[128] Father, Son, and the Forked Tongue

Hall and his group ran like mad until they finally stopped, panting heavily, in the open space before the castle. They were all exhausted, hands on their knees, gasping for breath. Their chests heaved violently, their faces covered in sweat.

After a while, they finally had time to look up. What they saw was astonishing — they nearly burst out laughing.

The five of them looked utterly ridiculous. Even Draco, usually so meticulous about his appearance, had his hair dishevelled, resembling a bird's nest. They looked at each other, stunned for a moment, then burst out laughing, pointing at one another.

The laughter echoed in the empty night air. They laughed so hard they doubled over, tears streaming down their faces. Ron clutched his stomach as he laughed.

After laughing for a while, they collapsed onto the lawn, gazing up at the starry sky. The glittering stars seemed to wink at them.

After a while, Hall cleared his throat and asked what had happened.

Draco blinked innocently. "I ran into these three while they were out for a night stroll as soon as I got back to the castle. They knew I was looking for someone to rescue you, so they insisted on coming. Time was of the essence, so I just dragged them back with me."

Hall rubbed his forehead helplessly. "Draco. You really know how to pick reinforcements."

Hermione immediately objected, hands on her hips like a puffed-up hedgehog. "Hmph! How are we useless? If we hadn't arrived in time, who knows what would have happened to you!"

Harry pumped his fist. "Exactly! We outsmarted a werewolf!"

"'Outsmarted' is a strong word," Hall muttered.

Ron's face was still pale, but a slight smile played on his lips. "That werewolf was terrifying! Luckily we showed up in time!"

"Alright, alright," Hall sighed. "You're pretty good. Happy?"

Sirius, Snape, and Lupin arrived shortly after, having dealt with the werewolf. Sirius strode over, his messy black hair flying wildly in the night wind. He gave them a once-over and grinned. "You little rascals sure know how to get into trouble."

Snape's face was dark, his expression grim. "I will report everything that happened tonight to the Headmaster."

Hall's heart sank. He was definitely in for a scolding.

Sure enough, the next morning, Professor McGonagall summoned Hall to the Headmaster's office. Dumbledore sat at his desk, brow furrowed, his expression extremely serious.

"Hall. Can you give me an explanation for what happened last night?"

Hall lowered his head like a child who had done something wrong and recounted everything.

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After listening, Dumbledore remained silent for a long time. The air seemed to freeze.

"Hall. Do you know how dangerous your actions were? If Sirius and the others had not arrived in time, the consequences would have been unimaginable!" Dumbledore's tone was clearly worried, his voice rising.

"I know I was wrong, Headmaster."

Dumbledore sighed deeply. "This time I will let it go. But do not let it happen again. The Triwizard Tournament is about to begin. I cannot allow any more accidents."

Hall nodded frantically. "Yes, Headmaster."

Just before leaving, Dumbledore's voice stopped him. "Hall. You're a good boy. But I also hope you can trust us adults a little more."

Hall nodded slightly. It was not that he did not trust the professors — but he felt he could handle things himself and did not want to trouble others.

"Go," Dumbledore said with a gentle smile.

Back in the Great Hall, the tension was palpable. Today was the first task. Students from every house were on edge. Some sat picking up their cups to drink water, only to spill it from nervousness. Others stared at upside-down books without noticing. Still others paced in circles, muttering to themselves.

Ron was like a cat on hot bricks, pacing back and forth between Hall and Harry. "Oh dear, what am I going to do? My heart's pounding!"

Harry sat silently, staring at his wand.

Hall chuckled. "Don't be so tense. We just need to give it our all."

"No, Hall, you have to win!" Draco bounded over and plopped down beside him. "I bet my entire allowance on you!"

Ron slapped Draco's hand away. "Don't think I don't know!"

Draco was not angry. He stood up, grinning, straightened his collar, and strode out. "I'm off to find the perfect seat. This will be a piece of cake for you —" He turned to Harry, chin raised. "As for you, Potter. Good luck."

With that, he turned gracefully and left.

"Did you hear what he said?!" Ron pointed at Draco's retreating figure, gesturing to Harry and Hall with a speechless expression. "'Potter, good luck.' If it weren't for Hall, I would have punched him."

He raised his fist and waved it in the air. Hall and Harry exchanged a glance, smiled helplessly, and nodded.

"Alright, Ron. We should get going," Hermione interrupted.

Everyone knew Ron was trying to lighten the mood, to ease their tension.

Arriving at the arena, Hall found it already packed, buzzing with excitement. Spectators whispered excitedly, discussing the upcoming match. The atmosphere was as heated as a volcano about to erupt.

Hall looked around and finally spotted Mum and Dad in the crowd. He and Ron waved enthusiastically at them.

"Hall, Harry, we're going to the stands too," Hermione said.

The group departed one after another. Hall and Harry headed to the champions' tent to wait for the match to begin.

Inside the tent, Harry paced anxiously back and forth. He clutched the thing Hall had just handed him — a silver coin, engraved with intricate and strange patterns.

"Harry, you're making me dizzy. Can you sit down?" Hall patted the chair beside him.

Harry sat down nervously, looked around, then whispered in Hall's ear. "Hall, does this really work?"

He was referring to the coin.

Hall nodded. This was the fifteenth time Harry had asked.

"Just remember — before you use it, don't bump it hard."

Harry opened his palm. The coin was different from ordinary ones, engraved with intricate patterns. This was Hall's only successfully executed silver coin. Compressing an entire array onto a tiny coin required absolute precision — the thickness and force of every line could not deviate even slightly. After discarding hundreds of failed attempts, Hall had finally succeeded with this one. One-time use only. It contained a relatively simple Sleeping Array. It had a fatal flaw: it would be triggered immediately upon impact. That made it completely unsuitable for everyday defensive use. But in a critical moment, you could not go back to retrieve it — like last night in the Forbidden Forest. So it was perfectly suited for this competition.

"But —" Harry hesitated. "How am I supposed to know what kind of impact is considered strong?"

Hall thought for a moment. "You'll find out when the competition starts."