bioinnovel Chapter 389 The Night of the Champion
Chapter 389 The Night of the Champion
Chapter 389 The Night of the Champion
Before we knew it, it was getting dark, and the third project was about to officially begin.
After dinner, Belvina led the four warriors out of the auditorium and headed towards the stadium.
As the group walked out of the castle and down the stone steps in front of it, enthusiastic applause continued to erupt from the hall.
"How are you feeling? Nervous?" Belvina asked the four warriors. "Are you confident?"
Although the four warriors gave different answers, their inner thoughts were very similar—nervous, extremely nervous.
Even Fleur Delacour, who had almost no hope of winning, was nervous. Her performance in the second event was terrible, so the third event naturally became a battle to save face.
The other three warriors were also nervous. Like Furong, they were all reviewing the spell in their minds over and over again, making final preparations for the upcoming match.
Before long, the group of five entered the Quidditch pitch, which was completely unrecognizable from its original state.
A hedge that is at least twenty feet high completely surrounds the site, forming a huge maze. The entrance to the maze is dark and looks quite frightening.
About five minutes later, all the teachers and students entered the stadium and took their seats in the stands. The excited chatter and the chaotic footsteps filled the air, injecting boundless energy into the stadium under the night sky.
Then, Professor McGonagall, Professor Frivi, Professor Moody, and Hagrid walked into the sports field and approached Belvina and the others.
"Once the competition begins, the four professors will patrol the perimeter of the maze," Belvina told the warriors. "If you need rescue, fire a red spark into the sky, and the professors will come to your aid immediately."
Upon hearing Belvina's introduction, the four brave warriors nodded.
Although the warriors didn't want to give up the game, it was always good to have a rescue outside the maze.
As the four professors in charge of the rescue walked in different directions and dispersed around the maze, the third project that everyone had been looking forward to finally began.
"Ladies and gentlemen, the third event is about to begin!" Belvina's voice, amplified by magic, immediately resounded throughout every corner of the stadium.
Enthusiastic applause and cheers immediately resounded throughout the stadium, and flocks of startled birds took flight from the nearby forbidden woods, disappearing into the increasingly dark night.
In addition to serving as a referee, Belvina also provided commentary, first announcing the standings for the first two rounds.
Harry Potter is currently in first place with a total of 86 points across both categories, making him the first to enter the maze.
Cedric Diggory came in second with a total of 85 points across both events, and was the second to enter the maze.
The third place went to Viktor Krum, who scored a total of 77 points across two events and was the third to enter the maze.
Finally, it was Fleur Delacour's turn. She scored a total of 65 points across two events and was the last to enter the maze.
Every time Belvina announced a warrior's ranking and score, thunderous applause would erupt from the stands, cheering on the warrior.
As the first short whistle blew, Harry, who was at the front of the line, rushed into the dark maze, and his figure quickly disappeared at the entrance.
The four professors scattered around the maze to carry out the rescue immediately focused their attention. Even though Barty Crouch Jr. was dead and there was no news of Voldemort, Hogwarts could not let their guard down.
The four professors knew very well that Harry Potter was Voldemort's thorn in his side, and they had to do everything in their power to ensure Harry's safety and not give Voldemort the slightest chance.
A short while later, the second whistle blew, and Cedric, with his long legs, dashed into the maze. To overcome the disadvantage of starting second, Cedric had to be faster than Harry.
Outside the maze, the spectators in the stands held their breath, constantly searching for the two Hogwarts warriors among the tall hedges; at the entrance of the maze, Krum and Fleur were restless, wishing they could rush into the maze immediately and charge towards the Triwizard Trophy.
Inside the maze, Harry used the glow-in-the-dark charm to dispel the darkness and the orientation charm to find a suitable route. He wasn't fast, but every step he took was in the right direction.
Cedric, the second to enter the maze, did the same, using the glow-in-the-dark charm and the direction-direction charm, but he was faster, only less lucky than Harry.
Cedric Diggory was unlucky; he encountered the Blasttail, which Hagrid had personally raised, in the maze.
The ten-foot-long Blast-tailed Snail suddenly charged towards Cedric, who quickly raised his wand to aim at the menacing creature.
However, the Blasttail that Hagrid bred was quite remarkable; its shimmering shell could deflect spells, and all the spells Cedric threw at the Blasttail were deflected back.
The Blast-tailed Snail was fierce and difficult to deal with, and Cedric's decision was even more decisive. He turned and ran without hesitation, not wanting to get entangled with the Blast-tailed Snail, which had excellent defenses.
Cedric knew very well that the focus of the third project was on who could reach the center of the maze first, rather than who could solve the most obstacles.
Instead of wasting time dealing with the blasting snails here, we should find another way to get to the center of the maze as soon as possible.
"Cedric!"
Harry, who had come from another side road, saw Cedric running away frantically.
"There are Hagrid's Blasttails over there, I advise you to take another route," Cedric said as he ran like a madman.
The two Hogwarts warriors passed each other. Cedric wanted to find another way, but Harry was stubborn and kept his head down, continuing forward.
Unsurprisingly, the headstrong Harry encountered a slightly dirty-shelled Blasttail. Having weathered some storms, the Blasttail was even more ferocious this time, charging towards Harry in a trail of fire.
Then, Harry's iron head turned into dough, and like Cedric, he turned and ran, sprinting away while casting a few spells back at the same time.
Whether it was good luck or the effectiveness of Belvina's teaching, Harry's spell actually hit the soft belly of the Bombtail, knocking it to the ground.
However, anything produced by Hagrid is bound to be a Class XXXXXX dangerous creature, and the overturned Blast-tailed Snail quickly regained its mobility.
Fortunately, Cedric and Harry had long since disappeared, leaving the Blast-tailed Snail with no way to seek revenge; unfortunately, the Blast-tailed Snail's ferocity was aroused, making it even more dangerous.
Then, Viktor Krum and Fleur Delacour became scapegoats, both of them being attacked by the Blasted-Tail Snails in the maze, and both of them were forced to run around by the Blasted-Tail Snails.
Before the third project began, no one would have imagined that Hagrid's Bombtail would achieve such outstanding results, forcing the four warriors to flee in terror with just one shell.
If Krum and Fleur hadn't run fast enough, the Blaster might have gotten the first blood for the Warriors.
Back at the judges' table, Belvina witnessed everything that had happened in the maze, and the amazing performance of the Blast-tailed Snail left her stunned.
This blasting snail is too fierce! It would be really interesting to put it in a cage with Death Eaters!
Of course, Belvina was more worried about Cornelius Fudge's reaction than about having fun with the Bombtail and Death Eaters. She thought the minister probably didn't think Hogwarts was developing weapons of mass destruction!
Fortunately, Cornelius Fudge didn't know much about magical creatures, and he didn't realize that the Blasttail was a hybrid of a man-headed lion-tailed scorpion and a fire crab. Hagrid, who violated the "Prohibition of Animal Breeding Experimentation" law, escaped punishment.
Unbeknownst to them, the four warriors in the maze are getting closer and closer to the Triwizard Tournament trophy, and the competition between them is about to reach its climax.
The audience in the stands held their breath, knowing that the champion of the Triwizard Tournament was about to emerge. They saw four warriors arrive at the center of the maze almost simultaneously from different paths, each just inches away from the trophy.
From the audience's perspective, the warriors in the maze now only need to run faster than the other three. Whoever touches the trophy first will win. Cedric and Krum, who are both seventeen years old, have the advantage, Harry is slightly younger, and Fleur is a girl, so she is at a natural disadvantage in terms of physical strength and speed.
To the surprise of the spectators in the stands, the four warriors in the maze all stopped in their tracks. Instead of rushing towards the trophy, they each raised their wands and confronted each other.
The reason the four warriors didn't rush towards the trophy was because Belvina told them before the competition started that once they entered the maze, they would be enemies and could attack each other.
After the competition officially began, the four warriors met in the maze, but none of them made the first move. After meeting, they nodded to each other and then went their separate ways.
Now, the four of them arrive at the center of the maze almost simultaneously, with the Triwizard Tournament trophy right in front of them, and the previous peace vanishes in an instant.
Harry, Cedric, Krum, and Fleur stood at separate crossroads, none daring to make a move.
At this moment, whoever makes the first move will become everyone's target.