Chapter 80: 4-2

"In the end, you were so busy dealing with your brother and best friend fighting that you didn't even have time to strategize—is that it?"

"I have no excuse."

Slipping away from the feast celebrating the four Champions successfully getting past their Task, I found myself withering under Draco's incredibly cold glare. —Yes, they got past it. All four of them. Fleur, Krum, Harry, and Cedric—all of them stood tall as Champions, using the exact same methods as last time. As for me, despite my enthusiasm, I had done nothing but mediate a fight. What an idiot.

"Yeah, but it's fine now—I think."

"If anything, they look even clingier than before. How convenient."

"That's the cute thing about Ron. Are you really one to talk, anyway? You're always acting out of convenience, Malfoy."

I smiled in relief, remembering the backs of the kids who had completely gone back to being the best-of-friends trio. Right about now, they were probably opening the golden egg in the celebrating Common Room and holding their heads in despair. And the three of them would rack their brains together, and move forward together.

"—Are you sure about this?"

Draco looked at me like he was looking at a stubborn child.

"It's fine. As long as he stays on Harry's side. —Even if he hates Maria."

"You're just acting tough."

"I'm not acting tough. ...Well, maybe a little, but it's not a complete lie. The Harry in me is glad Ron chose him."

It was a dark sort of possessiveness. Ron chose Harry over Maria. And the Maria in me was hurt, while the Harry in me was delighted.

"Besides, look—I have you, right?"

When I playfully narrowed my eyes, he laughed cheerfully with his trademark sarcastic expression.

"Of course. I can't compete with your Granger and Weasley, but I'm not giving Maria up to my lackeys."

What a way to put it. I couldn't help but smile bitterly at his immaturity. ...Though the truly immature one is probably me.

"Let's get back on topic. It's about what to do with Cedric. From the looks of it, we can assume the Second Task will be the same as last time... and frankly, I have no idea how we're supposed to interfere."

Stealing a glance next to me, Draco also had a look that said he was absolutely out of ideas. It was a rather helpless silence.

If we were Champions, maybe, but what could we do from the sidelines? After all, simply sabotaging him wouldn't be enough. We had to make everyone think Cedric put up a good fight, and we had to convince him—and above all, Amos Diggory.

Just how much his father's expectations would warp Cedric... that was a future we, who had only heard about Albus and Scorpius's time travel by word of mouth, could not fully comprehend.

"We're at a dead end. Let's call it a day. We still have three months. With that much time, we're bound to come up with at least one good plan."

Exhaling a sigh, I let Draco, who stood up first, pull me away from the chilling winds blowing off the lake. He took my hand while I was halfway up, pulling me to my feet entirely—and then smiled so beautifully it sent chills down my spine.

"Above all—you have your own trial before the Second Task, don't you?"

"............Ugh."

Absolutely not wanting to hear whatever followed that smirk, I instantly kneed Draco. Making me remember that nightmare—he's utterly despicable!

I was surrounded. Hermione in front, Harry on my right, Draco on my left, and Ron behind me. I was surrounded by my best friends, my brother, and my partner-in-crime, all with their eyes gleaming fiercely. —Or rather. I was captured.

"Absolutely not."

"You are absolutely going."

Hermione, standing firmly with her hands on her hips, crossed her arms and smiled sweetly.

"I am absolutely not wearing it."

"You are absolutely going to end up wearing it."

Ron smirked down at me from his height, the tallest among the five of us.

"I am absolutely not dancing!"

"If it's mandatory for me, it's mandatory for you, Maria."

Harry glared at me blankly with hollow eyes.

And the finishing blow:

"Professor McGonagall warned you directly, didn't she?"

Draco tilted his head in an infuriatingly smug way, wearing a triumphant smile.

—Ah, I want to throw a Dungbomb right at that cool face of his!

This all started after Transfiguration class. I was idly listening to Professor McGonagall give the exact same explanation as last time in her matter-of-fact tone. After all, it had nothing to do with me. —At least, it didn't at that point.

And then—Professor McGonagall caught Harry and me.

"Maria Potter. You have it written all over your face that you think this doesn't concern you, but your attendance is also mandatory."

"............Huh?"

The bomb had been dropped.

"W-Why? I'm not a Champion this time, am I?"

"I do not know what you were a champion of last time, but did you really think you wouldn't draw attention as the twin sister of Harry Potter when he dances as a Champion?"

My dismay was flatly swatted away. There is no such word as "compromise" in the dictionary of Professor McGonagall, a woman who lives for her love and pride in Hogwarts. In short, with the dignity of Hogwarts on the line, she didn't want to show any weakness in front of the guests from the other schools.

Professor McGonagall's eyes flashed sharply behind her square spectacles as she repeated:

"Maria Potter. Your attendance is non-negotiable."

My jaw dropped.

Following that, joined by Harry, my best friends, and Draco—who had been apprehended by Hermione somewhere along the way—the battle of Maria vs. Her Merry Band of Misfits officially began.

"This is impossible. A dress... I can't believe it. Me in a dress? Me? Why do you think I styled my uniform like this?"

"Believe me, I still have many thoughts about that. Yes. But let's set that aside. There's a much more important matter at hand."

"A dress? Is important?"

"Of course."

"Merlin's beard!"

I covered my face at Hermione's declaration. To think I managed to evade the girls' uniform only to fall into a massive trap like this!

"Do you really hate it that much, Maria?"

"I absolutely despise it."

"Even if I told you that if I have to dance, I'd want to dance with you?"

Twitch. My right shoulder trembled.

"Astoria was really looking forward to seeing you dress up, you know."

Twitch, twitch. My left shoulder jumped.

"Ginny'll be disappointed, too. She absolutely loves you; of course she's dying to see you in a dress."

A jolt of electricity ran down my spine. The fact that there was no follow-up attack from Hermione right in front of me was slowly but surely feeding my guilt.

Good heavens. They have my weaknesses completely figured out. They know exactly who I have a soft spot for. There was never an escape route to begin with, was there?

"..................Fine."

I raised my head. I glared as reproachfully as I could at Hermione, who looked somewhat relieved. —This was the only way.

"I'm going to attend as a boy."

"""............Huh?"""

The voices of all four of them overlapped perfectly.

"Maria? You're not thinking straight. You are definitely a girl."

"I've always been a bit confused about your gender, but at least on the outside, you're a lady."

"Maria, my sibling is a sister."

Ignoring my best friends and my brother, who were treating me like I'd gone mad, I turned my whole body to face the boy positioned on my left.

"—Gender-Swapping Potion."

Dead stop. The three who had been kicking up a fuss fell completely silent.

"Draco, you—you said there was a Gender-Swapping Potion, right?"

I remembered. That day two years ago—the words you gave me when I panicked upon facing 'womanhood' for the first time. ...Because an even more intense event occurred after that, I hadn't brought it up again, but—without a doubt, he said it.

It's not permanent, but—a Gender-Swapping Potion does exist.

"If I can act as a guy, I'll even dance."

"Maria... honestly..."

"—Alright."

The one who interrupted the exasperated Hermione and nodded was Harry.

"Then I'll take the potion, too. And I'll attend as a girl, and you as a boy."

"Harry!"

"I can't let Maria be the only one drinking something weird. I'll experience it with her."

Struck by the sight of my all-too-reliable brother, not just Hermione and Ron, but even I was taken aback.

"Harry... really?"

"I'm your older brother, after all. I can humor my little sister's selfishness this much. —However,"

Harry gave an adorable smile with his ever-boyish features, and presented the second trial.

"Only if you can convince Professor McGonagall."