After spending several days at Hogwarts Wizarding School, the High Inquisitor seemed to disappear without a trace, most likely returning to the Ministry of Magic, which had been unusually busy as of late.
It was unclear whether the school truly could not do without this Senior Undersecretary, or if her temporary departure from Hogwarts was simply because her official appointment would not begin until next year.
In any case, once Dolores Umbridge left Hogwarts, everything seemed to fall back into its proper order.
All the young wizards threw themselves into preparing for their end-of-term exams, while also looking forward to the possibility of an upcoming dance.
Of course, in the eyes of a select few, all of this was nothing more than a compromise hidden beneath a surface calm…
Although the Triwizard Tournament could no longer continue, the students from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang Wizarding Schools showed no real urgency to leave.
As a result, whether in classrooms or in the Great Hall, students from both schools could still be seen everywhere.
It had to be said that seeing those robes so different from Hogwarts' own made many young wizards subconsciously feel as though the Triwizard Tournament was still ongoing…
As for how Hogwarts students truly felt about Durmstrang staying on, it was hard to give a definitive answer. But when it came to Beauxbatons, the answer was anything but difficult to guess.
Especially for the male wizards.
Their answer was undoubtedly the same.
Because within Beauxbatons, there was a witch overflowing with charm and irresistible allure.
That witch was Fleur Delacour.
...
Evening.
Not far from Hagrid's hut, the door of the fairy-tale carriage was quietly pushed open by a pair of pale, delicate hands.
At the very moment it opened, a sudden gust of wind swept through.
Hair of a color exceptionally rare even in the wizarding world spilled free, spreading beneath the night sky like a galaxy unfurled.
"Sis?"
"Take it slow getting down, Gabrielle."
"Hey—got it, Sis. Stop treating me like a little kid. I'll be able to enter Beauxbatons next year."
"That's next year. Right now, you're not a witch."
Rather than stepping down from the carriage with measured elegance, the other girl, who looked to be only around ten, was far more lively and energetic. She hopped down in one go, puffed out her chest, and flashed a proud grin at her sister.
"Sis, you're way too slow. I can't wait to see if Hogwarts really has a Chamber of Secrets. Oh, right! And that champion who saved you."
"Gabrielle!"
No one knew which part of that sentence hit the mark, but under the moonlight, the usually proud and unapproachable Fleur let out a sharp cry that sounded more embarrassed than annoyed.
Perhaps because she was in front of family, Fleur's emotions were a little less restrained tonight…
As for her sister, Gabrielle, who shared the same silver hair, simply stuck out her tongue before looping her arm around Fleur's in a deliberately sweet, clingy gesture.
"Trust me. I won't cause any trouble."
"I'm starting to regret this…"
Watching Gabrielle instantly slow to small, careful steps and put on an obedient act, Fleur rubbed her temples, already feeling a headache coming on.
'I really hope nothing happens.'
Still regretting having brought her along, Fleur failed to notice the unmistakable excitement and curiosity shining in her sister's eyes…
...
During the period of the Triwizard Tournament, there was one particularly interesting phenomenon.
Every single time Fleur stepped into the dining hall, the air would fall silent in that instant, and the gazes of nearly all the male wizards would converge on her without fail.
But tonight was different.
Because beside Fleur stood an adorable young girl.
She, too, had beautiful silver hair. Though still young, it was already easy to see that when she grew up, her beauty would be no less striking than that of Fleur Delacour beside her.
"So this is where Hogwarts eats?"
Compared to Fleur's cool detachment in front of others, Gabrielle Delacour, who also possessed a quarter Veela bloodline, was far more youthful and animated.
Fleur shot her a sharp look.
"Quiet, Gabrielle. Otherwise, you'll stay in the carriage the entire time until we return to Beauxbatons. You won't be allowed to come down again."
"…Got it."
She said so, but Gabrielle's restless gaze showed no sign of stopping. It kept darting around as if searching for something, making Fleur frown with a growing sense of unease.
In truth, Fleur had never planned to let Gabrielle come down at all. If not for worrying that she'd be bored out of her mind in the carriage, and Gabrielle's relentless pleading, Fleur would never have allowed her to appear in front of everyone under these circumstances.
After all, Fleur had seen everything that had been happening at Hogwarts lately…
"Found it!"
"Found what?"
"Come on, let's go. There's an empty seat over there."
"Wait, that's—slow down, Gabrielle."
Following the direction Gabrielle pointed, Fleur, who had momentarily lost focus, froze for a second. Before she could react, her sister tugged hard at her sleeve.
Whether it was because she didn't want to hurt Gabrielle, or because she had silently accepted it, Fleur only paused briefly before allowing herself to be pulled along in that direction…
...
Slytherin. Pale gold hair. That unmistakable presence.
Gabrielle quickly spotted the wizard she had been looking for in the crowd.
Draco Malfoy.
He seemed lost in thought, unaware of his surroundings.
Perhaps because he was too focused, aside from the three girls sitting beside him who were watching Fleur with guarded expressions, Draco had no idea he had already become the target of Fleur's sister.
It was only when Gabrielle dragged Fleur all the way to his table that Draco finally noticed the disturbance and snapped out of his thoughts.
"Found you, Big Brother Draco!"
Pansy: "…"
Hermione: "…"
Astoria: "…"
Looking down at the arm suddenly clinging to his own and the bright, upturned face of a girl he had never seen before, Draco's expression filled with question marks.
Brother?
Since when did he have a sister?
Standing off to the side, Fleur stared with eyes wide open. She had absolutely not anticipated Gabrielle doing something like this.
And once she finally processed what had just happened, her beautiful face darkened instantly…
...
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