Fortunately, the exceptionally sumptuous feast prepared by Hogwarts today managed to save the students, whose faces had frozen into stiff expressions.
"Merlin! Yu, did the kitchen prepare a special meal just for you?!" Daphne exclaimed in surprise.
Even Jane Yu was taken aback. In her three-plus years at Hogwarts, she had never seen such an extravagant spread laid out in front of her.
It was the first time she realized that among the house-elves at Hogwarts, there were some who could actually cook Chinese food!
Although the flavors leaned heavily towards British-style Chinese cuisine—sweet and sour chicken, fried noodles, fried cheese dumplings, and the like...
But hey, something was better than nothing!
Soon, the Durmstrang students joined the Slytherin table.
Among them, Viktor Krum—the famous Seeker—was particularly busy, as wave after wave of students came up to introduce themselves. Girls even brought out their lipsticks, asking him to sign their hats.
"I can't believe it—it's Krum!" Draco was practically bouncing with excitement. He quickly claimed the seat next to him and leaned over to introduce himself. "Welcome, I'm Draco Malfoy, Seeker for the Slytherin Quidditch team—"
They quickly struck up a conversation. Talking about Durmstrang, Krum said in slightly halting English:
"Yes, our curriculum includes dueling and various forms of martial magic. It is a very important part of our studies."
"We also have a castle, four stories tall, with a vast open field. Behind the school, there is a mountain lake where we can dive."
But their conversation soon took a turn for the worse, especially when Pansy mentioned that Gellert Grindelwald had attended Durmstrang.
"I hope you're not one of his followers, or I'll duel you right here," Krum said angrily. "He killed many people, including my grandfather—of course, you British probably don't worry about that. He was afraid of Dumbledore—"
Jane instantly lost interest.
She thought of her guardian's youthful stories.
With this in mind, even if Durmstrang allowed her to enroll, Dumbledore would never agree to it.
Her gaze drifted to the side, landing on the Beauxbatons students sitting at the Ravenclaw table.
As if sensing her gaze, an astonishingly beautiful girl turned around. She had long, waterfall-like silver hair, a pair of radiant blue eyes, and a dazzlingly white smile.
She seemed quite interested in Jane. Carrying her plate, she stood up, walked over, and smiled:
"Excuse me, may I sit here and dine with you?"
Daphne glared at her warily, scooting closer to Jane as if to shield her.
The girl smiled at Daphne as well before sitting across from Jane, which made Daphne's face flush red, feeling as though her little schemes and thoughts had been completely seen through.
"My name is Fleur Delacour." She seemed intrigued by the sweet and sour chicken in front of Jane, scooping a piece onto her plate. Speaking in English with a delicate French accent, she said, "I guess you are Yu Jane, correct? Forgive me, my English is not very good, and worse, I don't know any Chinese."
When Jane confirmed her identity, Fleur's enthusiasm grew instantly.
"Madame Maxime mentioned you several times on our way here. I heard you're friends with the Lemay couple—"
Jane responded with a genuine smile.
"Yes, we've done a lot of research together."
Fleur's eyes widened, and she exclaimed:
"Oh my, it's true! Did you know? They graduated from Beauxbatons. Part of the school's castle and grounds were funded by them!"
"The fountain on our campus is named after them. It has beautifying and restorative properties..."
After a round of mutual compliments about their respective talents and beauty, Fleur became even more delighted:
"The Lemays wrote to us, urging us to seize this opportunity to communicate more with you! I think they're absolutely right!"
"But why don't you transfer to our school? I think I could suggest it to your headmaster..."
Hearing this, the surrounding Slytherins shot Fleur displeased looks, and even the students who had initially been charmed by her began to sober up.
They muttered things like "Hogwarts is the best" and "Beauxbatons has ulterior motives," and soon sent other students to divert Fleur's attention.
But Jane could hardly resist applauding the Lemay couple!
What incredible allies!
They had essentially donated a building to the school to help her enroll!
She needed to communicate more with Madame Maxime!
...
Soon, she seized the opportunity to talk with Madame Maxime.
The next day, Dumbledore adopted her suggestion and arranged for a special cultural exchange activity.
The event was a great success, successfully sparking admiration among Hogwarts students for the other two schools.
"Durmstrang's Defense Against the Dark Arts classes are so fascinating! Of course, they're quite lenient about Dark Magic—"
"Although Professor Moody didn't seem too happy! He interrupted Professor Karkaroff several times during the lesson!"
Hogwarts students buzzed with excitement. After years of ever-changing Defense Against the Dark Arts professors and inconsistent teaching quality, Durmstrang's methods had completely won them over.
"And Potions class! I wish I'd never have to brew potions under Snape's scowl again!"
"Look at Beauxbatons—they say their students don't get scolded for blowing up cauldrons! Instead, they're comforted!"
Meanwhile, students from the other two schools were equally impressed by Hogwarts' Charms class.
Madame Maxime praised Professor Flitwick's gamified teaching methods, completely captivated by the approach.
"What a wonderfully lighthearted and enjoyable way to teach!" she marveled. "It greatly reduces the damage caused to classrooms by poorly controlled spells!"
"I can see the students' love for Charms class! Look at their eyes, burning with passion and enthusiasm, as if each one of them were a warrior!"
She even held a gaming console and had a match with Professor Flitwick, their skills evenly matched, both laughing heartily.
"I think Beauxbatons should adopt this as well," she said, leaning down to give Jane a cheek-to-cheek kiss. "Miss Yu, may I ask how to purchase a custom set?"
Jane smiled and added a little incentive:
"I'd be delighted to gift a few to your school as a token of our friendship."
"You might not know, but this is a joint effort between the Lemays and me. I believe it could serve as a symbol of our bond—"
To further her transfer plans, she was piling on the goodwill.
This greatly pleased Madame Maxime, whose opal jewelry seemed to gleam with joy. She even changed the way she addressed Jane:
"Oh, Yu, my dear, you're so thoughtful! I don't know how to thank you!"
Jane politely steered the conversation towards her goal:
"I've always admired the elegance of Beauxbatons students and have longed to see the excellence of your school under your leadership."
"If you'd be kind enough to grant me this small request—"
Madame Maxime looked even more delighted. She quickly began introducing Beauxbatons to Jane with a smile and extended an olive branch:
"Of course, of course! We'd be delighted to have you as an exchange student!"
"Our school's palace is beautiful, surrounded by gardens and fountains. During meals, woodland nymphs sing, and during festivals, we display ice sculptures."
"If you have no objections, I'll discuss this with Headmaster Dumbledore!"
The more she looked at Jane, the more satisfied she felt!
A student with funding and excellent grades—what headmaster could refuse such a candidate?
Especially one personally recommended by the Lemay couple, major donors to the school!
Even if it was just as an exchange student, it would be a great honor!
She could even feature her in the alumni spotlight!
Jane smiled contentedly.
It seemed like this was as good as done!
Now, all she had to do was wait for her exchange student life a year from now!
How unexpectedly smooth this had been!
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