Over the next few days, talk about the Champions gradually died down.
At the same time, as days passed, the fact that Harry Potter had been chosen as the fourth Champion was slowly accepted—and even forgiven—by the Gryffindors.
To be precise, under pressure from Slytherin, they had no choice but to stick together against the little snakes led by Draco. After all, Harry Potter was still a Gryffindor wizard. As members of the same house, if they didn't back Harry Potter, who else could they possibly support?
So during this period of "division" while they waited for the first task, clashes between Slytherin and Gryffindor broke out constantly. Neither side was willing to acknowledge the other house's Champion.
And after Rita Skeeter's article came out, the tension between the two houses only grew worse...
…
A few days after the wand-inspection ceremony, Rita Skeeter's article appeared in the Daily Prophet.
The front page that day featured an introduction to the Triwizard Tournament Champions, with a large photo of all four Champions printed front and center.
But the spotlight wasn't on Fleur Delacour's stunning beauty, nor on Viktor Krum, the famous professional Quidditch star, nor even on Draco Malfoy wearing his flawless smile. The true focus of the article was… Harry Potter.
And this article was exactly what made Harry Potter's recent days at school so miserable.
Instead of reporting on the Triwizard Tournament, the piece was more like an embellished narrative of Harry Potter's upbringing, with nearly the entire article devoted to his past and his life at Hogwarts.
As for the Champions from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang, their names were shoved into the final sentence and barely mentioned—and to top it off, their names were spelled wrong.
As for Draco, Rita Skeeter seemed to be avoiding something and didn't mention him at all. That kind of treatment drew attention and stirred even more suspicion.
But Harry wished he could be ignored just like Draco—because none of this was good news...
"Need a tissue, Potter? Wouldn't want you bawling your eyes out in Transfiguration."
"When did you become the school's star student, Potter? Or is it just you and Longbottom now?"
"Hahaha!"
"But is any of what she wrote actually true?"
"Probably. If it were fake, would the Daily Prophet even print it?"
It felt like the tables had turned. The treatment Draco once endured was now happening to Harry Potter.
Wherever he went, he could hear Slytherins snickering at him, and he caught the strange, curious looks from the other young wizards...
...
"You were there too, weren't you, Draco?"
Pansy set down the Daily Prophet and looked over at Draco, curiosity written all over her face. But if one looked closely, there was a spark of anger buried deep in her eyes.
The reason, of course, was Rita Skeeter's article.
Even though Draco's name wasn't mentioned, he was inevitably dragged into it...
"Stunningly beautiful? Her? Is that because she looks like a fox?"
"..."
The "her" Pansy meant was the Beauxbatons Champion, Fleur Delacour.
Why she said that was simple—Rita Skeeter had spun an elaborate, tangled love story around this girl of Veela descent.
The male lead, naturally, was our savior Harry Potter.
And Draco was cast as the rival Harry had to defeat, which was exactly what irritated Pansy.
"Even if she doesn't mention Draco by name, anyone can tell the person Potter supposedly can't beat is Draco!"
"Look at this part! It actually claims Draco and that woman fancy each other?!"
"This is complete rubbish!!"
Pansy's outburst also struck a nerve with Hermione, who had been reading the Daily Prophet nearby.
The two girls took turns chattering complaints right by Draco's ears, as if afraid he hadn't heard them.
Draco, however, was truly uninterested in an article that pretended to discuss the Triwizard Tournament but was really just gossiping about Harry Potter's past.
At that moment, the supposed heroine of the article appeared right in front of them...
"Fleur Delacour!"
"Hmph. That ridiculous report. As if I'd ever fall for such an arrogant man."
"...."
Hearing Fleur's comment, Draco couldn't help giving her a once-over. She looked fairly composed, though there was a hint of agitation in her eyes.
And if they were talking about arrogance, Fleur—with her chin lifted like a proud swan—fit the description far better.
"What are you doing here?"
"Just passing by. But I thought I'd warn you—you'd better be prepared. The first task won't be easy."
"What's that supposed to mean?!"
Before Draco or anyone else could question her, Fleur flicked her silver hair and glided off.
Pansy and Hermione exchanged confused looks.
"She came just to say that?"
"But… does that mean she already knows what the task is?"
"No way…"
They said that aloud, but the truth had already settled in their hearts.
Clearly, Fleur wouldn't have spoken with such confidence unless she knew something.
What they couldn't figure out was why Fleur, an opponent, would warn them at all.
There was absolutely nothing for her to gain...
...
Because of Fleur's warning, Pansy and the others had been frequenting Hagrid's hut in hopes of getting information about the task as soon as possible—and also to figure out how Fleur had learned anything about it.
"Hermione? What a pity, Harry was here just a moment ago."
"You mean… Potter?"
"Yes. Not long ago I took Harry out to see the pumpkins I've been growing. Draco, come try the sandwiches I made."
This time, besides Hermione and Pansy, Draco had also been dragged along by the two girls.
Just like the last time they'd visited, Hagrid was wearing that same brown suit today. Draco immediately found his attention drawn to Hagrid's outfit.
At that moment, the door suddenly swung open...
"Hagrid, it's about time to… oh?"
"Yes, we can go now."
Hagrid's goofy grin—and the witch who had appeared—made Draco and the others exchange bewildered looks.
The person who'd walked in was Madame Maxime of Beauxbatons.
And the reason behind Hagrid's sudden change in appearance now seemed painfully obvious...