'The end-of-term examinations—this should be for PE class, right?'
The young wizards' gazes immediately became focused—this was something they had been curious about and anticipating for a long time.
If it had been any other subject's exam they could potentially avoid, Harry would definitely have cheered with joy, perhaps even doing a little victory dance right there in the classroom. The thought of missing Snape's deliberately impossible exam questions alone would have been cause for celebration.
But Physical Education class was different from all the others. So, when Hermione hesitantly raised her hand and asked the question of whether they the tournament participants could also participate in the Physical Education exam, Harry didn't shoot her his angry glares or kick her ankle under the desk as he might have done in another context.
"I'm very sorry, Miss Granger—"
Bryan shook his head regretfully.
"I need the Tournament champions and their teammates to focus entirely on the competition events. Your energy, your concentration, your mental preparation, all of it needs to be directed toward the third task. As for the final exam, I'm afraid you won't have the opportunity to participate."
"But—"
Hermione's protest emerged before she could fully think it through.
After such a long period of grueling training to be excluded at the precise moment when their true abilities would finally be tested and measured inevitably left her feeling deeply unwilling to accept it. It felt unfair, like being told you couldn't perform in the play after months of rehearsals.
However, Professor Watson didn't give her any chance to appeal or negotiate.
Bryan raised his hand to interrupt Hermione.
"Go on, Miss Granger," he said, his smile softening the dismissal even as his tone made it clear there would be no further discussion on this matter. "Mr. Weasley doesn't know about this news yet. I believe he'll be quite happy to hear this good news."
Thus, Hermione, still looking somewhat uncooperative but recognizing the futility of further protest; Harry, whose face showed a complex mixture of excitement; Cedric, nodding respectfully to him with Neville and Luna—all of them, under Bryan's calm yet authoritative gaze, reluctantly went out of the Physical Education classroom one after another.
After the click of the closing door, the several students disappeared from the remaining students' view.
Bryan stood perfectly still for a moment, his eyes were slowly scanning the faces of those who remained. He watched the remaining students, very clearly and precisely capturing the disappointment that lurked deep in each young wizard's eyes.
Including Cho Chang's who clearly had had the golden opportunity to become a champion's teammate but had voluntarily given up the chance so that Cedric wouldn't bear such a heavy emotional burden during the competition and would instead have a better, more practical hope of victory with teammates whose abilities he could rely on without the complication of romantic feelings.
This widespread disappointment was inevitable. At an age full of young vigor and an almost desperate desire to stand out; who wouldn't hope to "show off their abilities in front of others"?
Even the Slytherin group, who had always looked down upon Hogwarts' two champions with disdain, who had made sneering comments about Hufflepuff mediocrity and Mudblood champions—even they, including Draco felt somewhat unwilling deep down.
"All right then, let's talk about our own business now."
Bryan clapped his hands to draw the young wizards' attention. Afterward, he snapped his fingers, and the stack of parchments he had brought from his office rustled through the air, landing precisely in front of each young wizard.
"Please take a careful look, everyone," Bryan instructed. "This is a confidentiality agreement and safety agreement. Read every word carefully before you sign anything."
"Confidentiality agreement and safety agreement?"
Draco shook the parchment, narrowed his eyes, and read aloud the content on the paper in a low voice:
"'I, ————, voluntarily join Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry's Physical Education class's final examination.
I am fully aware that this examination carries certain dangers and may result in injury and life-threatening situations.
If the above situations truly occur during the course of the project, all consequences and responsibilities shall be borne by myself alone and are unrelated to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and Professor Bryan Amos Watson.
Furthermore, before the examination concludes, no content related to the examination may be disclosed to anyone who has not signed this agreement.'"
One by one, like flowers turning toward the sun, the young wizards raised their heads from their buried positions over their parchments to look at each other. Finally, all their gazes gathered on Professor Watson's lightly smiling face, each student wearing an expression that was remarkably difficult to put into words.
The corner of Draco's mouth twisted. An unpleasant memory jumped uncontrollably into his mind.
It was when Professor Watson had entered Hogwarts and had just become their Defense Against the Dark Arts professor.
Back then, he had forced them to sign a similar agreement, then whimsically conjured up an Inferius for them to deal with. Only one person had completed that terrifying test—Harry Potter, whom he detested in all the world.
What was even more unacceptable to him was that during that test, he had been saved by Harry Potter.
And now, Professor Watson was pulling this stunt again.
"Everyone finished reading?"
Seeming completely unaware that he was "rehashing old material," or perhaps perfectly aware and simply not caring about the precedent, Bryan asked the question and chuckled softly.
"Before participating in the Physical Education examination, everyone needs to formally sign their name on the agreement in their hands. Does anyone have any questions?"
The young wizards looked at each other again for a moment, then shook their heads one after another.
Fred and George looked at each other. The two brothers each mouthed the two words: Scare tactics.
Yes, that had to be it. Despite the ominous language of the agreement, despite the clear mention of life-threatening danger, no one in the classroom really truly believed that the school and Professor Watson would simply cast their personal safety completely aside.
This was just Professor Watson's way of creating a sense of crisis for them, making them take the exam seriously, adding weight and seriousness to what might otherwise seem like just another academic exercise.
Thus, operating under this united assumption, the young wizards took out their quills from their school bags with much rustling and clanking of supplies. Without any real psychological burden or significant hesitation, they carefully wrote their names on the papers.
When even the most anxious student present, Hannah Abbott finally signed her name at the bottom of her parchment under Ernie MacMillan's encouragement beside her for moral support, then carefully handed the parchment forward to Professor Watson with slightly trembling fingers, Bryan's expression shifted into one of warmth and approval.
"I'm very happy that everyone in my class has the courage to accept this challenge without hesitation. You've all grown so much this year. Well then, I'm afraid I'll have to take up some of your precious weekend time, but I trust you'll find it worthwhile."
He paused, letting the anticipation build, before delivering the key information: "Tomorrow morning at eight o'clock sharp, everyone gather in the Great Hall. Then you'll follow me to the Forbidden Forest."
"To the Forbidden Forest?"
Draco's voice cracked slightly with surprise, and his eyes widened.
"What are we going to the Forbidden Forest for, Professor Watson?!"
Bryan, who had been organizing the messy pile of safety and confidentiality agreements into a neat stack, tapping the edges against his desk to align them perfectly, looked up at Draco with an expression of astonishment.
"Ah, did I forget to mention?" he asked with obviously feigned surprise.
"How careless of me. Well then, allow me to clarify the situation for you all: The third event of the Triwizard Tournament will take place in the Forbidden Forest, and you all, my dear students, will be one of the challenges for the champions and their teammates—"
Looking at the students whose breathing had stopped, each with incredible delight blooming in their eyes, Bryan smiled, his playful voice was floating through the classroom:
"Of course, you should understand that this works both ways. The four groups of champions and their teammates are also very much your challenge to overcome. They're not just going to roll over and let you win."
His expression shifted slightly, becoming more stern. "If you can't manage to take down even one group... heh heh, then you just wait and see."
The small group of students who had been "driven out" of the Physical Education classroom all had the same temptation. They wanted to linger by the classroom door for a while, perhaps to press their ears against the wood and try to eavesdrop on the specific content of the Physical Education final exam that was clearly being discussed inside.
The desire to know was almost overwhelming like an itch they couldn't quite scratch.
But in the end, despite the powerful temptation, none of them chose to give in to that impulse.
First, and most practically, a simple wooden door couldn't possibly block Professor Watson's gaze or his awareness of his surroundings.
If they attempted to eavesdrop, standing there with their ears pressed to the wood like common snoopers, he would definitely discover them. There was no question about that.
Second, this kind of information couldn't be kept secret anyway, not in a castle as full of gossip and rumor as Hogwarts. By lunchtime, the specific content of the exam would have spread throughout the entire school.
"I didn't expect you to actually ask Neville and Luna to be your teammates!"
As soon as they walked out of the classroom's range and came to the corridor with archways on both sides, Harry immediately broke into a surprised smile at Cedric.
Cedric also scratched his cheek embarrassedly. "Actually, it was Cho's suggestion. I hope you won't think I'm cheating."
"Oh, why would you think that, Cedric?"
Hermione asked in surprise.
"Need you even ask why he'd think that?"
Neville threw his arm around Cedric's shoulder and said with a grin,
"Cedric obviously recognized the extraordinarily powerful abilities that Luna and I possess—abilities so formidable they could disrupt the entire balance of the competition and make it unfair! And being the honorable Hufflepuff that he is, Cedric's worried that using us might be considered unsportsmanlike."
Neville's grin widened even further: "I'm very sorry to inform you of this unfortunate development, Hermione, but it looks like Cedric has already locked in the Triwizard Tournament championship position! The competition is basically over before it's begun. You might as well concede now and save yourself the embarrassment of losing!"
Everyone laughed at Neville's outrageous declaration. The tension that had been building since they'd been dismissed from the classroom finally broke, replaced by this moment of genuine warmth and friendship.
However, despite the laughter and the joking, no one in the group actually denied Neville's causal point. They all acknowledged that both Neville and Luna, as Physical Education teaching assistants did indeed possess very formidable abilities.
Cedric, Neville, and Luna didn't accompany the others downstairs for lunch, despite the enticing smells wafting up from the Great Hall below and despite the rumbling of their stomachs that could probably be heard in the next corridor. They had more important priorities.
With only a few days left until the competition and having never worked together as a team before this morning, having never practiced coordinated spells or developed the kind of intuitive understanding of each other's fighting styles that would be crucial, they still needed to desperately seize whatever time they could find to locate a suitable practice space and cultivate their teamwork to learn each other's rhythms and habits and instincts.
Harry and Hermione, meanwhile, practically flew down the staircases driven by excitement that made walking at a normal pace impossible. Their robes curled behind them as they hurried, drawing curious looks from other students who wondered what had set the famous Harry Potter into such a rush.
But when they burst into the Great Hall, slightly out of breath and with flushed faces, scanning the house tables with eager eyes, they didn't find Ron's red hair anywhere among the group of students eating their lunch.
"Quick, Hermione, Ron must still be up in the common room!"
Harry's voice was urgent, breathless with excitement and the effort of their descent. He was already turning on his back, ready to race back the way they'd come, practically vibrating with the need to share this incredible news with his best mate.
Not finding Ron where they'd expected him to be, Harry and Hermione turned as one without much discussion or debate and rushed back toward the entrance hall.
Ten minutes later, they finally passed through the portrait hole after giving the password to the Fat Lady, who made some comment about young people always being in such a hurry these days, and arrived in the familiar, comforting warmth of the Gryffindor common room.
"Checkmate!"
As soon as Harry burst through the portrait hole and into the common room, nearly stumbling in his rush, he heard Ron's delighted shout ring out across the space.
Following the sound of Ron's voice, Harry quickly discovered his best friend sitting on their favorite sofa by the fireplace in an intense game of wizard's chess. Ron was facing off against Seamus and Dean, both of whom were watching the board with expressions of resigned concentration.
Seamus had clearly just been decisively defeated, which wasn't surprising to anyone who knew Ron. Ron's wizard's chess skills were legendary throughout Gryffindor Tower. They were probably unmatched among all the young wizards at Hogwarts, including even some of the professors.
Professor McGonagall herself had once commented on Ron's remarkable strategic mind when it came to chess, saying it was a shame he didn't apply the same logical thinking to his other subjects.
"You're absolutely brilliant, darling!!"
Lavender Brown's high-pitched, adoring voice cut through the room's ambient noise like nails on a chalkboard. She was sitting on the armrest of the sofa beside Ron, positioned as close to him as physically possible without actually sitting in his lap though she'd tried that on several occasions, much to Ron's embarrassment.
She looked even more excited than Ron himself about his victory, which said something about the intensity of her... enthusiasm. Her eyes were shining with what could only be described as worship, and her hands were clasped together in front of her chest in a gesture of ecstatic appreciation.
Then, completely ignoring Ron's resistance and his attempts to lean away from her, she leaned down with determination, cupped Ron's flushed face between both her hands with possessive firmness, and planted an enthusiastic, wet, lingering kiss directly on his mouth.
The display of completely unrestrained infatuation, performed right there in front of everyone without any sense of privacy or embarrassment, made both Harry and Hermione wince simultaneously in shared discomfort.
Harry actually felt his own face heating up in sympathetic embarrassment, and he had to resist the urge to look away or shield his eyes.
"Oh, I told you—"
Amid the predictable jeering and cat-calling from Seamus and Dean, who were making exaggerated kissing noises and giving commentary, Ron, whose ears had turned red vigorously wiped the excess saliva from his cheek.
When his eyes still slightly glazed from the assault finally managed to focus and he glimpsed Harry and Hermione standing together at the entrance to the common room, Ron immediately stood up in panic.
"Oh, you're back—"
Ron's hands were moving restlessly, searching for somewhere to rest. He glanced at the old clock above the chest of drawers, then raised his eyebrows in confusion.
"But Physical Education class only just started, didn't it? Did Professor Watson have to take unexpected leave again? Is everything alright?"
"Oh, there was a bit of an unexpected situation. If you're interested, Ron—"
Harry began, but then faltered slightly. Lavender's presence at Ron's side, her body language, made Harry significantly less comfortable talking freely with his best mate.
"What nonsense are you talking about, Harry—"
Ron broke free from Lavender's grip on his arm and hurried over to the two of them. Facing his two best friends, his cheeks were still flushed, but he pretended as if nothing had happened.
"So, what exactly happened? You both look like you've just been told Christmas is coming early. Will someone be kind enough to tell me what's going on??"
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