Chapter 588: The Outsourced Champion Daphne
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Today’s evaluation ended ridiculously fast. The students hadn’t even warmed their seats before both professors had already finished their "performances."
According to the official timing, Professor McGonagall and Professor Sprout together had used a grand total of 43.96 seconds.
"So... is there anything else?" Daphne tilted her head and poked Astoria’s arm.
Astoria shook her head. "Tom didn’t mention anything last night. Probably not."
Hearing that, Daphne puffed her cheeks in dissatisfaction.
Her boyfriend stayed with her sister every night, and that same sister even complained she was too noisy and refused to let her join. What kind of situation was this supposed to be?
"Astoria, how are you feeling lately?" Daphne blinked her big eyes. On one hand, she hoped Astoria’s body could fully adapt to the Yuki-Onna’s power. On the other, she very much wanted to "free" Tom as soon as possible.
Unfortunately, Astoria looked just as confused. Aside from feeling more resistant to the cold, she didn’t notice anything else.
They hadn’t chatted long before Lee Jordan’s booming voice came from the commentator’s stand, announcing that the evaluation was over and everyone could disperse.
The young witches and wizards immediately looked disappointed.
So they rushed over for half an hour... just to watch for a few seconds?
But with the professors already leaving one by one, the students had no choice but to head out as well.
Hermione and Ginny were waiting by the exit and quickly caught up with the Greengrass sisters. The group walked together toward the Black Lake for a stroll.
It was already December. The damp cold bit straight to the bone, and very few students were willing to stay outside for long. Even the places they could walk were limited.
Ilvermorny’s ship, Mahoutokoro’s building, and Beauxbatons’ carriage were all gathered near the Black Lake now.
"Daphne, how’s your progress with the golden egg?" Hermione asked, kicking a small stone aside.
Daphne’s face instantly flushed pink, even the tips of her ears turning red. She lowered her head and said nothing.
The others exchanged knowing looks and stared at her.
Ginny planted her hands on her hips. "Don’t tell me you haven’t even started yet?"
Daphne’s gaze darted around, avoiding eye contact. Her voice came out hesitant. "We just finished the first task, okay? I worked really hard too. Let me rest a bit first."
To be fair, she had tried... once.
The day she brought the golden egg back, she opened it. The piercing screech nearly flipped the entire Slytherin common room upside down.
After that, she tossed it into a corner of her dorm and let it collect dust.
Hermione pressed a hand to her forehead, exasperated. The way Daphne said it, you’d think she’d been working tirelessly.
But aside from being forced into special training by Tom over the summer, she’d spent the entire term eating, drinking, and having fun. Not exactly "hard work."
Astoria, however, knew exactly how to push her sister’s buttons. She straightened her face and said in a serious tone. "Daphne, have you forgotten how you begged Tom to let you join this tournament?"
"If you try your best and still don’t win, he won’t blame you. But if you slack off every day and don’t take it seriously, and end up embarrassing him... do you think he’ll be disappointed in you?"
"If he stops paying attention to you, don’t come crying later."
By the end, Astoria couldn’t help the slight upward curl of her lips.
"Uh!"
Daphne’s expression changed instantly.
She hadn’t cared much about the tournament before. Honestly, she still didn’t. She was confident in her strength.
But the moment it involved Tom, her long-rusted brain finally started working again, and fast.
"...You guys keep talking. I’m going back to study the golden egg."
Watching Daphne lift her robes and hurry back toward the castle, the remaining girls exchanged amused glances.
Getting Daphne, the queen of slacking off, to finally take things seriously... that had not been easy.
...
..
Clang! Clang! Clang!
"Gather up! Everyone, gather up!"
In the Slytherin common room, Zabini had somehow found a pair of large cymbals and was smashing them together with ear-splitting enthusiasm. The harsh noise echoed through the entire room.
Students who had been discussing the professors’ evaluations frowned in irritation and turned to glare at him. A few hot-tempered ones even pulled out their wands, their expressions anything but friendly.
Zabini didn’t flinch. Instead, he raised an eyebrow and smirked provocatively.
"Orders from Miss Daphne. She wants everyone assembled. Got a problem? I can pass it along for you."
The anger in the room instantly cooled.
The young Slytherins’ eyes cleared, and polite, almost flattering smiles appeared on their faces. "No, of course not."
Zabini grinned smugly, playing the borrowed authority to perfection. Draco Malfoy, watching from the side, looked both impressed and annoyed.
Why did he never get chances like this to play the perfect lackey?
Five minutes later, every student in the dormitory had been called over. They stood around, confused, wondering what kind of whim had struck Daphne this time.
Then she appeared.
Surrounded by her three roommates, Daphne walked out holding the golden egg. She set it on the table, clapped her hands, and hopped up onto the tabletop, looking down at everyone.
"Everyone, I need a little help today."
"The clue for the next task is inside this golden egg. It probably has something to do with that awful screaming sound."
Everyone nodded. That guess made sense.
Then her tone shifted, and she let out a dramatic sigh.
"But, you see... I’m very busy. Most of my energy goes into improving my strength. I really don’t have time for this kind of boring puzzle-solving."
A beat of silence.
"So," she continued brightly, "I’ve made a decision. I’m entrusting this glorious and sacred task to all of you. You’ll be responsible for cracking the secret. Excited?"
The common room fell into dead silence.
The expressions on the Slytherins’ faces were... complicated.
There were so many ridiculous things packed into that speech that they didn’t even know where to start.
Busy? She was busy?
They all knew exactly how she spent her days. Either clinging to Tom, tormenting her sister, or hosting tea parties to sample delicacies from all over the world. What started as just Hogwarts girls had already expanded to other schools.
This wasn’t about being busy. She just wanted to slack off.
"Daphne..." one girl raised her hand timidly, speaking carefully. "Are you sure this doesn’t break the rules? The judges probably expect champions to solve these things on their own."
Daphne looked completely justified. "Isn’t finding you all proof of my intelligence?"
"Tom always says you should make good use of external resources. You’re my classmates. If you don’t help me, who will? You expect me to go ask those noisy Gryffindors?"
"As for the rules, don’t worry. I already checked. As long as I’m not asking professors or the judging panel, it’s completely fine."
At that point, what could they even say?
After spending so long around Tom, Daphne hadn’t just learned the art of outsourcing everything. She’d also mastered the skill of making irresistible promises.
She even used the same Riddle tone.
"Ahem..."
"I guarantee this: help me figure out the golden egg, and each of you gets ten Galleons for your trouble. Anyone who provides useful ideas, or especially whoever solves it, can ask me for one favor."
"Money, items... whatever you want, I’ll make it happen."
"Anything from Elaina Workshop products to Comet Trading Company, even the latest iCodex. Whatever you want, I’ll get it for you."
The effect was immediate.
Both boys and girls lit up with excitement.
"Daphne, don’t worry! I’ll definitely help you crack the egg!" Draco was the first to shout.
He’d wanted a custom iCodex engraved with his family crest and name for ages. It worked the same as a regular one, sure, but it was a symbol of identity and status.
It had style.
Unfortunately, he didn’t have the nerve to ask Tom directly. Now, finally, an opportunity had come.
He wasn’t the only one thrilled. Everyone had their own wishes, after all. Daphne’s promise was practically the same as Tom’s, and the value was high enough that even their families would be tempted.
Daphne looked very satisfied with the reaction. She handed the golden egg to her roommate to keep an eye on, then casually headed back to her room for a nap.
Who said she only knew how to eat, drink, and have fun?
She was clearly a genius.
.
.
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