With a handful of gillyweed in her grip, Jane Yu tightened her robes and fell into thoughtful silence.
According to the legacy left by Barty Crouch Jr. — Mediterranean Water Plants and Their Properties, this peculiar plant could grant its consumer gills and webbed fingers, enabling them to breathe underwater...
But it reeked like rotting fish left under the sun for three days, and its slimy, slippery texture felt disturbingly like some sanity-eroding tentacle.
She glanced at Harry, who stood beside her in a vest and oversized shorts. He was valiantly suppressing his nausea as he chewed on the gillyweed she had handed him.
Noticing her gaze, Harry, though trembling uncontrollably, forced a twisted smile. Despite the spasms racking his throat, esophagus, and stomach, he managed to give her a thumbs-up and said:
"Abso-yue-lutely... deli-yue-cious... like... swallowing yue... raw octopus yue... tentacles..."
It seemed that the resilient gillyweed had lodged itself in his throat, as vomit was already rising to the top.
Standing vigilantly beside him, Professor Moody had to slap Harry's back forcefully to prevent the young champion from choking to death.
"Pull yourself together, Harry! Be a man! A little herb can't choke you!" Moody bellowed.
Unable to bear the sight, Jane turned her head away.
It appeared that ingesting gillyweed wasn't the most practical solution after all.
If it really didn't work... perhaps the Bubble-Head Charm?
But picturing herself with her head shoved into a fishbowl wasn't much better.
Jane scanned her surroundings, observing the other champions' preparations and equipment.
Her gaze met Cedric's familiar smile, while Krum and Fleur both displayed visible anxiety and tension.
When they noticed her scrutinizing gaze, they immediately recognized her signature move!
Using her demeanor to exert psychological pressure on her opponents before the competition, leaving them flustered and unable to perform!
Look at her attire—her usual school robes—appearing warm and at ease in the freezing February weather!
This was confidence personified!
Meanwhile, they were clad in swimwear, exposing large patches of skin, shivering in the biting, howling wind!
Such a terrifying psychological tactic... what a cunning strategy!
Krum and Fleur quickly averted their gazes, determined not to let Jane's intimidation affect them.
They silently chanted "Believe in yourself" to bolster their confidence, yet a devilish whisper echoed in their minds:
She's someone who even dragons willingly submit to... would she fear merpeople...?
At this thought, the two champions' faces twisted, and a sudden impulse to withdraw from the competition to avoid embarrassment before the three schools arose.
Perhaps their own failure wasn't so dreadful, but their opponent's success was truly heart-wrenching.
They knew that after the dragon incident in the previous task, many students from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang had secretly switched sides.
Though their love for their respective schools kept them supporting their own champions—
Who could resist a dragon-conquering dragon tamer?
Many were discreetly inquiring about Jane Yu, with some even joining a peculiar club at Hogwarts!
Had it not been for the rumored partner disputes at Hogwarts, these students might have boldly extended invitations long ago!
Wait... could this mean... poaching... was also part of Jane Yu's grand plan?
Their hesitation, apprehension, and unease, along with the betrayal of their peers...
Was this all just another aspect of her and Hogwarts' play?
How terrifying!
Why did they even come to Hogwarts to endure such psychological torment?
...
Jane was puzzled as to why the champions seemed so anxious.
Look at Krum and Fleur—they were even trembling slightly!
Did she just hear the sound of chattering teeth?
She examined their attire and realized they were lightly dressed, ready for action in their swimwear.
Fleur's long hair was blown about by the wind, partially covering her face, while Krum's swim trunks flapped in the breeze.
No wonder they were shivering—they were freezing in the cold February air by the Black Lake!
Jane couldn't help but tighten her robes—
Why not wait until the last moment to undress before diving in? Staying warm for even a second longer counts!
When you're young, you don't understand the importance of keeping your joints warm; only when you're older will you realize how troublesome rheumatism can be.
Shaking her head, Jane turned her gaze to the three peculiar stands erected nearby.
Apart from the Hogwarts students cheering and loudly calling out her and Harry's names, students from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang were also shouting in French, Bulgarian, or broken English to cheer for Krum and Fleur.
"Viktor—Krum—Fleur—Delacour—Jane—Yu!"
Wait.
Was there something odd mixed in with the cheers?
Jane looked up in confusion, only to see the students from Hogwarts and the other two schools glaring at each other.
"...That's... our champion... who gave you permission to shout her name?"
Draco's voice rang out loud and clear, and even from a distance, Jane could vaguely distinguish it.
"Don't you have... your own champions?"
Several buzz-cut Durmstrang students puffed out their chests at him, assuming a combative stance.
With her sharp eyesight, Jane noticed the Slytherins rallying around Draco, while the Durmstrang students also began to gather—
"Your students should have some magnanimity," one Durmstrang student frowned.
Offended by the accusation of lacking magnanimity, the Slytherins flared up: "What? Aren't you worried about breaking Krum's heart?"
The Durmstrang boys quickly retorted:
"Everyone can support their chosen champion—our support for Viktor and our hope for Jane Yu's success are not mutually exclusive."
Even the Beauxbatons students nodded in agreement upon hearing this:
"Don't you have plenty of students who adore Krum? Have you forgotten how you shamelessly begged for his autograph with lipstick?"
For a moment, the Slytherins found themselves at a disadvantage.
But other Hogwarts students, hearing the commotion, also joined in, and the situation grew tense.
Professor Snape, realizing something was amiss, swiftly leapt over the railings of another stand. His black robes billowed behind him as he used his piercing gaze and threats of point deductions to quickly suppress the Slytherin students.
The other three Heads of House also hurried to the scene, preventing an inter-school brawl from breaking out.
After understanding the situation, the Heads of House collectively felt a wave of dizziness.
Never in their wildest dreams did they imagine—
While the Hogwarts students hadn't jumped into the Black Lake to vie for Jane Yu's favor—
They had started arguing with students from the other two schools about who had the right to cheer for her!
"Points! Points will be deducted for everyone!" Professor McGonagall scolded. "As the host school, haven't I reminded you to show some decorum?"
"Now, return to your places and stand properly—the competition is about to begin!"
The disgruntled students tried to argue, but the sharp whistle signaling the start of the competition cut them off mid-sentence.
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