Chapter 185: 185: Beauxbaton and Daphne
John walked to the edge of the forest at the far end of the grounds, where a large open space awaited.
He casually tossed the tent he had picked up onto the empty ground. Without any need for assembly, the tent began to construct itself neatly and efficiently.
In no time, a luxurious tent was fully set up.
If you didn't look carefully, you might have mistaken it for a circus tent.
John was momentarily speechless. "Tommy went a little overboard with this," he muttered.
The tent had been arranged by Tommy. John hadn't intended for anything too extravagant, but it seemed there was no escaping the fact that his shop was in the business of selling such things.
This was a portable tent crafted by Silverhand Johnny's shop, a state-of-the-art creation that required no manual setup. You simply placed it down, and it assembled itself.
Inside, the decor was extremely luxurious, equipped with everything one could possibly need. John even spotted a portable kitchen.
Thanks to the use of the Undetectable Extension Charm, the interior wasn't cramped at all but instead felt incredibly spacious.
This fully automated portable tent had been a hit with wizards ever since its release.
Of course, wizards like the Weasley family, who enjoyed experimenting with Muggle-style manual setups, were still in the minority.
After the tent was fully assembled, John received a message from Daphne.
He left the tent temporarily and headed toward a nearby area in search of her.
On the way, he encountered Fleur Delacour and Madame Maxime.
"John!" Fleur, now even more radiant and graceful, ran over with delight.
"We just arrived! How long have you been here?" she asked excitedly.
Beauxbatons had come as a group, their camp consisting of several large, sky-blue tents.
"I just got here too," John replied, his gaze falling on the badge Fleur wore on her chest. With a smile, he added, "I've founded a society called the Constellation Society. If you don't mind…"
He gestured to the badge on his own chest. Fleur's eyes lit up with excitement, and her smile was dazzling. "Of course! I'd be honored to join the Constellation Society."
He had left a spot for her since starting the club and was glad she didn't refuse.
"What the.... how is she.. so beautiful..."
A few young men who had been aimlessly circling nearby froze at this interaction. One, utterly distracted, walked straight into someone else's tent, causing a commotion of squawking and shouting inside.
"That's fantastic," John said cheerfully. He then asked Fleur to hand him her badge.
With the badge in his palm, John clapped his hands together. A complex magic array, composed of overlapping circles, quickly enveloped the badge.
"What's that?" Fleur asked, her curiosity piqued. She had never seen such a method of enchantment before.
John chuckled lightly. "It's a type of enchantment. Now you can use the badge to contact me."
He demonstrated by gently tapping his own badge. A list of names appeared in midair.
Selecting Fleur's name, John sent her a greeting.
"Hello."
Fleur's badge lit up in response, and she gasped in surprise.
As she examined the badge further, she noticed other small names on it, the name Heinrich Edgar brought back the memories of that day. Intrigued, she asked about it, only to learn that Heinrich had also joined the Constellation Society.
Fleur smirked playfully and said, "John, your ambitions are quite large."
"Of course," John admitted with a nod, his eyes gleaming. "Will you help me?"
Feigning deep thought, Fleur sighed dramatically before breaking into a radiant smile. "Of course."
John then went to greet Madame Maxime. In the presence of the towering headmistress, he maintained a demeanor of humility and respect.
"John, perhaps I truly should have kept you at Beauxbatons," Madame Maxime remarked, a trace of regret in her voice. "Having Nicolas Flamel's student at another school is a loss for Beauxbatons after all."
"Even without me, Beauxbatons remains exceptional, doesn't it?" John replied with a sly smile.
Hearing this, Madame Maxime chuckled and teased, "Flatterer, of course."
Meanwhile, a few Beauxbatons students peeked out from their tent, curious about John.
Among them was Fleur's younger sister, Gabrielle Delacour.
Gabrielle, eight years younger than Fleur, bore a striking resemblance to her sister. With her waist-length silver hair and radiant smile, she was just as beautiful.
She ran over, tugging at her sister's skirt while her bright eyes remained fixed on John.
"It's getting late," John said, excusing himself with a polite smile. "I need to find someone. See you at the stadium."
John checked the time and bid Fleur farewell.
Fleur waved with a bright smile, while Madame Maxime let out a deep breath after John departed.
"Madame Maxime, what's wrong?" Fleur asked curiously.
Waving her hand and patting her chest adorned with a luxurious ring, Madame Maxime spoke with lingering unease. "We should be thankful that John Wick isn't old enough to participate in the Triwizard Tournament."
As one of Madame Maxime's favored students, Fleur was already aware of the Triwizard Tournament. However, she couldn't understand why John's absence was such a relief to Madame Maxime.
In truth, Madame Maxime herself couldn't fully explain it. It's just that when she faced John directly, she felt an inexplicable pressure.
It was as if John were a giant hunter wielding a knife, exuding an aura that was both formidable and unsettling.
She truly felt fortunate. While John was undeniably extraordinary, his youth spared others from competing against him in the tournament—where pride and glory were too tempting to surrender.
...
John found Daphne just as her younger sister, Astoria, was busy smearing dirt all over her face, turning herself into a messy little "painted cat."
When Daphne noticed John approaching, she immediately tossed the tent she was struggling with to the side in exasperation.
"Daphne," John said as he moved closer, glancing at the half-assembled, unstable tent.
It was obvious to him that the sisters weren't particularly skilled at setting up camp.
Unable to bear the sight any longer with a flick of his wand, the tent quickly erected itself into a proper structure.
"That's amazing!" Astoria exclaimed, her face lighting up with joy.
"Where are your parents?" John asked, glancing around but seeing no sign of the Greengrass couple.
"They ran into some friends," Daphne replied, trying to sound confident. "I figured I could handle things myself."
Handle things, my foot.
John suppressed an eye-roll. If only Daphne could be as competent in practical matters as she was in academics.
Daphne tilted her head curiously. "John, did you come here alone? Where's your tent?"
John casually pulled a Quidditch World Cup ticket from his small pouch and handed it to Daphne. "I came alone, but I've arranged to meet up with Fleur. The three of us can watch the match together."
As he spoke, he failed to notice the brief crack in Daphne's smile.
"My tent's on the other side," he added. "Want to come check it out?"
John glanced at their barely-functional tent, noting that there were still essentials like casting an extension charm and then bedding and supplies to sort out.
Turning to Astoria, who looked a little forlorn, he offered, "Astoria, why don't you come along too? I've got some snacks prepared at my place."
Astoria's eyes lit up instantly, and she nodded enthusiastically, her head bobbing like a little bird pecking at seeds.
Daphne snapped out of her thoughts. She temporarily brushed off the fact that Fleur—a clearly feminine name—seemed to have a prearranged connection with John. Without saying much, she reached out to lightly graze John's sleeve before pulling her hand back.
And so, John found himself leading two girls, one older and one younger, back toward his tent.
Passing by the Beauxbatons tent, John had a sudden thought—it was the perfect chance to introduce another member of the Constellation Society.
And just like that, Fleur and Daphne met.
Both accompanied by their younger sisters, Fleur appraised Daphne. Blonde, quite pretty… but that gaze is unsettling. She knew that look all too well—it was the same one some of the girls at Beauxbatons used when eyeing her.
Meanwhile, Daphne scrutinized Fleur in return. Silvery hair, looks like a fairy, very beautiful. Does she like John?
The silence between them grew heavy, and John couldn't help but notice the odd tension.
Trying to ease the atmosphere, he suggested casually, "My tent's pretty big. Would you both like to come and check it out?"
It was a spur-of-the-moment suggestion meant to break the ice.
Fleur smiled gracefully, a hint of amusement flickering in her eyes as she glanced at Daphne. "Sure, why not?" she replied.
Daphne shot a sharp glare at the back of John's head, clearly annoyed, and tugged at her sleeve in frustration.
And so, the group expanded to include four: two older girls and their younger sisters.
Fleur took John's left side, Daphne his right, while the two younger girls, Astoria and Gabrielle, hit it off instantly, linking arms and chatting animatedly.
As they walked, they happened to run into Draco Malfoy. Seizing the moment, John sent out a group message through the Constellation Society badge.
Might as well gather everyone at the tent, he thought.
When they reached the tent, Cedric was already there, waving enthusiastically.
John noticed another tent pitched nearby and greeted Cedric warmly.
From the adjacent tent, a familiar face popped out—it was Percy.
Percy, busy with his duties overseeing the Quidditch World Cup official receptions, had arrived early as well.
"I thought I was seeing things. So this tent belongs to you, huh?" Percy remarked, walking over.
Dressed impeccably in formal attire, Percy didn't seem to mind when Malfoy let out a cheeky whistle.
By now, almost all members of the Constellation Society were present, except for Neville and Heinrich.
It wasn't long before John spotted Heinrich approaching, his face set in a grim expression. Walking beside him was a talkative young man—Kim Ledesley.
Heinrich's hand repeatedly twitched toward his wand, only to pull back with visible frustration.
Well, that settled it—everyone except Neville was here.
"This is Kim Ledesley," John introduced him to the group, momentarily forgetting he was wearing his Hogwarts student disguise.
"Eh?"
Kim hesitated for a moment, his gaze flickering to the silver ring on John's finger. His eyes briefly darkened, but he quickly replaced the expression with a bright smile. "Hello, everyone. I'm a student from Ilvermorny."
Kim wasn't just charming—he was undeniably handsome.
Unfortunately, the girls present were still subtly competing with one another.
John led everyone into the tent, the luxurious interior leaving Malfoy speechless. "John, did you rob a Silverhand Johnny boutique or something?"
John replied casually, "It's nothing special."
Kim, however, looked at John with a meaningful expression. Heinrich noticed his gaze and frowned. Out of sight from the others, Heinrich extended a finger in warning, saying, "You'd better keep your mouth shut."
Kim grabbed the finger and gave it a light squeeze, raising an eyebrow with a playful smirk. "Of course, I'm the epitome of discretion."
Heinrich withdrew his hand with a cold snort.
He wasn't sure if John intended for others to learn about his connection to Silverhand Johnny. Kim, however, seemed to have pieced something together.
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