Anticipation, nerves, excitement, disappointment, even schadenfreude—if emotions had colors, this little space would be bursting with them.
All because the registration results were about to be announced...
Aside from the tension and hope of those wondering if they would be chosen as a champion, there were the too-young onlookers, feeling both excited and regretful.
Excited that the wizard they supported might be selected, regretful that they themselves couldn't take part in the Tournament.
And among all these emotions, the most notable was the schadenfreude aimed at Draco Malfoy.
"If there were no age restriction, Draco Malfoy would be the one representing Hogwarts."
This statement, heard everywhere, acknowledged Draco's magical ability and also revealed the position he held among the younger wizards.
Which was exactly why Cedric Diggory felt so uneasy...
For whatever reason, many of the young wizards felt more relieved than disappointed, making the comment sound almost mocking.
A Death Eater can't compete—how wonderful.
That was probably what most wizards outside Slytherin were thinking...
"I'm telling you, this age restriction definitely exists because of a certain someone."
"Yeah. We can't exactly let a Death Eater be our school's champion."
"Exactly. As Hogwarts students, we'd never live down the shame of being represented by a wizard like that."
Whether they were purposely passing by Slytherin—no, these loud Gryffindor students were absolutely doing it on purpose. It wasn't even close to the path toward their House table; there was no reason for them to be here otherwise...
Everyone knew exactly who they were talking about.
But what confused the other wizards was that neither Draco Malfoy, the one being targeted, nor Pansy Parkinson, who normally never let anyone bad-mouth Draco, reacted much at all.
No, there was none of the expected outrage. It left the others feeling as if their punches had landed on cotton, making them look like clowns instead.
And Pansy Parkinson's half-smile only made their unease grow stronger.
"Hmph. Just wait. We'll see who's laughing in the end."
"Big Sis?"
"What does that mean?"
Hearing that, along with the sly, mischievous look she wore only when plotting something, left Goyle and Crabbe blinking in confusion before they started asking eagerly.
In their minds, Draco must have done something, or Pansy wouldn't be acting like this...
But the scheming Pansy had no intention of explaining. "Who knows~"
"..."
"..."
Watching Goyle and Crabbe scratch their heads helplessly, Pansy curled her lips in satisfaction, then shifted her gaze toward Hermione Granger in the distance.
Her good mood wasn't just because a good show was about to unfold. It was also because Draco was finally alone with her.
Mm... that was probably the real reason...
...
The Gryffindor table.
Although Hermione had been hovering around Draco a lot lately, she was still a Gryffindor, not a Slytherin.
Most of the time, where she sat didn't matter, and no professor would bother interfering with something so trivial. But on important occasions, Hermione still had to stay on her own House's side.
So now, she was sitting with the other Gryffindor students instead of next to Draco...
'That smug look… ugh!'
Pulling her gaze back, Hermione stabbed the buttered bread on her plate as if venting her frustration. Judging by how battered it looked, her mood was clearly awful.
And even in a mood like this, someone still managed to come irritate her.
For example, Viktor Krum—who had somehow become pretty friendly with Harry Potter lately—appeared across from her at the table...
"Hello. Harry told me about you, Hermi."
Hermione: ???
Who was he talking to?
She glanced at the large hand extended toward her and the strange way he'd addressed her. Hermione frowned slightly and instinctively looked over in Draco's direction.
Ron Weasley, noticing that glance, made a snide remark for reasons Hermione couldn't guess...
"Don't bother looking. That guy's never gonna be chosen as a champion."
"That guy?"
"Er… Viktor. Ron means Malfoy from Slytherin." Seeing Viktor Krum's confusion, Harry Potter—who had come along with him—quickly clarified.
"Malfoy? You mean the one you all call a Death Eater?"
"Yeah, that's him."
The pronunciation was messy, but smart as she was, Hermione quickly pieced the situation together. And she understood even more clearly what Harry and the others had been feeding the visitors from the other schools.
Clang!
Knives and forks hit plates. The sudden noise drew all the surrounding Gryffindors' attention...
"You lot! Talking about your own classmate behind their back—how ridiculous! I can't believe this!"
Hermione had always known there were wizards deliberately stoking these rumors. Still, seeing it unfold right in front of her made her anger flare.
But her outburst didn't do anything to change Harry and the others' prejudice against Draco. If anything, her reaction only made them dislike Draco even more...
"Hermione, what's wrong with you? This isn't how you used to be."
"What's that supposed to mean? I've never changed."
"Hmph, no need to spell it out. That despicable Death Eater must've done something to you—maybe a love potion!"
"Ron Weasley!!"
Hermione, her face burning red, cut Ron off sharply before he could finish. Ron Weasley, uncharacteristically, glared back at her coldly.
Harry Potter—who had hoped they might all make up—was suddenly at a loss. He hadn't expected Hermione to react this fiercely, nor imagined the situation was this "serious."
While the former trio argued, none of them noticed Viktor Krum, the one who had spoken first.
He had already pulled his hand back, watching Harry and the others with an anxious expression.
Yet in his eyes, there was only indifference...