bacchusnovels Chapter 467 Qiu Zhang's Trial
Chapter 467 Qiu Zhang's Trial
Chapter 467 Qiu Zhang's Trial (Part 2)
It was unclear how much time had passed before Qiu Zhang regained some of his strength.
She rose unsteadily, her head spinning, her thoughts a jumbled mess.
Qiu Zhang didn't know what she was thinking. Perhaps she was trying her best to suppress her shyness, perhaps she was thinking about how to use the remaining fabric to cover her most important parts, or perhaps she was fantasizing about whether this was a nightmare.
But no matter what she said, she couldn't convince herself that no one would see this trial.
Thinking of his current disheveled appearance, Qiu Zhang's face turned as red as a nearly ripe apple, and an unbearable image couldn't help but surface in his mind—what would he do if Professor Phillips saw all this?
This issue is no longer about "what ifs," but rather a reality she is unwilling to accept.
How could the professor not be watching this "dangerous" trial?
The reason he didn't show up was probably because he felt the situation was too awkward, so he chose to "disappear".
Thinking of this possibility, Qiu Zhang's cheeks grew increasingly hot, and she even had an urge to disappear immediately, wishing that the entire space could devour her.
In this state, how is it any different from running naked through a challenge?
Even so, the level that had been painstakingly cleared could not be skipped, and so the door slowly opened.
It's a platform.
On the table sat a dazzling gemstone.
Qiu Zhang's eyes were instantly drawn to the gem. She could hardly believe her eyes—it was a huge gem that shone with dazzling light, its color as deep red as the sunset, like a star that had fallen to earth, lying quietly on the table.
As a result, she finally felt a moment of relief.
Finally, we're so close to our goal.
But as her gaze shifted, her eyes widened slightly, and her face instantly turned pale.
The walls of the room were made of mirrors, reflecting her every movement, every inch of her exposed skin, and every embarrassing detail.
No matter which way she turned her head, she could see her reflection in the mirror: pale-faced, with beads of sweat on her forehead like wet pearls, sliding down one by one, and dripping onto the ground along with sweat from various parts of her body, forming small water stains.
Even.
In this room filled with mirrors, her figure stood out starkly; everything was clearly visible, with no space to hide.
Qiu Zhang felt a sharp pain in her heart, and shame and embarrassment almost suffocated her.
What should I do?
Qiu Zhang stood there, stunned and at a loss.
Her gaze darted back and forth between the jewels and the mirror; every second was agonizing.
The gem seemed to possess a magical allure, drawing her in while simultaneously and mercilessly revealing her most vulnerable side.
She could imagine how embarrassed and awkward she would feel if she went closer.
She could even imagine her own expression.
Everything felt so real. Suddenly, a blurry figure appeared in the mirror.
The person stood at the door of the first room, seemingly drawn to the sudden change in light.
Qiu Zhang's heart skipped a beat and jumped into his throat.
She quickly realized that the figure was likely Professor Phillips.
Perhaps the professor didn't see everything in the briefcase, or perhaps he waited too long for her to return with the jewels, so he went into the briefcase to look for her.
Upon realizing this possibility, Qiu Zhang breathed a sigh of relief; it turned out that the professor had not witnessed her embarrassing situation just now.
This news brought her a sense of relief, and she could almost feel a glimmer of hope.
But this brief sense of relief was quickly replaced by a stronger anxiety.
As time ticked by, the figure gradually became clearer, and Qiu Zhang realized that she still faced the enormous risk of being seen by the professor.
Even if she successfully obtains the gem, how should she conduct herself when facing Professor Phillips who is about to appear?
In this situation, how could she cleverly obtain the gem?
Nevertheless, Qiu Zhang knew that obtaining the jewel might be her only way out.
After all, the gem might help her out of her current predicament; perhaps it would take her out of the briefcase so she could quickly change her clothes when the professor came out, avoiding any embarrassment.
There was no more time to hesitate—this might be her only chance.
"I have to hurry...before the professor gets close..."
Qiu Zhang bit his lip, forcing himself to take the first step.
She stood on the cold ground, every inch of movement accompanied by an indescribable sense of shame.
Qiu Zhang reached out with trembling hands, and the moment he touched the gemstone, a warm current flowed through his entire body.
The gemstone had a smooth, silky surface and emitted an incredible temperature.
Just then, she heard footsteps behind her.
"Choo Chang, are you there?" Professor Phillips' voice rang out.
Qiu Zhang froze, almost collapsing to the ground.
But the instinct of shame made her manage to steady herself, even though the burning pain almost made her faint.
She could feel her heart pounding so fast it felt like it was about to leap out of her chest, and her blood was surging in her ears.
"Are you alright? Do you need any help?" Professor Phillips' voice rang out again, and footsteps slowly approached.
Qiu Zhang then realized that Professor Phillips had no intention of helping her find clothes at all—perhaps to avoid danger—even though he had just done everything.
Now she has difficulty even standing up and can only leave the professor alone in the mirror room.
Even now, Qiu Zhang still doesn't know what just happened.
Was the professor kindly treating her wound, or was he deliberately trying to provoke her?
If it was intentional, did her body cause the professor's change?
After this incident, did her relationship with the professor take a breakthrough? She meant, could she now consider herself Professor Phillips' girlfriend—something she had always dreamed of.
These questions kept churning in her mind.
The poor witch on the other side.
Ever since Rita's article was published, Furong has had to endure people's strange looks and ridicule.
She could feel the burning gazes from every corner of Hogwarts, and she would often hear whispers and murmurs, sometimes just private conversations, but more often undisguised mockery.
She had grown accustomed to these gazes, but each one was different. Every chuckle, every harsh look, felt like tiny thorns pricking her nerves.
During this time, Furong tried her best to forget these troubles.
However, whenever she did this, unpleasant comments would always come to her ears, bringing her back to reality.
"I heard she looks down on the other contestants..."
"She believed she was destined to win, and she looked down on even those of us from 'ordinary' backgrounds..."
Furong knew perfectly well where these words came from, but what could she do? She was powerless to change the situation.
In the cafeteria, she always sat in the corner, trying to avoid being seen by others.
Even so, the whispers still lingered in the air, like an invisible net that tightly enveloped her.
In particular, these remarks also included those from Beausbarton.
Now, even the two warriors from her school ignore her, and Ms. Maxim has been nowhere to be found these days.
Who can save her?
Are you alright?
A figure appeared in front of her.
Fleur looked up and saw it was Sean Phillips, the Hogwarts professor, a fellow warrior and referee, who was famous in the wizarding world.
at the same time.
The quiet at the Gryffindor table today is different from usual.
The reason is simple: Harry, a warrior, didn't come to lunch today.
And Miss Granger, who had been unusually lively and chatty during this time and was keen to speak up for house-elves, was nowhere to be found.
"You've arrived, Harry, Ron, Hermione?"
Hagrid asked in a low voice, opened the door, and looked around.
"Yes," Harry replied, quickly slipping into the hut and pulling the invisibility cloak off his head. "What is it?"
Hermione and Ron also emerged from under their respective cloaks.
That extra invisibility cloak was left behind by Sofia.
"I'll show you something," Hagrid said, his voice filled with excitement.
A flower, resembling an exceptionally large artichoke, was pinned to the buttonhole of his shirt. Although he no longer used hair oil to style his hair, he seemed to have spent a considerable amount of time combing it; the broken teeth of the comb were still visible on his hair.
"What are you going to show us?" Ron asked warily, wondering if there was something new and interesting to see.
For example, the Bombtail lays eggs, or Hagrid buys some kind of monster like Cerberus from that stranger in the tavern.
"Come with me, be quiet, and put on your invisibility cloak," Hagrid whispered. "We're not taking Toothless; he won't like it—"
"Hagrid, listen to me, I can't stay any longer—I must return to the castle this afternoon." But Hagrid ignored him, opened the door of the cottage, and stepped out.
The three hurriedly followed, only to be surprised to find Hagrid leading them toward Beauxbatons' carriage.
"Hagrid, what are you doing—"
"Shh!" Hagrid interrupted him, standing in front of the door marked with two crossed gold wands, and knocked three times.
The door opened, and Mrs. Maxim appeared in the doorway, a silk shawl draped over her shoulders. She smiled slightly when she saw Hagrid.
"Ah, Hagrid—is it time?"
"Good afternoon." Hagrid smiled at her, reached out to help her down the golden steps.
Mrs. Maxim turned and closed the carriage door. Hagrid offered her his arm, and the two walked together around the edge of the temporary paddock, where the winged giant horses were kept.
The three of them, filled with questions, jogged along to keep up with them, completely bewildered.
Was Hagrid going to show them Mrs. Maxim? She's so tall, they couldn't possibly miss her—
But wait, Mrs. Maxim seemed to have received some kind of treatment, just like everyone else. A few minutes later, she asked in a slightly joking tone, "Where are you taking me, Hagrid?"
"You'll like it," Hagrid's voice was slightly hoarse. "It's worth seeing, trust me. But don't tell anyone I brought you here, okay? You shouldn't know this."
"Of course not," Mrs. Maxim replied, her long, thick black eyelashes fluttering slightly.
They continued walking, with the three following behind, their curiosity growing.
"Where do you think Hagrid is taking us?"
"Who knows?"
"I regret coming."
The last line is from Hermione.
She couldn't believe that she had ruined her great undertaking—saving house-elves—for Hagrid's hasty plan, or rather, her date.
Just then—they had gone far from the Forbidden Forest, and the castle and lake were no longer in sight—the three of them suddenly heard a commotion.
Several men shouted from ahead, followed by a deafening, piercing roar—
Hagrid led Mrs. Maxim around a grove of trees and stopped.
The three hurriedly followed and stood with them. In that brief moment, they thought they saw several bonfires with men jumping around them. Then, they were so shocked that their mouths dropped open.
Dragon.
Nine ferocious adult dragons were confined in an area enclosed by thick wooden planks. They supported their bodies on their hind legs, roaring and breathing heavily. Flames shot from their fanged mouths into the sky.
Their necks are held high, and their mouths are fifty feet off the ground.
A silver-blue dragon with sharp horns glared and roared at the wizard in the arena; a green dragon with smooth scales struggled desperately, its steps heavy; another red dragon, with a ring of strange, thin horns around its face, was spewing mushroom-shaped clouds of fire into the air...
There are at least a hundred wizards on the field, with seven or eight wizards working together to control one dragon.
They pulled on the chains, desperately trying to subdue the dragons, which were firmly bound to their legs and necks.
The three of them were completely stunned.
They looked up and saw the black dragon's eyes, its pupils vertical like a cat's. Perhaps out of fear,
Or perhaps it was anger, those eyes bulging—the black dragon let out a terrible sound—a mournful and piercing wail.
"Stay there, Hagrid!" shouted a wizard near the fence, gripping the chain tightly. "They can breathe fire twenty feet away, you know that! I've seen that horned-tailed dragon breathe fire forty feet!"
"How beautiful!" Hagrid said softly, his eyes filled with admiration.
"It's no use!" another wizard shouted. "Recite the Stunning Spell, count to three, and recite it all at once!"
The three saw that each dragon tamer had drawn their own wand.
"Stun them!" they shouted in unison, and the Stun spell shot into the sky like a rocket, sparks raining down on the scales of the four dragons. The three men stared at the dragon closest to them. It stood on its hind legs, mouth wide open, emitting a silent roar. Flames were extinguished from its nostrils, but blue smoke still rose.
Then, it slowly collapsed. This strong, black-scaled dragon, weighing several tons, crashed to the ground.
The three of them could clearly hear that the loud noise made the trees behind them tremble.
The dragon tamer put down his wand and walked toward the fallen dragon.
Each dragon is almost like a small mountain.
They quickly tightened the chains, securing the dragon firmly to the iron pillar, and then used their magic wands to drive the pillar deeper, firmly fixing it to the ground.
"Want to get a closer look?" Hagrid asked Mrs. Maxim excitedly. The two walked toward the fence together, and the three of them followed.
The wizard who had warned Hagrid not to come near turned around, and Ron recognized him—it was his brother.
Charlie Weasley.
Before Cha could utter a surprised cry, Harry covered her mouth.
"How are you, Hagrid?" Charlie came over, panting. "They should be alright now. We gave them sleeping pills, and they were asleep when we came in. We thought it would be more comfortable for them to wake up in the forest—but, as you can see, they're not happy at all—"
"What kinds of animals do you have here, Charlie?" Hagrid asked.
His gaze was fixed on the black dragon, his eyes filled with an almost worshipful expression.
The black dragon's eyes opened slightly, and a tiny yellow light flickered beneath its wrinkled black eyelids.
"That's a Hungarian Ceratosaurus," Charlie explained. "The smaller one over there is a common Welsh green dragon—that silver-blue one is a Swedish brachystosaur—and that red one is a Chinese fireball."
Charlie looked around and saw Mrs. Maxim walking around the field, gazing at the stunned dragon.
"I didn't expect you to bring her along, Hagrid," Charlie said, frowning. "A warrior shouldn't know what he's going to face—she'll surely tell her students, won't she?"
"I just think she'd love to come and see for herself." Hagrid shrugged, his gaze still fixed on the dragon with rapt attention.
"What a romantic date, Hagrid," Charlie shook his head helplessly.
“Nine in total—” Hagrid said. “So each warrior has to deal with one, right? What do they have to do—fight dragons?”
"I think they're just passing by the dragons," Charlie replied. "If there's any trouble, we can come to their aid and calm them down with an Extinguishing Charm. They want the mother dragon incubating her eggs, which I don't understand—but I can tell you, encountering a Hungarian Ceratopsian is definitely not going to be easy. It's dangerous from both sides, you see."
Charlie pointed to the horned dragon's tail, which was covered with long, bronze-colored spikes every few inches.
At this moment, Charlie's dragon-training companions approached the horned dragon, carrying a blanket containing a nest of huge, granite-colored dragon eggs.
They carefully placed the dragon egg next to the horned dragon.
Hagrid couldn't suppress his inner desire and let out a soft moan.
“I counted them, Hagrid,” Charlie said seriously—for Hagrid, this might be a good way to prevent him from taking the dragon eggs—then he added, “What about Harry?”
"It's alright," Hagrid replied, his gaze still fixed on the dragon egg.
"I really hope he gets through this challenge safely." Charlie gazed at the area in the arena where the dragons were kept, his expression somewhat heavy. "I dare not tell Mom what Harry will face in the first challenge. She's already worried sick about him—"
Charlie mimicked his mother's anxious voice: "'How could they let him participate in that competition? He's too young! I thought they wouldn't let him compete; I thought there would be an age limit!' He's the youngest of all the warriors; how could he possibly participate in such a cruel competition?!"
Harry, standing between Ron and Hermione, was completely dumbfounded. He didn't even feel Hermione nudging his shoulder to signal him to leave. (4200 words deleted)