Emily and Link had already noticed Fleur's appearance, yet neither of them made any reaction, just staring blankly as Fleur's face lit up with joy, fixing her gaze on them before running straight over.
"Link! I finally found you!"
Only after Fleur said this with such excitement did Emily's face once again show the same cold sneer she had worn earlier when questioning Link.
It was obvious, Emily was displeased that Fleur deliberately ignored her, and instead rushed over to cling to Link.
Link easily read this message from Emily's smile.
Without much thought at all, he immediately ignored Fleur's words, even going so far as to pull Emily away, wanting to distance her from this suspicious woman.
Unfortunately, he had barely taken a few steps before Fleur darted forward and grabbed his arm.
"Hey! Why are you treating me so coldly!" Fleur purposely put on a pitiful, heartbroken look. "We're a couple, you know!"
"Who... who's a couple with you! I'm warning you, food you can eat recklessly, but words you cannot speak recklessly!"
Link shook off Fleur's hand, speaking anxiously.
After saying that, he stole a glance at Emily.
Sure enough, Emily's face had turned cold, not even able to maintain her sneer anymore.
But Fleur acted as if she truly didn't see Emily's expression at all.
She pointed up at the articles pasted on the teahouse ceiling, then at the gossiping onlookers around them, and said, "But, everyone else says so. Isn't that the truth?"
After speaking, Fleur even raised her chin slightly with a smile, looking rather pleased with herself.
This, instead, made Link feel surprised.
After all, Rita Skeeter's slander was truly venomous. In that article titled Interview with the Triwizard Champions, which was really just a smear piece on Link Flamel, Fleur's bloodline problem had been brought up repeatedly with scorn and ridicule, even containing outright discriminatory remarks.
And yet, Fleur seemed not to care in the slightest now.
Had she already grown used to such things?
Or was this a façade of strength?
Even with Legilimency, Link couldn't tell for the moment.
But none of that mattered.
The priority now was to quickly drive Fleur away, or get themselves out.
Otherwise, the scene might grow even more unbearable.
With this thought, Link gave a cold snort and tried to drag Emily away.
But Emily didn't think so. She coldly asked Fleur, "What exactly did you come here to do?"
This time, not only Link, even a few young couples sitting nearby felt the murderous intent in Emily's words, and turned their heads away nervously.
But even this level of hostility still meant little to Fleur.
She didn't answer directly, instead deliberately changing the subject, "By the way, your Care of Magical Creatures professor is really capable. He's taking such good care of our Abraxan horses. That's something ordinary grooms could never do."
"You mean Hagrid? He is pretty capable. Isn't your headmistress Maxime about to be wooed by him already? In being easy to win over, she's just like you. Don't tell me this is the glorious tradition of Beauxbatons?"
Emily spoke with mocking sarcasm.
"Toad wanting to eat swan meat!" Fleur leapt up like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. "How could Madame Maxime ever be interested in him!"
"That's not certain. Hagrid's been working really hard on his grooming lately. Although even with a shaved beard and slicked-back hair, that face is still hard to look at."
"His clothes make him look more like a beggar than a gentleman, and that cheap cologne he wears is nothing but foul and pungent."
Emily's sneer deepened, her words deliberate and sharp. "But even so, that's still good enough for your half-giant headmistress! After all, a woman of her size probably has a hard time finding a partner, right?"
"You dare insult and slander Madame Maxime!?"
"Am I not speaking the truth? Besides, isn't it obvious your Madame Maxime is quite pleased with Hagrid? Otherwise, why would she deliberately park Beauxbatons' carriage near Hagrid's hut? And why would she be visiting him every single day lately?"
Emily's words were like a thunderclap, splitting through everyone in the teahouse.
The place, which had been buzzing with whispers, suddenly fell silent.
Even Link's expression turned odd.
Emily's reminder brought back memories, yes, in the original story there really was such a romance between Madame Maxime and Hagrid.
And the most absurd part was, this elegant, witty giantess of a lady really did seem to have genuine feelings for the crude, beastly Hagrid.
Of course, the two never ended up together.
After all, Hagrid was a Dumbledore fanatic, and would never leave Hogwarts.
Likewise, Maxime was a true career woman, she loved her work, and would never give it all up for Hagrid like some traditional housewife.
In the end, their love ended with the conclusion of the Triwizard Tournament.
While Link recalled all this, Fleur was trembling from sheer rage.
She couldn't believe Emily could be so sharp.
Back at Flamel Castle during the summer, Emily had acted like a perfectly obedient young lady.
But now, seeing her like this, Emily's level was clearly higher than her own.
After several deep breaths, Fleur finally suppressed her anger.
Arms crossed, proud expression on her face, she slightly looked down at Emily from her height, just a little shorter than Link's, and said, "You'd better apologize to me and Madame Maxime right now."
"Heh!" Emily sneered. "Have you gone mad?"
"No, not at all. In fact, I know the contents of the first Triwizard task. If you kneel now and kiss my shoe, I'll tell you."
Fleur cast a Silent Charm around the three of them, then sneered at Emily, "Well? As Link's betrothed, surely you're worried about him getting hurt or worse in the tournament? If you knew the task in advance, wouldn't that let you prepare and avoid danger to the greatest extent?"
Then Fleur suddenly switched to an innocent, cute expression, turning to Link, "Of course, I'm not a devil! If you just tell me right here, in front of Emily, 'Darling, I love you!' sincerely and from the heart, I'll tell you the task too!"
After saying this, perhaps thinking victory was in her grasp, Fleur pulled a smug "what can you do?" face at Emily.
Unfortunately, her smugness lasted only a few seconds before turning to shock.
Because Emily, almost the instant Fleur finished speaking, had already drawn her wand and aimed it at her, tip glowing white as a spell charged to fire.
Link helplessly rubbed his forehead.
He honestly didn't know what to say to Fleur.
In truth, her plan wasn't completely flawed. A normal person faced with this might indeed be trapped in a dilemma.
But Emily was different.
Link was sure her first instinct here would be to seize Fleur and interrogate her under torture.
That was the result of Lady Flamel's personal tutelage.
"Don't. No need for that."
Link stopped Emily's action. She, confused and urgent, protested, "But…"
"I already know what the task is."
Link cut her off with one sentence, then looked at Fleur like she was an idiot, "The committee brought in several fire dragons for us to face, didn't they? No doubt Madame Maxime's recent closeness with Hagrid was to fish for this very news."
"You... you... how do you know?"
Fleur, still stunned from just moments ago, blurted it out before she could stop herself.
And once she said it, she realized her mistake, clapping her hand over her mouth in horror.
Seeing her reaction, Link only looked at her with pity, and continued, "You didn't know? Strictly speaking, Hagrid is my senior. As to why, despite the age gap, we're in that kind of relationship, it's a long story."
"All you need to know is that our friendship is far closer than normal teacher and student. So, in that case, do you think he wouldn't have told me about the fire dragons first thing?"
By now, Emily had somehow already put her wand away, once again wearing her look of disdain and mockery.
Fleur, meanwhile, looked like her worldview had collapsed.
Her snow-white skin flushed pink, lips working soundlessly for a long time before she finally fled the teahouse in embarrassment.
Link understood Fleur's feelings well.
After all, in his previous life's youth, he too had experienced many similar moments.
This was what happened to young people who made noise with half-baked knowledge and didn't know when to shut their mouths.
"You never told me about this!"
Emily leaned to Link's ear, speaking in a suppressed voice.
At the same time, her small hand slipped under his arm to pinch the soft flesh there.
Her strength wasn't much, she wasn't trying to hurt him, but rather to express her displeasure.
Still, Link played along, grimacing theatrically, "You should have faith in me. This so-called intel is nothing but trivial. Even if I hadn't known in advance, I'd still crush the others. After all, I'm the strongest!"
"I do have faith in you. But that doesn't stop me from worrying!"
Emily's words were tender, but her grip grew firmer.
She wasn't satisfied with Link brushing things aside.
At last feeling a twinge of pain, Link immediately caught her little hand and kissed it sincerely, "Thank you!"
Emily rolled her eyes at him, then grabbed his hand and dragged him toward the teahouse exit.
"Let's go."
"Where to next?" Link asked with a grin. "How about we check out the Shrieking Shack? Hogsmeade just rebuilt it this year for tourism, and now it's even more haunted-house-like than before."
"No, we're going back to Hogwarts to find Hagrid! Those are fire dragons! I've never seen a real one in my life!"
Her eyes sparkled as she spoke.
Through Legilimency, Link knew she truly was fascinated by dragons.
That surprised him.
It was the first time Emily had shown such passion for dragons. And really, dragons and a beautiful girl like her seemed a total mismatch.
But seeing the determination on her face, Link could only sigh and let Emily pull him back toward Hogwarts.
———
Half an hour later, with Hagrid leading them, Link and Emily arrived at a clearing on the edge of the Forbidden Forest, heavily covered with Concealment and Confundus Charms.
Before them, four massive, savage-looking dragons, each of different appearance, were confined in enclosures of thick timber.
Perhaps unsettled by the unfamiliar environment, they were furious, roaring wildly as dozens of dragon handlers struggled against them.
Each handler held a heavy chain, pulling with all their might.
The other ends of those chains were bound tightly around the dragons' bodies.
But such measures meant little against such enormous, ferocious beasts.
Flames spewed, claws and tails lashed, every time their muscles rippled, a handler or two was sent flying with the chains.
"They're beautiful!"
Hagrid's rough voice was full of feverish passion.
At this moment, all of his earlier nervousness about being discovered was gone.
Emily was little better, completely mesmerized.
Even Link watched with great interest.
It was undeniable, there was a reason dragons fascinated so many.
Such colossal creatures embodied pure strength and beauty, inspiring awe.
And just like in countless games and novels, every part of a dragon was treasure.
Its blood was vital for rare potions. Its heartstring made excellent wand cores. Its skin could be crafted into dragonhide gloves and armor. Its scales into shields…
In short, dragons were creatures of both spectacle and supreme utility.
Link loved them.
"Stupefy!"
With the handlers' anguished yet perfectly synchronized shouts, the arena finally fell silent.
Emily, half entranced, reluctantly tore her gaze away.
Then suddenly, as if remembering something, she turned pale and said to Link, "Link! They're far too strong, you..."
"I told you, you should trust me." Link cut her off. "Dragons are no problem. I'll win!"
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