https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-255-The-Wind-View-from-the-Owl-Shed/13685142/
Chapter 256: Centipede? All StrangeWade
Coliver, the commentator with an instinct honed by years of breaking news, sensed the moment the camera caught sight of the boy with the lightning-shaped scar on his forehead. Instantly, he knew—this was the real viral goldmine.
No matter how well other teams performed, no matter how hilarious or impressive the young wizards' acts, none of it carried the weight of The Savior in the public’s eyes.
On the stands, some spectators had seen Harry Potter before—during Sirius Black’s trial—but most were seeing him for the first time. A ripple of excitement surged through the crowd.
Almost everyone’s attention was fixed on Harry. Only a few, like the fathers of the Weasley and Digory families, kept scanning the sidelines, searching for their own children.
...
With so many teams competing, they had to draw numbers to determine which entrance to the Maze they’d use and in what order. The first to enter had a time advantage—but also faced more traps. Fairness was never the point.
The Umbrella Room group had waited nearly half an hour before their turn came. By then, only a handful of teams remained outside, while several had already been sent back—some injured, others shaken.
The injured were taken to the infirmary. The frightened were handed steaming mugs of chocolate. Those unharmed ran toward the stands, eager to watch the rest of the event.
Harry and the others stood tense at the open entrance, voices lowered.
"Didn’t expect Wade’s secret weapon to be this." Neville ran a nervous hand over the broomstick Harry held.
Just minutes earlier, they’d heard a strange voice from behind the bushes. Turning, they saw a house-elf waving at them.
Knowing Wade’s close ties with the house-elves, Michael stepped forward and asked a few questions. Moments later, he returned with the broomstick.
It was Harry’s own Nimbus 2000.
Hermione grimaced. “Why didn’t he say anything earlier? If another team had seen it, they’d have brought their own brooms too!”
“That’s exactly why,” Michael said. “The school might ban broomsticks in the Maze entirely.”
“So… can Harry use it?” Theo asked.
“Didn’t say it was banned. So it’s allowed,” Michael replied, handing the broom to Harry and clapping him on the shoulder like an elder.
“Fly well,” he said, with a tone of solemn command. “Even if we all get launched—you have to reach the Ball Python. Just give it a Scourgify, even if you don’t defeat it. Then we can say—we challenged the final boss.”
Liam groaned. “So, Michael, can you stop being so doom-and-gloom?”
It made him sound like he was about to die any second.
Michael sighed, about to reply—when suddenly, the bell rang.
It was time.
Before them, the wall rippled, shifting like living flesh to form an archway.
Professor McGonagall gave them a slight nod, a faint smile playing at her lips.
“Don’t be nervous. Good luck.”
Her voice was gentle. She watched her students step into the Maze.
Especially Neville—shaking, barely standing, yet forcing himself forward—got a look of quiet encouragement from the professor.
“Believe in yourself, Longbottom. Hold your chest up!”
“Y-yes… yes!” Neville stammered, then stumbled forward in a clumsy, hand-in-hand stride.
Normally, Michael would’ve rolled his eyes and corrected him. But now, he was just as nervous—too tense to care about Neville’s missteps.
Once all of them had entered and the bushes snapped shut behind them, the group finally exhaled.
The Maze had changed—slightly—but still familiar. It wasn’t connected to the old layout, yet it felt like home.
They’d trained here countless times over the past few days.
To others, this might’ve been just a game—teams barely bonded, laughing and joking their way through. But not Hermione.
She treated every match like a high-stakes test, forcing the others to train with the same precision.
Harry sometimes felt lucky—so lucky—that Hermione didn’t care about Quidditch.
Otherwise, he’d have serious doubts about who’d take over as team captain after Wood graduated.
He could already picture her reviving Wood’s training regimen with fanatical zeal—improving on it, surpassing it.
The group fell into formation, wands drawn, moving down the left path.
"Look," Liam whispered. "A centipede."
In the middle of a tunnel, a giant centipede—charred black, bound by vines—still twitched with its many legs.
"Oh, for Merlin’s sake," Hermione muttered. "StrangeWade again."
The others nodded, still tense.
Before Wade, no one had thought to use the Enlargement Charm on such creatures. But after he created his Insect Army, these beasts became permanent fixtures of the Maze.
Everyone here had been knocked down by insects, tangled in spiderwebs, splattered with green goo—more than once.
Hermione rubbed her arms hard, as if wiping off invisible residue. The others quickened their pace.
They hadn’t gone far when a sharp, high-pitched whine cut through the air—like a swarm of mosquitoes screaming.
"Shield Charm!" Harry shouted, instinctively casting the spell.
An invisible barrier snapped into place, blocking the first wave.
The others fumbled to cast Stop Spell. When the noise finally faded, they stared in disbelief.
The attackers? A swarm of paper airplanes.
Harry muttered, “So… one Shield Charm stops them all?”
"Keep moving," Michael said. "The real danger’s still ahead."
From all around the Maze, faint rustling echoed.
Giant versions of strange creatures prowled, hunting. A massive lizard smashed several students aside, then hissed at Professor Flitwick.
Seemingly harmless plants slowly extended their branches and leaves, blossoming with delicate, fragrant flowers.
A group of ants—about the size of puppies—passed by. One leaned in to sip nectar from a bloom.
After a moment, it turned abruptly and bit off a companion’s leg.
Hagrid, now giant-sized, plucked a fallen student from danger with two fingers, set him on the back of a Night Kneazle, and sent the creature off to safety.
Cedric watched as his second teammate was carried out, injured. He took a deep breath, gripped his wand tighter—and faced a tiny Acromantula, no bigger than a car.
The path to the core was far harder than anyone had imagined.
(End of Chapter)
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