https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-438-Adventure-at-the-Bottom-of-the-Lake-Part-1-/13461170/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-440-Adventure-at-the-Bottom-of-the-Lake-Part-3-/13461176/
Chapter 439: Adventure at the Bottom of the Lake (Part 2)
Chapter 439: Adventure at the Bottom of the Lake (Part 2)
On the shore, Ludo Bagman shouted excitedly with a loud voice, "Look, Hermione Granger successfully stunned a salmon at least two feet long! Is this some rare talent?"
Fred and George Weasley chuckled, "Hermione probably won't be too pleased to hear that."
"Oh, Professor Mcgonagall reminded me", Ludo Bagman continued, "that was the power of Ancient Runes. Honestly, I don't understand this subject very well. Isn't it only used for translating ancient texts? And regarding the previous decision of the Wagadu Warrior to abandon the wand, the judges have discussed and ruled that since the rules do not explicitly prohibit it, it is within the allowed range, although this behavior does create difficulties for retrieval..."
"Let's return to the competition. The Ilvermorny Champion has successfully completed the Purple Challenge. Next, he will face a choice: an amulet, an ice bomb, or—look, he chose the second option, which can freeze a small area of the lake."
"Viktor Krum from Durmstrang is approaching the area where Grindylows are present. His somewhat unsuccessful shark transformation has only given him two gill slits and a set of shark teeth. To be honest, I hope he doesn't have to use that row of sharp teeth—getting back to the main point, Krum, being an international Quidditch star, has an excellent physique that allows him to swim forward while holding his wand. Not to mention, he unexpectedly found a golden gemstone that made him grow to two feet..."
"Oh, no! He's surrounded. A dozen Grindylows have discovered him. In a normal state, these little creatures wouldn't be able to do much to him, but this time is different. Can he still cast spells effectively? Yes, he wisely chose to avoid the blue challenge..."
In the Black Lake, Hermione was facing a choice.
After successfully solving the puzzle, a hollow voice told her she could choose a reward. The options included: any one of the questions within the rules, the terrain of a small area around her, or passing a ten-second message to a teammate.
Hermione was tempted by each option. After some deliberation, she chose the one she needed most at the moment—the terrain of a small area around her.
The hollow voice repeated her choice. After a few seconds of silence, a map appeared in the air. Hermione's eyes lit up as she carefully memorized the golden and purple light points on the map.
On the other side, Harry had completed the human-form armoring charm a few minutes earlier. He had almost repeated the entire process of developing the spell, thanks to his frequent visits to Classroom Seven and the detailed explanations from Professor Hup's memory.
His human-form armoring charm looked like a deformed Bubble-Head Charm, covering his entire body. This made his movements much slower than usual, but he managed to gain the ability to step out of the protective bubble.
After thinking for a few seconds, he extended one hand out of the protective bubble, touching the cold lake water. The colorful fish, now tired, had swum off to rest somewhere. Harry took a deep breath and stepped into the water. He felt like a deformed bubble, with his limbs more or less fitting, but his head and torso bulging out. If he lay on the ground, he would look like a toad.
Maybe this way is more energy-efficient, Harry thought, finding some humor in the situation.
He swam upward for a bit, just as he often did in Quidditch matches—occupying a high position to search for the Golden Snitch from above. This time, he was searching for underwater targets.
Before him was a dark and dim, strange scene. Large patches of black and dark green intertwined, with soft algae swaying like ribbons, and some shiny pebbles mixed in the dark soil, but none of them were what he was looking for.
First, he noticed blue light that twinkled like stars—the Wisdom Challenge... Harry remembered the location and decided to keep looking. This time, he found purple light, indicating a combat challenge.
Harry hesitated for a moment but decided to take on the purple challenge. He smoothly entered the small purple house. The transition from the lake water to the air made his body shiver, and then he suddenly felt something sweep through his mind. The effects of practicing Occlumency kicked in, and he immediately resisted the unknown force's intrusion.
"Phew..." Harry sighed in relief, glad he wasn't ambushed.
He entered the purple house and searched it thoroughly but found nothing. He was puzzled—what's going on... where is the test? Harry was stumped until he suddenly had an idea... the force that invaded his mind earlier—could that have been the test?
Harry relaxed his mind and waited quietly for a few seconds. Then, everything flashed before his eyes, and he found himself standing in a spacious square. A Hippogriff, which had been kneeling on the ground, stood up and spread its wings, glaring at him threateningly.
Harry grinned. It was a half-horse, half-bird creature, a bit peculiar in appearance, but Harry had long grown used to the strangeness of these Hippogriffs, especially since he was friends with one named Buckbeak. He particularly liked their smooth transition of fur, from deep gray, bronze, and red and white stripes, to a shiny chestnut, and finally to jet black.
Bow, don’t blink, and don’t flinch… Time seemed to rewind to the previous school year when Harry quickly became friends with the Hippogriff. However, it insisted that Harry take a ride, and Harry, who was pondering how to pass the challenge, decided to give it a try. When the Hippogriff landed smoothly, the sound of passing the challenge echoed.
"Pass the challenge peacefully. Please choose: the Amulet, which protects you and allows free movement underwater for half an hour; the squid ink, which obscures your vision; or the fake wand, which can cast the Shield Charm three times."
Harry blinked and stared at the Hippogriff standing beside him. A good idea suddenly struck him.
"I'll take the Amulet", he said.
A few minutes later, he returned to the Protective Bubble, picking up a golden gemstone along the way, which made him grow a bit taller. His magic also became more active, allowing him to perform some simple spells.
"Now I have a better chance", Harry thought. He put on the Amulet and canceled the Human Armor Charm, which he was not yet proficient in.
Holding his wand in one hand and a water snail the size of a Quaffle under his arm, he took a deep look at the glowing Protective Bubble and stepped into the black lake. His body felt a chill at first, but then it warmed up, thanks to the Amulet. Its effect was surprisingly good, and Harry felt free and comfortable in the water, his body becoming very light.
Harry measured with his wand; his Holly-Phoenix feather wand was eleven inches long, so he was now roughly one foot seven or eight inches tall. After some time, he successfully found the pufferfish hovering near the Protective Bubble. It looked exhausted, and Harry thought he could see a small bump on its head, though it might have been an illusion.
"Come on!" Harry called out. The pufferfish immediately looked over. Its eyes nearly bulged out, and compared to the one-foot-tall pufferfish, Harry clearly had the height advantage.
When the pufferfish charged at him with its long legs, Harry laughed happily.
Half a minute later, the pufferfish's legs were tied up, and Harry, though out of breath, was quite satisfied with his work. He threw the water snail to the pufferfish, which stopped struggling, looked at Harry twice, and then lowered its head to enjoy its meal. Over the next ten minutes, Harry used seaweed to make a simple rope and tied it around the pufferfish.
By now, twenty minutes had passed since he woke up.
Then, he picked up his wand and untied the pufferfish's legs. "You carry me for a while, and I won't hold you accountable for your earlier harassment", Harry said, leaning in close.
He wasn't sure if it was his words, the gift, or simply the pufferfish's desire to escape, but it started moving. Harry quickly grabbed the seaweed reins and his wand, and the next second, he was being pulled forward.
"Wow!"
Harry moved quickly through the Black Lake, using his wand to guide the pufferfish's head to control the direction. His goal was the golden gemstones. Although he had lost some time earlier, he believed his speed would greatly increase from now on.
...
At the center of the Black Lake, beneath a deep and steep cliff, was a sunken rock forest, the lowest point of the entire lake. This area was home to a small tribe of Merpeople.
They had a unique culture and language and the ability to tame Grindylows. This tribe of Merpeople had been granted the right to live in the Black Lake, and every Headmaster had promised not to invade their territory arbitrarily.
However, the Black Lake was still part of Hogwarts, and during this championship, Dumbledore and the Merpeople Chief had reached an agreement. The Merpeople would be part of the second task.
Felix was sitting in a small square, surrounded by some peculiar-looking little houses. Many Merpeople were watching him from a distance.
The Merpeople Chief was enjoying the gift—a waterproof magical phonograph.
The Merpeople Chief was about ten feet tall, wearing a necklace of shark teeth, and surrounded by Merpeople guards holding tridents, their eyes occasionally glancing over.
"I am satisfied", the Merpeople Chief said in a deep, raspy voice.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
