Harry Potter: Glory Bows to Me

The night is dark and a cool breeze blows by the Black Lake.

Amanta sat alone on the rocks by the lake, her cloak hanging at her feet, the night hanging over her shoulders like a silent mist.

It had been a long time since she had been alone like this.

The argument in the library that afternoon was still lingering in her mind. Draco's words "I'm unhappy" were like ink marks that were repeatedly deepened, leaving an indelible mark deep in her heart.

She didn't have to argue.

But he didn't expect that he couldn't even give her the basic trust.

Amanta slowly raised her head and looked at the moon reflected on the surface of Black Lake.

The rippling water was like her unspeakable emotions at the moment.

At this moment, a circle of tiny ripples appeared on the surface of the lake.

Amidst the silver-blue ripples, a slender figure slowly emerged from the water, with long hair falling onto the lake surface and eyes like crystal stones in the cold night.

She is a female mermaid.

"Descendant of Merlin." Her voice was cold, like the sound of a piano echoing under the water, "You have not returned the 'Blue Eye' yet."

Amanta did not seem surprised, but said calmly: "I remember our agreement."

The mermaid swam closer slowly, with an unprecedented coldness in her expression.

"That gem originally belonged to my clan," she said. "You should understand that it is more than just a gem. It maintains the power and spirituality of the Black Lake. Now the lake water is slightly corrupted and the life has scattered. If it is not returned... the life in the Black Lake may perish."

Amanta tightened her fingertips slightly and looked at her quietly.

"But now, it is part of the crown." She said in a steady voice, "It is not an ordinary decoration, but the key to the Ravenclaw private library. I am not sure... if the crown can be opened after taking it off."

The mermaid's eyes did not waver. "Our people endured this for too long a thousand years ago. Merlin promised only to 'borrow' it temporarily, and now, this gem has been drifting in the outside world for a thousand years."

She paused, and lowered her voice even more: "Do you...want to break the promise of your ancestors?"

Amanta's eyebrows were calm: "I am not disobeying, I am just...still looking for a more appropriate way."

The mermaid seemed to see through her hesitation. She suddenly bent her body and reached deep into the lake. Then she pulled out a pendant woven from shells and silver feathers and threw it to her.

The pendant drew an icy blue arc in the air and fell steadily into Amanta's palm.

"An exchange." She said in a steady tone, "An important clue related to the Triwizard Tournament - the second task."

Amanta was slightly startled and looked down at the pendant, but she was not moved.

"After listening to this I must return the 'Blue Eye'?" she asked.

“You’ll want to hear it.” The mermaid said calmly, “After all, you currently… know nothing.”

Amanta raised her eyes and looked at her calmly.

Of course she knew that the golden egg had to be opened underwater so that she could hear the message conveyed by the mermaids in songs.

She already knew what the melody would say, and she also understood that the delay in the game meant that she didn't need to take action at all.

What she couldn't answer was how to play the role of "completely unaware" when she knew the answer.

So she just lowered her eyes and answered softly:

"Thank you for your kindness, but I'm not in a hurry now."

The mermaid stared at her quietly for a long time, with circles of light blue light ripples in her eyes, as if she was examining some unspeakable secret.

"You... do you know something?" she whispered.

Amanta did not respond.

She just stood quietly under the moonlight, still holding the cold pendant in her hand, with no ripples in her eyes.

The mermaid said nothing more.

She slowly backed away, her figure sinking into the depths of the lake bit by bit, as if she had never appeared.

Only circles of tiny silver light were left on the surface of the lake, like phantoms swimming across the sky from a dream.

*

In December, Hogwarts has completely changed into winter clothes.

Snow began to fall intermittently, often in the early morning, covering the long stone corridor with a thin layer of frost, and even the handrails at the door of the auditorium were covered with crystals of ice. The corridor was filled with a faint scent of cinnamon, and the students were all talking about the same topic:

Christmas ball.

A notice was posted on the wall of the corridor, inviting all students in grade four and above to participate. Students were required to wear formal attire and invite dance partners in advance.

The topic spread like wildfire, and even the library was filled with the ambiguous atmosphere of quietly passing notes.

Amanta stood at the window of the school library, looking at the velvety gray sky in the distance and the white snow spreading under the castle, her eyes a little dazed.

She knew that Draco had not taken the initiative to talk to her since the argument.

Neither did she.

They just carefully maintained the daily balance of the trio, training, attending classes, and eating together in between jokes with Harry.

But... I talk less and less.

She lowered her head and closed the book, her fingers were cold.

——What she didn’t know was that at this moment, another scene was happening downstairs on the other side.

Draco Malfoy was surrounded by Astoria Greengrass and her group of sisters at the end of the corridor.

"Brother Draco, have you chosen a dance partner?" Astoria smiled sweetly, holding the dark green scarf she had just knitted. "I heard that you haven't mentioned it to anyone before!"

The girls behind her let out a few laughs, all eyes focused on him.

Draco stood straight, his face calm.

He pursed his lips, as if he wanted to speak instinctively——

"I have……"

But at this moment, he caught a glimpse of——

On the stone steps at the corner, a familiar pair of long light blonde hair was passing through the light in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, and she was approaching at a leisurely pace.

It's Amanta.

She was wearing a dark ink-colored school robe, with a corner of her cloak blown up by the wind. Her face was calm and her eyes were expressionless, as if she was just passing by here to catch the next class.

Her gaze did not linger, but just glanced over here, her expression so calm that it was almost distant.

Draco's throat suddenly seemed to be choked by something.

"No." He heard himself say, his voice so cold and hard that there was almost no hesitation, "Not yet."

At that moment, he didn't even realize the joy on Astoria's face.

He just watched the figure pass by without any fluctuation as the words fell.

Amanta didn't pause.

There was no looking back.

She just walked by quietly, as if she really didn't hear what he said.

But only she knows.

The word "no" was like a cold short blade that passed by her side, cutting straight into a place that was already wounded and had not healed yet.

She had no reason to be angry.

Draco really had no obligation to choose her.

But the expectation in her heart...had quietly taken root and sprouted at some point, but was cut off by him.

She tucked her hands into the sleeves of her cloak and curled her fingertips.

The snow in front of her eyes was so bright that it was blinding, but the air seemed to freeze her eyelashes.

She didn't look back.

In the corridor, Draco didn't say a second word.

Only the wind blew between them, causing their cloaks to flutter lightly as they passed by each other.