Chapter 178: The Triwizard Tournament

As the train neared its destination, Harry and Luo En left the compartment to change into their robes. When they walked into an empty compartment and started changing clothes, Harry caught sight of Luo En's dress robes at a glance.

"Are you still bringing it?" Harry asked. "To be honest, I think this is really a bit too retro."

"But I look pretty good in it, and it matches Ivy's dress very well." Luo En said. "I heard there's a dance at school this year, so I want to invite her."

"You only have this much ambition, Wei Silai." Ma Erfu appeared at the door, his face looking a bit distorted. "I heard you were dancing with a Muggle girl during the summer vacation; it really makes me feel sick!"

"Do you know that if a pure-blood wizard doesn't marry a pure-blood girl, our social etiquette, beautiful character, beautiful personality, and even our souls will be ruined! The glory of the Wizarding World is ruined by your Wei Silai family..."

"Don't listen to him, Luo En," Harry held back Luo En, who was a bit angry. "He's just jealous."

"I am not!" Ma Erfu said angrily. "I am not!"

"Yes," Crabbe echoed. "Ma Erfu is not jealous that you can be Ivy's dance partner."

"That's not what it is!!!" Ma Erfu angrily punched his pectoral muscle, punching Crabbe back several steps.

"Oh right." Goyle added. "Ma Erfu is not jealous that you are surrounded by Muggle girls."

"I'm going to throw you two out!" Ma Erfu gritted his teeth and grabbed the two followers who were tearing down his facade, and walked away without looking back.

Luo En didn't feel angry anymore; he couldn't help but burst into laughter, then low laughter, and finally belly laughter.

Several heads looking for excitement poked out from the neighboring compartment, and Neville was among them.

"He's quite right, Luo En." Neville echoed with a smile that wasn't a smile.

"Who's right? Do you also think pure-blood wizards shouldn't marry Muggle girls?" Ernie Macmillan from the compartment on the left asked.

"No, I mean Crabbe is quite right; Ma Erfu is jealous that you can be Ivy's dance partner." Neville said this and pulled his head back.

Ernie felt he might have said the wrong thing, hurriedly said sorry, and also pulled his head back.

"However, to be honest," Luo En scratched his head. "I'm a bit envious of Donald."

"Save it, Luo En." Harry decided to pull his friend out before he got deeply involved in emotional entanglements. "If we don't finish off the Mysterious Person, then all this is just a mirage."

During the rest of the journey, Luo En's mood was visibly low. He was first worried about the outcome of Harry's duel with Voldemort, then couldn't help but fantasize about the beautiful Hermione. Even when he occasionally saw Ivy, who was unexpectedly in tune with him, he had to feel uneasy and inferior because of his poverty and Ma Erfu's wealth. This mental exhaustion could be said to be quite serious.

Finally, the Hogwarts Express slowed down and stopped at the pitch-black Hogsmeade station. It was pouring rain outside. Harry and Hagrid greeted each other hurriedly, and then pulled the unhappy Luo En to climb into a carriage.

Getting off the carriage and witnessing the annoying Peeves attacking a few unlucky ones with water balloons, only to be driven away fiercely by Professor McGonagall, Luo En's mood improved a lot. He followed Harry happily to the Great Hall to prepare for the dinner.

There was nothing worth mentioning about the Sorting Ceremony. Colin's younger brother also came to Gryffindor. This young man named Dennis Creevey, like his brother, worshipped Harry very much, which made him feel a bit embarrassed.

"Before we eat, I must seriously warn everyone present." Deng Buliduo's voice echoed in the Great Hall. "If I find out again who is playing pranks outside the school and framing the so-called Cassandra, I will put the whole school in detention!"

"Who fed Colonel Fabust the Ton-Tongue Toffee?" When he said this, many people couldn't help but look at the Wei Silai twins, because the Ton-Tongue Toffee was clearly their invention.

"Who released the Dark Mark at the World Cup?" Now a bunch of people looked at Ma Erfu; everyone knew his father held a high position among the Death Eaters.

"Who blew up the trash can of the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor?" This was incredible; the eyes of the four tables actually looked at Snape in unison, making him cough twice unnaturally.

"I won't pursue these matters for now," Deng Buliduo's tone suddenly became gentle. "Now let's eat."

When Harry and Luo En finally had their fill, Deng Buliduo's routine speech began. After saying those clichés, he said mischievously: "In addition, I must very regretfully tell everyone that the Quidditch House Cup will not be held this year."

"Because, another large-scale event will start in October and last for the entire school year. I am very happy to announce that the vast majority of students will accompany me to Beauxbatons, to jointly—"

Just then, the door of the Great Hall was slammed open with a *bang*, and a man with gray-white hair, a fake leg, and a fake eye walked toward the head table step by step.

"Oh, I should have introduced the personnel changes for this term first." Deng Buliduo said as if he had just remembered, changing his words. "Professor Doudou, who is widely loved by the children, has to return to his Auror work. The one who will take over as the Muggle Studies professor will be Professor Lu Ping."

Lu Ping, who was originally sitting at the teachers' table, smiled at everyone cautiously. He didn't seem to have much confidence in taking over the Muggle Studies class.

"And what I want to introduce to you is our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Moody." Deng Buliduo said this just as Moody reached the end of the head table.

"What's going on? Lu Ping was teaching well, why change people?" Colin leaned over and asked.

"That's because this position has been cursed. Anyone who teaches Defense Against the Dark Arts for more than a year might have bad things happen." Harry explained. "Lu Ping being able to switch courses in one piece is already very lucky."

"Don't talk nonsense, where would Lu Ping get a beard and a tail." Luo En hurriedly poked Harry's waist.

"That's just a proverb..."

However, it was unlikely that Colin would guess the fact that Lu Ping was a werewolf because of this ambiguity, because Deng Buliduo couldn't wait to talk about what he was about to announce.

"I am very happy to tell everyone that the Triwizard Tournament will be held at Beauxbatons this year. Any student who is qualified to participate can depart for Beauxbatons at the end of October, to compete on the same stage with the other five schools and show the style of British wizards." Deng Buliduo paused. "At that time, students who are seventeen years old, or students who have the ability to quietly bypass the age limit, can board the Hogwarts Express and depart for Beauxbatons!"

"In order to explain to some students who don't know what this tournament is all about, please allow me to waste a few words," Deng Buliduo continued. "The Triwizard Tournament is a friendly competition between the three major magic schools in Europe. It is a grand event that Hogwarts, Beauxbatons, and Durmstrang intend to hold every five years. An impartial judge will select one champion from each school, and the three champions will compete in three magical tasks. The winner will win honor for their school and a scholarship of one thousand Galleons for themselves."

"For those children who have long known about the Triwizard Tournament, I hope you will also listen carefully next. This competition will be more international. In addition to the original three schools, there will be Ilvermorny from North America, Koldovstoretz from Eastern Europe, and the Mahoutokoro from East Asia participating. It is also one champion per school, but the champions will compete in teams of two, competing in knowledge, courage, friendship, and will at Beauxbatons. The honor won by the winner will be more valuable than any previous Triwizard Tournament!"

"Great, seventeen years old, I really don't know what Deng Buliduo is thinking." Luo En said unhappily. "Shouldn't you be counted in?"

"You forgot he also said, 'or students who have the ability to quietly bypass the age limit'." Harry said confidently. "Deng Buliduo won't forget that I have an Invisibility Cloak. We will definitely be able to sneak onto the train with the Invisibility Cloak when the time comes."

"That's right!" Luo En became excited all at once. "The Invisibility Cloak your father left you is the best!"

Although Fred and George were still a few months away from being truly seventeen, they weren't annoyed, but discussed preparing to start researching how to bypass Deng Buliduo's restrictions, even though Deng Buliduo hadn't really set up any kind of magic yet.

"Hey Harry, you're planning to participate, right?" On the way back, Luo En said happily in the aisle. "I reckon the Hogwarts champion will most likely be you!"

"Do you know?" Harry also said happily, revealing an inside scoop. "The Mahoutokoro doesn't intend to participate. It was Scrimgeour who insisted they come, so—"

Under the expectant gazes of a large circle of students around him, Harry said the news. "So they will give the quota to Hogwarts, and there will be two Hogwarts champions!"

Luo En couldn't help but let his imagination run wild. If he became the second champion of Hogwarts and won the Triwizard Tournament with Harry, standing in front of all the teachers and students of the school to accept cheers, Hermione's face would be particularly clear in the blurred crowd, her face flushed, full of admiration and praise.

The inside scoop Harry brought spread through the school almost in an instant. That night, almost every student buried their face in their pillow, laughing, having the same dream, except that the "particularly clear" and "flushed, full of admiration and praise" face had slight differences for each... ===== CHAPTER 179 =====