Charlie didn't stay in Hogsmeade for long; the weather in November was already very cold, and after coming out of the pub, he just wanted to return to his warm dormitory.
After returning to the Castle, Charlie headed straight for the Hufflepuff common room.
The corridor leading to the basement was empty, as most students were still wandering around Hogsmeade.
Charlie walked on the stone path, his footsteps echoing in the empty corridor.
As he neared the entrance to the Hufflepuff common room, Charlie unexpectedly saw a figure leaning against the wall.
Fleur Delacour.
She was wearing her Beauxbatons silk school uniform, the light blue fabric standing out prominently in the stone corridor.
The temperature in the corridor was very low, yet she was dressed quite thinly; set against her silver hair, she looked charming and pitiful.
Fleur saw Charlie, her expression conflicted for a moment, before she walked up to him.
"Charlie." She smiled somewhat unnaturally.
"I have something important to tell you about the competition."
Charlie stopped and looked the girl in front of him up and down.
After being toyed with like that last time, she still dares to appear before me? Is she really that arrogant?
"Speak."
Fleur looked left and right; there was indeed no one else in the corridor, but she still lowered her voice.
"We can't talk here. Can we go somewhere else?"
Charlie didn't move.
"I can't be bothered to move. If you have something to say, say it here."
Fleur bit her lip, a flicker of hesitation flashing in her eyes.
She looked around again, and after confirming that there was truly no one there, she finally spoke.
"The Golden Egg for the second task." Her voice was very low.
"You need to put it into water to hear the real riddle."
Charlie raised an eyebrow.
"Is it necessary to go somewhere else to say this?" He paused.
"Also, why are you telling me this?"
Fleur took a deep breath and slowly walked up to Charlie.
In the dim corridor, she raised her head, her gaze fixed directly on Charlie's eyes.
"Last time, I told you that I really did join your fan club."
Fleur's voice was very soft, carrying a strange tremor.
"I am willing to do anything for you."
Her eyes became unfocused, her body leaned forward slightly, her pupils emitted a faint glow, and her whole person exuded an aura of seduction.
Charlie's expression instantly turned cold.
Without any hesitation, he reached out and grabbed Fleur by her slender neck.
"Did I not say," Charlie pressed Fleur against the stone wall, his fingers tightening, his voice icy.
"Don't pull these little tricks in front of me?"
Fleur's face quickly flushed red from suffocation, and her body began to tremble.
Her hands grabbed Charlie's wrist, her nails digging into his skin.
It looked like she was in great distress.
But Charlie soon noticed something wrong.
The fear in Fleur's eyes was fading, replaced by an undisguisable excitement.
Her pupils dilated, her breathing was rapid, and her whole state didn't look like she was in pain, but rather like...
Charlie was stunned.
His hand loosened a little, and staring at Fleur's expression of both pain and pleasure, a chill ran through his heart.
Could this woman be a masochist?
Realizing this, Charlie immediately let go in disgust.
This type of attribute is the hardest to deal with.
Scold her and she might enjoy it; hit her and she might lick your hand.
Fleur fell to the ground, gasping for air, her hands covering the red marks on her neck.
She looked up at Charlie, the once arrogant half-Veela now had a hint of lingering desire in her eyes.
The feeling of being controlled by absolute power made her tremble, and an uncontrollable excitement surged from deep within her body.
Charlie looked at her speechlessly and coldly dropped a sentence.
"Considering you provided a clue, I'll let you go this time. Get lost!"
After speaking, he walked towards the Hufflepuff common room without looking back.
The corridor returned to silence.
Fleur collapsed on the ground, her legs weak and unable to muster any strength.
After the excitement, a strong sense of humiliation welled up in her heart.
She clearly didn't want to do this, yet the fear of being held in someone's hand like an ant had caused her unprecedented excitement.
So, she had involuntarily walked up to Charlie and used her allure on him again.
This contradictory emotion was something she couldn't even understand herself.
Fleur bit her lip, her nails digging into her palms.
So useless!
She cursed herself fiercely in her heart.
She clearly should hate him, hate the bastard who treated her so roughly.
Yet the feeling of being suppressed by absolute power just now, the fear and stimulation brought by the suffocation, had made her body produce a reaction that betrayed her reason.
Fleur raised her hand, her fingertips lightly touching the red marks on her neck.
A slight stinging sensation came, and her breathing quickened a little more.
No.
This is wrong.
She closed her eyes, trying to suppress the restlessness in her heart, but the scene from just now replayed uncontrollably in her mind.
The more she recalled it, the faster her heart beat.
Fleur opened her eyes abruptly and shook her head vigorously.
She hated her own weakness, hated that she could actually look forward to such rough treatment.
But the feeling of being completely controlled, the stimulation of walking on the edge of life and death, was eroding her reason like poison.
She imagined their next meeting; if Charlie grabbed her neck again, would he use even more strength?
Fleur leaned against the wall, trying to stand up, but almost fell again.
Her Beauxbatons silk school uniform was already wrinkled, and her long silver hair hung messily over her shoulders.
At this moment, footsteps came from afar.
Fleur's expression changed, and she hurriedly steadied herself against the wall, straightening her clothes.
A few Hufflepuff students walked past the corner, and when they saw her, they froze for a moment, their eyes filled with confusion.
Fleur nodded as if nothing had happened and turned to leave.
Her pace was a bit stiff, and the red marks on her neck were faintly visible in the dim light of the corridor.
Damn Charlie.
He wouldn't even change locations.
It turned out that she wanted to change locations not because she was afraid the secret of the Triwizard Tournament would be leaked, but because she was afraid of being seen in such an uncomposed state.
Returning to his dormitory, Charlie took out the Golden Egg.
After the first task ended, the judges asked the champions to take the Golden Eggs back, telling everyone that the second task would be held in three months, and the clue was inside the Golden Egg.
But after Charlie opened the Golden Egg, he only heard a very sharp and piercing scream, like the wailing of a banshee.
The entire common room was affected; at that time, Justin even thought the second task was to deal with a banshee, and envied Charlie for quite a while.
Charlie fetched a basin of water and placed the Golden Egg in it to open it, not knowing if the method Fleur mentioned would work.
The Golden Egg emitted a gurgling song, coming from beneath the water—it worked!
But perhaps because it was underwater, Charlie couldn't hear clearly what was being sung.
He thrust his head directly into the water.
The singing entered his ears, intermittently.
"...Seek us out where our voices sound... Seek and retrieve what we have taken..."
Charlie listened two more times, and after hearing the lyrics clearly, he pulled his head out of the water.
After casually casting a Spell to dry himself off, Charlie began to ponder.
The song sounded like the second task was to dive into the Black Lake and retrieve something.
This was effortless for Charlie; it was just going underwater, a Bubble-Head Charm would solve it, and there was nothing in the Black Lake but some Merpeople and small creatures, which were easy to deal with.
At the same time, there was some very good news in this.
Charlie's mouth curled into a smile.
This competition was for everyone to participate at the same time.
In other words, he could openly attack the other champions underwater.
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