Chapter 400: Projection Technology
Chapter 400: Projection Technology
Harry, Ron, and Hermione stayed to watch the entire match, which they had to plead for, as Professor Mcgonagall kept urging them to go to the temporary tent for treatment.
"I'm fine, Professor Mcgonagall", Harry said, taking the dittany from Hermione and applying it to his wound. The bleeding stopped quickly.
Professor Mcgonagall pursed her lips and stared at him for a moment. Seizing the opportunity, Harry hurriedly lowered his head to cast the episkey spell on himself—one of the spells he had learned. Professor Hep had hinted that some spells would be part of the new year's advancement criteria. He felt his wound start to itch, and he couldn't help but touch it. Professor Mcgonagall's stern gaze returned, and he had to put his hand down. Ron chuckled from the side.
"Alright, after watching the match, you... you need to go to Madam Pomfrey for a check-up", Professor Mcgonagall said, glancing at Ron and Hermione. Apart from being dirty and dusty, they showed no signs of injury.
Harry reassured her repeatedly before Professor Mcgonagall finally left. By then, Harry noticed his wound had already tightened.
"I've never seen such a useful spell", Harry said in amazement.
"Oh, this spell only treats minor injuries. If you plan to become a healer, you'll find there's a lot to learn", Hermione said, putting the small bottle of dittany back into her pocket.
"Who would want to become a healer?" Ron muttered, noticing Harry and Hermione looking at him. "I mean, you'd have to deal with all sorts of weird cases... I should have told you, Bill Weasley had a pen pal from Brazil during his school days. Since he couldn't afford to travel, the pen pal sent him a cursed hat... Anyway, his ears got so wrinkled they looked worse than a house-elf's. Mum had to take him to the hospital... I was only five or six, but St. Mungo's left a deep impression on me."
He furrowed his brow, his face showing disgust.
"...A wizard with an extra arm growing out of his chest, a witch who thought she was a kangaroo and could only hop around—strange, there are no kangaroos in Britain! I also remember a poor soul whose chest was punctured by some animal, and the wound kept bleeding. The healer's cleaning was so foul-smelling..."
Harry and Hermione felt a bit queasy listening to his stories.
When the match ended, Professor Mcgonagall's authoritative gaze immediately fell on them. Before they could react, she appeared beside them as if by apparition, and they obediently headed to the temporary tent.
"Potter", Harry turned and heard Professor Mcgonagall say, "and Weasley, Granger... you did a great job!" She pursed her lips and, in an unusually gentle voice, said, "Go to the tent. Madam Pomfrey is waiting for you... you might make it back before the judges score."
As they passed the stands, the crowd enthusiastically shouted their names. A giant arm hung down from the platform, and Hagrid, excitedly, said, "You succeeded! Great job, you faced the most ferocious Hungarian tree hornet—"
Harry, Ron, and Hermione smiled, taking turns to high-five Hagrid. Ron, feeling light on his feet, said, "Oh... it wasn't that hard, really..."
At the temporary wooden gate, Sirius ran up, excitedly hugging them.
"You are the best team I've ever seen!"
...
Meanwhile, on the platform, the judges were engaged in a heated discussion, exchanging opinions on the performance of the six teams.
"Wasn't the Swedish short-snout a bit too weak?" Karkaroff questioned.
"Not at all—" Bagman countered, "You saw it! Its fire melted the specially designed chains at the dragon reserve. It was one of the strongest among the fire dragons... Felix, you're the safety officer. You had the best view from above, tell us what you think!"
He looked at Felix, who, though not a judge, was pulled in to provide insights others couldn't see.
"Actually, apart from the Hungarian tree hornet, the other five fire dragons were similar", Felix scratched his chin and said, "If we have to compare, the Swedish short-snout was one of the stronger ones. Its fire was extremely hot... I saw each team member perform their tasks excellently."
"Cedric Diggory's weather magic made the fire dragon more aggressive and irrational, evident from how it chose to disperse the rain clouds first instead of attacking the champions... Roger Davies' timing was perfect. His Disillusionment Charm wasn't outstanding, but it was crucial for avoiding detection early on—"
Felix smiled, "He was the one to signal the final assault."
"If the fire dragon had gone mad and attacked Diggory, Davies would have had to step in decisively. The real scenario was commendable. He cast the blackthorn spell as soon as the fire dragon lifted off the ground... an excellent growth charm... As for Collins Fley, she didn't do much, but you could see her patience, courage, and trust in her teammates throughout the match. She crouched under the Swedish short-snout's feet for at least two minutes. Any minor mishap, and she might not have escaped."
The judges in the arena were all well-versed in their craft, and Felix was merely stating the obvious.
After a brief discussion, they were about to score when Felix suddenly spoke up: "The purpose of the Triwizard Tournament is to select the most outstanding young wizards from different schools, allowing them to compete and hone their skills, and to showcase the courage that wizards value in challenging tasks. I suggest that each judge provide a brief comment along with their score, so the champions can understand their strengths and weaknesses."
The judges exchanged glances.
"Wouldn't that take too much time?" Bagman said, looking a bit puzzled. "We didn't plan for this... but it's not impossible..."
"As Headmaster, I would naturally hope to see the champions gain something valuable from this year", Dumbledore said with a warm smile.
Fudge looked hesitantly at the other judges. "What do you think?"
"That's a great idea", Madame Maxime said, finding no issue with it and even welcoming the suggestion.
"I also agree with this proposal. The students of Wagadu should know their weaknesses and not make the same mistakes twice", said the headmaster of Wagadu, a thin witch who was sitting cross-legged on a flying carpet, looking as if she had stepped out of a comic book.
In fact, the British Ministry of Magic had already banned the import and sale of flying carpets, but since she was only using one herself and was a foreigner, Fudge pretended not to notice.
"Your words are very wise, Madame Nagi", Felix bowed slightly.
One by one, the judges agreed. They returned to their seats and prepared to score. Felix left the platform and smiled at Karkaroff, who didn't look particularly pleased.
"Cough, cough! Silence—", Bagman announced loudly, and the crowd in the stands gradually quieted down. "Next, the judges will score the teams. To ensure the champions remember more than just a number, each judge will provide some constructive feedback."
"However, allow me to recap the entire match first. Many might have missed the full picture, given the overwhelming excitement. I will describe the events in the order in which the teams obtained the golden eggs."
"The first team to retrieve the golden egg was from Hogwarts: Cedric Diggory, Roger Davies, and Colins Flit. They obtained the egg in the shortest time, defeated the fire dragon, and suffered no injuries;
The second team to secure the golden egg was from Wagadu. Nona Lebert used an impressive cheetah transformation to retrieve the egg. However, their strategy was somewhat aggressive, leading to one team member being trapped by the fire dragon and requiring the intervention of a safety official. This could be a point of deduction. Nevertheless, they still delivered an exciting performance.
The third team to retrieve the golden egg also came from Hogwarts. They were the youngest, still in their fourth year, but they performed remarkably. They were one of only two teams to retrieve the golden egg and escape the fire dragon;
The fourth team to secure the golden egg was from Durmstrang, though they only managed to grab some fragments;
The fifth team to retrieve the golden egg was from Beauxbatons. Miss Delacour showed great courage by passing the egg to a teammate at the last moment, but she ended up in trouble and had to rely on the safety official for protection;
The last team was from Ilvermorny. Although they didn't retrieve the golden egg, it was a strategic decision. Their use of compound magic was still very eye-catching..."
Bagman gave a brief overview of the six teams' performances, allowing the audience to relive the excitement. The champions, who had started to return, gathered below the platform. After a moment, Bagman announced, "Now, please, judges, score the first team!"
Harry squinted at the judges' stand. The first judge, Madame Maxime, raised her wand, and a long, ribbon-like strand emerged from the tip, twisting to form the number "10."
Madame Maxime commented, "The Hogwarts team demonstrated the essential qualities of a champion—courage, wisdom, loyalty, and trust. In this task, their performance was flawless. I give them ten points."
Her fair assessment earned her a round of applause.
"Maybe they'll get a perfect score", Ron said, clapping. "The last judge still gave them ten. I hope we don't fall too far behind. Our performance wasn't that bad, right?"
Harry nodded vigorously, watching the last judge. Karkaroff slowly raised his wand, and a silver ribbon twisted to form the number "7."
Everyone in the arena was stunned, unable to believe their eyes. They had all expected the first team to receive a perfect score, but now that hope was shattered. The number seven was glaringly obvious.
"Karkaroff..." Bagman looked hesitantly at him from the platform.
Karkaroff, with his characteristic smooth and oily voice, said, "You saw courage, but I saw recklessness. They didn't need to knock out the dragon, which could have posed a potential danger..."
Before he could finish, someone in the crowd started to murmur, "Nonsense!" Seamus shouted, meeting Karkaroff's icy gaze with bravery. "Everyone knows what happened. It was the best choice at the time!"
A chorus of agreement followed.
"I stand by my assessment", Karkaroff said.
"Alright", Bagman grunted, "each judge has the right to score independently... So, the total score for the Hogwarts team is 67 points, currently in first place. I believe it will be difficult for the others to catch up, but who knows... Let's continue..."
...
In the end, Harry and his team scored 61 points, placing second. Ludo Bagman praised the youngest champions enthusiastically and generously gave them a perfect score. The Wagadu team scored 53 points, placing third; Durmstrang scored 50 points, placing fourth; Beauxbatons scored 48 points, placing fifth; and Ilvermorny scored 23 points.
The ranking of Durmstrang and Beauxbatons was particularly controversial. No one expected Karkaroff to shamelessly give his school's champion a perfect ten, while the other judges were giving sixes and sevens, causing an uproar.
It was known that while Bagman had given Harry's group a ten, it was amidst a series of nines, so while it stood out, it wasn't a major issue. It only indicated that Bagman had a particular fondness for young, controversial champions. However, Karkaroff's action was blatant cheating.
After the scoring was complete, the champions and judges regrouped in the temporary tent to receive information about the second task. Felix was about to leave when Bagman enthusiastically stopped him, “Don’t leave yet, Felix, I need to discuss something with you...”
Footsteps and discussions continued outside, and Harry sat on the side, bored and dazed—escaping from under a fire dragon's foot had left him feeling lazy.
“...That biased old hammerhead, he gave his school's champion ten, ten! Ha, do broken dragon eggs not need to be paid for?”
“If I were him, I’d be too ashamed to show my face!”
Loud conversations outside caught Harry's attention. He lifted his head, blinked twice, and recognized the voices as Seamus Finnigan and Dean Thomas. He didn't know if his roommates were deliberately sticking up for him, especially since Karkaroff had only given their group a six.
Inside the tent, Karkaroff's face was pale, but he endured the odd looks in silence.
Felix smacked his lips: “While it’s normal for a Headmaster to favor their own champion, favoring them to this extent is quite rare... Perhaps the scoring rules should be made more transparent.”
“We will seriously consider it,” Bagman immediately agreed.
A few minutes later, the footsteps outside thinned out. Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge stood up, patted his belly, and the gem on his thick finger gleamed. He said enthusiastically, “I congratulate all the champions on successfully passing the first task. I noticed some teams did poorly, but there are still opportunities ahead... I was supposed to have Barty introduce the second task, but he’s on extended leave, probably too tired from managing two major projects. I had to cancel a meeting with the Austrian Minister of Magic...”
No one was interested in his tedious work log, but he still spoke for ten minutes, from the Austrian Minister of Magic’s peculiar speech habits to the President of the Association of Outstanding Potions Masters’ cauldron teapot. He seemed to be trying to add some humor to his speech, but it was clearly a struggle.
“Kingsley Shacklebolt!” he called out.
A tall, dark-skinned man walked in from outside, holding two golden eggs, one in each hand.
“The second task will take place on February 24th next year. In the meantime, you can take a well-deserved rest,” Fudge said. “The golden eggs in your hands are the clues for the second task. See the seams? They can be opened, and you need to decipher the messages inside. To be honest, I’m not sure if I’ll be here for the second task. By then, Barty might have recovered, but I might also come along for the fun, feeling young again among the best Wizards in the world...”
He waved his hand, and Kingsley Shacklebolt controlled the two golden eggs to fly toward the Durmstrang and Ilvermorny champions.
When Krum and Byers received the golden eggs, their expressions were somewhat ashamed. Out of the six teams, only they had failed to protect their dragon eggs.
“Ludo, the rest is up to you,” Fudge said to Bagman, nodding to the crowd. “Apologies, but there’s too much to do at the Ministry. I must go.”
When everyone else left, Ludo Bagman finally had a chance to speak with Felix alone. He pulled up a chair and sat next to Felix’s single sofa.
“There are two things I need to discuss with you,” he said eagerly. “The first involves a unique spell of yours. I want to inquire about its effects, as it might be useful for the second task... The second is about your ‘Future World’ company.”
Felix was taken aback and looked at him with a curious gaze. “Have you spoken to Remus? He’s in charge of the company now.”
“I have,” Bagman’s face showed a hint of regret. “But he said he can’t make the decision, so I had to come to you...”
“Do you want me to donate some money?”
“Oh, no, of course not. I heard Remus is organizing a team to develop projection technology? You know, Barty’s on leave, and the burden is on me. To make the tournament more exciting, we need some bold innovations. It’s also a matter of courage, don’t you think?”
Felix thought quickly.
He was aware of the projection technology project, which he had initiated. The idea came from the omnioculars used at the Quidditch World Cup, a device that could temporarily store images.
Felix had instructed his Future World research team to create something similar to a television. He had introduced concepts like signal towers and receivers, and with the magic radio as a reference, the progress was decent, though he hadn’t had the chance to ask for a detailed update.
“Don’t rush to refuse,” Bagman said, seeing Felix deep in thought. “This could be an excellent advertisement, and the Ministry has agreed to pay a rental fee, of course... we can’t buy it, as my budget is limited.”
“If it were a normal business transaction, I wouldn’t understand why Remus refused,” Felix said slowly.
“Ahem, he thinks I’m a big mouth and can’t keep the progress of the research confidential...” Bagman looked away awkwardly.
“Alright, I’ll ask him.”
“And the first thing...?” Bagman explained in detail.
After a moment of thought—
“I think such a tournament would be much more interesting,” Felix said, his eyes sparkling as he crossed his arms.
The author is taking a break to organize the subsequent plot and will only be able to provide one update today.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
