Beneath the vast, starry sky, a young man and woman sat side by side on a stone bench. Mist from a nearby fountain lingered around them, mingling with the faint glow of fireflies cutting through the darkness with their deep blue light. The air carried the delicate fragrance of lavender, and the stillness of the winter night felt like a dream woven by celestial hands.
Qiu tilted her head upward, gazing at the endless stars above. A sweet smile graced her bright eyes. "Mr. Augustus," she softly called.
"What is it?" Augustus replied, his face filled with curiosity.
Above them, a shooting star streaked across the sky, its brilliant glow as dazzling as fireworks.
"Let's make a wish," Qiu said, her delicate features lighting up with childlike innocence.
Augustus chuckled softly but remained silent.
With a devout expression, Qiu lowered her head. Her long black hair cascaded down, covering her face as she solemnly prayed under the boundless stars.
"Do you want to know what I wished for?" she asked, turning to Augustus with a smile playing on her lips.
Before he could respond, a gentle warmth filled her gaze—like the calm ripples of an autumn lake. "Every wish I make will always include you."
"If only time could freeze at this moment," she continued, her tone sincere. "I would sit here with you until the end of the world."
Augustus listened to her heartfelt words, watching her earnest expression. Memories flickered in his silver eyes. In another year, in another place, beneath a parallel starry sky, there had been another girl who had proudly told him they would be together forever, never parting, until the world's end. Yet, some things—and some people—fade over time, dissolving into the sands of memory, beyond grasp.
He shook his head slightly, brushing away the fragments of the past. A faint sigh escaped his lips. "Time flows swiftly, like fleeting clouds. Even 'forever' and 'eternity' are but fleeting moments. Why cling to them?"
Qiu propped her hands on the stone bench, her hair lightly brushing Augustus's shoulder as the breeze carried it. Her eyes remained fixed on the stars above. "In truth, each of us is an island, isolated in this vast world. But to sit together and gaze at the stars, even if life is reduced to a single fleeting moment, I'd spend that moment with you, watching the sky."
Under the endless heavens, the two figures sat in serene silence, lost in the beauty of the starry night.
Elsewhere in the garden, Harry and Ron were walking through the darkness.
"Won't Parvati be upset? She didn't seem happy when you left with me," Ron asked gloomily.
"You didn't even dance with Padma before leaving her behind. You should probably worry about how to explain that to her later," Harry replied wearily.
Ron grumbled, tugging at his dress robes. "These robes… How am I supposed to wear them? Look at these lace trims! Malfoy wasn't wrong; this style really was in fashion a century ago."
"And did you see Hermione tonight?" he added bitterly. "She looked so smug, cozying up to that Durmstrang champion. Honestly, what she did is no better than betraying her friends!"
Harry glanced at Ron in surprise. "You were willing to give up your bed so Krum could have it and sleep on a camp bed yourself. Compared to that, Hermione just being his dance partner for the evening doesn't seem like such a big deal."
Ron's face turned bright red. "How can you compare the two? I only admire his Quidditch skills! Hermione practically defected to the enemy!"
Harry sighed in exasperation. Anytime Hermione's name came up, Ron turned into an irrational, fuming bull—impossible to reason with.
Suddenly, a deep voice broke the silence: "I knew it the moment I saw you."
Harry and Ron froze. It was clear they had stumbled upon a scene they weren't meant to witness. Ron quickly pulled Harry into the deeper shadows behind a stone reindeer statue.
"What do you mean, Hagrid?" Madame Maxime's low, throaty voice asked, with a slight rasp to it.
"I mean… I knew you were like me… Is it your mother or father?"
"I—I don't understand what you mean, Hagrid…"
"It was my mother," Hagrid replied quietly. "One of the last of her kind in Britain. But I don't remember much of her… She left when I was about three. Didn't have much of a motherly instinct, I suppose. Don't know what became of her… Probably passed on by now."
"Too cold," Maxime interrupted, her voice icy and cutting. "I'm heading back inside."
"Let's go," Harry whispered urgently to Ron.
But before they could move, a magnetic voice called out, "Harry Potter."
Harry and Ron's faces went pale. Had they been discovered?
Turning, they saw two tall figures standing near the flower beds.
Under the faint starlight, Harry recognized them as exchange students from the Eastern Academy of Magic. He exhaled in relief.
Politely, he asked, "May I help you?"
The woman in the black cloak stepped forward, her soft voice melodic and soothing. "Mr. Potter, my name is Dong Zhen, and this is Yang Fan, the leader of our exchange group. We've wanted to meet you. Even before we arrived, we had heard of your name. And now, as one of the champions in the Triwizard Tournament, we deeply admire your courage. It's a pity we missed your Firebolt's spectacular flight in the first task, but we believe there will be other opportunities."
Harry blushed slightly, both pleased and surprised. He hadn't expected his fame to reach the East, nor for them to hold him in such high regard.
"Honestly, my success in the first task was mostly luck," he admitted with a modest smile. "I'm not even sure I can manage the second task, but I truly appreciate your support."
Dong Zhen and Yang Fan exchanged a look. With a warm smile, Yang Fan stepped forward. "You need not worry too much, Mr. Potter. We've heard the second task involves solving the clue in the golden egg. Allow us to wish you the best of luck in deciphering it. If you face any challenges, feel free to seek us out. Though Eastern and Western magic differ greatly, an extra perspective can often be helpful. We will do our best to assist you."
Under the starlit sky, as Harry thanked them with a polite bow, satisfaction glimmered in Dong Zhen and Yang Fan's eyes.
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