Chapter 425: The Broken Chair


    Inside the Headmaster''s Office—


    "Are you sure?" Dumbledore''s voice resonated deeply.


    Felix nodded solemnly.


    "Leave it to me next, Felix," Dumbledore took on the responsibility.


    "Do you have a n?" Felix asked in surprise. "Albus, there''s no precedent for this. The snake is already dead. I can''t make heads or tails of it for now, at least without sufficient time. There might be a glimmer of hope if given enough time..."


    Dumbledore simply replied calmly, "I understand." Felix sensed the unspoken "that''s all for now," excused himself voluntarily. He felt Dumbledore''s considerations were diverging from his own, yet information was scarce. Nevertheless, as he said before, he wasn''t prepared to give up; the soul was also a crucial magical subject.


    However, his previous umtion was almost reduced to nothing, making the prospect of achieving results in a short time seem bleak.


    Felix stood by the window on the eighth floor of the castle, pondering to himself, "Instead of focusing on the soul, it might be better to direct attention to Voldemort. There are three very clear ways to deal with him—destroy the Horcruxes, eliminate the remnants of his soul, and capture Voldemort after his resurrection."


    Standing at a height, he gazed at the faint lights flickering on the edge of the Forbidden Forest, unaware that, at this moment, an interesting adventure was unfolding on the Beauxbatons carriage—The carriage''s lights had nearly gone out, with only a dim nightmp still glowing. Fleur opened the door, stealthily slipping out of the room.


    In her hands, she cradled a golden egg, tiptoeing towards Madame Maxime''s privatevatory. Passing by a bedroom, the door creaked open. Jacqueline Bourdelle emerged from the room in her pajamas.


    "Fleur? What are you—" Jacqueline was astonished, eyeing Fleur holding the golden egg, carefully inching along the wall.


    Fleur muttered, "Oops," hurriedly covering Jacqueline''s mouth. "Quiet! Don''t wake Madame Maxime..."


    Jacqueline blinked obediently.


    When Fleur released her hand, she curiously examined Fleur, pausing for a few seconds at her bare feet.


    "You''re not wearing shoes?"


    "I don''t need to. The path is all carpeted, and I''m sticking close to the wall, untouched by anyone," Fleur said proudly, lifting her head. Jacqueline found her expression increasingly peculiar.


    "Let me take you to a great ce," Fleur decisively changed the subject.


    In fact, after the first task, she hadn''t been talking much with the other two champions. She thought them too timid, and the other two champions also felt disheartened and despondent all day.


    They walked to the end of the carpeted path, entering thergest room at the center, where the enormous oakwood door alone stood at ten feet tall.


    "This isn''t Madame Maxime''s—"


    "Oh, I know," Fleur said. Approaching the door cautiously, she softly uttered the password. The door silently cracked open, and she slipped inside, leaving Jacqueline beside herself.


    She''s so adept at this...


    Before she could react, a hand reached out from inside, grabbing her shoulder and pulling her into the room as well.


    Before themy a luxuriousvatory, with silver-tiled floors and walls, a massive branch-shaped chandelier hanging from the ceiling, casting a gentle light. Apart from the usual amenities, there was a separaterge bathing area. Fleur handed the golden egg to Jacqueline, standing by the ss door of the bath, her eyes sparkling.


    "Fleur, even if you want to bathe, it''s not necessary to use Madame Maxime''svatory sneakily," Jacqueline said, worriedly. If caught, they''d be in trouble.


    "Don''t worry, I''ve been here more than once," Fleur said, wrapping herself in arge towel, shimmering with a blue hue. "Let me show you the luxurious bath."


    She pushed the door, fog filling the room, carrying the light fragrance preferred by Madame Maxime. upying most of the space was a gigantic bath that resembled a swimming pool. A wall along the corridor held a gilded dressing mirror, with two metal hooks nearby, holding towels asrge as bedsheets. "I''ve been waiting for daytime to end," Fleur said cheerfully.


    She swiftly removed her pajamas, revealing a swimsuit, seemingly prepared in advance. Fleur moved a bit on the spot, then dived into the water like a fish, swimming meters within the bath before surfacing, disying an elegant mane of hair.


    "Come on, Jacqueline," she invited, her voice echoing between the empty walls, forming a pleasant echo.


    Jacqueline shook her head, holding onto the golden egg, walking to the side. Every few seconds, she nced towards the direction of the door, fearing Madame Maxime might enter, although by all reasoning, she should have been asleep by now.


    She stood by for a while, watching Fleur''s agile strokes, resembling a beautiful mermaid, her silver hair and graceful neck appearing and disappearing in the mist. Fleur''s natural charm even made her envious.


    Holding the golden egg, her arm began to ache. She looked around and chose a beautiful lounge chair—a piece simr to other furnishings in the room, enormous. cing the golden egg in the center, sheid down.


    "Hmm?"


    This trip revealed something different. As she propped herself up, her fingertips touched ayer of soft and resilient air. It felt as though shey on a soft cottony cloud but without the fear of sinking.


    "Madame Maxime certainly knows how to indulge," Jacqueline thought. The students'' bath did not have these luxuries.


    She fully reclined on the chair, using a wooden pillow that she initially assumed would be hard. However, it turned out as soft as theyer of air beneath, supporting her head in afortable manner. She seemed to hear a song by her ears, her tense nerves naturally rxing.


    She felt as if she were in the clouds, sofortable that she was almost falling asleep. She didn''t know how much time passed—


    "How is it? The chair is veryfortable, isn''t it?" A voice seemed toe from the heavens. Jacqueline felt a bit dazed. Who was speaking? Opening her eyes, she saw Fleur, wrapped in arge towel, her azure eyes gazing at her.


    "F-Fleur, you''re done bathing; we should leave—" She tried to get up but was pressed back down by Fleur.


    Fleury down next to her, emitting a pleasant sound.


    "This chair is toofortable. I really want to sleep on it forever, but unfortunately, it''s not avable on the market," sheined, "I''ve been waiting for almost a month, and there''s still no news about the Future Worldpany going public."


    "Is this from the ''Future World''pany?" Jacqueline asked softly. Even she had heard of this name because thispany''s branch had already opened on the most prosperous magical street in France, named Future World No. 3.


    "That''s right," Fleur closed her eyes,zily saying in anguid French ent, "The owner of the Future Worldpany is Mr. Felix Harp. You''ve met him; he''s the Ancient Runes professor at


    Hogwarts and also a director at Beauxbatons."


    Jacqueline widened her eyes.


    Comfortably lying for a while, Fleur picked up the golden egg, looking left and right. "Have you cracked the secret of the golden egg?" Jacqueline asked. The golden egg had been constantly by Fleur''s side, seldom essible to the other two champions.


    "Not yet," Fleur said. She had been anxious before, but every time she sat on this "cloud-like chair," all her worries seemed to vanish. She spoke leisurely, with thenguid tone characteristic of the Frenchnguage.


    "I heard Fran?ois (another champion) say that Madame Maxime intends to intervene..."


    In a hidden chamber, hushed whispers and secretive nces were exchanged as two remarkable women, Fleur and Jacqueline, engaged in an intriguing conversation, their wordsden with the weight of untold mysteries.


    "I know," Fleur remarked with a delicate scrunch of her nose, cing the golden egg on herp. "She told me ages ago, but I refused. I wished to unravel this mystery on my own."


    Jacqueline gazed at Fleur with a touch of envy, perhaps in Madame Maxime''s eyes, Fleur was the sole worthy warrior.


    "Click."


    A crisp sound reverberated through the chamber.


    "What was that?" Fleur asked, alert.


    Jacqueline shook her head, her posture straightening, her demeanor resembling that of a startled deer, casting a nce toward the bath chamber''s door. Even the chair beneath her failed to provide sce at this moment. With a quivering voice, she said, "Could it be Madame Maxime...?"


    "Impossible," Fleur hesitated in expression but bore a hint of unease herself, elongating her slender neck and listening intently for a while. "Fear not, there''s nothing. I''ve been here several times; Madame Maxime follows a strict routine."


    Jacqueline could only resign herself and recline once more.


    "How wonderful..." she murmured.


    "Yes," Jacqueline echoed, finding sce both in thefort of the chair and in the eased rapport with Fleur.


    Theyy in silence for a while until another sound prated the hazy atmosphere.


    "Click."


    "I heard it again," Jacqueline remarked.


    "Perhaps it''s an illusion," Fleur said, one hand caressing the golden egg, her eyes shut.


    A steady voice suddenly resounded above them, a mix of irritation and amusement evident. "It''s not an illusion. I''m quite certain it''s my chair making that sound."


    "Is that so..." Fleur pursed her lips. "I don''t feel the same way."


    "Madame Maxime! How did you get here?" Jacqueline eximed beside her ear.


    Fleur felt somewhat bewildered; who was Jacqueline speaking to? Madame Maxime? Who was Madame Maxime?


    Fleur abruptly opened her eyes, meeting a towering figure and piercing gaze. She let out a scream, jolting upright. "I-I-I''m terribly sorry, Madame Maxime. It''s all my fault—I shouldn''t have sneaked in and used your chair..."


    However, Madame Maxime didn''t quite catch Fleur''s apology as another piercing, shrill cry filled the bathing chamber. The golden egg slipped from Fleur''s grasp as she jerked upright, striking the indentation on top, causing it to spring open.


    As it emitted an eerie screech and rolled, defying three pairs of eyes, it carved an arc, "Plop," and plunged into the water.


    Fleur stood still for a moment, then obediently rose. "Madame Maxime, I''ll retrieve the golden egg." Without daring to gauge Madame Maxime''s reaction, she leaped into the spacious bath.


    Onshore, Madame Maxime wore a stern expression as she inquired of Jacqueline, "Did Fleur drag you here?"


    "N-no, we came together," Jacqueline replied nervously. "It''s our first time—"


    Madame Maxime snorted. "It might be your first time, but not necessarily Fleur''s. I''ve long noticed her coveting this chair." Her annoyance wasn''t directed at Fleur but rather at Hagrid.


    She didn''t know what had gotten into himtely. Every time he came to feed the symbol of the gods, he would subtly ask about any damage to the floating chair, even loudly boasting about his skill in fixing things, implying he could help if something broke.


    Madame Maxime was quite irked by this, feeling that Hagrid was insinuating her weight was causing potential damage to the chair.


    Tonight, unable to sleep because of Fleur''s stubborn insistence on uncovering the golden egg''s secrets and partly due to Hagrid, she sought sce in the bathing chamber, never expecting such an unexpected revtion.


    Seeing Fleur poke her head out of the pool, looking at her with adoration, Madame Maxime smirked coldly. Today was the day to persuade Fleur; she felt no embarrassment. After all, she didn''t think someone like Karkaroff would ensure fairness as promised.


    After the first task, anyone believing Karkaroff''s words would be utterly foolish.


    As the saying goes, cheating has always been a tradition in the Triwizard Tournament. But when to cheat? Now was the perfect time. "Madame Maxime! I-I''ve discovered the golden egg''s secret!" Fleur''s excited cry interrupted her thoughts, and she nced at Fleur skeptically.


    "It''s true! Let me sing it to you—''Find us where our voices sound, on the ground, we can''t be found. When you seek, remember well: Purple for power; blue for wisdom; gold for, for—"


    Fleur began to sing, her voice exquisitely enchanting, captivating those who listened. However, halfway through, Fleur stumbled. "Um, sorry, I forgot the rest. How about we alle down together?"


    Half a minuteter—


    The threedies emerged from the pool, shaking their hair, and Madame Maxime sank into thought. "So that''s it. I assumed it would follow the four elements. The golden egg represents life, life refers to fire..."


    Seating herself, she contemted the clues provided by the golden egg. Soon enough, she also pondered the only ce at Hogwarts that met the conditions: the ck Lake.


    "It''s said that the ck Lake houses many creatures: mermaids, giant squids, Grindylows..." Fleur murmured, patting Madame Maxime''s shoulder.


    "But do these three creatures symbolize wisdom, power, and growth?" Madame Maxime disagreed. "There must be something else; these are mere obstacles for the champions. You need to consider underwater survival and spellcasting in underwaterbat. As for wisdom and growth... they''re not something we can infer."


    "You said it so well; why didn''t I think of that?" Fleur smiled, enchantingly.


    Madame Maxime shot her a nce but, after unraveling the golden egg''s mystery, she wasn''t inclined to pursue further. "Slightly to the left," she instructed, and Fleur''s smile widened.


    "Click-click-click."


    Madame Maxime''s chair suddenly emitted a rapid session of sounds, theyer of air beneath her shimmered twice, then abruptly vanished.


    The three women stared wide-eyed, Madame Maxime disying the most astonishment.


    Had she really broken the chair?


    >


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