I met Hermione outside the tent, and together we began walking toward the common room. The golden egg floated behind me, moving in random directions, but still keeping close.
'What did Bagman say to you all back at the tent?' Hermione asked as we approached the gate.
"Not that much," I said with a shrug. "He just told us the next task is in February, and the clue for it is inside the egg we got from this task
Hermione's brow furrowed in thought as she glanced at the golden egg bobbing lazily behind me. "I wonder what kind of clue it could hold," she mused. "Knowing the Tournament, it's probably something cryptic or challenging to figure out."
"With my luck, it'll probably scream riddles at me," I joked, grinning. "Or worse, sing like a banshee."
Hermione laughed. "I wouldn't put it past them."
As we passed a group of younger students, a chorus of "Well done, Harry!" and "Amazing work!" rang out. I nodded and smiled in thanks, feeling a little bit exasperated at how fast the behavior of students change in Hogwarts.
Hermione chuckled beside me as we walked past them. "Now you're like a hero to them," she said teasingly. "How's the journey from villain to hero treating you?"
I smirked, glancing at Hermione. "Oh, it's absolutely exhausting," I said, feigning a dramatic sigh. "The adoration, the applause—how will I ever survive it all?"
Hermione rolled her eyes, though her smile lingered. "Well, I suppose it's better than being shunned. At least now they know you're not some glory-seeking fraud."
"Maybe," I said with a shrug. "The way people's opinions change around here, I stopped bothering to care what they think."
"Whether they adore me, despise me, or ignore me… it's all the same," I added with a half-smile.
Hermione raised an eyebrow. "Are you saying that the opinion of anyone else doesn't matter to you?"
I shrugged again. "There are a few people whose thoughts actually matter to me… and you should be glad to know you're at the top of that list."
She blinked, clearly taken aback for a moment, then smiled warmly. "Good to know," she said softly.
We continued walking for a few moments before I could feel Hermione's gaze on me, but when I glanced over, she was looking ahead, her face slightly flushed in the dim light.
When we reached the Fat Lady, I stopped Hermione for a moment before she could say the password.
"You should get ready," I said, glancing at her with a smirk. "Knowing how well I did in the task, I'm pretty sure Fred and George have already raided the kitchens and started a party in the common room."
She raised an eyebrow, looking at me with mirth. "Oh, I have no doubt. And you're probably the guest of honor, aren't you?"
I grinned. "Obviously."
Hermione laughed, shaking her head. "You're always so modest."
I grinned wider, leaning against the wall beside her. "Modesty is overrated, don't you think?"
She rolled her eyes with a soft laugh, clearly amused but pretending to be exasperated. "You're incorrigible."
"Hey," I shrugged, "someone has to keep the atmosphere lively."
"That's one way to put it," she said, her tone dry but with a glint of fondness in her eyes.
Before I could respond, the Fat Lady gave a small huff, as if she had been waiting long enough. "Are you two going to stand there all night, or are you coming in?" she asked, clearly impatient.
Hermione shook her head with a smile. "Right, let's go before we get caught up in more trouble."
I nodded and gave her a wink as she said the password, the door creaking open in front of us.
Sure enough, when we entered the Gryffindor common room, it exploded with cheers and yells again. There were mountains of cakes and flagons of pumpkin juice and butterbeer on every surface, covering the room.
Lee Jordan had set off some Filibuster's Fireworks, filling the air with vibrant stars and sparks, while Dean Thomas, showcasing his talent, had put up a series of new banners. Most of them depicted me standing triumphantly atop a frozen dragon in some sort of dramatic pose.
Hermione's eyes widened as she took in the scene. "Well, it looks like they really went all out this time," she said, her voice tinged with amusement.
I chuckled, glancing around at the decorations. "Wouldn't be the twins' style if they didn't, right?"
Fred and George, of course, were at the center of the madness, handing out snacks and keeping the party in full swing. The moment they saw me, they broke into wide grins and shouted, "Harry, our valiant knight!" as they made their way over.
Fred slapped me on the back. "Nice job out there, mate. We'll be expecting a big speech later, of course."
I laughed, waving them off. "You two really know how to throw a party, I'll give you that."
"Of course we do!" George grinned, tossing me and Hermione a butterbeer. "This place is practically a celebration headquarters. You should see the look on Lee's face; he was positively buzzing with excitement when he set off those fireworks."
I chuckled, taking a swig from the bottle. "I can imagine."
Lee Jordan zoomed by, holding a stack of fireworks in his hands and grinning like a madman. "Come on, mate! Let's have some fun!" he shouted over his shoulder.
"Seems like they've got everything under control," I said to Hermione, who only smiled in response.
As Hermione and I mingled with the rest of the Gryffindor's, they all congratulated me, offering drinks and snacks. The atmosphere was light-hearted, filled with laughter and chatter.
"Harry, you were amazing out there!" said Ginny, handing me a plate of cake. "I don't think I've ever seen anything like it!"
"Thanks, Ginny," I said with a smile, taking the plate.
After some time had passed, and the party was slowly winding down, Lee Jordan came up to me with a grin lighting up his face.
"Blimey, this is heavy," said Lee Jordan, picking up the golden egg, which I had left on a table, and weighing it in his hands. "Open it, Harry, go on! Let's just see what's inside it!"
I raised an eyebrow, amused. "I don't think that's a good idea, Lee. Bagman said there's a clue inside, and I don't think it's a simple note."
Lee, ever the adventurer, waved off my advice. "Pfft, you're overthinking it. It's just an egg. What's the worst that could happen?"
Before I could respond, Fred and George appeared at my side, both wearing identical mischievous grins.
"Ah, the golden egg! We've been waiting for this moment," Fred said, rubbing his hands together.
"Come on Harry, open it." George said while taking the egg and placing it in my hands.
"Yeah, go on, Harry, open it!" several people echoed.
"Well Don't regret it later." I reminded them before putting a sound dampening charm on my ears.
The egg was hollow and completely empty, but the moment I opened it, everything changed. The expressions of everyone around me shifted, and I could see them all instinctively clamp their hands over their ears. I am sure it was making the screeching wailing noise that was actually the merpeople singing about the next task.
I slammed the egg shut and removed the charm from my ears.
"What was that?" said Seamus Finnigan, staring at the egg. "Sounded like a banshee. . . . Maybe you've got to get past one of those next, Harry!"
"It was someone being tortured!" said Neville, who had gone very white and spilled sausage rolls all over the floor. "You're going to have to fight the Cruciatus Curse!"
"Don't be a prat, Neville, that's illegal," said George. "They wouldn't use the Cruciatus Curse on the champions. I thought it sounded a bit like Percy singing. . . maybe you've got to attack him while he's in the shower, Harry."
They joked some more about what the task could be about before Fred and George started selling their experimental products again.
Hermione gave me a quick hug and a smile before heading off to her room, for which I got some drunken whistles.
I chuckled, shaking my head, before following her example and heading back to my own room. I placed the tiny model of the Hungarian Horntail on the table next to my bed. It yawned, curled up, and closed its eyes, settling in for the night.
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