Chapter 309: The Second Tournament
Chapter 309: The Second Tournament (Please subscribe, favorite, and vote)
When Liam heard Harry's anxious inquiry, he stared at Harry seriously. By the time Harry started feeling uneasy under his gaze, Liam finally spoke, "If you're worried, we can practice a bit this week. Actually, you just need to get a few basic Spells down, so there's no need to be so nervous. Oh, and if you trust me, you can give me your usage quota. I can use this time to make something. I think it will be more cost-effective than buying finished products."
"Sure thing", Harry nodded firmly. "You can have my entire quota."
"Thanks for trusting me." Liam patted Harry's shoulder and headed toward the workshop, saying, "I promise the Magic Artifacts we use will be stronger than those from the other two schools."
Over the next few days, Liam first made two bottles of Breathing Potion. Based on his reasoning, the first Tournament had likely been too rushed to change much, so they had simply added a few dragons to the mix.
However, the organizers had much more time to prepare for the second Tournament. For the sake of making the event more exciting, they might have expanded the Tournament content. This could mean integrating the underwater rescue task into the new Tournament event as one of its segments, saving a lot of trouble while not wasting the original setup.
Besides preparing the props, Liam spent some time training Harry. The tents where the participants were staying were specially approved by the Ministry of Magic. Each tent included a three-bedroom suite, a Laboratory, and a Magic practice room. The two of them were currently practicing combat in the Magic practice room.
"Why are the Spells we use during practice so simple? Aside from the Disillusionment Charm, the others are Spells I already know", Harry asked curiously after a day of practice. "Like the Disarming Charm, Armor Charm, and Crushing Curse."
"You've seen me do Alchemy before. Honestly, do you think you could learn something new in just five days?" Liam countered.
"Definitely not", Harry admitted readily. "But what does this have to do with practicing Spells I already know?"
"Both Spells and Alchemy require a lot of practice to master. An ancient General in China once said that if you can use one-third of what you know on the battlefield, it's already quite good. Those who can use half of their abilities are considered excellent. He fought all his life and never saw anyone who could use their full potential in battle. Our Tournament is like a battlefield. As long as you can use the basic combat Spells proficiently and reliably when it counts, that's all you need. Chasing after powerful new Spells might actually lower our performance in the competition."
"I get it", Harry stood up and walked to the corner of the practice room to continue practicing the basic Spells. It was clear that Harry had a natural talent for Defense Against the Dark Arts. Liam noticed that his spellcasting ability improved visibly each day.
The five days passed quickly, and all the participants were soon gathered again. The six contestants were called to a tent near the Forbidden Forest, where Barty Crouch announced the Tournament details.
"Welcome back, ladies and gentlemen", Barty Crouch said, though his stiff expression betrayed no real joy. "I believe everyone has prepared for the next Tournament over these five days." He glanced at the group below.
From their attire, it was clear that each school had its own Tournament strategy. The Durmstrang and Beauxbatons contestants each carried different items, indicating they planned to work together but fight individually. Only the two Hogwarts contestants were uniformly equipped with leather armbands, each with a small leather pouch and a row of test tubes containing various Elixirs. Additionally, both had daggers strapped to their thighs.
Bagman chuckled and said, "The Tournament will begin in half an hour, so let's go over the details of this round. The task is to rescue the Hostage and collect the Gold Coin. Each Golden Egg from the first round has been divided into four Gold Coins. You need to first retrieve your own Gold Coin from the Black Lake, then combine it with the Crystal you have. Once inside the Forbidden Forest, the Gold Coin will reveal the locations of the other three Gold Coins from the same Golden Egg, as well as the exit. One of those Gold Coins will be with your Hostage. You must bring the Hostage to the exit to complete the Tournament."
After delivering this lengthy explanation, Bagman wiped the sweat from his forehead. Barty Crouch glanced at him with a hint of dissatisfaction and added, "There are a few details to clarify. First, in the Black Lake, each participant can only take their own Gold Coin; touching others' coins is not allowed. Second, half an hour after entering the Forbidden Forest, your Gold Coin will show the locations of all other Gold Coins, except for the one still in the lake. Coins that have been taken by others will no longer be visible. Third, in the Forbidden Forest, participants are allowed to obtain other people's Gold Coins, whether by searching or by force. Finally, two hours after the first participant enters the Forbidden Forest, the Tournament will conclude. Any participant who has not brought their Hostage to the exit by then will receive zero points. Does everyone understand?"
"What if I only bring the Hostage to the exit?" Diana, the other Beauxbatons participant, asked.
"In that case, you will only receive the base points for the Hostage, which is equivalent to one Gold Coin. Remember, as long as you complete the task within the time limit, you will receive points. Finishing early will not earn you any additional points."
"Can I attack the Hostage?" Krum asked in a low voice.
"That is strictly forbidden. Any attack on a Hostage or any Hostage attacking someone else will result in the attacker and their corresponding participant receiving zero points. Both you and the Hostage will be monitored by Magic. Don't try any tricks."
After confirming that no one had any further questions, the two Ministry of Magic officials left. The participants sat in a somber atmosphere until the bell rang half an hour later.
At the sound of the bell, the participants filed out of the tent and made their way along the path by the edge of the Forbidden Forest toward the Black Lake. Liam noticed that the stands where spectators had sat for the Dragon Challenge the previous November were now filled to capacity, their reflections visible in the lake below.
It was a bitterly cold winter morning, with trees encrusted in frost, as if the ice had seeped into their branches. The sky was a clear, sparkling blue, like a polished mirror, and the sunlight, though bright and cold, did little to warm the icy lake.
The Judges sat at a table covered in golden cloth by the water's edge. The participants approached the table.
Dumbledore smiled and winked at Liam and Harry, while Barty Crouch sat behind the long table, not even glancing at them.
Madame Maxime smiled softly, her good mood unmarred, while Karkaroff hovered around his prized student, Krum, fussing over him.
Ludo Bagman's voice echoed across the lake, "This is a combined water and land event. The Champions are in position. On the sound of my whistle, the second task will begin. They will need to rescue their Hostages within the Tournament. I'll count to three. One... two... three!"
The sharp whistle pierced the cold, still air. The stands erupted in cheers and applause, and the Tournament officially began.
(End of Chapter)
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