Chapter 206: Clues Inside the Dragon Egg

After Krum left, Harry and Ron had planned to go speak to Hermione, but a clattering of footsteps made them turn around.

It was Elena, jogging with a piece of bread in her mouth, waving at Hermione, who noticed her and broke into a wide smile.

Harry pulled Ron aside, and under the Invisibility Cloak, they hid themselves perfectly.

"Thank goodness Beauxbatons' uniforms come with high heels," Ron's gaze still lingered on Hermione, "or we'd have been spotted."

"True, but there's no chance now—we should go," Harry said.

When they returned to the train, they found Zhang Qiu and Cedric sitting together drinking tea, with Donna beside them.

"Congratulations, Harry," Donna said. "The students all say you're the best."

"But not necessarily the smartest, right?" Harry chuckled bitterly. "I'm stuck on this clue right now."

"You mean the second task?" Donna said. "What clues do you have so far?"

"Yes, I need to ask you," Harry sat down beside the booth. "Do you know Meiledihe Pond?"

"Meiledi, that's the name of our river," Donna said without hesitation. "As for Pond, she probably meant 'Pond'—the stretch where the river bends into a pool-like shape."

"So the second task will be in the river?" Harry paused. "That makes some sense, but the Durmstrang ship is still moored there—how will they set it up?"

"That's why the second task is scheduled for February," Donna said. "We'll hold the Yule Ball on December 15th, then you'll all go home for break. That's when they'll set up the task site and use magic to conceal it."

"You seem to know a lot," Cedric said dryly. "Where did you hear all this?"

"Except for the ball's date, everything else is just my guess," Donna leaned back confidently. "You should go solve the clue inside the dragon egg—it almost certainly corresponds to Meiledihe."

"Uh, okay," Cedric looked puzzled.

"So what kind of challenge could be in the river?" Harry mused. "But more importantly, how do we crack the dragon egg's secret?"

"Set that aside for now—I suggest you focus on the Yule Ball," Donna said. "The champions and their partners must open the dance."

"That shouldn't be hard," Harry glanced at Zhang Qiu. "Zhang Qiu, will you be my partner?"

"According to divination… never mind divination—I'll do it," she said.

"Oh, good," Donna said. "But Cedric, you need to find a proper girl. And you, Ron—if you need help, I can set you up."

"I don't want to dance," Cedric said flatly. "Or maybe you can set me up too… wait, what does 'set up' mean again?"

"No, no, no, that won't do," Donna waved her hand. "You're handsome—girls will line up for you—but you must mind your status. I mean, if Harry dances with a fine girl like Zhang Qiu, you can't just dance with some random floozy."

"What about you?" Harry asked. "Would you be Cedric's partner?"

"I'm sorry, but I've already agreed to go with Sean Temple," Donna dodged the question. "But here's another idea—leave Zhang Qiu with Ron, and you two dance together. That would be brilliant."

"I'd rather fight ten dragons," Harry felt his insides twist.

"Spare me—I still want to get a girlfriend," Cedric chuckled bitterly.

"Exactly—it's crucial. No girl will turn down an invitation from a Triwizard champion," Donna tapped the table. "If you want a girlfriend, this year is your best chance."

"A partner isn't the same as a girlfriend," Cedric frowned.

"Neither is the Killing Curse the same as beheading," Donna rolled her eyes.

"Alright, I'll look into it," Cedric said guiltily. "But I want to focus on the dragon egg first—I think I'm getting somewhere."

Saying that, he pulled the brass dragon egg from a nearby cabinet and hurried out the door.

"Ha, guess why Cedric doesn't have a girlfriend, even though he's so handsome," Donna wore a smug expression.

"He can't really be into guys, can he?" Ron's face twitched. "By the way, you still haven't explained—what's 'set up' mean?"

"'Set up' means I introduce you to some precocious, wild girls," Donna pinched Ron's shoulder. "With your build, your muscles—I'll have to teach you the Contraception Charm."

Ron's face turned bright red. "Oh no, let's not talk about this—let's talk about something else, like… like Cedric."

"I don't like gossiping behind people's backs," Zhang Qiu regarded Donna with a measuring gaze. "Next topic."

"Then let's talk about Krum—he seems to have broken up with Renata," Harry followed her suggestion and changed the subject.

"Yes, but Krum doesn't need to worry," Ron said. "His muscles might even be better than mine."

"And he's tall—girls dig that," Harry said. "He looks a bit dumb, but that makes him cute and reassuring."

"Yeah, the 'set up' types love these curly-haired baboons," Donna dramatically scratched her ribs, making everyone laugh.

"Cough, cough—but seriously," Harry said, "Krum is deeply troubled—not just emotionally. After Renata broke up with him, he still has to deal with the task."

For Harry, who knew the truth, Krum approaching Fleur was perfectly logical. First, he'd gain a sincere teammate—one who, like him, was faking the competition. Second, Fleur's beauty was no less than Renata's, offering him emotional solace.

Besides, as previously noted, Krum was undeniably attractive to girls—he and Fleur might genuinely develop something. But the problem was—Hermione, unaware of the truth, faithfully played the assistant role, firmly blocking Krum at the door.

"Let's leave their business for later—we should go to class," Zhang Qiu patted his shoulder. "Potions this afternoon—try to learn as much as you can. Snape never sets easy exams."

Harry had little on his mind—he listened easily through the afternoon Potions class, trying to stuff the knowledge into his small head. Even if he forgot, it didn't matter—Ron dutifully copied every point the teacher said into his textbook.

That night, after dinner, as they sat in the carriage chatting lazily, Cedric burst in, drenched—his hair wet, his robes soaked.

"Is it raining outside?" Harry asked casually.

"No—I solved the dragon egg's clue," he panted. "It's the river."

Harry sat up instantly. "What?"

"I thought—if the dragon egg has a clue, why did Madame Maxime single out that name to us, oh thank you?" He took the towel Ron handed him, drying his hair as he continued. "Then I realized—maybe she was hinting we should open the egg by the river, so it won't screech."

"But it didn't work. Then I thought of another trick," he sneezed. "I went into the water and opened the egg there—it sang."

"Good heavens, it's barely two or three degrees outside," Zhang Qiu gasped. "Wait—I'll make you some ginger tea."

"I wrote down the lyrics," Cedric pulled out a parchment. "Thank goodness he sang in English—otherwise we'd be in worse shape."

While Cedric wrapped himself in a blanket and sipped tea, Harry carefully read the lyrics inside the egg.

"Where the song begins, where the tale ends. Seek each other, but think carefully—who hides in the reeds, who drifts in the river. Beware the clock's chime—you'll lose the hope you just gained."

"This shouldn't be too hard to guess," Harry muttered. "Assuming the arena really is Meiledihe."

"If we take that as true, what do you think it means?" Ron asked curiously.

"The place where the song begins must be underwater. I don't know where 'where the tale ends' is—but it suggests we split up, and watch out for two kinds of enemies—one hiding in the reeds, one patrolling the river? Maybe. And I get the clock's chime—it probably means the task is timed." Harry pondered. "Well, I've only guessed a little."

"We could write to Neville," Ron said. "He's great at riddles—you remember? He solved the riddle of Avalon."

"But that was… yes!" Harry slapped his thigh. "I'll write to Neville right away."

Harry thought—if he wrote to Neville after the task, describing everything in detail, Neville could use the Hyperspace Hour to return to the present in February and know exactly what happened. He felt a quiet pride in his own cleverness.