allendalepharm Chapter 314 The Triumph Tournament Officially Begins
Chapter 314 The Triumph Tournament Officially Begins
Chapter 314 The Triwizard Tournament Officially Begins
Since Lockhart and his team moved into Hogwarts, the school has become noticeably more lively.
Each of the three schools has its own powerful magic masters, as well as its own star students.
Harry Potter of Hogwarts is the legendary savior, and many people want to see the lightning bolt scar on his forehead and witness the incredible feat of this man who killed Voldemort as an infant. (This is the legend of the savior.)
Wherever Fleur Delacour of Beauxbatons appears, she becomes the center of attention. Yes, most boys cannot resist her magical and alluring beauty, even though she often wraps herself in a scarf.
Fleur clearly didn't want to pay attention to these boring stares. She spent most of her time running towards the Forbidden Forest and then receiving one-on-one instruction from Vice-Headmaster Voldemort in Lockhart's mushroom house.
Lockhart and Grindelwald's curriculum reforms at their respective schools have prevented their students from directly entering Hogwarts, making their studies during the competition year more challenging than usual.
But this can be overcome, as Grindelwald said—"I can't exactly have my students taking those ridiculously stupid Muggle studies classes at Hogwarts, can I?"
This course is a key course at Durmstrang!
And the star student from Durmstrang is a true star, he is Viktor Krumm, the youngest world star in the contemporary world, known as the world's number one seeker.
But it is said that Mr. Krum disliked Grindelwald so much that he called the new headmaster “the dark wizard” in private conversations among the students, and was almost expelled.
Therefore, his family and the Bulgarian Ministry of Magic pleaded with him to change his attitude. Bulgaria had finally produced such a promising young talent with international influence, and they were counting on him to help them enter the world stage in the future. They dared not let him die young like this.
The young man, full of vigor and ambition, was determined to fight the demon, but little did he know that countless hands he cared about were pulling him back from behind.
So he's in a bad state right now.
In contrast, George and Fred were doing quite well at Hogwarts. According to Beauxbatons' arrangement, apart from studying the subjects they chose to retake on their own, the only subject they needed to attend classes for was alchemy.
At Professor Lockhart's suggestion, they obtained Dumbledore's authorization to take the alchemy elective course in their seventh year at Hogwarts.
This gives them plenty of time to publicly sell their lab product, The Burrow Plus.
They became particularly busy once Hogwarts began to open its doors to outsiders.
Draco was equally busy; he and Hermione, as Percy's assistants, had a lot to do.
As partners in the Triwizard Tournament, they not only had to negotiate various matters with the heads of each school, but also communicate and coordinate with the teams from the three schools, and consult with officials from the sports departments of the national magic ministries and the sports management department under the International Wizarding Federation on the rules and regulations of the tournament.
In particular, the International Wizarding Federation and the Department of Sports of the British Ministry of Magic were furious because the Quidditch World Cup they were organizing had been cancelled. Percy and his two friends, with their new sport, wanted to compete for influence in the field and often deliberately caused trouble, leaving the young wizards in a state of chaos.
In contrast, Cedric Diggory, Luna, and Crabbe, who were previously busy at the "White Dictamnus Medicine Planting Base" in the Duel Club, seemed quite relaxed. They found Madam Pomfrey and quickly secured the supply of White Dictamnus.
They also had their own plans. The "Simple White Moss Decoction Spray Device" which was more suitable for the market was entrusted to George and Fred in the research lab, while the large-scale production process of the "Universal White Moss Decoction" and the "High-Efficiency Fertilizer from Moonfox Dung" required more in-depth study of potions.
The dung of the Moonfox makes magical plants grow rapidly and extremely robustly. This dung comes from the oak forest where Coban lost a bet to Lockhart.
However, due to limited production, Cedric did not intend to spend money to purchase from the market when there were not many Galleons in the industrial chain. Instead, he focused on how to use these manure fertilizers more efficiently.
So during this time, while Crabbe was learning Potions from Professor Snape, Cedric would often come over to audit his classes.
Similarly, Ron, Neville, and other members of the Duel Club were also busy promoting Hakimi. They had their eyes on the participants in the "Triple Throne Family Match" segment and planned to recommend Hakimi to the Muggle parents of those young wizards and sign trial adoption contracts.
The changes in these children sometimes really moved Dumbledore.
"Sometimes I reflect on my own educational issues."
Grindelwald didn't tolerate this at all, and scoffed, "This isn't an education problem; it's that you never pave the way for anyone, never carefully plan their future, not even the members of your Order of the Phoenix!"
Sometimes I think that makes sense.
Voldemort's former professor, Slughorn, had meticulously planned a path for this outstanding student's advancement in the Ministry of Magic and promised to use his connections to help with the matter.
Percy, who also graduated with excellent grades, did not receive Dumbledore's help. Otherwise, he wouldn't have sided with Crouch, a pure-blood family, in order to advance his future. He should have been the most promising newcomer in the political arena of the pro-Muggle Order of the Phoenix.
The most eye-catching one is Lupin of the Order of the Phoenix. Despite the great glory of the Order of the Phoenix defeating Voldemort, his final result was that he wandered around, working odd jobs everywhere, and could only do odd jobs because of the werewolf problem, living a very difficult life.
"Everyone should take control of their own destiny, instead of waiting for others to arrange it for them!" Dumbledore clearly had his own insights.
Lockhart always prefers to stay out of the conversation and focus on the treats, tea, ice cream, and other delicacies offered by the house-elves.
Dumbledore is not a nanny, nor does he have the ambition of Grindelwald or Voldemort. He should naturally have his own way of living, and no one can tell him what to do. This is his personal freedom.
Time quickly came to the day when the Three Kingdoms Tournament officially began.
The crowds surged and stretched as far as the eye could see, as if the entire wizarding world had squeezed into Hogwarts.
The opening ceremony was held in the main auditorium on the first floor of the school's main castle.
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The space below the stage, which originally had only four rows of long tables representing four different academies, was now twisted and bulged into a semi-circle, surrounded by countless long tables.
I wonder if the house-elves in Hogwarts kitchen can manage.
The principals and accompanying professors of the three major schools sat on the stage, while the school board members, the pure-blood families and various organizations that sponsored the project, and the officials from the national magic ministries were all seated at long tables below the stage.
The signs of a "magic school-centered system" were already emerging at this moment, but obviously most people present wouldn't be so sensitive to it.
First, Professor McGonagall stepped onto the podium and solemnly admonished off-campus personnel about the rules they should follow upon entering the school.
She didn't want Hogwarts to be in trouble because of this tournament.
In particular, the Aurors drawn from the Auror offices of the Ministries of Magic in various countries had to report to her after dinner every day and adjust the security arrangements for the next day according to the actual situation.
Then Fudge, the Minister of Magic of the local countries, took the stage on behalf of the various national ministries of magic to announce a new resolution to the wizarding community: due to the shortage of Aurors during the tournament, all those scoundrels who break the law during this period, regardless of the severity of their crimes, will be sent to Azkaban prison for a month before any further discussion.
Wait until he stepped off the stage.
Fireworks burst into bloom, joyful music played, and Dumbledore, dressed in a bright red wizard's robe, walked up.
"Ladies and gentlemen, it is my pleasure to announce the official opening of this year's Triwizard Tournament!"
Amid cheers and whistles from the audience, he began to recount the more than 700-year history of the Triwizard Tournament with a gentle expression.
This is a more significant event for wizards than the Quidditch World Cup, which is only five hundred years old.
It embodies the wizarding world's great hopes for the future.
Dumbledore's speech was captivating, and Percy, sitting at the long table of social figures, listened with deep regret.
If it had been a year earlier, just one year earlier, he could have competed. He knew that would have been his stage.
Unfortunately, there are no "what ifs." Now he can only watch his younger brothers and sisters compete.
Yes, because there were no restrictions on the number of participants or age limits for this year's Triwizard Tournament, even his youngest sister, Ginny, participated in the competition.
And there are two events: an individual competition and a team competition.
"We mainly have two tournaments: the 'Fire Cup' Warriors Championship, which is an individual competition, and the 'Quidditch Duels' School Team Tournament, which is a team competition."
"We will also have two additional events."
"Based on our considerations for the future development of wizarding magic, we are holding a competition specifically for the discipline of Transfiguration."
"It's a treasure chest battle," which will take place after the Christmas ball. Students from the three schools can form teams of five to participate in this fairytale adventure competition where only shapeshifting magic can be used.
"There's also an extra event, a family exhibition match," which will be held before the final individual competition. Young wizards can invite their parents to participate, and the competition will focus on "life magic."
When this was mentioned, Dumbledore's expression turned serious.
"I hope all participants will remember that they must not use any magic outside of the 'List of Magic Uses for the Competition' to participate in the competition. Each competition has its own list of requirements."
You could even say that.
This year's three-way battle is to advance this "List of Tournament Curses".
The competition events are set up around its framework.
The Goblet of Fire Warriors individual tournament is the most open, allowing the use of Polymorph and life magic, but in actual use cases, war magic and dueling magic will likely be the primary focus.
Team Quidditch duels are limited to the realm of dueling magic.
The family performance competition is a magic of daily life, and the fairy tale adventure treasure chest battle is a transformation magic within the magic of the future.
If this match can indeed be held as smoothly as expected.
So every four years thereafter, the wizarding world will spend an entire year discussing this magical regulation, which will bring tremendous transformative power to the entire wizarding society.
After a few sessions like this, everything will change.
The following day, the "Fire Cup" Warriors Championship officially kicked off as a warm-up for the entire event.
This stage will determine the top ten teams from each of the three schools.
However, since both Beauxbatons and Durmstrang had ten people registered for the individual competition, what followed became an exhibition match showcasing Hogwarts' teaching results.
In the past two years, with Professor Lockhart's arrival and the introduction of fairy tale adventures to Hogwarts, as well as the dissemination of a large number of simple and convenient spells through Defense Against the Dark Arts classes and the Duel Club, the students' overall strength has been significantly improved.
The two unlucky guys who drew the first round were trembling with nervousness amidst the stares and cheers of countless people. They were shaking more and more violently than the other, clearly having never experienced anything like this before.
"Ron! You can do it!"
Harry shouted from below the stage, hoping to offer his good friend some encouragement.
"He shouldn't be so nervous!" Hermione muttered to herself in a hint of disdain, but her fists were clenched tightly, clearly showing her concern for her good friend.
"Don't worry, he'll be fine." Fred, who hadn't stayed in his own school's seats but had come to Hogwarts to crash the audience, laughed beside him. "He's someone who's trained in Quidditch duels!"
George was clearly relaxed. "If he can't even make the top ten, we'll laugh at him for the rest of our lives."
Even though Ron was facing an upperclassman, Derian Pursey, a sixth-year Slytherin Quidditch player and the Chaser of the Slytherin Quidditch team.
They wouldn't have had this much confidence in Ron before.
On the other side of the audience, their parents, Arthur and Molly, looked very nervous.
"Oh dear, my Ronnie (Ron's nickname), how could he beat a student two grades above him?" Molly was extremely worried. She had looked up information about the Triwizard Tournament when the children were about to participate in the competition and learned that it had been discontinued for over a hundred years because the tournament had an excessively high mortality rate.
She was so nervous that she forgot to breathe, her whole body tense as if she might faint at any moment.
"It's alright, we should have faith in the child," Arthur had to reassure her.
Although Arthur didn't hold out much hope.
No one knows a son better than his father. If it were any other child, he would still have hope, but Ron has always been somewhat clumsy and mediocre, the kind of person who even has to copy homework. It's really hard to expect anything from him. Now he can only pray that Ron can get off the ring safely.
Below the ring, a large number of reporters were excitedly surrounding the two nervous boys, barely concealing their excitement at the prospect of something going wrong so they could later write numerous articles criticizing Dumbledore for changing the rules of the Triwizard Tournament.
The competition is not progressing quickly.
Professor Felix Flitwick, Head of Ravenclaw from Hogwarts and a former tournament champion, is now passionately holding a microphone that has been transformed from his wand, loudly telling the surrounding audience about the personal information of the two warriors who participated in the competition.
"Then, according to the etiquette of wizards, please bow to each other."
Ron swallowed hard, his bowing motion slightly distorted. He told himself that he was a Gryffindor champion and should be fearless.
But if it were against bad guys, he would have been the first to rush over. But competing in front of so many people really doesn't require much mental preparation.
He couldn't help but recall Professor Lockhart's talk about "fighting spirit" in the Duel Club class, an emotional state that greatly influenced magical duels.
He knew he might be behaving poorly.
Then he saw Derian Pursey bowing to him, the evil Slytherin with an exceptionally sinister expression, staring intently at him.
No, he can't do that. He needs to be full of fighting spirit!
Call ~
So he took a deep breath, a method Hermione often used when she got nervous, and he could only try it now.
But doing so seemed a bit foolish; the rapid, deep breathing caused a lack of oxygen to the brain, and he felt dizzy instead.
"When the fireworks burst, the duel will officially begin. Please prepare yourselves—"
Philius Flitwick tiptoed and raised his wand high, a shimmering light gathering at the tip, and then, in the moment when the entire arena suddenly fell into absolute silence, he swung it sharply toward the sky.
"Bang!"
The fireworks exploded violently and rapidly, then returned to calm in an instant.
With the sound of the explosion, Derian Puse, who was already prepared, shouted almost prematurely, "Disarm you!"
The standard duel starting stance.
A slight misstep could even be the decisive blow, instantly stripping the opponent of their wand and allowing for an easy victory.
This is where Lockhart's advantage in teaching and training at the Duel Club comes in. Ron, who had been trained extensively with disarming charms, was almost instinctively wielding his wand.
With a gentle flick of the wand upwards, the disarming curse was easily neutralized by the power of the anti-curse.
Not only that, he habitually pushed his wand horizontally again and then quickly flicked it upwards—a casting gesture slightly adjusted to his own style—accompanied by a rapid incantation, "Disappear into the clouds and ascend to heaven!"
Bang!
A tremendous sound.
Derian Puse shot into the air like a cannonball.
"Petrify them all!" The dynamic combat spellcasting experience gained from high-intensity Quidditch duels allowed Ron to instantly capture and predict Drian Puse's floating position and quickly cast a spell on him.
His movements were so fast and fluid, as if they were a series of moves that had been practiced for a long time and formed muscle memory. As soon as the petrification spell was completed, he quickly and habitually moved to the side to avoid being countered. Only then did the audience gasp in surprise as Derian flew into the sky.
Derian was clearly startled when he was suddenly thrown into the air, but as Slytherin's Seeker, he was obviously experienced in dealing with high-speed movements.
Even though he was momentarily airborne, flailing his arms and legs and unable to retaliate, he quickly gripped his wand and cast a counter-spell against himself: "Petrification Release!"
The price he paid was a heavy fall that crashed to the ground.
With a cracking sound, he vaguely heard the crisp sound of his leg bone and shoulder blade, and a sharp, piercing pain instantly swept through his body.
Ron clearly wasn't going to wait for him to get up and catch his breath before engaging in a back-and-forth exchange; this was a duel.
Without much hesitation, he unleashed his most proficient attack—the Slug Spell.
"Spitting out slugs!"
The spell struck Derian in a flash of light.
Derian felt a spasm in his stomach, accompanied by a sharp pain from being pulled and bruised, and vomited out a slug through his throat.
He angrily raised his wand to retaliate in Ron's direction, but just as he was about to cast a spell, he felt a slug stuck in his throat again, blocking all possible sounds.
He was so uncomfortable that he supported himself on the ground, dry heaving, but he was anxious to find that no matter how much he dry heaved, he couldn't vomit. In desperation, he tried to stick his fingers into his mouth to vomit.
Then another curse struck.
"Repel them with all your might!"
Bang!
He was flung out again, and in mid-air, the slug in his throat finally sprayed out with a lot of mucus, and then his body crashed heavily to the ground.
I fell so hard my whole body felt numb.
He roared angrily, enduring the pain as he scrambled to his feet, only to be horrified to find that he had been knocked out of the ring, which was spacious enough for him to run for quite a while.
"Ron Weasley!" Professor Felix Flitwick shouted excitedly, "Victory!"
Boom!
Cheers surged forth like waves, engulfing Derian. He felt his vision go black, and in agony, he vomited up another sticky slug.
Ahhhhh!
How could he lose to a fourth-grade student, and lose so badly!
He could almost imagine how his parents and elders in the audience would look at him, the loser.
But actually————
"Merlin's pink nose hairs!" his father exclaimed from the audience, followed by several others shouting in disbelief, "Are students this amazing these days?"
Yes, given Ron's current strength, even in the adult world, he could easily defeat far too many opponents.
"He's a member of Lockhart's student club," a friend whispered while clapping. "We all know how good Mr. Lockhart is at giving advice, Fudge, you know, that idiot's really smug right now."
Derian's father slapped his thigh in anguish, "Why didn't my son join this club? He was so talented!"
My friend shrugged and muttered to himself with a strange expression, "I don't think so."
On stage, Ron still looked completely bewildered.
He felt he was still tense. The fight just now was almost a instinctive reaction, which was a terrible state of combat because his emotions had not been fully mobilized, which meant the spell's strength was not high. But he didn't expect that his opponent would be defeated so easily.
Is this over?
He opened his mouth, staring blankly at the cheers coming from the surrounding stage, and slowly, an excited smile appeared on his face.
Victory!
He won!
He could finally loudly proclaim to the whole world, to his parents, brothers and sisters, to everyone—that he was not bad at all, that he was actually very good!
Ugh~
He felt a pang of sadness and, for some reason, felt an urge to cry.
"Ron Weasley!"
"Ron Weasley!"
"Ron Weasley!"
From the Hogwarts stands came a chorus of shouts, everyone calling his name.
Is this the three-way battle for supremacy?
This feeling—
that's nice!
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