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Chapter 486: The Maze (Part 4) Victory
Chapter 486: The Maze (Part 4) Victory
Harry raised his wand at Leopard, who was lying on the ground in pain—her sensitive hearing had caused her a lot of trouble. He hesitated, unsure whether to cast a spell. He kept telling himself that this was a competition, and they just needed to get the trophy to win. But another voice in his head told him that he was taking advantage of her, especially since Nona had given him an amulet earlier...
At that moment, Nona regained consciousness. She gave Harry a deep look, picked up the trophy, and ran off.
Harry hurried to stop her. "Expelliarmus!" The spell missed. Harry was frustrated. What had he been thinking? This was a competition, and he had just missed a great opportunity. He chased after her, casting spell after spell, but Nona kept dodging by jumping around.
A stunning spell hit her, and Harry felt a surge of hope. But Leopard's body suddenly burst into a white light and disappeared into the bushes without any harm.
"Where is she?" Ron and Hermione caught up, panting heavily.
"She got away!" Harry sat on the ground, angrily slamming his fist on the ground. "I shouldn't have held back."
Ron looked helplessly into the distance, where only a cloak squirrel was peeking out from the bushes. Hermione thought for a moment and said decisively, "There's still a chance. Let's go that way." She pointed in the opposite direction.
Harry looked at her with hopeful eyes. "How so?"
"She needs to bring the trophy to the next level to meet her teammates. But the direction she fled is the opposite of the entrance to the fifth level. We might be able to intercept her!"
Harry wanted to hug Hermione and kiss her.
"What are we waiting for!"
They quickly ran back. "Left—right—right!" Hermione kept pointing out the correct direction. "We're almost there."
A shadow darted out from the side.
Harry's eyes widened. It was Nona! His heart sank; she was too far away to catch up.
At that moment, a clear cry rang out, and something covered in fire shot past him, covering a hundred feet in the blink of an eye. Harry recognized it—Hermione's Ancient Magic!
The Phoenix, trailing long feathers, blocked Leopard's path a short distance from the entrance. Leopard cautiously glanced at the Phoenix, which sprinkled fire, blocking her way. Reluctantly, Nona transformed back into her human form.
No one moved.
Nona stood up, threw the trophy far away, and had a determined look on her face.
"You can't beat all three of us", Harry said calmly.
Nona smiled and raised her hands, her voice hoarse. "We'll see about that." Her hands suddenly crossed.
"Armor Shield!" Harry instantly cast the Shield Charm, creating a magical barrier that sparked.
"Watch out for her casting gestures!" The warning came too late.
Thud, thud, thud!
Someone rushed up from the fifth level. It was Krum. He saw Nona and the trophy on the ground and pointed his wand, shouting, "Accio trophy!" Harry canceled the Shield Charm, and a red beam shot from his wand, sending the trophy flying far away.
"What—?" Krum shouted in disbelief, turning to see Harry and the others. He drew a sharp breath and quickly moved toward Nona.
"Do you want to team up?" Nona asked Krum.
Krum's face darkened. He looked at Hermione across from him and said nothing.
After a moment of tension, a third person rushed in—it was Cedric. The scene stunned him as well. Everyone's eyes fell on him. Harry's spirits lifted, but he quickly realized they were not in Classroom Seven; they were competitors now.
Cedric hesitantly took a step toward Harry.
"Fair competition?" Krum said in a low voice.
Cedric suddenly stopped, his expression conflicted. He wanted to win the trophy and have his team triumph, but helping Harry and the others was the best strategy. After a long pause, he resolutely walked toward Harry.
"Good, let's have a fair competition", Harry said suddenly. "Three on three, that's fair, right?"
Cedric looked at Harry in surprise.
"I want to win with honor", Harry said succinctly.
"Right, we don't want anyone talking behind our backs", Ron added, standing next to Harry.
Hermione waved her wand, and the Phoenix landed steadily in front of her, its long beak and golden eyes fixed on them. "Three on three, no running, the winners decide the trophy's fate. How about it?"
Everyone agreed.
Outside the maze, the audience held their breath as the screen switched to the seventh level, cycling through the perspectives of the six participants, all of whom were affected by the solemn atmosphere.
"Too incredible! Too incredible! The champions not only gave us a thrilling match but also demonstrated exceptional moral standards", Ludo Bagman said enthusiastically. "It is an honor for me to be the host of this match."
"Let me introduce the information about the combatants: Potter, Weasley, and Granger are on the same team, with a higher level of coordination, and each has performed outstandingly in previous rounds. However, their opponents are no pushovers. Although they belong to three different teams, remember, they are all team captains!"
One second, two seconds, three seconds—
The people on the screen moved simultaneously, and spells flew in an instant!
...
The battle had been going on for a while—
Harry ducked to avoid a spell and quickly retaliated. The spell missed by two inches and hit a statue, startling Krum, who hid behind it. But another spell came from an angle. "Armor Shield!" Harry shouted loudly, and a ripple appeared on the magical barrier.
He was safe, but Harry's heart was pounding. "Hermione, make your Phoenix do something!"
"Oh, no", Hermione said with a troubled face. "This magic is too powerful; according to the rules, it can't be used to attack people—"
"Then let it attack the statue!" Harry shouted.
Hermione paused. "That makes sense."
"Wait, I have an idea", Ron said, his body trembling. "It's worth taking a risk."
"What do you plan to do?" Hermione asked.
"Apparition."
"No, that's too dangerous—"
"I'll do it", Harry said, thinking Ron's idea was brilliant. Why hadn't he thought of it before? Harry poked his head out and cast a Disarming Charm, which hit the statue, sending red light splashing.
"No", Ron refused, holding a Runic Script Shield Charm and glancing at the opposite side before quickly ducking back. "Listen, you're our backup. If even you fail, Hermione and I won't be able to hold them off."
Harry hesitated.
"Don't hesitate. Who knows if someone else will come next? The problem is choosing a target—"
"Krum", Harry agreed.
"Nona Lebert", Hermione said.
They exchanged a glance, and Ron said, "Let's go for Nona. I saw her further away from the others."
The hovering Phoenix transformed into golden fire, instantly enveloping a statue. The intense heat scorched the stone and the air, causing the warrior hiding behind it to stumble backward.
"On your left!" Hermione shouted.
"I see it", Ron said, focusing his attention on Nona Lebert's left side. If he attacked from there, he could slip into the bushes... His body suddenly disappeared, and when he reappeared, he was disoriented but didn't have time to think. He raised his wand in an awkward position.
"Stupefy!" Ron shouted.
Time seemed to freeze. Nona quickly turned around, looking at her chest in disbelief, and slowly fell to the ground, her face still showing a look of shock. Ron scrambled into the bushes, succeeding! He grinned silently, crawling deeper into the undergrowth.
The rustling sound brought him back to his senses. Looking up, he saw two cloaked squirrels staring at him. They silently turned around, their tails raised...
On the other side, Krum and Cedric were both astonished. Apparition was not supposed to be used in combat, a widely accepted rule. Only two people could break this restriction: Harry and Professor Hepworth.
This brief delay allowed Ron to slip into the bushes. Krum raised his wand, and the next second, a ball of golden fire exploded three feet in front of him. He quickly dodged as the fire formed into a Phoenix, which gently flapped its wings but did not continue the attack. Hermione... Krum's feelings were complex. His body went numb, and he slowly fell to the ground.
Harry appeared behind him, panting. He had used apparition, a rare opportunity... The next second, he disappeared again and reappeared behind Cedric. Cedric turned sharply, their wands facing each other—
"You won", Cedric said, dropping his wand and sitting on the ground, gasping for breath.
(End of Chapter)
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