Novel Bin Chapter 348: Disturbance of the Sleeping Dragon
Chapter 348: Disturbance of the Sleeping Dragon
Southern France, Pyrenees Mountains.
Beauxbatons Academy of Magic was nestled amidst the rugged valleys, surrounded by magnificent magical gardens and an ever-flowing fountain, standing here for over seven centuries.
"The British Ministry of Magic's mishandling of the disturbances at the Quidditch World Cup site and their continued lack of a satisfactory response has led us to question: Are they truly capable of bearing the responsibility of hosting such a crucial ancient event...
The following are excerpts from the British Daily ProphetThe Ministry of Magic (note: referring to the British Ministry, not the French) seems lost in its idyllic vision of peace, devoid of sufficient vigilance. Law enforcement has been lax for years, dark wizards roam freely, and the Ministry of Magic (note: same as above) has grown fragile, like a frail old man taking steps toward his grave. We are in dire need of fresh blood...
...
It's evident that British wizards have also lost faith in their own Ministry of Magic. Perhaps, in this year's event, they will witness the brilliance from France.
Noteworthy is the remarkable wizard Felix Harp, who shone in this crisis. He is currently in the pride of FranceBeauxbatons Academy of Magic. He has formed an unbreakable bond with Headmistress Olympe Maxime and has been invited to visit the school. He is also one of the school's directors and is said to be involved in the selection of champion candidates..."
Felix closed the Daily Prophet of France, muttering, "All this nonsense, school hasn't even started yet." He set the newspaper aside and focused on enjoying his breakfastcroissants, orange juice, a platter of fruits, and some biscuits.
As the newspaper mentioned, on the day after the Quidditch World Cup, he had accepted an invitation from Madam Maxime to visit Beauxbatons school. Even though the school hadn't officially begun its term, there were students staying over, especially those who were aspiring to compete in the Triwizard Tournament.
News traveled more openly in France compared to Britain, where they seemed to keep everything under wraps. So, these students possessed a mix of true and false inside information.nove(l)bi(n.)com
There were rumors that the number of champions from each school might vary, not just one, but four. These students discussed it around the square table like they had witnessed it themselves. A girl countered seriously, claiming that each school would send a team of three champions to participate.
However, regardless of the details, many students were buzzing with excitement. If there was only one potential champion, most students might give up, but the possibility of a second candidate instantly heightened their hopes tenfold.
So, every student Felix saw at Beauxbatons was a potential Triwizard champion, a true elite.
There were also rumors that Headmaster Ifauney suggested a five-school exhibition match before putting the candidates' names into the Goblet of Fire. This proposal received strong support from Durmstrangit seemed their school had an overwhelming number of students, with over a thousand reportedly signing up!
Among these three schools, Hogwarts had the fewest students. This was because it primarily accepted qualified students from Britain. While they didn't outright reject students from other regions, they rarely extended invitations. Beauxbatons' students mostly came from France, with a small number from Spain, Portugal, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands. As for the Northern European Durmstrang, their student body spanned multiple countries too, like Germany and Bulgaria.
But when it came to the most renowned school in Europe, the first name that came to mind was Hogwarts. Particularly in the last half-century, with Albus Dumbledore as its headmaster, it deterred two generations of dark wizards single-handedly, defeating and imprisoning one of them. His prestige had reached new heights.
...
The Great Hall at Beauxbatons had a distinctive featurea square dining table, each side seating five or six students. The table was adorned with intricate golden and blue patterns, and a vertical decoration in the middle resembled a candelabrum, hanging down with clusters of flowers.
Not far across the square table from Felix, two Beauxbatons students surreptitiously observed him.
They spoke in hushed French, "...so young, and already a director..."
"I heard he's Nicolas Lmery's heir."
"Why does he have black hair?"
"What do you mean?"
"Nicolas Lmery had brown hair when he was young; I've seen his portrait...and the surname doesn't match. Could he be a distant nephew?"
"Or perhaps related to Madame Parneille?" They continued to discuss in a whisper, but their voices grew louder.
"Lower your voices!" one of them said. They peeked and noticed Felix wasn't reacting to their conversation, but was engrossed in trying various fruit spreads on his bread, releasing a sigh of relief. "Maybe he doesn't understand French."
Then they shifted their focus to the Triwizard Tournament:
"How's your magic practice coming along?"
"Not bad at all, the professors provided the most frequently used spells from previous Triwizard Tournaments for us to reference. I've only mastered a third of them..."
"That's still good. Professor Sanchez says I'm always a bit slow to react, so my chances of being selected aren't great." The girl sighed.
At this moment, a girl approached Felix with grace and spoke in French, "Mr. Harp, Madame Maxime invites you to join the professors for afternoon tea."
"Thank you." Felix replied in standard French. He stood up and nodded slightly to the two astonished girls beside him, "Regarding your earlier questions, the answer is: I'm not related to Nicolas in terms of bloodline. I've just inherited his alchemical knowledge."
...
"Hello, I'm Fleur. Fleur Delacour." The leading girl walked ahead and turned to speak. She had a waterfall of silver hair.
"Hello, Miss Delacour. I've heard your name quite a few times these days."
"Hopefully not for something bad. I don't get along well with those girls; they complain that I steal their spotlight!" Fleur flicked her long hair, and arcs of bright light danced on the silver surface.
"They think you're the top choice for champion."
"Oh, that's quite true." Fleur said confidently, "I will be the champion, no doubt."
Beauxbatons was like a palace complex, and the two of them strolled through exquisite suites, corridors, and side chambers. Felix paused for a moment to observe the Thestral-like creatures kept in the garden.
They had beautiful silver manes, each as large as an elephant.
"These are Abraxans, elegant in form, especially their manes. I consider them the most beautiful of the four types of flying horses. They are incredibly strong and will pull the school's carriages across seas and mountains." Fleur boasted.
Felix nodded slightly, "Madame Maxime introduced them to me. She mentioned that the carriages have several enchantments, including Concealment and Levitation charms."
Madame Maxime waited in a French noble-style reception room. When Felix arrived, she stood up to welcome him, followed by about a dozen French professors who also rose.
"Mr. Harp, please have a seat heredarling, thank you." She said to Fleur, who then left with light footsteps.
Madame Maxime introduced Felix to the professors, *"This is Professor Sanchez, responsible for summer spell training. This is Professor Lemelle, in charge of potions. And this is Professor Poirier, highly skilled in herbology and alchemy... Honestly, I'm not sure if the use of alchemical items is allowed, but it's best to be prepared."
Felix nodded and smiled at them, "I've had a conversation with Professor Poirier. His mastery of alchemy is truly impressive."
Poiriera thin, white-haired old professortrembled as he spoke, "Please pass on my words unchanged to Professor Harp. I can hardly believe it; he's young, yet he possesses knowledge of various ancient magical creations and has solved several of my challenges."
A professor named Sanchez, eager to know, asked, "Professor Harp, how do you rate the Beauxbatons students? I heard that Hogwarts isn't preparing summer training. Do they have absolute confidence?"
Felix looked at the others before responding, "Confidence is there to some extent, but... this year is different from before. We have new schools joining, so I anticipate the competition's difficulty will increase."
"That's true," Sanchez nodded, scratching his red beard. As one of the professors responsible for student summer training, his subject was akin to Hogwarts' Defense Against the Dark Arts. He had deliberately gathered relevant information.
He said with some assurance, "The difficulty will definitely be adjusted, considering the performance of the other schools. It's just hard to say whether it'll be raised or lowered. It's the first time we're facing five schools; no one has experience with this. Unlike before, when there were only three schools, and they were familiar with each other..."
He ventured, "Beauxbatons and Durmstrang are quite formidable. Does Hogwarts have any strategies?"
The other professors stared at Felix, and he shook his head, "I'm not well-versed in the other schools. The only thing I can do is to enhance the abilities of our own students. I have high hopes for some of them; they possess tremendous potential..."
"That's all well and good..." Sanchez was somewhat unwilling, "but we can't just let the championship be taken by an outsider on the first Triwizard Tournament, can we?"
The other professors nodded inwardly. Though this sentiment seemed a bit exclusionary, these three schools were, after all, part of Europe and could be considered an alliance in a sense. Despite the competition, their relationship was decent.
But if in the end, Beauxbatons or Durmstrang claimed victory, it would undoubtedly be a great embarrassment for all European wizards. People like them would be severely criticized.
Felix scanned the room and said with a gentle air, "Since its inception, Hogwarts has endured through a thousand years, facing countless challenges. Yet none have managed to thwart it. Thus, the motto emergedDisturb not the harmony of fire, ice, or lightning. I believe it will be the same this time."
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