Chapter 668 Krum And Dilemmas
Amidst this strange calm, time continued its course.
After Friday night's dinner, Evan, Harry, Ron, and Hermione left the castle to visit Hagrid.
Hagrid had planned to invite them for dinner at his house, but the four agreed it would be wiser not to easily risk trying Hagrid's cakes, so they changed the plan to have tea and dessert after dinner.
Since his identity as a half-giant had been revealed, Hagrid no longer went to the Great Hall to eat with the others. There were always students who rudely pointed at him, making him feel uncomfortable.
More importantly, Madame Maxime sometimes dined there, and Hagrid did not want to encounter her, let alone sit down for a meal together.
Even though his relationship with Madame Maxime had reached a stalemate, Hagrid took care of Beauxbatons' Abraxan horses. He kept the horses well-supplied with their favorite drink, pure malt whisky, and the vapors emanating from the trough in the corner of his paddock were enough to make approaching students dizzy.
"I hope Hagrid doesn't expect us to eat the cake he made!" said Harry. "I saw him pull out a piece of purple meat a few days ago."
"Purple meat? What animal could it be from?" asked Ron.
"I don't know, but I want to ask Hagrid about the Niffler. Maybe we can use it to find treasures," Ron said excitedly. "I know many people in the past buried their treasures underground. We... Oh, what is Professor Moody doing by the lake?"
Following his gaze, Evan saw Moody standing by the lake near the Forbidden Forest, as if observing something.
It was not surprising that he was investigating the situation in the lake. His magical eye could see through water.
The following week marked the beginning of the second task, and Barty Crouch Jr. must be plotting his scheme.
"Perhaps a stroll…" Hermione hesitated.
"How peculiar, going for a walk without even having dinner!" exclaimed Harry.
The four glanced momentarily at Moody, who stood by the lake, and continued on their way to Hagrid's hut.
They had barely taken a few steps when they stopped again. This time, the somber Krum called out to them to halt.
Krum emerged from the castle, seeming to have something to tell them.
"Evan Mason, may I have a word with you?" Krum spoke briefly, with a serious expression.
"Of course, no problem!" Evan looked at him puzzled, slightly surprised.
Seeing Krum's expression, Hermione discreetly pulled Evan, but ultimately said nothing.
Through Hermione's gaze, Evan could sense her worry and distress.
Suddenly, he remembered what Hermione had told him some time ago. He knew that what Krum was about to say probably related to Hermione.
He patted Hermione's shoulder to reassure her. Now that he was Hermione's boyfriend, it was up to him to solve the issue and make Krum stop bothering her. Otherwise, she wouldn't dare to go alone to the library to read at night.
Although Evan was not concerned about Hermione and Krum developing feelings for each other, the problem really needed to be resolved as soon as possible.
He followed Krum towards the Forbidden Forest, passing by Hagrid's hut and the illuminated Beauxbatons' carriage.
Krum did not want to be overheard and distanced himself from Harry, Ron, and Hermione trailing behind.
"It's strange, what could Krum want to tell Evan?" Harry gazed at the two's backs until they disappeared from sight, completely covered by bushes, and slowly said, "Krum seems a bit unhappy..."
"The other day he invited me to visit him during the summer holidays!" Hermione said. "I'm not sure if it's related to this matter."
"What?" Ron looked at Hermione astonished.
"In the library on Wednesday night, he invited me, and to be honest, I was very surprised. He suddenly said those words to me..." Hermione's face turned slightly red, paused, and quickly added, "but I rejected him immediately!"
"Hermione, did Krum invite you to be his guest?" Ron said surprised. "And you turned him down?"
"Yes, what else could I do?" Hermione frowned at Ron.
"If it were me, I wouldn't decline Krum's invitation. Think about it. For many people, it's a dream to visit Krum's house during the summer holidays. He is a famous international Quidditch player," Ron said simply. "You should accept, Hermione, and also ask if you can bring friends along, so we can go."
"I only consider him as a common friend, nothing more. Besides, Evan would like to have more contact with her. However, she seems to blame Evan for my rejection..."
"Krum is definitely upset!" Ron interrupted Hermione. "He was just a guest... you came to my house last year!"
"That's not the same, Ron," said Harry, grasping the essence of the matter, "Hermione really should reject Krum, she is Evan's girlfriend. How can she visit someone else's house during the summer holidays?"
Ron still looked confused, and Harry thought for a moment, probably pondering what to say to make Ron understand.
"Ron, Krum is Evan's... rival; he also likes Hermione!"
Upon hearing Harry's blunt words, Hermione blushed as if she were on fire and could almost feel the heat emanating from her.
Ron also understood what Krum meant by inviting Hermione to visit him. He didn't continue commenting.
Indeed, Hermione was now Evan's girlfriend.
Ron suddenly remembered the scene when they returned to announce the event that night after the Christmas Ball.
Perhaps because he was too familiar with it, he had been ignoring that fact.
Krum obviously had feelings for Hermione and had not only invited her to play chess.
Ron looked at Hermione, whose face was flushed, as if he were seeing her for the first time.
Meanwhile, Harry's thoughts were equally complex, and Krum's actions suddenly touched the strings of his heart.
He couldn't help but wonder, if Cho Chang were his girlfriend, what would he do if he found himself in such a situation?!
Unfortunately, Cho's boyfriend at that moment was Cedric Diggory. Had they confirmed their relationship, right?!
Harry was not Krum, and he wouldn't approach Cedric...
Just as he was about to say something, there was an abnormal movement in the bushes behind Hermione.
Harry had some experience with hidden things in the forest. He instinctively grabbed Hermione's arm and pulled her closer to him...