[Harry Potter Fanfiction] - Divine Glory

Chapter 4: The Three-leaf Clover - Cyrus, Hamza and Elmer

"Soleil" female formitory of Ombrelune house.

After changing into her pajamas, Nadeen immediately jumped onto Laurelle's bed, lying down lazily and mumbling: "I don't understand why the symbol of Ombrelune is the moon, but the name of our female dorm is Soleil (the Sun)? And the male dorm of Bellefeuille is called Lune (the Moon)?"

Laurelle, having gotten used to Nadeen talking to herself like this, leisurely used her wand to neatly pack her belongings. Tomorrow, all students were required to be in the main hall by 8 AM for the end-of-year ceremony, and at exactly 11 AM, they would board the train to go home. Thinking about this made Laurelle feel more excited, as tomorrow she would finally go home to see the people she loved.
Once everything was packed, she lay down next to Nadeen on her own bed and began recounting the events from the library to her friend, just as she had promised.
...

Nadeen was deep in thought. Everything seemed beyond her expectations.

"If you're changing your decision to go to Hogwarts just because of this, don't you think it's a bit... too much? You've never been like this, I know."
Laurelle fell silent.

"This is the first time I've seen you so eager and make an important decision so quickly. Honestly, that book, that person... Lily Evans, she's affecting you. Her magic is influencing you, Laurelle," Nadeen lowered her voice, speaking seriously, "I'm genuinely worried that this is a kind of magic that could draw you into danger."

If you only interacted with Nadeen a few times, or judged her based on her appearance, you would think she didn't have any of the traits typical of an Ombrelune: wisdom, caution, logic, and a pursuit of fame. But in moments like this, Laurelle knew that there was no place more fitting for Nadeen than Ombrelune.

"You're right, but it's not like I haven't thought about it. What happened back then should be clarified now. That's my responsibility. Hogwarts is the place that fits perfectly for me," Laurelle gripped a corner of her blanket tightly, her knuckles turning white.
Nadeen's expression grew serious. She gently rubbed Laurelle's hand, which was clenched in a fist, as if to comfort her.

"It's late, don't think too much. Just sleep."

"Yeah, goodnight."

"You too."
...

The next morning.

The Main Hall.

Groups of students filed into the hall, like an endless stream of water. Among the crowd, three primary colors were visible from the students' robes: green, purple, and silver. The sound of students chatting behind their long robes, sweeping the floor, was like silver bells, echoing throughout. Clearly, they were at the most youthful and lively time of their wizarding lives.

Laurelle walked through the crowd with Nadeen and a few other girls from their house. While Laurelle absentmindedly gazed around, they were discussing which house would win the house cup that day, and all agreed that Laurelle would be the one to receive the Gloire Châtillon Cup for the best second-year student.

"Once you go to Hogwarts, then maybe someone else will have a chance at touching that cup. It's like it's yours alone," Fae Minetta, one of Laurelle and Nadeen's dorm mates, shrugged and said.
Nadeen grinned broadly, nodding, not hiding her pride on her face, as if she herself were the one about to receive the cup, not Laurelle. Because of this, Laurelle often teased Nadeen, saying that sometimes it felt like Nadeen was a mother proudly showing off how talented her child was to others, much like how Muggles do (as Nadeen herself said).

The Main Hall today was incredibly magnificent, as it was the end-of-year ceremony, and everything had to be perfect. The ceiling was adorned with a massive chandelier, encrusted with shimmering crystals in a strange design that had existed for over 400 years. Surrounding it were thousands of candles, enchanted to float around the hall, casting a magical, ethereal light. At the far end, in the center, were the long tables of the Beauxbatons Academy's leaders, with all the professors seated in three large rows.
As usual, they walked straight to the central row in the hall, where the Ombrelune house flag, silver and adorned with a moon symbol, was enchanted to shimmer on the candles. Beside them were a few familiar second-year friends, with a scattering of first-year students.

To the right of Ombrelune was Pappilonlisse, with its purple flag featuring an artistic butterfly perched on a leaf. Everything in Pappilonlisse emphasized aesthetics, a true reflection of the witches and wizards from this house.

To the left of Ombrelune was Bellefeuille, where laughter and noise were the loudest. Their green flag, with its five-leaf logo, always appeared fresh and full of vitality—just like the energetic witches and wizards from this house.

Laurelle silently gazed around, her eyes casually sweeping over the Bellefeuille table when she suddenly felt someone looking at her. Her inherent sensitivity allowed her to pinpoint the gaze almost immediately, and she saw Cyrus Klaas waving at her, with a smile showing a dimple on his left cheek.
A strange feeling surged within Laurelle. She nodded to Cyrus and gave him a polite smile, just like she did with everyone else, before gently shifting her gaze and continuing to listen to Nadeen and Fae's conversation.

The nod she gave Cyrus happened in the blink of an eye, but Nadeen had caught it. She couldn't help but laugh inwardly, forming an idea.

On the other side, Cyrus was being teased loudly by his two close friends, who whistled and teased him for blushing after receiving a polite greeting from "Beauxbatons' Bernice" (Beauxbatons' victory bringer), a nickname Professor Annette herself had used).

"You, buddy, your face looks like you've just come back from a swim at the beach," Hamza Brun said with a laugh. He was imitating Cyrus's voice whenever he spoke about the Muggle world. Hamza was a pure-blood French wizard with a muscular build and a large stature. He was actually about the same height as Cyrus, but his bulky frame made him appear much taller. He had sharp brown eyes and strong features that made him look intimidating at first glance, but he was actually a fun-loving person who could joke around anytime, often making others wish he would just keep quiet for a few seconds.

"Oh Hamza... our Cyrus has fallen in love... and it's with 'the Bernice' that's so hard to reach." A casually dressed wizard, Elmer Bruce, who was leaning on Hamza, said with a smirk. His carefree appearance only made him seem more attractive to the girls in the hall, many of whom were clearly infatuated with him.

Elmer was the third member of the "Three Leaf Clover" trio, a half-blood wizard with a witch mother and a Muggle father. Though both of his parents were British, they had moved to France when he was born. Elmer had a charming, aristocratic appearance despite being only 13 years old. With his striking looks, especially his amber eyes, Elmer changed girlfriends often, but all his exes always seemed to want him back after they broke up. According to some of his former girlfriends, while he never stayed with anyone for more than two months, he always treated them with exceptional care and devotion.

"You guys don't understand..." Cyrus sighed, propping his chin on his hand, then continued to lose himself in his thoughts. He was secretly glancing at Laurelle, as he knew she was very perceptive and could probably tell he was watching her, which would be awkward.

"Cyrus, once you get to Hogwarts, you can see Bernice every day. Just hang in there for the rest of this break," Elmer winked at a girl from Pappilonlisse sitting across from the Ombrelune tables and then spoke to Cyrus.

"No, buddy," Hamza suddenly grew serious. "Don't forget, Hogwarts sorts students by house. If Cyrus gets into Gryffindor and Bernice is sorted into another house, then..."

Elmer had been teasing Cyrus, but Hamza's reminder caused him to suddenly feel deflated, like a deflated balloon.

"Oh, right?" Elmer yawned elegantly. "Ugh, what a difficult situation for you, buddy. You finally notice a girl, but you won't even have the chance to meet her every day."

Cyrus sighed deeply, resting his chin in his hand.
"By the way, what house do you think 'Beauxbatons' Glory' will end up in?" Elmer asked curiously.
"Ravenclaw, right? She's incredible. She probably knows everything, and if she doesn't know it, she excels at learning it," Hamza answered.

"Yeah, but maybe Slytherin too? Ombrelune is like a mix of Ravenclaw and Slytherin. And Bernice is just the definition of that harmony," Elmer said thoughtfully, though he was quite accurate. Being British, he was familiar with the magical world of Britain to a certain extent.

Despite the ongoing speculation from his friends, Cyrus knew one thing for sure: Laurelle couldn't possibly be in his house, because their personalities, though not exactly opposites, were like two parallel lines, with no common ground. And that thought made him sigh again.

In reality, Cyrus hadn't spent enough time with Laurelle to make a full judgment, but on the surface, it seemed that way.