Chapter 373: Reporter Interview, Noise in the Golden Egg
"The information I gathered, plus your fourteen-year-old age, your sister being a special judge with a detached status, and so on, made me suspect that you were just a back-door entrant seeking fame through connections.
Perhaps you are outstanding among your peers, but there is still a certain gap between you and the older students.
All in all, that's how the misunderstanding arose." Fleursaid, a hint of tenderness in her eyes. "Thank you for helping me in the arena."
"No need for thanks." Aaron waved his hand indifferently. "If it weren't for not wanting to make my sister difficult, Harry wouldn't have gotten first place.
The later tasks shouldn't be as dangerous. I hope you perform well."
Fleur's eye twitched slightly, the tenderness in her eyes turning into an ineffable complexity.
After a moment of silence, she laughed wryly, "I'd do that even if you didn't tell me."
"That's good, otherwise I'd probably have to clean up another mess." Aaron said very bluntly.
Fleur hummed softly and turned to leave the tent.
"Gaius." Cedric looked at him, somewhat speechless. "Where has your emotional intelligence gone? Can't you tell that Delacour feels a bit differently about you?"
"You don't know anything." Aaron said unceremoniously. "There's nothing more troublesome than women.
I've been swamped with two girls lately, and I don't want to get involved with a third."
"Two?" Harry leaned over, asking with a curious expression: "I know one is Adrian, who's the other one?"
Aaron's face darkened. "That's personal privacy, I don't want to say, and it doesn't seem to concern you, does it?"
"Just tell us!" Harry said with a wink and a smile, "We're so familiar, what can't be said? I promise I won't tell anyone."
Aaron rolled his eyes. If he believed that, he'd be out of his mind.
Just as he was about to say something, two people rushed into the tent: Hermione and Ron.
"You're absolutely insane." Hermione, her eyes red, angrily scolded Aaron, "Those were five Dragons! Even if you wanted to show off, you shouldn't have taken such a huge risk!"
"Uh… I had it under control, nothing would have happened."
"Even so, what if something unexpected happened?" Hermione said, still shaken. "When you were hit by that pillar of fire, I thought you were going to die."
"It's true." Ron added, "It's the first time I've seen her face so pale, and she cried…"
"I didn't cry." Hermione interrupted Ron with a displeased expression, then looked at Aaron seriously, "There are two more events, you have to promise me, absolutely, absolutely, absolutely no more risks."
"Ah, this…"
Aaron really wanted to say that taking risks wasn't up to him, but seeing the anger mixed with a hint of pleading in her eyes, he reluctantly nodded.
Harry and Cedric exchanged glances, tacitly agreeing that Hermione was the second girl who made Aaron feel troubled.
"Harry." Ron looked at him awkwardly, "I suppose you wouldn't be crazy enough to sign up yourself."
"Have you finally come to your senses?" Harry said coldly, "It took you this long to understand?"
"It's not just me who thinks so, everyone's talking about you behind your back.
I think I should…"
"No need to say more." Harry interrupted, "It's fine, forget about it!"
Hearing him say that, Ron felt a little ashamed, and said timidly: "At least I warned you about the Dragon."
"What?" Harry was stunned for a moment, as if he had thought of something, and suddenly realized: "Charlie is also with the Dragon handlers, he told you, and then you had Hagrid tell me?"
"Otherwise?"
"So you two have made up?" Hermione felt a bit relieved. She had been living through Harry and Ron's cold war for a while now, and every day felt exhausting.
"How bizarre." Aaron shrugged, then asked, "What scores did the judges give you?"
"I think I got forty points, six points lower than you." Harrysaid, a little embarrassed, "Tied for second with Krum."
"That makes me look quite awkward." Cedric smiled wryly and shook his head. "I only got thirty-something points, tied for third with Fleur."
"What about the Golden Egg?
Adrian said the Golden Egg would contain clues for the second task."
"What clues could there be right after getting it?" Cedricsaid, speechless.
"That's true, I was too impatient."
...After dinner, Ludo Bagman informed the five champions to gather in the room behind the Great Hall.
"You all did very well, quite well." Bagman said gleefully, "Especially the two fourth-year Wizards, no one could have expected you two to be so outstanding."
"Can we get to the point, Mr. Bagman?"
"Don't be such a spoilsport, Mr. Gaius.
But I understand, many people are waiting for you to return and celebrate." Bagman showed an understanding smile and continued: "Getting back to the main topic, the second task will be on February twenty-fourth next year, at nine-thirty in the morning.
You have about three months to decipher the clues in the Golden Egg, which will tell you what the second task is.
Alright, that's all I have to say."
As soon as they left the room, they saw someone standing outside the door whom none of them wanted to see: the unscrupulous reporter, Rita Skeeter.
"Mr. Bagman, may I interview the five champions?"
"No problem." Bagman said, then immediately winked at everyone. "I'm leaving now, you all seize this opportunity to gain fame."
Krum paused, then sped up and left.
Cedric and Fleur followed closely behind him.
Skeeter didn't stop them, but when it came to Harry and Aaron, she blocked the entrance to the Great Hall.
A Quick-Quotes Quill and a notebook flew out of her handbag and hovered above her shoulder.
"Two outstanding champions, would you be available for an exclusive interview?" Rita Skeeter asked with a smile, moving closer.
"No."
Harry glared at her angrily, then dashed out.
"Alright! Then it's just you, Mr. Gaius."
"Are you sure you want to interview me?" Aaron asked meaningfully.
Rita Skeeter smacked her lips. "To be honest, I've considered the consequences, but you are a Dragon-speaker after all, which is much rarer than an Animagus.
It wouldn't make sense for me not to interview you, and the editor-in-chief would be displeased, wouldn't he?
But you can rest assured, I'll let you see the draft first, and I'll only publish it with your consent."
"Is that so! Understood."
Rita Skeeter's heart immediately swelled with joy, and her Quick-Quotes Quill also seemed eager to start.
"Mr. Gaius, how did you feel facing those Dragons? How did you communicate with the Dragon, and what did you discuss? The magic you used during the competition…"
"Look into my eyes." Aaron said directly.
Rita Skeeter subconsciously looked over, and her entire body froze like a puppet, only a strange purple light flashing in her eyes.
"I didn't want to do this either, but you're just too annoying!
From now on, do not interview me at all."
"Yes." Rita Skeeter said blankly.
Aaron nodded in satisfaction, then left with Abbey and the Golden Egg.
A moment later, Rita Skeeter came to her senses, shivering inexplicably.
"Where's Harry Potter? He ran off too fast!"
...Back in the Slytherin common room, deafening applause and cheers erupted.
Neville pulled Aaron to the center of the common room, then cleared his throat and said: "Dean Snape meant not to disturb your rest, but for some reasons, we absolutely had to wait until you returned."
"So… is there something?" Aaron looked at the dozen or so students surrounding him, feeling a bit bewildered.
Although the number was not large, they were all representatives of various grades; in other words, they represented the entire Slytherin House.
"Autographs!" Graham, a first-year, piled a stack of autograph papers in front of Aaron, saying admiringly: "Senior, you wouldn't refuse the requests of us freshmen, would you!"
"Heh heh! I refuse." Aaron sneered and turned to walk towards the dormitory.
"Hey, hey, hey!" Draco said with an awkward laugh, stopping him. "Forget the autographs, but at least say a few words for us to pass on to others!"
"That is indeed somewhat necessary." Aaron narrowed his eyes, musing, "First, don't disturb me unnecessarily; I will not answer any of your questions;
Second, I do not wish to hear Slytherin comparing me to others; it's too annoying;
Third, I will represent Slytherin and win the Triwizard Tournament."
"Understood." Neville nodded, "As a prefect, I can guarantee that Slytherin will fully cooperate."
"Thanks."
"There's one more thing." Draco nervously rubbed his hands. "Can we see that Golden Egg?"
"Of course, no problem." Aaron readily placed the Golden Egg on the table. "Inside are clues for the second task, but I haven't opened it yet."
A dozen people curiously observed the Golden Egg. Draco, unable to contain himself, twisted the knob at the top.
The golden shell bloomed like a flower, and an oval amber came into view, with what looked like bubbles inside.
But the next moment, an extremely piercing shriek emanated from within. The closest few lower-year Wizards turned pale with fright, and others quickly covered their ears.
"Malfoy, close it quickly."
Without needing a reminder, the moment he heard the sound, Draco closed the Golden Egg.
"What in the world is that? I bet even prisoners in Azkabancouldn't make such a miserable sound."
"Aaron." Neville rubbed his ears, and said solemnly: "You can definitely decipher the clues in the Golden Egg, but please don't open it in the dormitory, okay?"
Aaron nodded. Opening that thing in the dormitory would be a serious disturbance, and that sound just now was a hundred times more piercing than cat claws scratching glass. He didn't want to experience it again.