Chapter 570: New Updates on the Tournament
By around 3:00 p.m., the sixth-year students had completed their last exam and were eagerly anticipating the upcoming tournament and the holidays. The fifth years, however, still had two more hours of OWLs to endure.
That afternoon, Kyle and Cedric sat by the Black Lake, discussing the imminent tournament. The giant squid floated lazily in the sunlight, its tentacles breaking the lake's surface now and then.
Meanwhile, Fred and George were up to their usual antics, sneaking off to see Bagman and Karkaroff. According to them, the closer the competition got, the more critical it was to stay vigilant. After all, with the maze completed, who was to say Bagman wouldn't help Karkaroff find an edge by revealing a shortcut to the trophy?
"The competition starts in a few hours. I wish time would hurry up," Cedric said, staring out at the shimmering lake. "How's the Charm coming along? Are you feeling ready?"
"Of course, I'm ready," Kyle replied confidently. "You're more nervous than I am."
"Maybe," Cedric admitted. "It's the last competition, and you've been leading in the first two events. It'd be a shame if..." He trailed off. "Well, if you lost at the end."
"Don't worry," Kyle said with a smirk. "I'm not going to lose."
"I know," Cedric said, smiling back. "Professor Sprout would be over the moon if you won the Triwizard Tournament. I saw her last time in Hogsmeade, at the wizarding clothing store. Looked like she was picking out a new robe."
"A new robe?" Kyle turned to him in surprise. "You're kidding. Didn't she just get a new one last year?"
For most people, buying only one new piece of clothing a year might seem unusual, but for Professor Sprout, it was perfectly normal. At school, she typically wore durable clothes suited for tending the plants in the greenhouses. Her formal robes were reserved for special occasions, like the Start-of-Term Feast.
Kyle remembered that her bright yellow robe had gone unchanged for years. It wasn't until Hufflepuff won the House Cup for the fourth consecutive year that she bought a new one, which she proudly wore to the Yule Ball.