meadows, making the Christmas atmosphere even stronger.

The giant carriages at Beauxbatons School looked like frost-covered pumpkins in a field; the Durmstrang sailboat, which had been moored on Black Lake for a long time, looked like a fine work of art.

No one was focused on studying; even the older students who needed to prepare for OWLs or NEWTs exams played freely and happily with everyone. This delighted the house-elves!

In previous years, most students would leave campus to go home for the Christmas holidays, leaving the elves, who were only able to cook and clean for professors and a very small number of students, to feel very sad. Now everything is different, and the little elves, given the opportunity to work overtime, are showing more enthusiasm than usual.

Harry, who had been "driven away" by Ron, was enjoying the atmosphere. But at this crucial moment, an old friend of his appeared at Hogwarts with another uninvited guest.