Chapter 248
The gentle lines of her face began to sharpen, her short black hair gradually taking on a faint golden hue. Her body stretched, growing taller by more than ten centimeters—until Draco's familiar form finally reappeared.
"You have sharp eyes, Professor Dumbledore," Draco said calmly.
He rose from beside Madam Pomfrey and walked toward the long golden table before the judges.
"Allow me to explain."
He stopped in front of them, posture straight, voice steady.
"Yesterday afternoon, I tested the effectiveness of the Polyjuice Potion. I've been studying how to extend its duration—experimenting with additional ingredients to strengthen it, so it wouldn't require constant renewal. It seems to have worked. Even after half a day, there were no signs of it wearing off."
As he spoke, no one noticed the brief, subtle change in Moody's expression.
The audience, however, erupted into shocked whispers.
"Of course," Draco continued, "I didn't expect the task to begin a day earlier than scheduled. Otherwise, I wouldn't have chosen that time for the experiment."
"Before conducting it, I had already discussed the matter with Professor Snape. He approved. I believe he'd agree now that the potion's quality is… quite satisfactory."
"Boy, now is hardly the time to discuss potion quality," Karkaroff cut in coldly.
"Then let's talk about the result," he went on sharply. "How exactly are we supposed to score this? I'd be perfectly willing to give you zero. And why didn't you report this after realizing you'd been chosen as a hostage? This is clear interference with the competition! I suggest your results be annulled entirely."
He slammed his hand on the table, his other hand twisting his goatee.
Draco didn't flinch.
"I simply thought it best to make use of the situation," he replied evenly. "If the hostage is already in danger, eliminating that risk in advance seems… reasonable. Besides, Miss Parkinson recently suffered a serious leg injury. It would be unwise for her to remain in cold water for extended periods."
"Mr. Karkaroff, the rules don't specify how to handle a situation like this!" Bagman jumped in hastily, clearly desperate to salvage things.
"Perhaps we could look at it another way," he added quickly. "Couldn't it be said that Mr. Malfoy effectively rescued the hostage from the very beginning—simply transferring the risk to himself?"
Karkaroff let out a cold laugh.
"So by that logic, he wins? What risk did he face? We made it perfectly clear that the hostages would not be harmed. The merpeople guarding them are under Dumbledore's arrangement."
"I think he performed well," Madame Maxime said thoughtfully. She had initially assumed Draco had withdrawn—but now, she realized she had misjudged him.
Pansy watched anxiously, worried that everything they had done might be undone because of her. She had already returned to her normal appearance, but Draco's earlier words echoed in her mind—
Just stay quiet. I'll handle everything.
So she forced herself to remain calm.
Nearby, Hermione sat on a stool beside Madam Pomfrey, still dazed. Her head felt heavy, her thoughts sluggish.
She only remembered that someone had saved her—then Krum had brought her back. Everything else was a blur. The argument unfolding nearby barely registered with her at all.
Krum stood beside her, watching with concern, uninterested in the dispute.
As for Fleur—
The mocking smile on her face had long since vanished.
Her expression gradually stiffened, then went completely blank. Her brows trembled slightly, her lips twitching as she stared toward Draco.
Then what was that I just did…?
Her thoughts froze.
She turned her head stiffly, staring out at the vast, dark lake, replaying everything that had just happened.
She felt faint.
Especially that last moment—
When she had leaned in so close.
Fleur felt as if her mind might collapse. Yet she couldn't show anything unusual. Thankfully, everyone's attention was on the argument, and no one noticed her strange behavior.
"It was just an accident… an accident…"
She repeated it silently, over and over, as if trying to convince herself.
But the more she repeated it, the clearer the memory became.
Even worse—Pansy's face in her memory began to shift… replaced by that infuriating blond boy.
"Sister? What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?" Gabrielle tugged gently at Fleur's robe, worried.
"No—no, I'm perfectly fine!" Fleur said quickly, a bit too sharply, startling her.
At the judges' table, the argument finally began to settle.
After a long pause, Karkaroff seemed to reluctantly give in, allowing Bagman to proceed.
"Very well… the results."
Bagman cleared his throat.
"Miss Fleur Delacour demonstrated excellent use of the Bubble-Head Charm. She also managed to subdue hostile creatures without engaging in unnecessary combat."
Applause broke out across the stands.
"However, she exceeded the time limit by one minute. Her score is—45 points."
Fleur inclined her head gracefully, her expression composed once more.
"Viktor Krum used Transfiguration on himself, taking on a shark-like form, which proved highly effective."
"Harry Potter used Gillyweed and achieved excellent results. He returned alongside Krum. His score is—43 points."
Harry let out a breath, patting his chest in relief. He was glad he had listened to Neville and abandoned the idea of using scuba equipment.
(He had hesitated for quite a while between the Bubble-Head Charm Sirius suggested and the Gillyweed Neville recommended.)
"As for Mr. Draco Malfoy…"
Bagman paused slightly.
"…his actions caused considerable debate. After discussion, the judges have decided to award him—44 points."
Karkaroff's expression darkened, but he said nothing more.
Sharp-eyed students noticed that at some point, Snape had appeared beside the judges, standing silently near Karkaroff.
Pansy clapped excitedly, her face flushed with happiness.
In the stands, Lucius and Narcissa both showed faint, satisfied smiles. The Slytherin students erupted into loud applause.
"Sometimes, what we see with our own eyes… isn't the truth."
Luna's soft, airy voice drifted through the crowd once more.
The Ravenclaw girl who had mocked Draco earlier turned around—
Only to find Luna's seat empty.
And so, the second task of the Triwizard Tournament came to an end.