Harry Potter and the Secret Treasures

Chapter 560: Hogwarts Champion

With the departure of the crowd, the room suddenly became much quieter.

“Ron, Cedric, Evan, Harry, Hermione, I suggest you go up to bed.” said Dumbledore, smiling at the five of them, “I am sure Gryffindor and Hufflepuff are waiting to celebrate with you, and it would be a shame to deprive them of this excellent excuse to make a great deal of mess and noise.”

Evan looked back at Dumbledore and wondered if he had found out anything.

He thought he would not get a response, but suddenly he saw Dumbledore smiling at him.

Dumbledore quickly nodded to Evan, and the smile seemed to be particularly meaningful.

What happened this evening was so weird, and the battle had already begun. He didn’t know who would end up laughing…

When they dragged Ron, who was almost unable to walk, and walked out of the room, they found that the Great Hall was deserted by now. The candles had burned low, giving the jagged smiles of the pumpkins an eerie, flickering quality.

“Weasley, I didn’t expect you to be a champion too!” said Cedric with a reluctant smile, reaching out to Ron. “But anyway, we now represent Hogwarts, even though you are my opponent…”

“Only one person can represent Hogwarts. I’ll beat you. I’ll prove that I am the real champion!” yelled Ron.

He didn’t shake hands with Cedric and let him stand there so embarrassed.

Ron now looked paranoid, and after the tremendous pressure had passed, ecstasy had followed.

His mind was in a state of chaos, with only one thought: His champion status had been recognized by the Ministry of Magic and the school, and his dream had come true. He was the champion of Hogwarts, the true champion!

Because of his excitement, Ron’s face was flushed and his whole body was trembling slightly.

“Well … see you, then!” said Cedric coldly, taking back his right hand.

They quickly separated, and Evan, Harry, Ron, and Hermione followed the stairs to the Gryffindor Tower.

“I became a champion, I am a champion, I am the champion of Hogwarts!” Ron muttered to himself.

Along the way, he kept repeating these words, as if hypnotizing himself.

Evan, Harry, and Hermione exchanged glances and looked anxiously at Ron.

“Ron, you shouldn’t have talked to Cedric like that!” Harry said hesitantly. “He’s really a good guy.”

“Then what should I say? We’re competitors now, and that pretty boy does not recognize me at all.” said Ron, “He and I are champions, but there’s only one who can represent Hogwarts, isn’t it?!”

“Yes, but…” Harry paused and continued. “Well, then can you tell us how you put your name into the Goblet of Fire? Is it the way Evan mentioned?” 

“I didn’t. I didn’t put my name in the Goblet of Fire. I wanted to do it, but I didn’t get a chance. We’ve been at Hagrid’s all day.” Ron froze for a moment and said angrily, “You guys, don’t you believe me?”

“Don’t be silly, of course we believe you, otherwise we wouldn’t have asked Professor Moody to come in and help you!” Evan answered subconsciously. He was still considering why Batty Crouch Jr. chose Ron. What was this guy’s plot?!

After Ron became a champion, the whole story and future developments were deflected too much for him to be able to anticipate anything.

A lot of things needed to be pushed over and reasoned.

“I’d like to believe you too, Ron!” said Harry, “although this is really hard to believe.”

“Well, you three! Now the question is not whether Ron had become a champion, but who put his name in the Goblet of Fire.” Hermione frowned.

“Whoever he is, he’s obviously helping me, isn’t he?” Ron said with a laugh.

“Didn’t you hear what Evan and Professor Moody said?!” Hermione’s eyebrows were raised up again. “That person wants to get you killed!” she said aloud.

“Get me Killed?!” Ron froze for a moment, somewhat disapprovingly.

“The professors said that the tasks of the Triwizard Tournament are very dangerous. It is not something we can cope with. You are very likely to die there, Ron!” Hermione said worriedly. “You are not as strong as Evan. There are many…”

“What’s the matter with you?!” Ron interrupted Hermione. “I’ve become a champion. You should congratulate me, not say these messy things.”

His eyes crossed over Evan, Harry, and Hermione, and the atmosphere was somewhat dreary.

“Congratulations!!” Hermione said in a strange way, looking at Ron with surprise. “You’re crazy; this is not a good thing, those…”

“I know, you’ve always thought I’m not as good as Evan, Harry, or even you!” Ron cried out, interrupting Hermione once more, and the smile on his face solidified. “But I’m the champion now, not you. That’s enough to prove everything, isn’t it?”

There was an awkward silence, and Hermione seemed stunned by Ron’s words.

Evan knew that Ron had been depressed for too long and was suddenly overwhelmed by the ecstasy of being called a champion.

They had to delay the topic for tomorrow, or let Ron face the first task, and Evan was sure he would then sober up…

Evan gently held Hermione’s little hand and motioned her not to continue.

Harry still wanted to say something, but they were already in front of the portrait of the Fat Lady.

The Fat Lady was not alone in her frame. Evan saw that the wizened witch, who had just appeared in the room downstairs, was now sitting smugly beside the Fat Lady. She must have dashed through every picture lining seven staircases to reach here before them.

Both she and Fat Lady were looking down at Ron with the keenest interest and a smile on their faces.

“Well, well, well!” said the Fat Lady, “Violet has just told me everything. Who’s just been chosen as school champion, then?”

“Balderdash” said Hermione dully, she was also angry.

If she had known this before, she wouldn’t have gone in to defend Ron.

“It most certainly isn’t, I saw it with my own eyes…” said the pale witch indignantly.

“No, no, Violet, it’s the password,” said the Fat Lady soothingly, and she swung forward on her hinges to let them into the Common Room.

The blast of noise that met their ears when the portrait opened was deafening.

Everyone seems to have planned to stay here. About a dozen pairs of hands wrenched Ron inside the Common Room, and he was facing the whole of Gryffindor House, all of whom were screaming, applauding, and whistling.

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