"Wade!"
Wade hadn't yet responded when he heard someone calling his name from behind.
He turned around to see Fred and George walking over from the direction of Hagrid's hut, with grass on their heads and reeking of dragon dung, looking utterly exhausted.
"Fred, George?" Wade asked curiously, "What were you two doing so early in the morning?"
"Oh, we got a little curious about the magical carriage that arrived last night," said Fred.
"—We enthusiastically wanted to feed that old man a piece of bread," George continued.
"—And got caught by Professor McGonagall."
"'Don't mess with the guests' means of transportation! Mr. Weasleys, why is it always you two!'" George mimicked Professor McGonagall's stern tone. "'Twenty points from Gryffindor! Go see Professor Hagrid after the feast, he has some work for you!'"
"—Maybe some labor will burn off your excess energy!" Fred concluded, then spread his hands and said, "And so we went to reinforce the Abraxans' enclosure—"
"—And clean up the stinking dung from the three-headed dragon!"
"—And the elephant too! Do you know how massive its dung can be?"
"Enough!" Wade quickly made a stopping gesture and frowned. "I was just about to go have breakfast, gentlemen!"
"I only want to gnaw on a carrot this morning," Fred groaned.
"I think what you two really need is a shower back in the dorm," Wade said with a blank expression.
"Alright, fair suggestion," said George, reaching out his hand. "Wade, lend me your broom, will you? I really don't have the energy to climb the stairs."
It just so happened that Wade hadn't returned his broom to the dormitory yet.
He handed it to Fred and watched as the two brothers got on the same broom, wobbling as they flew toward Gryffindor Tower. Their swaying flight path made it hard not to worry they might fall out of the sky.
Luckily, the Weasley brothers were skilled fliers, and they eventually managed to safely enter Gryffindor Tower.
Wade walked into the castle and saw the Goblet of Fire placed on a stool in the center of the entrance hall. If not for the blue-white flames still burning within, no one would probably think much of its crude appearance.
At that moment, the Durmstrang students were lining up to submit their names. They wore serious expressions and moved decisively, while the Ilvermorny students waited behind them.
Each time a name was tossed into the flame, it quickly turned red and sent out a few sparks.
At some point, Theo and Ryan also arrived in the entrance hall. When they saw Wade, they walked over, holding a stack of parchment.
"Wade, have you seen Hermione this morning?" Theo asked.
"No, why?" Wade replied.
"Perfect, then look at this." Theo handed him one of the parchments.
Wade took it and glanced at it — it was a new petition written by Hermione.
It vividly described the situation of house-elves using both words and illustrations, detailing the injustices they faced and even rare examples of elves rebelling after being abused by wizards.
At the end, it called on everyone to treat house-elves kindly.
Then Ryan cleared his throat and recited as if reading a script: "Dear friends, every life deserves respect — house-elves included. They long for love and respect just like we do. Loyal and capable house-elves are worthy of all this!"
"Treat house-elves kindly, and you will receive even more loyal service; abuse them, and they may grow tired of their work, even leading to escape or rebellion! Improving the quality of life for house-elves benefits both them and us!"
"We suggest everyone start with small actions: give house-elves enough food and water, provide them with a comfortable place to rest, dress them decently, and don't force them to do things they don't want to do..."
Wade couldn't help but laugh. "You two are handing out flyers for Hermione? How did she manage to convince you to help?"
Ryan looked up at the ceiling, while Theo gave a wry smile. "I don't even know how it happened. Somehow, I just found myself agreeing."
"Well, her current approach is much better than her old plans." Wade folded up the pamphlet and slipped it into his pocket.
By now, both the Durmstrang and Ilvermorny groups had already submitted their names. Wade casually tossed in the piece of parchment he held, and continued chatting with Theo and Ryan as they walked into the Great Hall.
His movement was so natural and nonchalant, completely different from the way others had made a big show of submitting their names with great ceremony or caution.
Even Theo and Ryan walking beside him didn't notice what he had just done—they were still talking about Hermione's S.P.E.W.
"Hermione says this is a great opportunity—while all the other schools are here, we can spread the idea of improving house-elf rights to the whole world."
Theo said with some frustration, "Of course, I think her intentions are good, but most people just think we're crazy or foolish."
But Ryan replied, "Doing the right thing—even if people think you're crazy—is still worth it. I never used to understand why Hermione was in Gryffindor, but now I finally get it."
After entering the Great Hall, they discovered that it was decorated in full Halloween style. The floating candles above now glowed green, a swarm of live bats fluttered near the ceiling, and hundreds of little pumpkin figurines were placed in corners all around the hall.
The students from the Mahoutokoro and Mantra were already having breakfast. However, this time, the dining hall didn't prepare a variety of international foods for them. Many of them frowned at the roast potatoes or meat patties on their plates, clearly unimpressed.
Wade and his friends casually sat at the Hufflepuff table. McMillan leaned in and said, "Did you see those students from Mahoutokoro? I heard the youngest among them is only thirteen!"
"Thirteen years old and already in the competition?" Ryan asked in surprise. "Aren't they afraid of danger?"
"Don't underestimate those students," McMillan said seriously. "I heard they start school at seven years old. So even though they're thirteen, they've been learning magic for nearly twice as long as us!"
"And that thirteen-year-old kid is already wearing the golden robe!"
"Golden robe?" Theo asked, confused.
"At the Mahoutokoro, only students who achieve top marks in all subjects have their robes turn gold… Now do you get it?" McMillan explained.
Theo thought for a moment and said, "But I still think Viktor Krum is more impressive."
"That's just because you've only noticed the big celebrity and ignored the others."
Hannah Abbott chimed in mysteriously, "There's a student from Uagadou who's at least two meters tall—looks like he could knock out a Graphorn with a single punch. He looks like he's thirty, but he's actually one of the contestants."
"And there's Seraphina Picquery from Ilvermorny. She's supposedly the niece of the President of MACUSA, and incredibly gifted with magic too…"
Everyone was enthusiastically discussing the "seeded contestants" from the various schools. Wade couldn't understand—how had they managed to gather so much intel in just one night?
But truthfully, none of those names were unfamiliar to him. In the files Antoine had given him earlier, all the students most likely to be chosen as champions from each school had already been highlighted.
Strictly speaking, none of them could withstand even a single Flame God Spell from him. But this tournament was going to be broadcast live to the entire wizarding world—Wade couldn't just incinerate his opponents in front of everyone.
His gaze slowly swept across the long tables. Many students suddenly felt a chill down their spines, as if a predator had just locked onto them.
--------------------------------
🙏🙏Please consider supporting this translation project by becoming a P@treon member!!!
Your support is greatly appreciated!
Available on my P@treon page for just $4!!
Early access to the following translations:-
⭐Harry Potter: Becoming a Study God (HP:BSG)- 200+ Chapters
⭐MCU: Druid's Adventures (MCUDA)(⭐COMPLETE⭐) - Total Chapter 460
⭐Famous Police Detective in Detective World (FPDDW)- +165 advance chapters
⭐Marvel: Little Genius (MLG) (⭐COMPLETE⭐) - Total Chapter 450
[email protected]/Lightreaper457
--------------------------------