My Hogwarts has a serious problem.

Chapter 488, Section 485: The True Colors of a Simp

"The first match will test your courage. The match is scheduled for November 24th, and you will prove your courage in front of everyone."

It's said to be the Warriors' guidance, but it really only consists of this one sentence.

Lynn knew the specifics of the project, but that was assuming nothing had changed. Who knew what kind of trouble might arise now that there were four participating schools?

When he came out of the auditorium, the students had already returned to their lounges, and the castle was empty, with no one lingering in the corridors.

Karkaroff took Krum back to the ghost ship, while Madam Maxim put her arm around Fleur's shoulder and returned to the room Hogwarts had prepared for them.

Although they were dissatisfied with the final result, they had no choice but to accept it. After leading the warriors of Iphamoni out of the auditorium, Piqueli disappeared without a trace.

However, their movements within the castle were constantly being monitored, something Lynn didn't need to worry about; Dumbledore had already made all the arrangements.

Lynn walked toward his lounge, and at the corner of the stairs on the second floor, he found Hermione waiting for him there.

"You didn't throw your name in yourself, did you? We've been together all day, and you didn't even throw your name into the Goblet of Fire," Hermione said anxiously to Lynn.

Lynn put his arm around her shoulder and gently stroked her chestnut hair to comfort her.

"I definitely didn't throw it, but I had expected this to happen."

Hermione stared into his eyes.

"Someone is trying to harm you in this way."

Lynn looked at him with a smile on her face.

How do you know that someone is trying to harm me, rather than helping me?

"I know you have no desire to seek the limelight, nor is there any need for you to. If you wanted to participate in the Triwizard Tournament, you would have done it fair and square, not like this. Professor Dumbledore wouldn't have thrown your name into the Goblet of Fire without permission. Neither would any of the other professors in the castle. From the expression on your face when you stood up when Professor Dumbledore called your name, I could tell that you already knew someone was trying to cause you trouble. These people are very likely the ones who lured us to that island to hunt us down."

Hermione calmly analyzed...

"Perfect reasoning!" Lynn nodded in praise.

Hermione's expression turned somewhat annoyed when she saw that he wasn't in a hurry at all.

"I read in 'Hogwarts: A History' that the Triwizard Tournament used to have a very high casualty rate, with at least one person dying in almost every tournament, which is why it was discontinued. Those people already knew your strength when they were hunting us down, yet they still persist in pursuing you within Hogwarts. They must be confident in defeating or even killing you, so why do you still participate in the Triwizard Tournament? You could have simply explained things to Professor Dumbledore and avoided participating."

Lynn suddenly smiled and gently hugged Hermione. Hermione struggled a few times in his arms, then hugged Lynn's waist, pressed her face against his chest, blushed, and stopped moving.

"Of course I know they planned this all along, but do you really think they see me for who I am? We've known each other for so long, you should have faith in me." Lynn's smile turned cold. "Don't worry, this is the last time. We'll settle all scores, old and new. They won't have a third chance to act up in front of me."

The warriors' first match didn't start until November 24th, during which time Hogwarts continued with regular classes.

All the young wizards were incredibly excited about Lynn becoming a champion. They even made badges that read "Lynn Bellocchio - A True Champion of Hogwarts," which they wore around their necks all day, not even taking them off during class.

But only a few people who were truly close to Lynn, including Cedric, Ian, and Umaru, knew that Lynn had not voluntarily signed up for the Triwizard Tournament; his becoming a Hogwarts champion was actually a conspiracy.

However, the news did not spread, and Hogwarts remained in a state of jubilation.

The young wizards were convinced that if Lynn participated, the championship would surely belong to Hogwarts.

Recently, students in other schools within Hogwarts have also noticed this atmosphere within the castle.

They were very dissatisfied with the confidence of the young wizards at Hogwarts, and even more so with Lynn, not understanding why they were so confident that even this 16-year-old student would be stronger than their school's adult wizards.

However, Lynn didn't seem to care much about these things. He still ate and drank as usual, occasionally went to class, sometimes followed Dumbledore to learn Legilimency, or attended meetings in the student council.

And so it went until the day of the first competition event was approaching.

Before the official competition begins, the four chosen warriors will also participate in an interview with the Daily Prophet and have their wands tested.

The fact that the British magical community is hosting such a significant event this year is certainly something that needs to be publicized to enhance the prestige of the Ministry of Magic and Hogwarts.

Of course, it would be even better if the Hogwarts warriors won the championship in the end.

The person who came to interview these warriors was Rita Skeeter, the current editor-in-chief of the Daily Prophet.

She wore a long, emerald-green robe, gold-rimmed glasses, and a tuft of curly hair on her head. Her gaze was always so malevolent as she looked at anyone.

The other three warriors, along with the headmasters who acted as referees and the two directors of the Ministry of Magic, had already completed their interviews in the Great Hall.

Lynn entered the hall just as they were about to begin testing the wands.

"Sorry, the student council just had a meeting," Lynn said apologetically as she entered the auditorium.

However, before anyone else could speak, Skeeter's face broke into a chrysanthemum-like smile, and he said in a flattering tone.

"Mr. Belloc, there's nothing to apologize for. Whenever you'd like to conduct an interview, I'm available anytime."

Krum and Fleur stared wide-eyed at Skeeter, who was behaving like a sycophant. This woman hadn't acted like this during their interview; now she was treating Lynn like her ancestor.

Lynn stared at Skeeter, then suddenly narrowed his eyes as if he had thought of something.

Skeeter felt uneasy under his gaze and forced a smile as he spoke.

"Is there a problem, Mr. Belloc?"

Lynn shook her head slightly, a strange smile on her face, and said, "No problem, I just thought we could have a private interview later."

(End of this chapter)