Hogwarts: I will not become the Dark Lord

“Ladies and gentlemen, please be quiet! The mermaid chieftainess Murcus has recounted in detail everything that happened at the bottom of the lake. Based on this information, we will fairly score each champion out of a possible fifty points.” Ludo Bagman's magically amplified voice boomed, instantly silencing the rising clamor from the stands.

“Miss Fleur Delacour, you demonstrated excellent command of the Bubble-Head Charm, however, you were unsuccessful in completing the task of rescuing your hostage. Nevertheless, your courage and effort are still commendable, and we have decided to award you twenty-five points.”

“I should ‘ave gotten zero, seeing as I did not complete ze task.” Fleur gently shook her head, her smooth, long hair swaying with the movement.

“As for Harry Potter, Cedric Diggory, and Viktor Krum, the three of you returned almost simultaneously and all safely brought back your hostages within the allotted time. Therefore, each of you will receive a high score of forty points!” At this announcement, the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff students erupted in thunderous cheers.

“And as for Mr. Jerry Green,” Ludo Bagman's voice rang out again, “he was the first champion to return with his hostage, and he single-handedly rescued two hostages. Not only that, but he also returned to the lake to save Miss Delacour from the Grindylows, so… ah? What? Hold on, the mermaid chieftainess Murcus seems to have a disagreement! I'm sorry, I don't understand Mermish, please be quiet!” Ludo Bagman waved his hand.

“So, Mr. Green's final score is… forty-nine points?!” Ludo Bagman wore an expression of disbelief, his voice tinged with doubt. “Wait, this must be a mistake, why not a perfect score? His performance was impeccable!”

“Protest! This is absurd! Even though Mr. Green is still in first place, are you deducting points from him just because of some unintelligible words from those ugly creatures?”

Professor McGonagall quickly approached the commentary box and told Ludo Bagman to shut up.

“Alright, alright!” Ludo Bagman chuckled awkwardly. He saw the merpeople aiming their spears at him, making throwing motions, and he cowered slightly, choosing to skip the topic.

“Next, regarding the third and final task,” Bagman adjusted his demeanor and continued, “this task is scheduled to take place on the evening of June twenty-fourth. You will be informed of the specific details of the task one month prior to the competition.”

After the competition ended, Dumbledore watched Jerry leave amidst the cheers and laughter, sighing inwardly. He didn't leave with the crowd, waiting until Snape arrived.

“Well? Was the wound caused by your spell?” Dumbledore asked in a low voice as Snape approached. When he learned that the mermaid's wound had been bleeding and wouldn't heal, he guessed what spell Jerry had used.

Snape nodded slightly, confirming Dumbledore's guess.

“How are those injured merpeople? Are they all right?” Dumbledore continued to ask.

“Fortunately, it was just an arm injury, not too serious,” Snape replied, his brow furrowed. “I have already treated them. It's clear that Jerry Green held back when casting the spell; he showed mercy!”

Speaking of which, Snape couldn't help but reveal a trace of complex emotions in his words: “I somewhat regret teaching him this spell. My intention was for him to use it to protect… but now…”

“That's not your fault, Severus!” Dumbledore interrupted him, shaking his head gently. “Didn't you just say that Jerry didn't go all out? The wound was on the arm, and it wasn't deep.”

“Ha ha, Albus, you are too lenient with him!” Snape said with a sneer, the corners of his mouth curving upwards. “When Voldemort was studying at Hogwarts, were you also like this with him?”

Dumbledore: ……

……

After the second task came to a close, the mysterious events at the bottom of the lake quickly became a hot topic of discussion among the crowd. Besides the competitors, the hostages underwater also became the focus of attention.

Especially Ron, who had become a popular source for spreading 'first-hand information'. Initially, his descriptions were relatively close to the truth: Professor Dumbledore had cast a spell on them, hypnotizing the hostages and promising to protect their safety, and they would wake up once they surfaced.

However, as time passed, just a week later, Ron's story ran wild like a runaway horse, becoming increasingly bizarre.

He began to vividly narrate how he single-handedly engaged in a thrilling contest with fifty well-equipped merpeople, armed only with his wand. They tried to conquer him first and then bind him, while he cleverly parried with them on his own. The key point was that people actually believed it!

March arrived in the blink of an eye. The weather warmed up slightly, but the outdoor grounds were still bitterly cold.

The raging winds also made the owls' messenger work extremely difficult. They were often blown off course, unable to deliver letters on time.

On Friday morning, the owl that Harry sent to Sirius brought back a reply. Harry almost impatiently tore open the letter Sirius had sent.

Sirius's letter was still short: Saturday afternoon at two o'clock, the end of the road outside Hogsmeade Village, remember to bring more food.

“Sirius really came to Hogwarts,” Harry whispered anxiously. “What if he gets caught by the Ministry of Magic?”

“The situation isn't like last year anymore, and the Dementors in Hogsmeade have already left!” Hermione reassured him rationally.

Harry silently folded the letter, lost in thought. In fact, deep down, he also longed to meet Sirius.

Before Potions class, Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle were already waiting in the corridor outside the classroom, closely gathered with Pansy Parkinson's Slytherin clique. Their gazes were focused on something, and they occasionally burst into cheerful giggles, as if they had discovered some incredible secret.

As Harry and his group approached, the laughter stopped abruptly. Pansy suddenly poked her head out from behind Goyle's broad frame, with a provocative smile.

“Look, Potter's here!” Her words were laced with triumphant laughter. Instantly, the originally crowded group scattered like a tide, clearing a path for Harry.

“Here, Potter, you'll be interested in this magazine!” Malfoy snatched the *Witch Weekly* from Pansy's hand and shoved it at Harry.

Harry opened the magazine. The first page featured a photo of him, with a line of text below: Harry Potter, a boy unlike any other, yet one who has not escaped the inner struggles and pain commonly faced by teenagers. Next to it was smaller text — “Exclusive report by Rita Skeeter”.

The title of the short article: Harry Potter's Secret History of Heartbreak.

The article embellished the story of Harry being rejected by Cho Chang before the ball.

Harry's face turned red. The jeers from Malfoy and the Slytherins around him made him feel both ashamed and angry.

Just then, the door to the Potions classroom opened, and Professor Snape stood within the doorway, signaling everyone to enter.

“Why, I still don’t understand, Jerry was clearly the first in the competition, why does Rita Skeeter’s pen always haunt me?” Harry said angrily.

“And what is all this nonsense written in the article?” Harry looked at the magazine in his hand, becoming more and more angry. “I’m not the kind of frivolous person who gets entangled with several girls from different houses and different schools.”

“But how did Rita Skeeter know about you being rejected by Cho Chang?” Hermione asked suspiciously. “Was she there at the time?”

“I don’t know, does she also have an Invisibility Cloak?” Harry shook his head.

“Potter, I know you’re very upset,” Snape's cold voice suddenly appeared, “but… Gryffindor loses ten points because you are talking in my class.”

As Snape's words fell, he appeared silently beside their desks like a ghost.

Upon seeing this, Malfoy naturally wouldn't miss such an opportunity. He sat at the other end of the classroom, secretly aiming the 'Potter Stinks' badge in his hand at Harry's eyes, flashing it on and off.