Harry Potter: Glory Bows to Me

Having said that, whenever Harry had some free time these days, he would stay in the common room to study the golden eggs.

He lay on the table, staring at the golden egg on the table, as if he was competing with a silent giant monster.

"So, when will we know what this thing is going to tell us?" He finally couldn't stand it anymore, and he straightened up suddenly, complaining, "We can't really wait until the day of the game, can we?"

"If you have the patience," Draco said indifferently, flipping through a volume of the Triwizard Tournament Review, "it's not impossible. But do you have it, Harry?"

"I'd rather ask the Acromantula," muttered Harry.

"They will only treat you as food." Amanta added lightly.

Harry shrank his neck and changed the subject: "What do you think... could it be a magical creature obstacle course? Like being trapped in a forest with dozens of vampire nues?"

Draco raised an eyebrow, "Then you'll be a mummy in about five minutes."

"I think," Harry continued convincingly, "it could be an underwater maze, or a volcanic lava slide - just imagine, sliding down and catching flying Cornish pixies on the way, how cool!"

"Have you watched too much "Wizard Skateboard"?" Draco's tone was like he was looking at an idiot. "No matter how cool it is, it cannot violate the safety principle."

Amanta was unusually quiet, just resting her chin on her hand, listening to their wild guesses, one more outrageous than the other, with a faint smile on the corner of her lips.

She knew the answer, but she couldn't say it.

So, she just casually replied, "Maybe... it's a test of riddles? The last one tested physical strength and skills, so the next one might test thinking."

"I'd rather have a second round with the dragon," Harry immediately refused, "I'm better at wand fighting than solving puzzles."

"Then your life is really pathetic," Draco snorted.

The three of them argued for a while until the clock pointed to half past eight.

"It's time." Amanta stood up, shook the wrinkles on her cloak, and turned her eyes to the clock on the stove.

Draco stood up as well, as if he was used to it.

"We have Occlumency today," he reminded Harry.

Harry groaned, "Ah—" "I'd rather stare at the golden egg for another half an hour."

*

The lights in the Potions Office at the end of the cellar were dim.

Snape stood behind his desk, his black robe hanging to the ground, his arms crossed over his chest, and his expression gloomy.

"Three of you," he said in a hoarse voice, "you have moved from elementary Occlumency to intermediate Occlumency."

Harry looked hopeless.

"It means that you will not only be able to simply block the invasion." Snape approached slowly, his black robe rustling on the floor, "but also - while being invaded, you will maintain a clear consciousness and set up a 'false image' to induce the enemy to read the wrong memory."

"Sounds... more complicated than fighting a dragon," Harry muttered, but was choked back by Snape's cold look.

Training begins.

Snape waved his hand, and the spell instantly rushed towards Harry -

"Legilimency."

A few seconds later, Harry immediately squatted down with his head in his hands: "No, no, no, I didn't steal the roast chicken in the kitchen - I only took one piece! And the cake! And -"

Draco turned his head away expressionlessly, not wanting to admit that he knew him.

Amanta frowned slightly.

She saw Harry's eyes glaze over and his facial nerves twitch uncontrollably, and it was obvious that his mind had been completely invaded.

"Harry, your defense is not even as good as the elf on Dumbledore's desk." Snape said coldly.

Next it was Draco's turn.

He stood straight, holding his breath and concentrating.

"Legilimency."

After a few seconds, Snape said slowly: "...When she laughs, your heartbeat...speeds up?"

Draco's face suddenly turned pale.

Harry nearly fell off his chair laughing.

Finally it was Amanta's turn.

"Get ready." Snape said coldly.

She took a deep breath and forced herself to block out distracting thoughts.

The curse struck, and her consciousness seemed to be torn apart in an instant. She saw a flash of——

The blue mermaid eyes that flickered in the depths of the Black Lake, Julius's mysterious words in the library, and... someone brushing the hair away from her shoulders.

But the next moment, she calmed down.

Snape stopped and remained silent for a few seconds, then whispered, "Not bad. Remember to deal with all those 'distractions'."

Draco's eyes were immediately fixed on her face.

"What did she see?" Harry asked.

"This is not something you should know." Snape said indifferently, "Now, go back and practice intermediate Occlumency for at least fifteen minutes every day. I hope to see some progress before the next class."

The three of them fled the classroom as if they had been granted amnesty.

Amanta walked in front, looking calm and steady.

Draco's eyes fell on her side, as if he was about to ask something.

*

Draco had no intention of paying any attention to Astoria.

But that morning, when I met her at the corner of the corridor, the girl was holding a spell book, standing in the light with a smile on her face, but her tone was light and casual:

"When I passed by the west side of the library yesterday, I seemed to see Sister Amanta... talking to Senior Julius for quite a long time."

After she finished speaking, she tilted her head and blinked as if she remembered something:

"It's a pity that Brother Draco was not there at the time, otherwise we would have heard a lot of interesting content."

She spoke lightly and softly.

But the words "Brother Draco is not here" were like a fine needle, accurately piercing the most sensitive place in Draco's heart.

He didn't respond, but his lips tightened, and he turned and left, his steps faster and heavier than usual.

*

When Amanta was returning a book in the library, someone called her from the gap between the bookshelves.

"You're going to keep it a secret from me?"

She turned around and saw Draco standing in the corner with a cold face.

The light fell through the gaps between the bookshelves, making the shadow between his eyebrows particularly deep.

Amanta blinked and said in a steady tone, "What?"

"You meet with Julius." Draco approached slowly, each step like suppressing fire.

"Did I hide anything?" Amanta's voice remained calm. "He asked me to go to the library that day to talk about some things about the competition. I went, talked for a few words, and then came back."

"You're back," Draco repeated in a low voice, "but you didn't tell me about it."

"I don't need to tell you every detail about who I met and what I said." Her eyes were calm and her words were so calm that they were almost sharp.

"But he asked you to meet him alone." Draco lowered his voice very low, "You know he is not a simple person, and we are obviously alert to him... How can you still -"

"Just because I'm alert doesn't mean I'll run away." Amanta interrupted him, "I'm not the kind of person who thinks I'm safe just by hiding."

There was silence in the air.

Draco stared at her for a long while, then whispered, "So you trust him?"

Amanta looked at him and didn't answer for a moment.

Just when the atmosphere was about to completely collapse——

A voice came from the end of the corridor, elegant yet harsh.

"It seems I am interrupting."

Julius Hoffmann had been standing at the entrance of the library without anyone noticing, his black hair neatly combed and a faint smile on his face.

He walked closer with a leisurely pace, his eyes flickering between the two of them.

"I just wanted to return the notes I borrowed last time to Miss Amanta."

He raised the ancient spell record in his hand, "I didn't expect...you were talking about me?"

Amanta frowned and wanted to explain something, but found that her words were choked by some emotion.

Julius seemed not to notice, and just chuckled softly, his tone too gentle:

"If Mr. Malfoy minds, I will pay more attention to the time and occasion in the future. After all... the west side of the library is so remote that it is easy for people to think too much."

Draco's face completely darkened.

"You'd better not get close to her again." His voice was a little sharp. "I don't believe you - I don't believe you get close to anyone without a purpose."

“That’s a shame.” Julius sighed softly, but his eyes were calm. “Unfortunately, this world doesn’t rely on trust to determine who gets close to whom.”

He turned to look at Amanta, his eyes were tender and a little malicious:

"But in any case, I am very grateful for the conversation that day. That kind of intellectual and sharp conversation is much more interesting than the small talk of most Hogwarts students."

Amanta's fingertips tightened, but she resisted the urge to defend herself and just said:

"Have you said enough?"

Julius spread his hands: "Well, it seems that I should indeed leave."

He leaned forward slightly, and his eyes finally swept over Draco - there was a hint of provocation in his eyes.

“I wish you smooth communication.”

He left, his steps light as a shadow.

Silence returned to the library, leaving only Draco and Amanta standing facing each other.

She lowered her eyes slightly and whispered, "I didn't do anything wrong."

Draco looked at her coldly, his thin lips tightly pursed.

"I know," he said finally, his tone almost cold and heartless, "but I'm not happy."

He turned and left, walking even faster than when he came, as if he didn't want her to see the emotions surging in his eyes.

Amanta stood there, not moving for a moment.

The light shone diagonally, and her shadow was stretched out between the bookshelves.

Disappointment is not caused by being doubted——

But it’s because some people are unwilling to give her even a word of trust.