HP: Wormwood and Lightning Wood

Today is Saturday, and it's also Halloween, but the students have no intention of enjoying the holiday at all; everyone is looking forward to the evening.

After the Halloween dinner, the Goblet of Fire will announce the three champions.

West had slipped into the cellar early in the morning, so the moment Snape opened his eyes, West's enlarged face was right next to him.

Good morning, Siever.

The embarrassment of last night had completely vanished, and West casually placed a kiss on Snape's lips.

Snape had just woken up and didn't realize who it was, so he almost smashed West against the wall with a Split to the Bone move.

"Kiss, kiss, all you ever do is kiss!" Snape sat up with a dark expression and pushed West's face away.

"What time is it?"

"It's 7:30. You can sleep a little longer," West said softly, making the time visible in the air.

Snape rubbed his temples, threw back the covers and got out of bed, kicking West as he did so. "Get out, I need to change."

West nodded obediently.

By the time Snape finished washing up, West had already prepared breakfast.

Snape looked at the familiar breakfast on the table. "Did you make this?"

"Hmm, borrowing Hogwarts' kitchen isn't too much to ask, is it?" West hummed a little tune as he pulled out a chair for Snape. "After all, I'm a sponsor of the tournament."

West's cooking skills were even better than those of the house-elves at Hogwarts.

Snape ate a few bites of fried egg, and his morning grumpiness subsided considerably.

After finishing breakfast, West tapped the table, and a house-elf took away his plate.

Seeing West's relaxed demeanor, Snape couldn't help but ask, "The lineup will be announced tonight. Are you sure Crouch will put Potter's name on the list?"

"Actually, he's already put Harry's name in." West and Snape squeezed together on the sofa, West wrapping his arms around Snape.

Snape thought for a moment, "Last night?"

Vestel nodded. "He triggered the Overseer spell I left on the Goblet of Fire."

"The Goblet of Fire will now have to choose Harry, because Crouch has cast a Confusion Charm on it."

West, oblivious to everyone else, squeezed Snape's hand and measured the length of his fingers.

Snape gave him a cold look. "I don't recall saying yes to you yet?"

West let out a soft "Ah," looking pitiful, "Can't I touch it?"

Snape: "...Touch."

Nothing much is happening today; West, the so-called sponsor, is even more relaxed than the professors on holiday.

"I have only two purposes for obtaining this identity: first, to better protect Harry, and second, to bring old Crouch to Hogwarts for protection, to prevent him from being killed by Voldemort and young Crouch," West explained. "Well, it's not that I want to save old Crouch; it's Dumbledore's request."

So, the idle Mr. Somerset spent his time in the cellar revising all of his beloved Potions professor's papers.

The two of them didn't appear in the hall until the banquet began.

"It's too obvious." Hermione looked at West sitting next to Snape in the teachers' table and shook her head slightly.

Wester's appearance was so striking that many students, especially the pure-blooded Slytherins, wanted to chat with him after the banquet last night.

They had long heard of the mysterious Somerset family's resurgence, and that the head of the family was so handsome and gentle.

As soon as the dinner ended, Somerset and Snape left together.

According to a mysterious source, the two have been staying in the cellar until now. This immediately ignited a fire of gossip.

The students automatically split into two camps: one half firmly believed that the two were close friends who appreciated each other; the other half instantly became masters of imagination, concocting all sorts of melodramatic scenarios.

It just so happens that West was absent from school during this period, and now rumors in the house are flying – Professor Snape is rumored to have "caught up in a bad relationship" and abandoned West for the Somerset family, leaving poor West to drop out of school in despair, leaving his savior brother all alone.

This plot is even more exciting than the Daily Prophet's exposé.

Harry couldn't believe it. "Only a day?! What are they spreading all this nonsense about?"

"Actually, they're not wrong," Ron muttered.

Harry choked.

There's a reason why rumors spread so quickly.

After all, when students from three magic schools gather together, gossip becomes an excellent catalyst for breaking down barriers and quickly bringing people closer together.

On the Slytherin side, Pansy was probing Draco, "Does your father know Mr. Somerset, Draco?"

Draco thought for a moment. He didn't know if his father knew him, but Pansy and the others did.

However, West didn't seem to have any intention of revealing his identity, so Draco naturally couldn't say either. "I don't know, Dad never told me."

Pansy suddenly remembered her father's instructions in his letter that morning—that their family was a vassal of the Somerset family and that they must not offend this distinguished guest. She rolled her eyes and looked toward the teachers' table.

Somerset was enthusiastically serving Snape food, while Snape maintained a poker face and remained indifferent throughout.

Pan Xi nodded thoughtfully and said earnestly, "It seems that the key is to please our dean."

Finally, the banquet came to an end.

Dumbledore stood up and went to the goblet. "Well, the goblet has to make its decision."

"Listen, after the warriors' names are called, I want them to go into this room next to the teachers' table, where they will receive their initial instruction."

Dumbledore pulled out his wand and waved it, extinguishing all the candles in the Great Hall, leaving only the blue flame of the Goblet of Fire burning brightly.

Suddenly, the flames turned red, and tongues of fire shot up, spitting out a charred piece of parchment.

Dumbledore caught the parchment and announced loudly, "Demstrong, Victor Krum!"

Ron shouted and clapped enthusiastically, looking even more excited than Durmstrang's students.

The flames quickly rose again, pushing out a second parchment.

"Beauxbatons, Fleur Delacour!"

"It's her," Harry said. The silver-haired girl with Veela blood.

Next up are the Hogwarts champions.

The Hogwarts students held their breath, their eyes fixed on the parchment that was slowly drifting down.

"Hogwarts, Cedric Diggory!"

The Hufflepuff students cheered, their shouts deafening. Cedric stood up, beaming, and walked toward the designated room.

"So, now our three warriors are—"

Dumbledore suddenly stopped.

The flames in the goblet leaped up again, and the raging fire sent out a piece of parchment.

"The fourth one!" a student shouted.

Dumbledore grasped the parchment, lowered his head, and read, "Harry Potter!"

The Great Hall fell silent as all the Hogwarts students turned to look at Harry.

Harry was already mentally prepared and wasn't surprised at all, calmly accepting the gazes of everyone.

In the faculty section, Professor McGonagall and Dumbledore whispered a few words to each other.

"Harry Potter! Come up here," Dumbledore called again.

Harry stood up, straightened his robes, and walked toward the door.

As Harry passed by West, West nodded to him, which reassured him considerably.