Chapter 121 Neville: Me?
The party was coming to an end, and Harry and Ginny also came outside the castle, then they saw Hode and Hermione clinging closely together.
However, the two did not go up to disturb them, they just silently changed direction and began to stroll around.
As the two walked, they discovered Hagrid and Madame Maxime together.
Mainly because their heights made it hard for people not to notice them; even from a distance, Harry and Ginny could hear their voices.
Hagrid: "My mother was a Giant, and my father was a Wizard. To be honest, I can hardly remember what they looked like anymore... Oh right, who are your parents..."
"What do you mean?" Madame Maxime frowned deeply, her tone very unkind.
Hagrid was somewhat puzzled, but still said honestly,
"Uh, I'm asking which of your parents is a Giant. You know, I thought I was the only Half-Giant in this world."
"I am not any Half-Giant! I'm just naturally big-boned!"
Madame Maxime answered Hagrid in an almost roaring voice, and then walked with huge strides towards the carriage of Beauxbatons.
Harry and Ginny heard everything clearly from behind Hagrid, and then Harry began to complain,
"If she's just big-boned, then probably only a dinosaur's skeleton could surpass her."
Then the two saw Hagrid sitting on a nearby bench with a lost expression, the chair even making cracking sounds.
The two came to Hagrid's side and began to comfort him.
"Hagrid, don't be sad."
Hagrid shook his head, "I'm fine, I was just too happy after seeing one of my own kind, and I don't understand why she said she wasn't a Half-Giant."
Just as Harry didn't know what to say, Ginny gently stroked Hagrid's large hand.
"Hagrid, maybe Madame Maxime doesn't want others to know about this, we should understand her."
Hagrid nods, indicating that he understood.
Time reached twelve o'clock, The Weird Sisters finished their last tune, and the students at the scene burst into warm applause.
Then the students began to leave; a night of fun had left them mentally and physically exhausted.
Meanwhile, Hode and Hermione also returned from outside, right on time to run into Harry and Ginny who were also returning.
Harry seemed to have thought of something, and then asked Hode,
"Hode, did you let Ron back?"
Hearing this, Hode was stunned for a moment, then smiled and scratched his head.
"Haha, I forgot."
Having said that, Hode snapped his fingers. Ron, who was originally swimming, appeared in front of several people.
"Fi... Finally saved..."
Ron shivered, speaking with a powerless look.
"Sorry sorry, I forgot about you, but I think you already understand what it means for trouble to issue from the mouth~"
Hearing Hode's words, Ron nodded quickly, and swore inwardly that he must control his mouth in the future; drifting in the Pacific Ocean for a whole night was truly unbearable.
With a wave of Hode's hand, Ron, who was previously drenched all over, instantly became dry, and his body temperature returned to normal.
"Phew~ It's finally comfortable." Ron let out a long breath, then thoroughly felt the warm sensation.
——The second day of Christmas.
All the students lay in warm beds sleeping in.
Because of yesterday's crazy play, the students were already exhausted long ago, and wanting to get up early would be abnormal.
Throughout the morning, Hogwarts was filled with a relaxed and quiet atmosphere.
Even Hode, who almost never gets fatigued, accompanied Hermione in sleeping in on the soft bed.
It wasn't until noon that Hode got up under Hermione's morning kiss.
Coming to the Great Hall, Harry, Ron, Neville, and Ginnywere all there.
Hode sat next to Harry, put several plates of meat dishes into his own plate, and asked Harry while eating.
"Harry, how are you prepared for the second task?"
"Professor Moody taught me how to deal with the possible dangers in the Black Lake, and I feel almost ready."
Harry answered, and Ron also curiously looked towards Hode.
"Hode, how do you plan to win the second match?"
"Me?"
Hode waved the table knife in his hand up and down, and then said: "Just like this."
Everyone:???
"J-Just which way? Did I miss something?" Ron was full of confusion, completely not understanding.
The others also shook their heads one after another; they didn't understand what Hode was talking about either.
"Well~ You guys will know when the time comes."
Hode smiled mysteriously and blinked at several people.
After everyone finished eating, Hode suddenly patted Neville's shoulder.
"Neville, do you have any plans for the upcoming holiday?"
Neville answered somewhat bewildered: "N-No, what's wrong?"
"It's fine as long as you don't." Hode said, then turned to look at Hermione.
"Hermione, you go back first, Neville and I have some business."
Hermione nods, and Hode looked at Neville again.
"Then let's go."
"Go? Where to?"
Hode did not answer Neville's question; the two vanished instantly and then arrived at Dumbledore's Headmaster's Office.
Neville only felt a blur before his eyes, and found himself in a room he had never seen before.
"Hode, where is this place?"
"The Headmaster's Office."
"Oh, the Headmaster's Office... What? The Headmaster's Office!!!"
Neville looked at Hode in disbelief; he never expected that he would actually come to the Headmaster's room.
Just like a timid student suddenly arriving at the Headmaster's Office, they would become extremely nervous.
Hearing the movement of the two, Dumbledore also walked out from a small room.
"Hode and Mr. Longbottom, is there something you need by coming to me?"
"Nothing much, just here to borrow the Sorting Hat."
As Hode spoke, he walked in front of the Sorting Hat and picked it up.
"Hey! What do you want with me, kid?"
Hode looked at the Sorting Hat with a mischievous smile, "I happen to be missing a cup, hehe~"
Sorting Hat:???
"Kidding aside, I need the Sword of Gryffindor, hurry up and bring it out."
Having said that, Hode reached his hand into the Sorting Hat.
"Hey! Wait a minute! Don't! Gentle! It's coming out!"
Soon, Hode pulled out the Sword of Gryffindor and handed it to Neville.
Neville caught it flusteredly, then looked nervously at Dumbledore; anyone who didn't know would think he was caught stealing.
"Hode, what do you guys want the Sword of Gryffindorfor?"
"Of—" After putting the Sorting Hat back, Hode patted Neville's shoulder and said.
"I am going to train Neville into a Gryffindor Swordmaster!"
Neville: Me? Just me?
Dumbledore didn't question Hode, but nodded and said with a smile: "Is that so? Then you must work hard, Mr. Longbottom."
Neville really wanted to say that he couldn't become any Gryffindor Swordmaster, but hearing Dumbledore's words, he hesitated for a long time, and finally blurted out——
"Yes!"
Chapter 122 Harry: "Don't say that"
Hode brought Neville into the suitcase, and then summoned Jax.
Through Hode's agreed modifications, Jax's current strength was no weaker than top Aurors, and it was also equipped with various Alchemy weapons.
Hode patted Jax's armor, and then said to Neville.
"Neville, you just practice well with Jax. By June, I need you to use the Sword of Gryffindor to do something for me."
Hearing Hode's words, Neville patted his chest and answered with a firm expression.
"Rest assured! No matter what help you need, I will help you!"
Hode nodded, and then heavily slapped Jax.
Immediately after, an Alchemy sword suddenly popped out of the large iron box on Jax's back, and it was caught by it.
"Come on~ Neville, you are a man who is going to become the Sword Saint of Gryffindor."
Neville: "I never said that!"
Before Neville had time to complain, Jax rushed towards him holding the sword.
Neville panicked and raised his sword to block, but how could Neville, still a student, compare in strength with an Alchemy puppet?
With just a single strike, the precious sword in Neville's hand was knocked flying, and Jax also stopped its attack.
Neville rotated his somewhat aching wrist, and then looked at Hode with disappointment.
"Forget it, I'm not cut out for practicing the sword."
"Don't sell yourself short, Neville. You must believe in yourself! Come on! You can do it!"
After saying that, Hode vanished, leaving behind only the lonely Neville and Jax.
Neville:...
Days passed day by day, and even though the holiday was coming to an end, it didn't affect the students' merrymaking in the slightest.
It wasn't until the day before the end of the holiday that they remembered they still had to finish the assignments assigned by the professors.
"Harry, lend me your Potions assignment to copy."
"Of course, Ron, lend me your Care of Magical Creaturesassignment to copy too. Oh right, and Neville, lend me your Herbology to copy."
Harry, Ron, and Neville were miserably catching up on their homework in the dormitory; this was the price they had to pay for playing around.
Fortunately, after a whole day of hard work, Harry and the others finally finished writing their assignments.
During the Transfiguration Class the next day, McGonagalllooked helplessly at several sets of nearly identical assignments; it was obvious that people in each dormitory had copied from each other.
"Sigh, let's start class."
McGonagall didn't hold the students accountable; after all, this Christmas holiday really made it easy for them to indulge in joy.
In the following days, the other Professors didn't say anything either, except for Snape.
In Potions Class, Gryffindor's students were almost swallowed by Snape's venom.
Only Hermione and Harry managed to escape unscathed.
What? You ask about Hode? Sorry, Hode slept the whole way through, and Snape didn't even glance at him once.
Gryffindor's other students: "Accidentally trespassing into heaven~"
Just like that, time slowly arrived in February.
The sky also changed from flying snow all over the sky to a fine drizzle of snow.
On this day, Dumbledore found Hode, and then said.
"Hode, I suppose you know the task of the second task, so at that time we need to take Hermione to the Black Lake."
"No way! If you want to take someone, take..."
Just as Hode was thinking, Hermione gently held Hode's hand.
"It's okay, Hode, I believe you can find me!"
"This isn't a question of whether you can find me or not! I don't want you to be—" Before Hode finished his words, his mouth was covered by Hermione.
Looking at Hermione's firm gaze, Hode finally nodded helplessly.
"Alright, I get it."
Dumbledore watched this scene from the side, and couldn't help exclaiming: "Youth is so great~"
By February 23rd, tomorrow would be the day of the second task.
This time Harry wasn't very nervous; after all, it was just going into the Black Lake, not dangerous at all compared to facing a Dragon.
Moreover, after several months of preparation, Harry was already familiar with various Magical Creatures in the Black Lake, and wasn't scared at all.
Ron and Neville were nervous for Harry instead, especially when Ron was told by Hode that the second task's search for the most precious thing was actually a person, he began to panic.
Ron thought that as Harry's best friend, he would definitely be dragged into the Black Lake, so all these days Ron kept reminding Harry by his side.
"Harry, do you know how to find me?"
Harry said helplessly: "This is the fifth time you've asked this question. I've already learned the 'Guidance for You' magic."
"Then what if we encounter the Giant Squid?"
"First of all, the Giant Squid won't randomly attack young wizards. Besides, even if it attacks me, I will use 'Accio' to quickly swim around in the water. So you can rest assured, Ron, I will rescue you."
Harry looked at the still-nervous Ron and comforted him helplessly.
"Don't forget there's Dumbledore and Hode too; you definitely won't get into trouble."
Ron: "I hope so."
Until the next morning, Dumbledore came to Hode's suitcase again and then took Hermione away.
Hode came to the Great Hall, sat down beside Harry and the others, and began to eat.
When they noticed that Hermione was unexpectedly not by Hode's side, everyone felt a bit strange.
"Hode, where did Hermione go?"
Then it was Hode's turn to look at them strangely. "Didn't I say before, the second task is to find and bring the person most important to you back to the shore. Hermione has already been taken away by Dumbledore."
Hearing Hode's words, Ron looked at Harry with an incredulous face.
"You... me... am I not your most important friend?"
Ron's aggrieved voice sounded; anyone who didn't know would have thought Harry had done something unspeakable to Ron.
Harry hurriedly waved his hands.
"Don't say that, don't say that."
Harry had no idea how to explain it anymore, because he believed that in his heart, Ginny was the most important person.
But Harry was embarrassed to say it out loud, otherwise he felt Ron would fight him to the death.
"Alright, alright, I guess the one who was taken away is probably the girl Harry likes mostest-most~"
Hode put his hand on Harry's shoulder with a look of watching a good show.
Harry: "Stop talking, stop talking."
Hode looked at the time; it was around half past eight. The task would start at half past nine, and there was still about an hour left.
"It starts in an hour, I suppose your parents and the others will be arriving soon too. Aren't you going to look for them?"
Hearing this, Harry nodded, and then immediately ran towards the outside of the castle.
After a while, James, Lily, and Sirius all rode in Hogwarts' carriages across the river and came before Harry.
"Dad! Mum! Godfather!" Harry happily hugged all three of them.
Sirius looked at Harry with a smile, "Harry, who did you dance with at the Yule Ball?"
As soon as Sirius arrived, he asked curiously, and Jamesand Lily also looked at Harry curiously.
Harry felt a bit awkward being watched by the three of them, and finally said tremblingly.
"It's... it's Ginny."
Chapter 123: The Second Task
"Ginny? Haha! I knew the two of you must be a couple!"
Sirius laughed heartily, then vigorously ruffled Harry's hair.
"Stop messing it up, I have the task soon!"
Hearing this, Sirius laughed even louder. "Aren't you going into the water? Why do you care about your hairstyle?"
Harry was momentarily stunned; it seemed what Siriussaid made quite a bit of sense.
Then James handed Harry the Gillyweed that Harry had asked for.
"Thanks, Dad."
Then Harry led the three of them toward the Black Lake. Before long, the four of them saw a tall platform in the distance, a temporary wooden platform built for the task.
The wooden platform was divided into several tiers. On the lowest tier, several chairs were arranged, which Harryguessed were prepared for the judges.
Many students were already standing on the wooden platform, curiously looking down at the Black Lake below.
Even though nothing could be seen, the students still tirelessly discussed how the champions would compete in the Black Lake.
"Harry!"
Looking over, Ron, Neville, and the others were standing on the wooden platform, waving at Harry and the others.
"Ha! The boy from the Weasleys is still so energetic." Siriuslet out a big laugh.
After they converged, the students from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang also walked over.
Madame Maxime and Karkaroff were still walking at the very front, closely followed by Fleur and Krum, with the remaining students following in an orderly fashion behind them.
Krum glanced at Harry, his brow tightly furrowed. Presumably, Harry's performance in the previous task had put a lot of pressure on Krum.
Of course, this also included Fleur. Currently, the one with the lowest score was Fleur, so she was extremely nervous right now, wanting to pull her score back up in this task.
After a little while longer, Dumbledore, Ludo, and Barty walked over here, chatting and laughing.
Due to Hode's dazzling performance, Ludo could be said to have made a huge profit. Not only did he pay back the money he owed the Weasley Twins, but he also had a plentiful amount of funds on hand.
Then came the subject Professors and other students. Soon, the entire wooden platform was almost packed with people.
Listening to the creaking of the wooden boards beneath his feet, Harry thought of The Burrow belonging to the Weasleys. Their house was also like this, looking like it could collapse at any moment, yet somehow it remained perfectly fine.
Harry couldn't help but sigh mentally, marveling that this was magic.
"Harry, are you ready?" Just as Harry was zoning out, Moody patted him on the shoulder.
Harry snapped back to his senses immediately, then nodded firmly.
"I'm ready!"
Moody patted Harry with a smile. Although that smile looked quite terrifying, Harry knew it was a smile from the bottom of Moody's heart.
Then Moody walked toward James and Lily.
"James, Lily. How have you two lovebirds been lately?"
Lily was somewhat shy, saying with a blush, "What lovebirds anymore, Harry is already this big."
But Moody didn't feel he was wrong. James and Lily were only twenty-one years old when they died, and after being resurrected by Hode, their ages were still frozen at twenty-one when they came back to life.
Therefore, no one thought there was any problem calling them a pair of lovebirds.
Harry also scratched his head helplessly. His parents were now only eight years older than him, which sometimes made him feel rather strange.
Dumbledore was also snickering nearby, then checked the time—there were only fifteen minutes left before the task started.
Five minutes later, the final champion, Hode, instantly appeared beside Dumbledore.
When Hode appeared, everyone's gaze turned toward him. During the first task, Hode could be said to have truly shone brilliantly.
After the first task, Hode was simply in a league of his own in everyone's hearts.
Then came Harry closely following behind. Now no one was arguing anymore about who would be first or second; they all changed to debating who would be third between Krum and Fleur.
Seeing that all the champions had gathered, Ludoimmediately waved to the four of them.
"Come over here quickly, everyone. I think you all know what you're supposed to do in a moment! The task is about to begin, get yourselves ready."
Then, Ludo took out his Wand and pointed it at his own throat, chanting, "Sonorus!"
"Spectators! The second task of the Triwizard Tournamentis about to begin! When I blow my whistle, the champions will have a full hour to retrieve what is most precious to them!"
Ludo's voice echoed across the entire spectator stands, and everyone began to cheer.
Among them, the shouts cheering for Hode were the loudest, followed by Harry, while the names of Krum and Fleur could hardly be heard at all.
This was not only because it was Hogwarts' home turf, but also because Hode and Harry's strength was enough to convince the audience.
Harry and the others also began their warm-up preparations, because even Wizards could still potentially get cramps.
As for Hode, he didn't do anything at all, just quietly watching the three of them.
Warm-ups completed, Krum was the first to take off his clothes, leaving only the swimming trunks he had prepared beforehand.
Then came Harry. Although it felt somewhat embarrassing, not taking off clothes before entering the water would become an obstacle.
After taking off his clothes, Harry put the Gillyweed from his robe into his mouth.
Then Harry and Krum exchanged a glance, and then looked over at Hode and Fleur.
Hode still didn't make any movement, while Fleur's face was completely red as she finally dawdled and took off her outer layer of clothing.
Then almost all the boys' gazes turned toward Fleur, which included Krum and Harry.
Only the professors didn't look over, along with Hode.
"Hode: How could I possibly peek at other girls! I'm all about pure love!"
Under the expectant gazes of the boys, they only ended up seeing a school swimsuit. A uniform sigh echoed from the spectator stands.
"Fleur: What the hell are you sighing for! Don't think this lady doesn't know what you're thinking!"
Ludo looked at the watch on his wrist as the minute hand ticked bit by bit toward the six.
Then Ludo used Sonorus once again and shouted to the audience,
"Now, when I blow the whistle, the second task of the Triwizard Tournament will officially begin! So... Three... Two... One... Beep!"
Accompanied by Ludo blowing the whistle hard, the three of them quickly jumped into the Black Lake. Only Hoderemained standing in place.
Underwater, the Gillyweed that had been in Harry's mouth was quickly chewed up and swallowed by him, and immediately afterward Harry felt his neck begin to split open.
Harry knew this was him growing gills. Then he saw webbings sprouting on his hands and feet, especially his feet which looked somewhat like duck feet.
Fleur, beside him, had also used the Bubble-Head Charmand started swimming into the distance.
As for Krum, he seemed to want to transform into a shark, but failed, resulting in his upper body turning into a shark while his lower body remained in human form.
However, even though the transformation failed, Krum's swimming speed remained very fast, surpassing Fleur—who had swum out early—in just the blink of an eye.
Harry didn't delay either. With a forceful flick of his duck-web-like feet, he swam several meters away in an instant, much faster than he had imagined!
Chapter 124: Severed Lake
The audience on the wooden platform all looked at Hode, who still had not made a move, wearing expressions of puzzlement.
Albus Dumbledore was also somewhat puzzled, but upon thinking of Hode's Apparition that ignored the Anti-Apparition Jinx, Hode could bring Hermione out at any time if he wanted to.
"Hode, are you still not going to make a move?"
Ron took the lead in asking, voicing the thoughts of the audience.
"Don't rush, let the bullets fly for a while."
Hode crossed his arms, striking a completely stress-free posture, while his eyes continuously watched the actions of the three people in the water.
At this moment, Harry was searching for Ginny at high speed, surrounded by murky yellowish water with a visibility of only about ten meters.
Harry gripped his Wand tightly, and then chanted underwater: "Point the way!"
Then the tip of the Wand directed Harry's hand to point in a certain direction.
Without a second word, Harry began charging forward furiously at such a speed that the current he generated bent the aquatic plants below.
Just at that moment, several Grindylows suddenly appeared and surrounded Harry.
Harry recalled what Moody had previously said——
Grindylows, a horned water demon with sharp teeth and claws, swam quite fast! They were aggressive and would eat humans!
However, Grindylows had small bodies and strong fingers that were easily snapped. Dealing with them wasn't difficult; as long as he used some offensive magic, he could repel them.
Harry did not hesitate, decisively using Stupefy to hit one Grindylow. The remaining two saw their companion knocked down and immediately charged at Harry.
Harry did not pause either, hitting another one with Stupefy once more. Discovering that he was the only one left, the final Grindylow suddenly hit the brakes and turned to run.
Grindylow: "Hey hey hey! Time to run, brothers!"
Seeing the last Grindylow run away, Harry did not linger and continued to swim in the direction of Ginny.
On the other side, Krum got completely lost. Because of his transformation, he couldn't pick up his Wand at all, which remained tucked inside his pocket.
As for Fleur, she was also being surrounded by several Grindylows.
Originally, Fleur had been swimming along just fine, but because she had dived too deep, she was completely level with the aquatic plants on the bottom.
The Grindylows hiding in the weeds certainly wouldn't give up this opportunity. One of them caught Fleur by the foot unawares, giving her quite a scare.
The other Grindylows also rushed over one after another. With quick eyes and nimble hands, Fleur used Petrificus Totalus to petrify the Grindylow holding her foot, and then covered herself with a Shield Charm to protect herself from being swarmed.
Next, while maintaining the Shield Charm, Fleur used Petrificus Totalus and other spells. After a while, she finally managed to defeat this group of Grindylows.
But without a doubt, Fleur had wasted a lot of time.
On the platform, Hode watched Harry and the others. Noticing that more than half the time was about to pass, Hode finally made a move.
Everyone looked at Hode, extremely curious about what action he would take.
Hode was seen walking to the very front of the platform, extending his right hand and aiming it at Hermione's location.
"Open!"
A clear voice rang in the ears of the audience, followed immediately by the surging of Hode's immense divine power.
The entire Black Lake was as if cleaved by someone, instantly split into two halves by Hode.
A wide, damp path was left between Hode and Hermione, with the lake water on both sides remaining motionless like walls.
Everyone watched as the Black Lake was split in two by Hode, all filled with astonishment.
"This... is this really something that magic can achieve?"
Ron pointed tremblingly at the path formed after the lake water split, wearing an expression of utter disbelief.
Upon seeing this scene, Karkaroff and Madame Maximefelt their hearts almost stop beating.
Why was it that only Hogwarts could get such an outrageous student? Even without Hode, there was still a freak of talent like Harry Potter. Compared like this, it made Beauxbatons and Durmstrang look like absolute clowns.
Everyone looked toward the center of the separated Black Lake. Hermione, Ginny, Pansy, and Gabrielle—the four of them were hanging unconscious on four wooden stakes.
Inside the walls of water on both sides, the Merpeople also watched with dumbfounded expressions.
Merperson: "Dumbledore didn't say anything about this situation! What do you mean the Black Lake has been split in two?!"
Furthermore, the commotion created by Hode also affected Harry and the others who were in the water.
They had originally been swimming rapidly toward the location pointed to by the tip of the Wand, but the currents caused by Hode's feat of cleaving the Black Lake left Harrydizzy and disoriented.
Krum and Fleur experienced the same thing. When they finally recovered their wits, they saw a severed water surface spanning across the Black Lake.
"Merlin's maid outfit! Hode must have pulled this off!"
Harry exclaimed underwater, but no one heard him, and only a few bubbles floated up to the surface.
However, Hode's move clearly allowed all the champions to see their task objectives.
The few of them did not hesitate, swimming with all their might toward their targets.
After finishing this move, Hode Apparated in front of Hermione. The ropes on Hermione fell off accordingly, and she was then scooped up into Hode's arms.
Hermione's eyelids twitched slightly. The very first thing she saw upon opening her eyes was Hode smiling as he held her.
"Hello, my princess. Your prince has come to save you."
Hermione was amused by Hode's words, and then she smiled with narrowed eyes: "Then take me back! My prince."
"Of course!"
As Hode's words finished falling, he Apparated back to the wooden platform with Hermione, and considerately dried Hermione's clothes.
"OHHHHHH!!!"
The audience, who had originally been stunned by Hode's display, burst into deafening cheers upon seeing Hodereturn to the wooden platform with Hermione.
Ron also stared dazedly at this scene. "That means..."
Neville patted Ron on the shoulder and said with a certain expression:
"That's right! Hode won!"
At this moment, Ludo used magic once again to amplify his voice, and then raised one of Hode's arms.
"Congratulations to our champion Hode for completing his task first!"
Accompanied by Ludo's voice falling, the spectator stands once again raised their arms and shouted Hode's name.
Hermione also proudly hugged Hode's other arm, wanting everyone to know that this was her man!
Meanwhile, Harry and Krum, who were still in the water, didn't hear the external cheers at all and just kept swimming intently toward Ginny and Pansy.
On the contrary, Fleur crawled out from the wall of water, and then ran barefoot with quick pattering steps toward Gabrielle.
Her speed was even faster than Harry and Krum who were swimming!
Seeing Fleur about to overtake them, the two of them swam even harder.
There was no help for it; Harry's feet had turned into duck webbed feet, so he couldn't run fast on land at all.
Krum's upper body had transformed into a shark; he couldn't even breathe on land, let alone run.
The audience on the wooden platform also gradually stopped cheering and continued watching the competition.
Because Hode had split the Black Lake apart, the audience could clearly see Fleur, as well as Harry and Krumswimming rapidly right beside the water walls.
Chapter 125 Harry: Win My Ass
"Can Harry win?"
Ron's hand tightly grabbed Neville's robes, and he looked very nervous.
"Harry will definitely beat Krum and Fleur!" Neville said firmly.
"Win your ass! Faster, even faster!"
Harry felt like he was using every ounce of his strength, and just as he was about to reach Ginny's side, he found that he couldn't quite reach her!
Even Fleur looked dumbfoundedly at Gabrielle tied to the wooden stake.
Now that Hode had parted the Black Lake, wanting to save Ginny and the others meant they had to get out of the water, and they also had to figure out a way to rescue the people up high.
Hode also noticed this, and then snapped his fingers.
The water walls that had originally been parted by divine power seemed to lose support and immediately began to close in.
The situation happened too suddenly, and Fleur, who was on the ground, had no time to react at all before she was struck by the currents from both sides, instantly becoming dizzy and disoriented.
Harry and Krum were the same; the rushing currents drove the two of them, and then they crashed heavily into each other.
Fortunately, Harry and Krum were in relatively good physical shape and didn't suffer much injury.
But Fleur, with her fragile body, wasn't so lucky.
Fleur, who had been impacted, failed to use the Bubble-Head Charm in time, causing her nose to choke on quite a bit of water.
Furthermore, she completely lost her sense of direction and had no idea where she was.
By the time she recast the Bubble-Head Charm, she had no idea what ghost place she had been washed to.
Harry and Krum were also the same; the three of them were completely dumbfounded by the powerful current.
But soon they came to their senses and set off again, with Harry and Fleur continuing to use directional charms to lead the way.
Krum: "...Why are you guys so selfish!"
Soon, Harry saw Ginny again, and immediately used an unbinding charm to rescue her.
Then, holding Ginny with one hand and raising his Wandhigh with the other, Harry shouted loudly: "Accio!"
As his voice fell, Harry and Ginny rushed out of the water like flying arrows, and then flew toward the wooden platform at an extremely fast speed.
Seeing that the distance was getting closer and closer, Harry decisively cancelled the magic and aimed his Wandat himself.
"Cushioning Charm!"
Harry successfully landed while holding Ginny, and Ronand Neville immediately ran forward to support him and Ginny.
Dumbledore also stepped forward, took out the Elder Wand, and gently tapped it on Ginny's forehead.
Ginny, who had been unconscious, suddenly opened her eyes, and then saw Ron's face.
"Ah! Get away from me!" Ginny screamed while kicking Ron's head away with her foot.
Ron: "Am I even her real brother?!"
Ron covered his face and then looked angrily at Ginny, only to see her holding Harry's arm and saying with a shy expression.
"Thank you for saving me, Harry. I knew you could do it!"
Seeing this scene, Ron only felt like his home had been stolen by his good brother.
Sirius was also laughing heartily as he nudged James's arm with his elbow.
"Look quickly, I knew these two Little guys had something going on!"
James: "I know, I know. Stop nudging me."
James rolled his eyes and then saw Lily looking at Harryand Ginny with a maternal smile.
Ludo shouted loudly again: "Let us congratulate Hogwarts's champion — Harry Potter for finishing the second!"
The crowd in the stands also began to cheer for Harry, which made Karkaroff and Madame Maxime feel awkward.
In both events, the students of Hogwarts performed brilliantly, which was really hard for them to accept.
However, soon Fleur rescued Gabrielle and then surfaced.
"Look! It's Fleur!"
A Beauxbatons student shouted loudly, drawing everyone's gaze over.
They saw Fleur holding the unconscious Gabrielle with one hand and holding her Wand with the other, shouting loudly: "Accio!"
Fleur used the same magic as Harry, quickly bringing herself onto the wooden platform.
However, she didn't use a Cushioning Charm in time, and her body crashed heavily onto the wooden boards.
Madame Maxime quickly helped Fleur up and then checked her carefully.
Ludo on the side also shouted loudly, "Congratulations — Fleur Delacour for becoming the third champion to complete the task!"
Cheers came from the stands again, but this time only the boys were applauding, while the girls ignored it.
Karkaroff looked at the Black Lake with a gloomy expression; although he couldn't see anything clearly, it didn't stop his anger in the slightest.
Just as time was about to run out, Krum finally swam back to the bottom of the wooden platform holding Pansy, and the Durmstrang students pulled Pansy and Krum onto the stage.
Ludo didn't pause either and immediately shouted: "Congratulations to Krum for completing the task!"
The spectators applauded one after another, but they weren't applauding for Krum; rather, they were applauding for the end of the competition.
Then the gazes of all the spectators turned to Dumbledoreand the others at the judges' table, waiting for them to score each contestant.
Ludo seemed to understand the audience's anticipation as well, so he walked quickly to the judges' table.
"So can we score the contestants now?"
Dumbledore smiled and replied: "Of course, I think everyone can't wait much longer."
Ludo nodded, and then once again pointed the tip of his Wand at his own throat.
"Ladies and gentlemen! Now — our judges are going to start scoring the four champions!"
As soon as these words came out, the cheers of the audience rose by several notches, showing their anticipation.
Ludo didn't keep the audience in suspense and immediately said: "So now! Please, judges, score our first champion to complete the task — Hode Dumbledore Grindelwald!"
After speaking, Ludo didn't hesitate and immediately conjured a big number 10 with his Wand.
Then Dumbledore, Barty, and Madame Maxime all gave a perfect score of 10.
The audience nodded as a matter of course, and then looked at Karkaroff, their eyes full of threats.
Without a doubt, as long as Karkaroff's score didn't meet their wishes, the audience would definitely throw the garbage in their hands at him once again.
The Weasley Twins had also hidden early in an unnoticed corner, holding two bags of Dungbombs! They were ready at any moment.
Seeming to feel the malice of the audience, Karkaroffreluctantly raised his Wand and then gave a score of 10.
"Thwack!"
Accompanied by a clear sound, Karkaroff touched a mysterious object on his head, then looked at the dark brown indescribable thing on his hand, and finally smelled it...
"What the fuck! Who was it! Who threw the dung!"
Karkaroff's scream resounded through the stands, causing laughter from all the spectators, and even the Durmstrangstudents couldn't help laughing.
"Hey, Fred, what's wrong with you?"
George looked at Fred beside him; that Dungbomb just now was thrown precisely by Fred.
"Uh... I wasn't doing it on purpose; it's mainly because I really found him annoying, and my hand threw it out without me realizing it."
Fred scratched his head. Although it sounded like an apology, there wasn't a trace of apology to be seen on his face.
"You're really unbrotherly. If you were going to throw it, you didn't even say so in advance. Karkaroff is on high alert now, how am I supposed to throw mine?"
Chapter 126: Dungbomb · Karkaroff! The Best Match!
No one noticed the communication between the Weasley Twins, and the audience was laughing heartily at Karkaroff.
Karkaroff couldn't find out who the culprit was, and even if he asked Dumbledore to investigate, that Old Bee would definitely just go through the motions.
Having no choice, Karkaroff hurriedly cast "Scourgify" on himself.
Everyone didn't pay too much attention to this little episode, as Ludo continued to speak.
"Very good! Congratulations to champion Hode for still achieving a full score of 50 points in the second task! Now he already has a full 100 points, far ahead of the other champions!
Now, judges, please score the second contestant — — Harry Potter!"
Then Ludo gave a full score of 10 again, and Dumbledoreand Barty did the same.
Madame Maxime gave a 9, but the audience didn't say much about it.
When it was Karkaroff's turn again, all the audience stared intently at him. The Weasley Twins took out Dungbombs once more, ready at any time.
"Hmph!"
Karkaroff let out a cold snort and then gave an 8.
"Pa — — Pa!"
Two more Dungbombs hit Karkaroff, and his previously cleaned head was defiled by dung once again. A pungent odor came from the top of his head, and indescribable brownish-yellow liquid dripped down his hair.
"Who! Who on earth is it! Don't let me... Blech!"
Karkaroff roared loudly, but the yellow liquid seized the opportunity to flow into his wide-open mouth, forcing Karkaroff to stop roaring and begin retching.
This scene caused everyone to burst into laughter, and many people even pulled out their phones to record it.
"Fred, why did you throw again?"
"What the heck, didn't you throw too?"
"Isn't it because you threw one extra time, I definitely had to make up for it!"
The two looked at each other and then laughed heartily.
Fred: "Hahahaha, with the two of us brothers joining forces, mere Karkaroff is just someone offering his head on a platter!"
George: "Brother makes sense!"
While retching, Karkaroff slurringly cast Scourgify on himself.
Although he used Scourgify, Karkaroff could still smell the pungent stench on top of his head.
"I f***ing! Don't let me catch that guy, or he's going to suffer big time!"
However, no one paid attention to Karkaroff's harsh words. Hogwarts students always fought among themselves, but if they had a common enemy, they would unite against outsiders!
Ludo happily shouted: "Congratulations to our champion — — Harry, for obtaining a high score of 47!
Now, judges, please score champion Fleur Delacour."
It was Ludo who gave his score first again, and he raised his Wand, with the number 8 appearing at the tip of the Wand.
Then Dumbledore gave a high score of 9, while Barty only gave 8, and Madame Maxime unsurprisingly gave a full score of 10.
When it was Karkaroff's turn again, the Weasley Twinstook out Dungbombs yet again, then excitedly licked their lips.
However, Karkaroff didn't rush to score; instead, he used a Shield Charm to protect himself, then raised the Wand in his hand.
5
That's right, Karkaroff only gave Fleur five points! This made Madame Maxime and Beauxbatons students look at him angrily, and the other audience members also felt it was unfair for Fleur.
The audience forcefully threw the trash in their hands towards Karkaroff, but it was blocked by his Shield Charm.
"This naturally evil Karkaroff! Now our Dungbombs have completely lost their place of use!"
Fred angrily pounded the wooden railing in front of the stands, and George also angrily spouted trash talk.
Seeing this scene, Karkaroff recovered his past arrogance, and even made faces at everyone in the audience.
Seeing such an arrogant Karkaroff, Hode gave a crooked smile!
Then the divine power within Hode began to circulate, and in an instant, Karkaroff sensed that his Magic seemed to have disappeared! The Shield Charm that originally relied on Magic to maintain operation vanished immediately.
Seeing this scene, the Weasley Twins didn't hesitate a bit and immediately threw the Dungbombs in their hands towards Karkaroff.
"Pa — — Pa!"
Two Dungbombs accurately smashed onto Karkaroff's face, eyes, nose, and mouth. Karkaroff could feel the dung flowing across his face.
The incomparable stench made him almost suffocate, and his stomach churned wildly.
Yet he didn't dare to vomit!
Because as long as he opened his mouth, without a doubt, the dung on his face would flow into his mouth. Karkaroffdidn't even dare to open his eyes!
Having no choice, Karkaroff endured the psychological nausea, grabbed his own clothes, and wiped them across his face.
Although a lot remained, he could finally open his eyes and speak.
"Scourgify! Scourgify! Scourgify!"
Karkaroff frantically waved his Wand, casting Scourgify on himself several times in succession, and then looked at Dumbledore again.
"Dumbledore! Are you not going to manage this?!"
An angry voice came from his mouth, but Dumbledoresimply raised his head and looked at the sky.
Dumbledore: This sky is truly sky! These clouds are truly clouds!
Seeing that Dumbledore clearly refused to handle this matter, Karkaroff looked at Hode again. The sudden disappearance of magic just now reminded him that Hodehad used it on him once before.
However, when he saw Hode's eyes, he didn't dare to say anything. He certainly didn't think he could beat Hode, let alone his outrageous last names.
Dumbledore! Grindelwald!
Protected by two Dark Lords, who would dare provoke this?
Karkaroff was completely out of options, then urged Ludoto hurry up, finishing him quickly so he could leave right away.
Although Ludo despised Karkaroff, he still shouted: "Our champion Fleur gets 40 points! Now, it's the turn of the last champion — — Viktor Krum!"
Ludo raised his Wand, and the number 7 appeared at the tip of the Wand.
Then Dumbledore and Barty similarly gave only 7 points.
It was Madame Maxime's turn. "Hmph!" Madame Maximelet out a cold snort, then elegantly raised her Wand.
4
An extremely eye-catching number 4 appeared on her Wand!
Yet this didn't disgust the audience; instead, they cheered one after another, showing that Karkaroff had completely been universally detested by the audience.
Finally reaching Karkaroff, everyone's gaze turned towards him, but Karkaroff hurriedly ran behind Dumbledore first before raising his Wand.
10!
Karkaroff gave a full score to Krum, who was in last place.
The stands immediately sent up neat, uniform boos, but Karkaroff remained unmoved.
The Weasley Twins angrily looked at Karkaroff; hiding behind Dumbledore prevented them from taking action.
What if they accidentally hit Dumbledore?
But what they didn't know was that they had a very black-bellied Headmaster.
Dumbledore turned his head and smiled as he looked at Karkaroff, but Karkaroff only felt that smile was clearly filled with malice.
"Apologies, everyone, I suddenly remembered I have something to attend to, so I'll be taking my leave first."
After finishing, Dumbledore looked at Hode, since he hadn't brought Fawkes over this time.
Hode understood tacitly, then snapped his fingers, and Dumbledore instantly returned to the Headmaster's Office.
"Pa — — Pa — — Pa — — Pa!"
Chapter 127 Sirius: If You're Going to Throw, Throw It Violently!
Four Dungbombs accurately hit Karkaroff.
His head, face, and clothes were all covered in dung.
Seeing this, the other spectators immediately joined in!
They threw their drink bottles, cheering sticks, and anything they didn't need straight at Karkaroff.
As for the spectators who had nothing on hand, the Weasley Twins immediately went back to their old trade.
The two of them each carried a bag, weaving through the stands and shouting loudly.
"Dungbombs for sale! Five Sickles each! Buy two, get one free!"
Hearing the Weasley Twins, countless spectators pulled out their wallets and shouted.
"Give me two!"
"Give me four!"
"Hahaha! Little twins of the Weasleys, hurry up and get me ten first! James, Lily. Do you want any?"
Sirius shouted loudly, then turned to look at James.
James originally wanted to say he would help get a few, but Lily beside him pulled on his robes, signaling him to set a good example for Harry.
With no other choice, James could only shake his head and say, "No, buy them yourself."
Sirius didn't say much more, then immediately ran towards the Weasley Twins.
And the spectators who bought the Dungbombs threw them at Karkaroff one after another.
This directly made no one dare to approach within a five-meter radius of Karkaroff.
Even the students from Durmstrang stayed far away, as if he weren't the Headmaster of Durmstrang.
And Karkaroff dared neither to open his eyes nor to speak; he could only fall down holding his head and curl up into a ball.
Because only in this way could he reduce the area being attacked.
"Hahaha! Harry! Look at your godfather's prowess!"
Sirius carried a small bag of Dungbombs and ran towards Harry, then hurriedly pulled out a few and shoved them into Harry's hands.
Then Sirius threw them at Karkaroff while quickly reloading.
Both hands were like a machine gun, looking quite majestic!
Harry also smiled and threw the Dungbombs in his hands at Karkaroff, making Lily helplessly facepalm.
"Hahahaha! Harry is truly my boy! Just like me when I was young!"
"It's precisely because he's like you that it's no good!"
Lily angrily grabbed James's ear and pulled it hard.
"I was wrong, I was wrong! Sorry! Wife!"
At this moment, Karkaroff had completely turned into a large pile of dung! Not even a shadow of a person could be seen, completely buried by the dung.
However, Karkaroff also realized something was wrong—how come those Dungbombs still hadn't run out?
But what he didn't know was that the Weasley Twins had prepared hundreds of Dungbombs early on, specifically for this kind of situation today.
Sirius dumped all the purchased Dungbombs onto the ground in one go, then said to Harry.
"Harry! If you're going to smash, smash hard! Smashing it violently for me!"
Harry: "Received!"
The two of them began wildly engaging in a ball-throwing sport.
Karkaroff really had no other way; he could only endure the psychological discomfort, grip his Wand tightly, and shout.
"Scourgify—Ugh!"
Just as Karkaroff opened his mouth, the dung seized the opportunity to rush in, flowing into his mouth.
But Karkaroff didn't hesitate and immediately continued to shout. Before long, his face was already clean. Taking advantage of being able to see, Karkaroff did not hesitate and immediately hid among the crowd of Durmstrang.
But the dung on his body made the Durmstrang students terrified, and they began to panic and move away from Karkaroff.
Karkaroff was truly out of options. Seeing the Dungbombs hurtling towards him, he gritted his teeth, finally turned around and ran towards the Black Lake, then performed a sow's dive, successfully falling into the Black Lake.
Then the dung on Karkaroff began to disperse, turning the surrounding water yellow.
The animals in the Black Lake: I bah! How can you be so selfish!
"Hahahaha!"
The crowd in the stands was amused by Karkaroff's behavior; even Krum and the Durmstrang students burst into laughter.
In the end, it was Ludo who spoke up.
"Respected spectators! I hereby officially announce—the second task of the Triwizard Tournament! Has successfully concluded!"
Warm cheers and applause began to rise from the crowd.
And Ludo continued: "The final task of the Triwizard Tournament will be held on the evening of June twenty-fourth! And the champions will learn about the task content one month in advance!"
The voices of the crowd grew even louder, and everyone began to look forward to the final task, wanting to know what kind of challenges the champions would face next.
"Now—please let the audience exit!" After Ludo finished speaking, he left together with Barty.
"We have to go too, but I have to say, well done! Harry!"
Sirius grinningly rubbed Harry's head, James and Lily also hugged Harry, and then the three of them waved goodbye.
"Then let's go too."
Ron said to Harry and the others, while Hode chimed in.
"Let's clean this place up first."
As Hode spoke, the mountain of unspeakable objects piled on the wooden platform and the yellow liquid in the Black Lake instantly vanished.
All the trash was transferred by Hode to Karkaroff's home.
After all, these were gifts from the spectators to him, so Hode naturally had to return them to Karkaroff intact.
"Alright, let's go!"
Ignoring the Durmstrang students who were pulling Karkaroff up, Hode leisurely led the others away.
"Hode, don't you know how to foresee the future? Can you tell me what the third task is about?"
Harry widened his green eyes inherited from Lily, looking at Hode cutely.
Hode's eyes twitched, and with a look of disgust, he slapped Harry's head away.
"What are you afraid of? Winning is not the most important thing in the third task! You will have a more important mission then!"
"Mission?" Harry scratched his head, his eyes full of doubt.
"What mission? Is it asking me to punch Voldemort and kick Tom Riddle?"
Hode: ←_←
"I think you've had too much to drink. With the way you are right now, you still want to mess with Voldemort? He would toy with you like an old man playing with a child."
Harry answered with a grin, "You're here, aren't you? Otherwise, how would I dare to go toe-to-toe with Voldemort."
"Stop fooling around, your mission at that time is indeed very important! So you need to undergo strict special training with Moody."
"More?!"
Harry said with a reluctant face, as he was almost beaten scared by Moody. Although his progress was obvious, being beaten really hurt.
"That's right! We have to completely end it this year..."
"End what?" Ron asked curiously.
"End that tragic fate! I want to create a perfect timeline!"
The few of them looked at each other in a daze, completely not understanding what Hode meant.
But one thing was for sure: something big would definitely happen this year! Something even bigger than the Triwizard Tournament.
So Harry nodded firmly.
"I know, I'll go and study hard with Professor Moody!"
Chapter 128: Weasley Twins: Don't Underestimate Our Information Network
May arrived.
Under Moody's training, Harry had grown much stronger.
However, only he knew the hardships he had endured over the past few months.
After every training session, Harry didn't even have the strength to eat, and could only rely on Ginny to feed him. Of course! He would never intentionally pretend to have no strength because of this.
Harry: "I—Harry Potter swear on Merlin! I am definitely not that kind of person!"
Merlin: "I think you're asking to get shocked."
Nothing major had happened over the past few months, and Hogwarts was just like before. The students talked about the previous task, discussing how they would have completed it if it were them, or guessing the contents of the third task.
The only interesting thing was that the Hogwarts students had created a Champion Leaderboard!
It was a glowing, golden plaque made of unknown materials, though Harry heard that the Weasley Twins had put in the most effort.
Right at the top of the plaque was Hode's name, followed by the sum of his scores from the first two tasks: 100!
Next was himself, with a total score of 87.
Then came Fleur with 79, and finally Krum with 75.
Without a doubt, Hode's score had a cliff-like lead.
The leaderboard hung right by the entrance of the Great Hall, and whenever Hogwarts students passed by, they would glance at the plaque. Then, their entire mood would improve.
Hode and Harry, the two Hogwarts champions, occupying the first and second places undoubtedly brought them much glory.
As for the students from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang, they found this plaque an eyesore.
Especially Durmstrang!
Their own Headmaster openly favored and cheated, yet Krum was still ranked dead last; it was hard for anyone to keep a straight face!
Whenever Krum passed by the plaque, his normally gloomy face would darken so much that his expression was almost invisible, making him look even gloomier than Snape.
Although nothing major had happened, Harry still sensed a tense atmosphere.
It wasn't because of the third task, but rather what Moodywas exuding.
Especially recently, after training sessions, Moody would say a few extra words about what to do when facing Death Eaters, as if he himself would be facing Death Eaters before long.
Although Harry didn't understand why, he still firmly memorized this knowledge.
Just like that—the final week of May arrived.
After Transfiguration Class, Professor McGonagall said to Hode and Harry.
"Hode, Harry. Tonight at nine o'clock, you need to go to the Quidditch pitch! Ludo Bagman will tell you the contents of the third task there!"
—Nine o'clock in the evening.
Hode teleported with Harry to the Quidditch pitch, where Krum and Fleur were already waiting.
Looking at the low walls on the Quidditch pitch that were only half his height, Harry instantly thought of something.
"Haha! You're here." Ludo's voice came from the side, and then he pointed at the low walls and said,
"By the day of the match, they'll grow to twenty feet tall! Seeing this, you should have guessed the content of the task by now."
Harry answered without even thinking: "We need to get through a maze."
"Yes! But there will be some obstacles! Hagrid has provided many creatures, and we've also prepared some obstacles that require specific magic to solve, and so on. Finally, getting the Triwizard Cup in the center of the maze counts as winning!"
Then Ludo looked at Hode, "At that time, we will rank according to the scores of the first two tasks. Hode will enter first, followed by Harry, then Fleur, and finally Krum. I think you all understand, you can go back now."
With that, Ludo took the lead in walking towards the castle.
After glancing at Hode and Harry, Krum left without a word.
Fleur waved at the two of them and also walked towards the Beauxbatons carriage.
"Hode, what do you think will be in the maze?"
Hearing Harry's inquiry, Hode shook his finger.
"If I told you, there wouldn't be any fun. A maze has to be mysterious to be fun."
Harry: "You're probably the only one who thinks participating in the Triwizard Tournament is just for fun."
Harry sighed, knowing Hode wouldn't tell him. However, after months of training, Harry's self-confidence was bursting, and he didn't think a maze could stump him.
"Alright, let's head back too." As Hode's voice fell, Harry's vision blurred for a moment, and then he found himself back in his dormitory.
"Hode, Harry. How was it? What is the content of the third task?"
Seeing the two return, Ron asked immediately with curiosity. Neville by his side was the same.
Afterwards, Harry repeated what Ludo had just said, and then Ron stroked his chin.
"What Magical Creatures do you think Hagrid will provide? Knowing him, there definitely won't be any small-sized ones!"
Hagrid: "What you said is completely right."
Harry nodded in agreement. With Hagrid thinking even 5X-rated Magical Creatures were cute, he really couldn't imagine Hagrid putting animals like Nifflers into the maze.
Then recalling the obstacles that Ludo said required specific magic to solve, Harry considered that the magic he had learned from Hode and Moody was more than enough, so there shouldn't be any problems.
Afterwards, who knows who spread the content of the third task, but by the next morning—
Harry was grabbed by the Weasley Twins, who asked if the third task was going through a maze.
"How do you guys know?"
Harry looked at the two of them with a dumbfounded expression, and the Weasley Twins merely exchanged a smile.
Fred: "Don't underestimate our information network!"
George: "You like Ginny, don't you?"
Harry: "Aren't you guys just stating the obvious?"
Fortunately, Ginny appeared in time and rescued Harry.
"Goodness, Fred and George both know, so it'll probably only take a few days before the whole school knows." Harry couldn't help exclaiming.
Weasley Twins: "It won't be that slow."
Ginny said with a giggle, "You know what those two brothers of mine are like. Oh right! I heard that a lot of people are coming to watch the third task."
Harry was somewhat surprised, "Really? I haven't heard about it at all, but let them watch if they want, I'm used to it."
Ginny nodded, but still reminded him:
"My dad said there are estimated to be tens of thousands of Wizards coming to watch. My parents will be coming too, along with many officials from the Ministry of Magic."
"Tens of thousands?!"
Harry was startled by this number.
He didn't think the Quidditch pitch could hold that many spectators; Professor Dumbledore would probably cast an Undetectable Extension Charm on the pitch.
"Yeah, people from Durmstrang and Beauxbatons will probably come too. This is a competition watched by Wizards all over Europe, and even globally!"
Ginny said, looking seriously at the surprised Harry, and then asked:
"You must do your best, I've always supported you!"
Hearing Ginny's words, Harry only felt his heart fill with warmth. Then he looked at her confidently.
"I will win!"
Chapter 129 Hode: Suddenly craving Chocliz and Sprite.
Harry had indeed underestimated the speed at which the Weasley Twins spread information.
That very night, all the students at Hogwarts knew the content of the third task.
Afterwards, the students all ran to the Quidditch pitchwanting to see what the maze looked like, but Hagrid had been guarding it early on and wouldn't let any student enter.
Just like that, June arrived.
Everyone wasn't nervous about the upcoming final exams, but instead looked forward to the Triwizard Tournament in the week before the holiday.
The students had long since imagined the challenges they might encounter in the maze, and then told Harry their guesses, demanding that he pass them on to Hode.
Every time, Harry would speechlessly twitch the corners of his mouth; he had already heard countless absurd guesses.
Such as: requiring the two champions to kiss in order to proceed, or requiring a champion to cast a "Chili Burning" magic on their own buttocks in order to move forward, and so on.
Harry had to admire how rich the public's imagination was, but he didn't tell Hode any of these words.
Leaving aside how absurd these guesses were, just judging by Hode's strength, if even he couldn't pass, Harry felt this maze could trap Voldemort to death inside.
Just like that, on June 24th, the long-awaited day of the Triwizard Tournament finally arrived.
Although there were no classes on this day, the students still woke up early full of anticipation.
However, Hode and Hermione were excluded from this; the two of them were lying in bed tightly embracing each other, fast asleep.
As for Harry, in order to save up his energy, he went to sleep very early last night. After waking up today, his vitality and spirit were more abundant than ever before, and Ron and Neville beside him were the same.
Arriving at the Great Hall, Harry found that Dumbledore, McGonagall, Moody, and Snape were all absent.
This couldn't help but make people wonder; Harry had never seen so many Professors absent at once.
"Ron, Neville. Do you guys know where the professorshave gone?"
Ron casually grabbed a chicken drumstick, put it in his mouth, and said,
"I don't know, but I think they should have gone over to the Quidditch pitch. After all, the match is about to start, and they probably have to inspect things."
Hearing Ron's words, Harry nodded in agreement, and he also felt this explanation was very reasonable.
But the truth was quite the opposite.
Moody was summoning sufficiently strong and experienced Aurors at the Ministry of Magic.
Dumbledore and McGonagall went to recall former members of the Order of the Phoenix; after all, according to the plan, today was both the day of Voldemort's resurrection and his end.
They had to make foolproof preparations.
Finally was Snape, who had arrived early at Malfoy Manorand saw the dying Voldemort.
Looking at Voldemort before him—held in Peter Pettigrew's arms, like an infant, yet extremely ugly—Snapewanted nothing more than to kill him at every moment.
But he couldn't; as long as the Horcruxes were not destroyed, Voldemort would never truly die.
Snape adjusted his mindset, and then said respectfully,
"Barty Jr.'s plan is proceeding perfectly, and Dumbledorehasn't noticed our little actions in the slightest."
Voldemort's hoarse voice sounded, "Very good, Severus... But that Hode is our biggest obstacle right now... We must make Harry Potter touch the Triwizard Cup..."
Snape immediately said: "Barty Jr. and I have already planned it out; we've set up many traps, and I will also sneak into the maze to ambush him!"
Hearing Snape's words, Voldemort didn't say anything more. He completely trusted Barty Jr. and Snape, while he didn't trust Peter Pettigrew at all, even though Peter was trembling while holding him.
"Go... Severus... Do not disappoint me..."
"At your command, my Master!"
After speaking, Snape secretly exchanged a glance with Lucius beside him, and the two tacitly looked away from each other.
Then Snape left by Apparition.
By the afternoon, Harry finally saw Moody again, but behind him followed a large group of people wearing Auror uniforms, among whom a young lady with pink hair looked particularly familiar to Harry. He remembered she was Tonks whom he had met during the Quidditch World Cup.
Then Harry saw his parents and godfather. Not only that, the Weasleys, the Longbottoms, and Lupin had all come.
It could be said that almost everyone Harry was familiar with had come, which made him inevitably a bit nervous.
"Yo, everyone's here."
Hode's voice sounded in Harry's ear, giving him a start.
"Hode, stop talking suddenly in my ear, you scared me to death."
Harry patted his heart, soothing his emotions slightly.
Hode gave Harry a strange look.
"You don't have a bad heart, do you! I'm telling you, you'd better go to the hospital for a checkup, and don't act tough saying others can't outrun you!"
Harry: "Why would I have nothing better to do than say others can't outrun me?"
"It's nothing, just suddenly craving Chocliz and Sprite."
Harry:??? This makes me even more confused.
"Harry! You must be careful! You must, must be careful!"
After Lily came in front of Harry, she tightly embraced him.
This behavior left Harry baffled.
"Mom, don't worry. I'm very strong now! Besides, it's just going through a maze, nothing will happen."
Listening to Harry's words, Lily opened her mouth, but didn't say anything.
Dumbledore had already told them about Voldemort's resurrection plan and Hode's plan.
When they learned that Harry had to be killed by Voldemort once, Lily felt her heart almost stop.
Hode: Good grief, it's hereditary!
Although this plan worried them greatly, in order to completely kill Voldemort and resolve the issue of Harrybeing one of Voldemort's Horcruxes, everyone agreed to the plan.
Lily looked at Hode with a pleading expression and said: "Everything is up to you, Hode! Please make sure to protect Harry!"
"Of course, rest assured!" Hode nodded.
Hode and the others came to the Great Hall to enjoy dinner, while James and the others did not go.
Mainly because tens of thousands of Wizards would be coming to Hogwarts today, and the Great Hall didn't have enough seats and food to provide for them.
The spectators all came over after having dinner.
Today's dinner was exceptionally lavish; after all, it was the final day of the Triwizard Tournament, and they could enjoy good food once more.
Unlike the cheerful atmosphere at the student tables, the staff table was filled with a solemn atmosphere.
Even the normally optimistic Dumbledore was frowning deeply today.
Dumbledore and the others were nervous because the plan was about to be implemented, while Karkaroff and Madame Maxime were simply like that because they felt there was no hope of winning.
Even Krum and Fleur had gloomy faces, seeming to feel there was no hope of winning.
After everyone finished eating, Dumbledore solemnly stood up and said,
"Ladies and gentlemen! Shortly, the final task of the Triwizard Tournament will begin! Please come with me to the Quidditch pitch!"
Chapter 130: The Final Match!
The three Headmasters walked at the front, followed by the four champions including Hode, and finally the students from the three schools.
The large group grandly arrived before the Quidditch pitch.
Along the way, numerous spectators were waiting outside the castle.
Seeing everyone emerge, they looked forward with anticipation at today's protagonists, namely Hode and the three others.
Today's Quidditch pitch looked unchanged, but after walking inside, one would find that the interior had been enlarged by a full two times!
There was also a huge display screen in the sky, along with several flying objects. Those were props Hode prepared for live broadcasting, though not for broadcasting the Triwizard Tournament.
The spectator seats also became larger, and it looked like accommodating ten thousand spectators would not be difficult.
Harry curiously looked toward the entrance of the maze. The twenty-foot-high hedges prevented the moonlight from shining onto the ground of the maze.
The pitch-dark entrance seemed to conceal danger, but Harry did not feel it was scary at all; after all, he had long been used to night wandering.
Compared to this, he was more afraid of being caught by Professor McGonagall or Snape during night wandering.
Dumbledore and the others sat at the judges' table, and Barty was also in position early.
The other students and spectators all began to sit in the spectator stands, while the family members of the various champions had specific seats right behind the judges' table.
Harry saw his parents and godfather, and then saw two couples.
One of the women looked extremely pretty, and Harryknew that was Fleur's family. Harry looked toward the other family; Krum perfectly inherited his father's hooked nose, along with that almost identical gloomy face.
Harry did not see Hode's family, but that was normal too. If Grindelwald came to watch the match, Harry estimated that today's highlight would not be the Triwizard Tournament.
At this time, Ludo ran up to them and said,
"I suppose you are all ready, everyone. When I blow the whistle, Hode, you will go in first. When I blow the whistle a second time, it will be Harry's turn. And so on, you all understand, right?"
The four of them nods, and then Ludo returned to the commentator's position.
Then Hermione and Ron and the others all came down from the spectator stands, running toward Hode and Harry.
Hermione did not slow down at all, directly hugging Hode.
"What's wrong? Is our little Hermione so bold now?"
Hermione blushed and loosened her arms, then coughed.
"Ahem! I am just giving my boyfriend a little encouragement!"
Ron, Neville, Draco, Luna, and Ginny all came to Hode and Harry's side and said,
Ron: "Come on!"
Draco: "Hode will definitely win, but Harry, if you are scared, remember to cry for help!"
Neville: "Go on! Let the others know you guys are not undeserving of your reputation!"
Ginny: "We will all be watching you guys!"
Luna: "Will you win?"
Hode and Harry exchanged glances, then simultaneously revealed a winning smile.
"We will win!"
Fleur and Krum: Why do these people talk so strangely?
"Alright, all of you go back. Remember to get your Wandready!"
Hode's words left everyone baffled, completely not understanding his meaning.
But since Hode said so, of course they followed suit.
"Are you ready, Harry?"
Hode's voice sounded, and Harry tilted his head.
"Of course, just a maze, I even feel it's not as thrilling as fighting a Dragon."
Hearing this, Hode couldn't help but smile: "You will find it thrilling very soon."
Just at this time, Ludo blew the whistle.
Hode didn't even think about it and walked toward the maze. Harry gazed at Hode's back until it disappeared.
Hode, who walked into the maze, did not stop his pace at all; his eyes had long seen the route of the maze crystal clear.
But Hode did not plan to follow the maze's route!
Hode just glanced at the central position, and the next second, he appeared beside the Triwizard Cup.
Hode did not touch it; after all, this was a Portkey prepared for Harry. Hode sat directly on the grass, waiting for Harry's arrival.
Returning outside, Harry looked at the pitch-dark screen, extremely puzzled as to why the live broadcast was not turned on.
Then time came to five minutes after Hode went in, and Ludo blew the whistle again.
Harry moved quickly, waving to Ron and the others as well as his own family, while running into the entrance without hesitation.
As soon as he walked in, Harry clearly felt that his field of vision became darker.
But this was not a big problem; Harry picked up his Wandand used the Lumos Charm, and the surroundings instantly lit up.
Then Harry placed his Wand flat and chanted: "Guide me!"
The Wand began to spin, and finally the Wand tip pointed in a direction. After confirming the direction, Harryimmediately set off.
Not long after running, Harry encountered a Boggart at a corner.
At this time it turned into Ginny, her face full of disdainful expression.
"Naturally evil Boggart! How dare you turn into Ginny's appearance, I will personally..."
Harry said while pointing his Wand at 'Ginny'.
"Riddikulus!"
Harry's Wand shot out a white light hitting the Boggart, and then the Boggart changed from Ginny's appearance into Ron wearing formal wear that looked like a dress given by Mrs. Weasley.
Harry would never forget this dark history of Ron's.
After solving the Boggart, Harry continued moving forward. During this period, two more whistles sounded.
Harry knew that Fleur and Krum had also entered the maze.
At another corner, Harry saw two Acromantulas.
"Incendio!"
Harry didn't have any hesitation, fierce flames instantly covered the two Acromantulas. Accompanied by a burst of screams, the spiders quickly lost movement.
Just like this, Harry broke through all obstacles along the way until he encountered a Sphinx.
The Sphinx had a huge lion's body, but its head was a woman's head.
Harry vigilantly pointed his Wand at the Sphinx, ready to act at any time.
But the Sphinx just leisurely walked around Harry.
"Don't be nervous, champion. You are very close to the target now! As long as you answer my question correctly, I will let you leave."
The Sphinx spoke, and its voice was also like a woman's voice. If one only listened to the voice, others would definitely think she was a woman.
Harry did not loosen his Wand, but just cautiously asked: "What question?"
"If you are asked to choose one of two foods to eat: chocolate that tastes like shit or shit that tastes like chocolate, which one would you choose?"
Harry:???
Harry's face turned dark, his right hand tightly grasped the Wand, and then he said in a low voice.
"It seems I really need to properly discipline you! Sphinx!"
Before the Sphinx could react, Harry slashed his Wand.
An invisible and sharp slash directly hit the Sphinx! Leaving a bloody scratch on its face and body!
"Oh ho ho ho! I was wrong, brother! Wrong, I will move aside right now!"
While screaming, the Sphinx moved its body aside.
"Humph! How much better if you were like this earlier!"
Harry let out a cold snort, and then walked straight toward the center of the maze.