As usual, Dumbledore addressed the students after dinner, offering words of encouragement to the Triwizard champions. But he also delivered a harsh reality check.
"You must hunt the fragments while simultaneously maintaining your studies," he declared. "Because you will be taking your end-of-year exams alongside everyone else!"
Aside from the Durmstrang contingent, the announcement was met with calm acceptance. Those chosen as warriors were the cream of the crop from their respective houses; their academic performance was naturally excellent.
Durmstrang, however, was another matter. Those students were all muscle and instinct. It promised to be a disaster, as they possessed little talent for academics. To make matters worse, Dumbledore announced the Christmas Ball. Although this year's Triwizard Tournament had changed drastically, the traditions remained. The ball was an essential part of the festivities. Naturally, things differed from the original timeline; with so many participants, there was no opening dance. However, choosing dance partners remained an important matter.
The young witches and wizards were thrilled, instinctively glancing toward their crushes. Then, they froze. At that moment, almost every girl in the Great Hall was looking at Erwin Cavendish. Even the girls these boys admired were staring at him.
In an instant, Erwin felt like a lamb surrounded by hungry wolves.
Charlotte, seated beside him, smiled. "My lord, it seems you are in high demand. How do you plan to refuse so many invitations this time?"
"I think you are the perfect excuse to refuse them," Erwin replied smoothly.
"Of course," she said. "It would be my pleasure to serve you, my lord."
Erwin merely smiled and remained silent.
On the stage, Dumbledore allowed the cheering students a moment to settle. He glanced at Grindelwald. A silent understanding passed between them.
After the banquet, the students gradually left. Erwin returned to his dormitory; he was exhausted. The Cavendish family's work, however, was far from over. Erwin had emphasized that the struggle for the fragments knew no time or place. As long as their goal was achieved, that was all that mattered. Consequently, nighttime was rarely just for rest.
Late that night, Hogwarts fell silent. Most students were fast asleep, but the warrior teams from the four schools gathered to take turns resting and keeping watch. They were on high alert for ambushes. To counter the chaos, a special rest area had been prepared for all participants. They were essentially on a grueling march, avoiding isolation at all costs to prevent being picked off one by one.
Life at Hogwarts continued, though the competition between the schools wasn't as fierce as expected. Hogwarts and the exchange students seemed to maintain an unspoken truce. For half a month, not a single battle had been fought.
As Christmas drew closer, however, Durmstrang's patience finally snapped.
One day, they ambushed the Beauxbatons girls in a corridor. Fleur seemed to have anticipated this and reacted instantly. While Durmstrang was physically stronger, the Beauxbatons girls were no pushovers, having prepared in advance. Despite Durmstrang's full force attacking, they gained little advantage.
If Krum hadn't acted decisively—breaking away from Fleur to strike one of the weaker Beauxbatons students—they would have wasted their time entirely. After stealing two fragments, Durmstrang retreated quickly. The skirmish gave them a clear picture of their opponents' relative strength.
For the first time in half a month, the scoreboard in the lobby was updated:
Beauxbatons: 12 FragmentsExchange Students: 8 FragmentsHogwarts: 6 FragmentsDurmstrang: 4 Fragments
The sudden attack shocked the students, who had been distracted by romance. It was a rude awakening that the Tournament was far from over.
Fleur's expression turned icy. She had been guarding against the exchange students and Hogwarts, never expecting Durmstrang to strike first. Despite being prepared, two fragments were lost, and she was furious.
In the Beauxbatons players' lounge, the girl whose fragment was stolen looked on the verge of tears. "I'm so sorry, everyone! It's my fault. I couldn't protect it."
Fleur comforted her. "It's not your fault. Krum's power is undeniable; it's natural you couldn't match him. If he hadn't been in such a hurry, even I might have struggled. One loss isn't the end. What we need to worry about is Durmstrang attacking again. Besides, Hogwarts and the exchange students haven't made a move yet."
The other girls asked, "Why haven't they moved? What are they planning?"
"Whatever their plan," Fleur said, her eyes narrowing, "we can only do our best to protect what we have. You saw today that while Durmstrang is stronger, they aren't invincible. Against them, we can fight back."
The girls' eyes filled with fighting spirit. None of them wanted to be the weakest link. After a moment of thought, Fleur began rearranging their tactics. This was a team battle; she needed to leverage their teamwork to go the distance, ensuring that even if they lost, it wouldn't be a disgrace.
Meanwhile, back at the Durmstrang lounge, Krum led his crew back. The students were in high spirits.
"Beauxbatons is weak!" one jeered. "I say we keep targeting them. What do you think, Krum?"
Krum nodded. "Agreed. Although the exchange students caught us off guard once, that was a sneak attack. If we face them head-on, we'll win. Once we finish with Beauxbatons, we'll deal with those students."
The others nodded, eyes burning with resentment. They remained convinced their initial defeat was solely due to trickery.