https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-484-Maze-Castle-Part-2-The-Seventh-Level-Conversation/13461304/
Chapter 483: Maze Castle (Part 1) - A Significant Advantage
Chapter 483: Maze Castle (Part 1) - A Significant Advantage
Harry's blood was pumping with excitement. He resisted the urge to clap, his eyes fixed on Felix.
"Cough, cough", Bagman seemed a bit uncomfortable, "Well said, Felix. Can I repeat your words after the competition? Just a joke, really. You might as well give them a hug..."
"Right, Professor!" Roger Davies chimed in, "We need a hug even more."
Harry thought Roger had a point. Hermione's eyes sparkled, but Felix hesitated, smiling and shaking his head, "Let's wait until after the competition."
He stepped out of the tent, his smile quickly fading. "The Professor's odd speech and the refusal of a hug—done. Now, I just need to wait quietly and try to avoid them as much as possible... Is that right?"
He paused, as if waiting for someone to respond, then smiled slightly and walked away.
Back at the stands, the air was filled with a lively and restless atmosphere. At one of the entrances to the Maze Castle, several selected Aurors each entered the dark, ominous openings.
The outside noise almost instantly became barely audible. Felix strolled through the maze, deep in thought. Could he really achieve Runic Transformation? He should be able to, with a bit of pressure... After all, he had successfully mastered the first seventh-level spell.
On the fifth level of the maze, a wandering sphinx discovered Felix. Its body was like that of a terrifyingly large lion: huge paws, a long yellow tail with a tuft at the end, but it had the head of a woman.
The sphinx blocked the path, its voice hoarse, "You are close to the entrance of the next level—"
Felix glanced at it, a silver light flashing in his eyes. The sphinx froze in place, and Felix walked past her.
"Runic Transformation... How exactly do I do it?" he mused as he paced away.
...
"Ladies and gentlemen, the final event of the Triwizard Tournament is about to begin! Let me update you on the current scores! At this point, the staff can position the first group of champions... Hogwarts, Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger, with a total of 128 points, are in first place, giving them a significant advantage, as each team is spaced five minutes apart..."
"Five minutes", Harry's heart raced as he stared at the dark entrance. This meant he was a full half-hour ahead of the last contestant! This was a huge advantage. With a sharp whistle, Harry hurried into the maze entrance.
He knew that Hermione and Ron had also entered the maze at the same time.
Everything around him was eerily quiet and pitch black. The tall hedges nearly touched the ceiling, which was several feet high, casting large shadows. Every so often, a candle with a faint blue flame hung from the ceiling, its light barely illuminating a small area.
"Lumos", he flicked his wand, and the area around him lit up. Harry felt a wave of unease and carefully dimmed the light. He walked down the only path for several dozen meters and encountered the first fork.
"Point me", he held his wand flat in his palm and whispered. The wand spun and pointed to the right, the direction of true north. "Great", he ran quickly, his head swiveling from side to side.
The first level of the maze should be the easiest... This was what they had discussed. At least there wouldn't be severe dangers. Harry recalled their strategy, determined to find the passage to the second level as soon as possible.
This was crucial for the competition!
Another fork appeared, and this time Harry chose the left path. He saw a dark shadow flash on the right and didn't think twice before turning to flee.
No need to get entangled, the first five minutes were crucial.
...
"The first group has entered. Let's see—oh? They are using different strategies", Bagman couldn't help but widen his eyes. "Granger used the Disillusionment Charm, impressive for her age!"
In the stands, Draco sneered, arms crossed, staring at the large screen.
"…Weasley is moving steadily. He stopped, did he detect a trap? It was a false alarm, probably just the wind. The first level doesn't have many traps to help the champions adapt to the environment. The real dangers will—ouch!" Bagman ducked to avoid a small stone.
Professor Mcgonagall angrily waved her fist, and the stands erupted in jeers.
"Ah! Sorry, I didn't mean to reveal that. There are still champions who haven't entered—cough, cough. Let's focus on the smallest champion, oh, look!" Bagman quickly changed the subject. "He's running through the maze. Does he have a hunch?"
The restless crowd immediately fell silent, their eyes glued to the screen. Harry barely hesitated, using the Point Me spell at each intersection to confirm his direction before swiftly moving forward. "Look, Harry has encountered a Blast-Ended Skrewt!" Seamus shouted loudly.
Ludo Bagman also noticed this and stood up excitedly.
"Will Potter dodge? No, he didn't. He chose to fight, Disarming Charm! Oh, no, the spell was deflected, but what an excellent Earth Sink Spell! The Blast-Ended Skrewt is temporarily trapped. He should follow up with—oh, Potter didn't continue the attack. He chose to leave, and the Blast-Ended Skrewt jumped out of the pit, but it has lost Potter!"
Bagman was visibly excited. "The match hasn't even been five minutes, and Potter is already approaching the entrance to the next level. His two teammates are far behind, and the other teams haven't even entered yet... Could he be planning to act as a Seeker in the maze? To be the first to claim the trophy? This might not be wise, as his teammates can't keep up with him..."
The crowd buzzed with speculation. They could see that Harry was racing against time, but they didn't know his true intentions.
"He wants to be the first to claim the trophy. It fits his character, doesn't it?" Draco said. "Still loves to be in the spotlight."
"But the trophy is on the seventh level. The further he goes, the harder it will get. He's going to face a lot of trouble", Daphne said, puzzled as she watched the screen.
...
"Breath... breath..." Harry panted heavily, his chest feeling like it was about to explode. But it was all worth it. He smiled brightly and walked toward the vine stairs, a hidden entrance in the ceiling.
He forced himself to climb the stairs, his feet feeling light, as if he were walking on soft cotton candy, unable to exert much force. He nearly rolled down halfway up the stairs.
But he finally reached the top, his head touching the ceiling. He could see about a foot of space between the hedge and the ceiling. Harry grinned, his hand reaching out. Runic Script flashed and formed at his fingertips, coalescing into a milky white light orb.
Outside the maze castle, everyone stared wide-eyed at the scene.
The light orb drifted slowly out, and Harry, sitting on the stairs, watched it for two seconds before whispering, "Explode." The light orb rapidly expanded, filling the maze with a blinding light—
The milky white light spread through the maze, and the hedges began to glow faintly. Under the influence of this light, the Disillusionment Charm's effect quickly weakened, but it was enough. At different points on the first level, Hermione and Ron both looked up, staring in the direction of the exploding light orb. The path before them lit up, extending all the way to their feet.
"Great job, mate!" Ron clenched his fist and shouted excitedly. He started running quickly, the maze now as bright as daylight, but he noticed the light was fading rapidly, which was exactly what he wanted. He could chase the light.
Outside the maze, there was a dead silence, from the judges' stand to the stands, not a sound was heard.
"This is cheating!" Karkaroff shouted in a rage.
"Karkaroff, they haven't violated any rules", Bagman countered habitually. "This magic isn't in the prohibited list, and it isn't harmful. Even though... well, its range is indeed quite large..."
He paused for two seconds, realizing what had happened and the significance of this action.
"Good heavens! Unbelievable! Potter, Potter actually found this method... His two teammates are quickly catching up, faster than Potter's previous speed. They are chasing the light!" Bagman's face turned red, and he excitedly undid the top button of his collar. "Although I'm reluctant to admit it, the match has lost half its suspense... The remaining half depends on the other teams. They need to hurry up."
Collins, Cedric, and Roger stood at the entrance, looking bewildered. What had Harry and his team done to receive such praise from the judges? All the champions realized that Harry's group had gained a significant advantage, and they needed to catch up quickly.
Another short whistle sounded, and the second group of champions entered the maze. They all adopted more aggressive strategies.
...
Harry sat on the vine stairs, casting two healing spells on himself. The soreness in his legs eased considerably, and his chest no longer felt like it was about to explode. He silently counted, and when he reached close to 100, footsteps approached. Hermione appeared from around the corner, walked up to Harry, and smiled lightly as she smoothed her hair. "Harry, you really did it."
A few seconds later, Ron burst out from another path, looking a bit disheveled, with dirt on his clothes.
"Ran too fast and fell into a big pit. No idea who did that... really mean", he said half-jokingly, reaching out to pull Harry up from the stairs. He looked up at the entrance, still amazed. "We're about to reach the second level? Too bad we can only use it once."
"Yeah, let's go", Harry said.
(End of Chapter)
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