The weather was gradually cooling, with the oppressive heat of summer giving way to the crisp chill of early autumn. These days, Augustus had been living quite peacefully. As one of Hogwarts' champions, it was clear that he held a considerable advantage over Harry, both in terms of reputation and strength. Compared to Harry, Augustus was far more fitting for the role of champion, and even Gryffindor had to admit that his image suited the title perfectly. In contrast, Harry didn't display any of the qualities one would expect from a champion.
In the magical creatures lesson, in Hagrid's hut...
Malfoy still wore his signature mocking smile. "Ah, look, guys, this is the champion," he said as he watched Harry approach alone. Draco lazily crossed his arms. "Do you have his autograph? You'd better ask him to sign something, I don't think he'll be here for long... Half of the champions from the Triwizard Tournament are dead... Potter, how long do you think you'll last? I'd say about ten minutes after the first task starts."
"Come on, Malfoy, you should admit it. You're jealous of Harry, aren't you? You envy that he's a champion?" Hermione quipped, not hiding her sarcasm. "Think about it, where can you even compare to Potter, whether it's Quidditch or anything else?"
Draco grinned, shrugging at the surrounding Slytherins, including a group of girls like Pansy, who giggled along. "Listen to this. She's comparing Potter—the famous Boy Who Lived, the so-called savior—to us mere peasants. Really, it's an insult to him. Now everyone knows that the most famous male wizard in the world is Hogwarts' champion, and next, he'll probably be the next Minister of Magic. How can he be compared to people like us?"
Lilian coldly responded to Malfoy, "Enough with the act. It's time to get back to taking care of those Blast-Ended Skrewts."
As Malfoy glared at her, Hagrid returned from behind his hut, carrying a stack of teetering boxes. Inside each box was a large, explosive Skrewt. Hagrid explained that the reason the Skrewts were killing each other was because they had too much excess energy. To solve this, each student had to tie a Skrewt to a rope and take it for a walk. The students were terrified. The only good thing about this plan was that it completely distracted Malfoy.
The brutal walk with the Skrewts began, and it was clear that Hagrid's real purpose was to give Harry a chance to talk. After the students walked away with their Skrewts, Hagrid, looking worried, pulled Harry into his hut.
As a champion, personal charisma was important, and recently, it had become hard to tell whether Augustus or Krum was more popular among the students. Interestingly, Augustus also had a considerable fan base even at Beauxbatons and Durmstrang. Many girls from those schools could be seen during breaks, eagerly hoping for his autograph.
In Potions class, Augustus and Lilian entered the classroom. They glanced at the center, where Harry and Malfoy were at a standstill. Lilian helplessly pointed at the badge Malfoy was wearing on his chest. Almost all the Slytherins had one on.
The badge had the same inscription on all of them, the bright red letters glowing like fire in the dim hallway:
Support Augustus Julius — The True Champion of Hogwarts
"Like it, Potter?" Malfoy called loudly. "They have other designs too—look!"
He pressed the badge hard against his chest, and the words disappeared, only to be replaced by a new message, glowing in green:
Potter is a Giant Turd
The Slytherins burst out laughing, pressing their own badges, and soon the entire area around Harry was filled with the same insulting words. Harry felt his face and neck flush with anger. He glanced at Augustus, who had just entered—fortunately, Augustus wasn't wearing one of those badges.
Harry's pent-up frustration seemed to suddenly break through his mental dam. Without thinking, he reached for his wand. The people around him began to retreat down the corridor.
"Harry!" Hermione warned.
Malfoy sneered. "Tsk tsk, grown up now, but there's no Moody to protect you here. Go ahead, show me what this so-called champion can do."
The two locked eyes, and in the blink of an eye, both took action.
"Fire Ice-Crackle!" Harry shouted.
Malfoy sneered and muttered an incantation. A deep green wind barrier sprang up, and Harry's spell hit it, absorbed without effect, like a stream flowing into the sea without a ripple.
Malfoy pointed his wand at Potter, and a crescent-shaped wind blade formed. The next second, the blade shot forward, like a streak of lightning, hitting Harry squarely. The force sent Harry flying across the classroom, landing ten meters away.
"Is this the 'champion'? That's eye-opening," Malfoy said calmly, watching Harry.
Harry's small body trembled slightly on the ground.
"What's going on here?" a soft, annoying voice asked.
It was Snape. The Slytherins chattered, trying to explain, but Snape extended a long, yellowing finger and pointed at Malfoy. "You explain."
"Potter attacked me, sir," Malfoy said maliciously.
Harry slowly stood up, offering no explanation, and simply returned to his seat.
"Tsk, just a short time as a champion and you're already out of control, just like your arrogant father. How shameless," Snape said coldly, his eyes filled with undisguised disgust.
Harry clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms until blood began to drip. He quietly stared at Snape, a faint smile crossing his face.
Snape, unusually, avoided looking into Harry's calm green eyes. "Let me think," he muttered irritably. "Gryffindor loses fifty points, Potter stays for detention. Alright, get in there now, or it's detention for the whole week."
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