Hogwarts’ John Wick

213: The Song and Bubble-Head Charm

Lately, Hogwarts Castle had been filled with champions wandering around, clutching their golden eggs.

Fleur was feeling frustrated. She knew that John had already cracked the secret, but for the sake of fairness to Cedric, she had to figure it out on her own.

Along the way, she tried all sorts of methods.

Cedric was in the same boat, but thanks to his familiarity with Hogwarts, he was able to solve the mystery of the golden egg more quickly.

As a prefect, he had access to the most luxurious bathing facilities at Hogwarts.

One day, while taking a bath in the prefects' bathroom, Cedric accidentally dropped the golden egg into the pool.

He dove underwater to retrieve it—just in time to hear the song coming from within the egg.

♫~"Come seek us where our voices sound,
We cannot sing above the ground.
And while you're searching, ponder this:
We've taken what you'll sorely miss.
An hour long you'll have to look,
To recover what we took.
But past an hour—hope is gone, It is gone forever, never to return."~♪♫

Cedric was stunned. After listening to the song, he surfaced from the water, his hair still covered in bubbles.

He muttered to himself, "So this is the clue for the second task?"

He hesitated, wondering if he should share this discovery with others.@@novelbin@@

"Harry told me about the first task. Even though I already knew, his kindness is something I can't ignore."

Then Cedric thought about Fleur. As a friend from the Constellation Society, he should be on the same side as her.

One was his schoolmate, the other his society member.

He decided to consult John.

John understood his dilemma. Twisting the ring on his finger, he chuckled and said, "Cedric, you have a noble character. Your selflessness is truly admirable."

Cedric blushed slightly at the praise.

John continued, "Follow your heart. But there's no need to rush to tell them—let them figure it out for themselves. Fleur is a proud person; she might solve it in a few days."

Hearing this, Cedric decided to hold off on sharing the information.

Time at Hogwarts passed quickly.

Seven days of December had already gone by.

Rain, snow, and fierce winds raged over the ancient castle. Care of Magical Creatures was still held outdoors, and students in the pumpkin patch were shivering from the cold.

Because Hagrid had been busy taking care of the twelve Abraxan horses of his "goddess," he had been paying less attention to the Blast-Ended Skrewts.

As a result, they had been fighting each other, and only ten remained.

Even in winter, the Skrewts showed no signs of hibernating. Their thick shells stored heat, and the liquid in their tails served as an ignition source.

John stared at the Skrewts, thinking that if he could extract the ignition fluid from their tails, he might be able to create a powerful explosive.

Just as he was pondering this, a beetle flew onto the fence and perched there.

The more John looked at it, the more familiar it seemed. Activating his Insight, he saw that the insect radiated magic.

It was Rita Skeeter!

Her recent Savior Series articles had received widespread praise. Determined to dig up more sensational news, she had even ignored Dumbledore's ban and sneaked into the school.

I never realized she was this gutsy before, John thought as he watched the beetle fly behind Hagrid's hut. Moments later, a woman in a magenta robe emerged.

That signature crocodile-skin handbag was still slung over her arm, and greed was practically written in her eyes.

Hagrid also noticed Rita and, looking puzzled, asked, "Who are you?"

"I'm Rita Skeeter, a reporter for The Daily Prophet," she answered smoothly. Noticing John's gaze, she winked at him in what she thought was a seductive manner.

John's face darkened. Alright, you're done for.

Though Hagrid was a bit naïve, even he knew that Dumbledore had banned Rita from Hogwarts. He had no intention of entertaining her.

But Rita's ability to dig up sensational news didn't rely solely on her Animagus form. She deliberately acted interested in the Blast-Ended Skrewts, coaxing Hagrid into talking.

Sure enough, the moment Hagrid heard that someone was interested in Skrewts, his face flushed with excitement. As a magizoology expert, he was absolutely thrilled.

Rita also noticed Harry was present, and her eyes instantly lit up.

Using the pretense of an article for an animal studies column, she successfully tricked Hagrid into agreeing to an interview on Friday.

Before leaving, Rita greeted Harry.

Then, turning to John, she was about to flash her gold-toothed grin and flirt with the handsome student when she met John's deep, pressure-filled gaze.

The words died in her throat as an image of a silver mask flashed through her mind, instantly terrifying her into a quick retreat.

John silently withdrew his aura of fear, watching her flee with an indifferent expression. Knowing Rita's nature, that Friday interview is bound to be a trap.

When it came to finding a sensational scoop, Rita would stop at nothing.

If it were someone else, John wouldn't have bothered. But Hagrid was his friend—there was no way he would just stand by and watch him get set up.

So he handed the matter over to Tommy. Tommy didn't even need to act personally—just a subtle reminder to Rita that during Hagrid's imprisonment at the Ministry of Magic, Sir Johnny Silverhand had spent a fortune to bail him out.

Originally eager to make a big splash with her article, Rita immediately lost her enthusiasm.

…

The second task of the Triwizard Tournament required retrieving an object from underwater within an hour. But how to stay underwater for an hour? That was the real problem.

John saw Cedric emerge from the Black Lake, his head encased in a bubble.

As expected of a sixth-year academic prodigy—John almost wanted to applaud.

"The Bubble-Head Charm. Looks like you've already found a solution."

Cedric smiled. "I'm still not proficient. I need to practice a few more times."

Meanwhile, Malfoy wasn't running laps today.

John had assigned him a special task—provoking Neville.

Bullying people was practically second nature to Malfoy.

For example, when he showed up by the Black Lake, his hair was a complete mess.

"John, I think we should call it quits..." Malfoy winced as he spoke, his split lip making him suck in a sharp breath. "Neville's way too aggressive now. I barely said two words to him before he started swinging at me."

"You didn't fight back?" John glanced at him.

Malfoy hesitated before answering, "Of course, I fought him on equal footing…"

John gave him a doubtful look just as Heinrich walked over.

The pale-faced Heinrich twitched slightly and said, "Draco, along with Goyle and Crabbe, tried to gang up on Neville… and ended up getting chased all the way back to the common room."

Well, well.

So this was what Malfoy called equal footing?

John looked at Malfoy speechlessly. Malfoy, looking embarrassed, muttered, "He grabbed the sword from the armor. That idiot Goyle was too slow and almost got slashed."

"So aggressive already?" John was stunned. He had underestimated Malfoy. His ability to attract hatred was far stronger than all of John's previous month of insults combined.

Even someone as mild-mannered as Neville had been provoked into using a greatsword against Malfoy. If Malfoy didn't pursue a career as a main tank, it would truly be a waste.

But it still wasn't enough. Using a sword meant Neville was still holding back. That wouldn't do!

Thinking this, John said casually, "When the day comes that Neville pulls out his wand on you, then you'll know you've succeeded."

Malfoy's face twisted in misery. This is so unfair.

Why was everyone else just avoiding Neville while he had to face him directly?

That sword had nearly taken his face off today.

To make things worse, Pansy had laughed at him mercilessly.

"Don't worry. Believe in yourself. At this rate, you'll succeed in a few days." John didn't forget to encourage him. Pfft~

In the entire Constellation Society, only Malfoy had this particular talent. If not him, then who else?

The Constellation Society was in charge of isolating Neville, while the actual suppression, insults, and mockery were left entirely to Malfoy.

A clear division of labor.

Meanwhile, Cedric dove back into the lake. An hour later, he resurfaced—proof that he had successfully mastered the Bubble-Head Charm.

Heinrich watched the scene before him and recalled the lake at Durmstrang. 

"The Edgars all graduated from Durmstrang. My uncle was two years older than my father, and my father often spoke of how my uncle used to dive and swim in the lake." 

John could tell that Heinrich disapproved of his uncle's choices, yet he didn't hold any particular resentment toward him. 

Moreover, his father and uncle seemed to have shared a close bond. 

As the sun slowly dipped toward the horizon, John asked, "What kind of people were your father and uncle?" 

"Well.." Heinrich sat down on a large rock, a trace of nostalgia flickering in his golden eyes.

"My uncle was a born Metamorphmagus Animagus. Sometimes, he would transform into our grandfather's likeness just to scare people. He left behind a wine cellar at home, filled with fine liquor." 

"My father was the opposite. He was like a scholar—he never followed anyone, preferred drinking tea, and only occasionally had a little alcohol." 

"He was more focused on academic research. If not for Edgar, he might have been well-respected." 

"I don't want to be like my father. I want to prove to them that the light Edgar pursued can truly pull him into brightness." 

Two generations of Dark Lords had tainted the Edgar name, turning them into a symbol of madness and Dark wizards. No one said it outright, but everyone kept their distance. 

John patted Heinrich on the shoulder and said seriously, "That day will come. You'll be proud of your choices." 

A fervent light shone in Heinrich's golden eyes as he nodded firmly. 

The sun finally set, and its glow disappeared from his gaze. 

It was time for them to return to the castle.

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Hey, Guys! I'm working on a book titled HP: Alchemy? Nah, It's Crafting! It’s a fun and hilarious fanfic that I know you'll love. MC is a teacher in Hogwarts—I won't give any spoilers—just be sure to check it out!

You can search the name or find it on my author's page, and well, here is a link:

Thanks(づ￣ 3￣)づ~♥

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