bioinnovel Chapter 329 The Secret of the Golden Egg
Chapter 329 The Secret of the Golden Egg
Chapter 329 The Secret of the Golden Egg
In Belvina's office, a one-woman show is unfolding.
The dialogues are all soliloquies, the opponents are all memories, but Cedric is not heartbroken.
On the contrary, Cedric was very excited, radiating a blissful feeling of being deeply in love.
"Cho is a very charming girl, so it's perfectly normal for Harry to like her," Cedric said. "They've played against each other in Quidditch."
Cedric paced back and forth in the room with his hands behind his back. He didn't seem angry, or at least he didn't appear to be.
"But Cho chose me!" he continued. "Of me, Harry, and all the other suitors, she chose me!"
A cloying, saccharine scent of romance filled the room. Belvina wanted nothing more than to kick Cedric's backside with her pointed boots. "No wonder Cho seemed preoccupied those days before Christmas; it was because of Harry," he continued. "She probably didn't say anything because she was afraid of affecting my friendship with Harry!"
Belvina's patience was about to reach its limit. She was a professor of Muggle Studies, not a professor of Campus Romance Studies, and certainly not a confidante.
"No wonder those girls around Cho always gave her strange looks; it's all because of Harry," Cedric continued. "They knew what Harry was thinking all along!"
Belvina sighed. Sure enough, even wizards are not immune to the scheming and backstabbing among girls.
"Cedric, is there anything else?" Belvina asked, subtly indicating that he should leave.
"No, Professor," Cedric said. "Now I understand what happened, and I will handle my relationship with Harry properly."
Can this complicated and melodramatic relationship really be handled properly?
Despite her doubts, Belvina stretched out her hand toward the door, signaling Cedric that he could leave.
However, Cedric didn't leave immediately. Instead, he continued, "We must unlock the secret of the golden egg as soon as possible so we can accompany Cho to Hogsmeade without any worries. We must unlock it quickly!"
Belvina's expression instantly turned serious; she really didn't want to hear any more Hogwarts love stories.
The more you hear and see, the more your brain gets clogged up.
Cedric dashed to the door of the room like a monkey that had just run down from the mountain.
As he walked out, he turned back and said, "Professor, wait for my good news! I'm sure I'll be able to unlock the secret of the golden egg! Within a week!"
As the protagonist scurried off the stage, the one-man show came to an end, leaving only bewildered spectators.
Belvina, who was older and unmarried with no children, couldn't understand it, but she was deeply shocked. Was Cedric so insane that she didn't recognize him, or was this love?
Belvina shook her head helplessly, cleared her mind of all distractions, and opened the International Magical Cooperation Division's work briefing that Percy had sent her.
For the next week, the two Hogwarts warriors were as energetic as oxen chugging coffee before work.
Harry, consumed by jealousy, currently has no affection for Cedric, and even when it comes to who can unlock the secret of the golden egg first, Harry wants to compete with him.
In order to defeat his rival, Harry put in more effort than ever before. Wherever he went and whatever he did, he kept thinking about the connection between the golden egg and the Black Lake.
On one occasion, Harry even took the golden egg to the library, where it unexpectedly rolled off the desk with a loud clatter.
As expected, an enraged Mrs. Pince immediately appeared in the library, wielding a feather duster and driving Harry and his two companions out of the sacred and solemn library.
Mrs. Pince didn't care whether Harry was a Hogwarts hero or not; if anyone broke the library's rules, Mrs. Pince would grab a feather duster and kick them out.
On the other hand, Cedric's obsession with the golden egg was no less than Harry's, and perhaps even greater.
Whether eating, attending classes, sleeping, in the library, or in the restroom, Cedric can magically produce golden eggs.
Even when Cedric went for a walk with Cho Chang, Golden Egg never strayed far from him, making them seem like a family of three.
A week passed in the blink of an eye, and the two heroes of Hogwarts met again in the Muggle Studies classroom.
That evening, Harry and Cedric shook off their earlier gloom and strode confidently into the office.
There was no need to ask; just by looking at their smug expressions, you could tell they had already cracked the mystery of the golden egg.
"It seems you've unlocked the secret of the golden egg," Belvina said. "Not bad, at least you're not hopelessly stupid."
"That's right, it's unlocked," Harry said first. "We're going to dive deep into the Black Lake and retrieve what was taken from us within an hour."
After saying that, Harry looked at Cedric with a smug expression, as if he were declaring war on his rival.
“Harry is right, we need to dive into the Black Lake to find the mermaids,” Cedric added. “The mermaids took our things, and we need to get them back within the allotted time.”
After saying that, Cedric looked at Harry, as if accepting a challenge from his rival.
The two warriors locked eyes, and with their glasses on, a subtle tension filled the air.
"Now that you know you're going to dive into the Black Lake, what are your plans?" Belvina asked. "After all, you'll be staying underwater in the Black Lake for a long time."
"The Bubble Head Curse!" Cedric blurted out.
"Scuba," Harry said.
Harry, having lived in Muggle society for many years, always manages to find solutions that are relevant to Muggles.
Of course, it's possible that Harry had no idea about the Bubble Head Charm, given that he was only in his fourth year.
The Bubble Head Spell creates a large bubble around the caster's head, allowing the caster to breathe underwater or isolate themselves from the surrounding polluted air.
However, it's important to note that wizards with bad breath are not advised to use the Bubble Head Charm, as they might be overwhelmed by their own stench.
"The Bubble Head Curse is a great option, Cedric," Belvina said.
Then, Belvina looked at Harry and continued, "Harry, while scuba diving can provide you with the necessary oxygen underwater, you are a wizard, and you are participating in competitions related to magic."
Scuba is good, but not suitable for the Triwizard Tournament; it's not magical enough.
The other warriors were using magic to solve their problems, but Harry was using Muggle methods, and the outcome was predictable.
Leaving aside the issues of Mrs. Maxim and Barty Crouch, Karkaroff certainly wouldn't get any points, and there's ample reason to give him 0.
"I don't know the Head-Bubble Charm," Harry said bluntly. "I'll go back and practice."
"The head-breathing spell isn't the only option," Belvina said. "While practicing the head-breathing spell, you can try to find other ways to breathe underwater."
She paused for a moment, then continued:
"Magic encompasses a wide range of things. Don't limit yourself to spells; you can also learn about magical creatures and plants. Otherwise, why would the school offer herbology?"
When it comes to herbalism, the first person that comes to mind is naturally Professor Pomona Sprout, the headmistress of Hufflepuff.
As one of Hufflepuff's own children, Cedric decided to consult Professor Sprout and seek the Dean's help when he returned home.
Harry frowned. Although Professor Sprout's attitude was no longer as cold as before, Harry was still hesitant to ask the Headmaster of Hufflepuff.
Besides Professor Sprout, who else is skilled in herbalism?
Soon, a round face appeared before Harry's eyes—Neville Longbottom!
Who else in the student body is better at herbalism than Neville Longbottom? Even Hermione can't compare to Neville in the field of herbalism.
With that thought, Harry's brow relaxed, and he looked quite at ease, glancing at Cedric with a leisurely air.
Unfortunately, Harry didn't receive a response from Cedric, just as he failed to invite Cho Chang.
"Also, do you know anything about mermaids?" Belvina asked, "Not the mermaids from Muggle literature." She added.
"I know!" Cedric answered again. "Mermaids are intelligent creatures who have actively rejected the status of 'human.' They have their own culture, can even create music, and can tame aquatic creatures, craft weapons and jewelry. Oh, and they even have their own language."
The horrific screams emanating from the golden egg were the language of the mermaids.
Belvina nodded and said, "The answer is comprehensive, but I won't give Hufflepuff any extra points."
She continued, "The underwater environment of the Black Lake is very complex. Besides mermaids, you also need to learn more about aquatic creatures, especially the aggressive ones. I hope your Defense Against the Dark Arts course hasn't been delayed too much."
If it were merely about diving into the Black Lake and finding the mermaids who inhabit it, that level of difficulty wouldn't be worthy of the title of the Triwizard Tournament.
The Warriors' real challenge isn't facing the mermaids, but rather what they'll encounter while searching for their settlement, such as Greendylo.
The pressure from the bottom of the Black Lake, the lack of light, the absence of direction, the ever-present threat of attack, and the mandatory return time.
This is the specific content of the second project.
"Also, do you know what Viktor Krum has been up to lately?" Belvina asked.
Upon hearing this, Harry and Cedric exchanged glances. They weren't Krum's biggest fans, so how would they know what the superstar was doing?
Harry thought for a moment and said, "Krum goes to the library often, starting before Christmas."
"I hadn't really noticed that," Cedric said. "I didn't expect our star player to be so interested in learning."
study?
Study my ass!
Krum went to the library to see Hermione, not to study.
Despite knowing that Krum's intentions were towards Hermione, Harry still didn't expose Krum's persona of being a studious person.
"Krum has been practicing winter swimming, haven't you two ever seen him do it even once?" Belvina said. "He started practicing a long time ago."
Upon hearing that the Quidditch star was practicing winter swimming, Harry and Cedric immediately realized the reason: Viktor Krum was getting used to the icy Black Lake in advance!
"Don't you two have any plans to practice winter swimming together?" Belvina said. "At least you can look out for each other if you keep each other company."
Black Lake was still quite cold at the end of February.
Harry and Cedric both shook their heads.
They would rather freeze to death in the Black Lake in February than end up like Krum.