The Bard of Hogwarts

Chapter 314 An Invitation from Mrs. Maxim

After leaving the shelter and returning to her dormitory, Ino also drew back the bed curtains.

I glanced at the alarm clock; it was 7:50 a.m.

He had been in the sanctuary valley for almost an hour without realizing it. He glanced at Draco, who was still fast asleep, and then left the dormitory.

Breakfast is served in the Hogwarts kitchens between eight and nine in the morning.

Although he has the power of a prospective principal, Ino does not intend to overuse his power unless necessary, as he is not fulfilling his obligations.

Since they are students, they should act like students and follow the rules diligently. This way, they won't be annoying in any story.

Perhaps it's Monday, or perhaps there are foreign guests at the castle.

In short, after arriving at the auditorium just in time, he glanced around and noticed that the four long tables in the academy were already occupied by quite a few people.

……

The Slytherin table.

After Ino sat down, a standard breakfast appeared on the table.

The food on the plate was unexpectedly plentiful.

In addition to French croissants, jam, and honey, breakfast also includes delicious breakfast rolls, which are made from ingredients such as pastry, eggs, bacon, and vegetables, served with salad and ketchup for a different taste experience.

Next to the breakfast roll was a sliced ​​French sandwich, with butter, cheese, fried egg, lettuce and other ingredients, which looked very appetizing.

Looking at the delicious food, Ino sighed inwardly at the vanity project, then picked up his cutlery and began to enjoy the meal.

Time slipped by quietly during the meal.

After finishing the last bite of his sandwich, Ino picked up a napkin and gently wiped his mouth. Then he felt many eyes looking at him at the same time.

I put down my napkin, looked up slightly, and saw a tall girl walking gracefully towards me from not far away.

Those gazes followed the girl's every step.

"This is just awful, so utterly disappointing..." Ino sighed helplessly to herself.

He didn't need to guess to know that the girl opposite him was the most beautiful girl in the original story, Fleur Delacour, the school beauty of Beauxbatons.

But what frustrated him was the behavior of the Hogwarts boys; they all seemed to have their eyes glued to Fleur.

If you like something, then just openly and honestly appreciate beautiful things; there's nothing wrong with that. But instead, everyone's sneaking glances. The most obvious example is those guys at the Gryffindor table, taking a bite of food and then stealing a look before pretending to wipe their mouths.

What they considered a secret was, in fact, quite conspicuous.

The only advantage might be that all the boys in the castle are secretly watching, so that everyone is on the same starting line and no one laughs at anyone else.

……

On the other side, Furong kept her eyes fixed on the long table opposite. When she noticed the other person raise their head, she returned a gentle smile and then quickly walked forward.

"Good morning, Mr. Swinburne! I'm so sorry to have interrupted your meal."

Furong's English isn't standard and sounds a bit garbled, but with her charm, that's all minor.

"Good morning, miss. But as you can see, I've already finished breakfast."

Ino answered calmly, her gaze landing openly on Furong's face.

She wasn't as stunningly beautiful as described in the story, but she was definitely pretty. Her petite figure and waist-length silver hair made her look not only mysterious but also strangely alluring.

As Ino gazed at Hibiscus, Hibiscus was also looking at Ino.

Their eyes met, and Furong found not a trace of infatuation in the other person's eyes, only admiration.

This appreciation, however, is mostly focused on her hair.

This discovery left her somewhat frustrated, but it also reminded her of her grandmother's words of advice from her childhood:

"When a person is unswayed, inviolable, and unwavering, he possesses something captivating."

As time passed, Furong initially thought it was a joke, since she hadn't found a man who couldn't be tempted over the years.

But today's encounter made her suddenly realize that what her grandmother once said seemed to make a lot of sense.

A pair of amber eyes, their pupils devoid of any desire, clean and bright. And this cleanliness was not like the innocent ignorance of an infant, but rather as if, after absorbing all the affairs of the world, one had still chosen that purity.

Seventeen-year-old Furong, perhaps having some experience, naturally looked away after a brief eye contact. Even in open and romantic France, staring at a boy you've just met is hardly polite.

"My name is Fleur, Fleur Delacour." After sitting down, Fleur introduced herself.

"Alright, Miss Delacour!" Ino nodded slightly, then looked across the long table: "Is there anything I can do to help you?"

"I'm here to deliver a letter!" Fleur took an elegant envelope from her pocket and gently placed it on the table. "Professor Maxim asked me to give this to you!"

"Thank you!" Ino replied politely, looking at the envelope on the table.

He wasn't surprised by Ms. Maxim's letter; as the headmaster of Beauxbatons, he probably wouldn't see the legendary alchemist at other times.

But now that Nico is busy dealing with the inheritance, the two naturally have to deal with each other quite often.

"I've given you the letter! If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave now." Furong stood up and said with a slight smile.

She was quite curious about the boy in front of her, but she also had her own pride.

Upon hearing this, Ino also politely stood up to see her off: "Okay! Thank you again, Miss Delacour."

He didn't intend to dwell too much on Fleur, not because he was afraid of trouble or thought she wasn't pretty, but because of a kind of tradition and conservatism inherent in England.

A very attractive 17-year-old woman, and from open-minded France...

Life is not a fairy tale, and there is probably not that much purity and innocence in it.

……

As Hibiscus left, Ino noticed that the focus of attention around her had suddenly shifted.

He chuckled inwardly and picked up the letter on the table.

Upon opening the envelope, one is greeted by standard, elegant English calligraphy, which, frankly, does make a good first impression.

Before opening the letter, he had even considered finding a translator who could speak French.

The letter was short, and as he read it, he gradually understood Ms. Maxim's intentions.

A few minutes later.

"Just as I thought..."

Ino put down the letter in his hand. He was now certain that Nico must have said something.

Otherwise, the principal of Beauxbatons wouldn't have filled the entire letter with politeness and courtesy, and even included a subtle invitation.

Although the invitation was subtle, its meaning was quite clear; it could even be described as a future job offer, inviting him to join Beauxbatons and promising that he could become a professor of alchemy upon graduation.

To be honest, Madam Maxim was very sincere, but Hogwarts was one step ahead of her.

Although he refused, Ino still planned to find an opportunity to meet the mixed-race female principal, and also to make a copy of the books left by Nico and give it to Beauxbatton, after all, it was what Nico had promised.

(End of this chapter)