Chapter 565: The Maze
Chapter 565: The Maze
This class on the Care of Magical Creatures went smoothly, and by the end of it, not a single student had been injured.
After leaving Hagrid's enclosure, the group chatted and laughed as they made their way back.
As they reached the castle entrance, a group of first-year students exited. From their direction, they were likely heading to their Flying class.
Speaking of flying, this time of year usually marked the most intense period for Quidditch players as they prepared for their final match. The four teams would seize every spare moment to train.
The pitch was always occupied, never empty.
But now, due to the Triwizard Tournament, the Quidditch matches had been canceled. This unexpected break left Kyle feeling somewhat unsettled, as the usually hectic season suddenly became quiet.
Autumn, too, felt this change, but for a different reason than Quidditch.
One weekend, she suddenly said mysteriously, "Have you guys noticed that there's one less ghost in the castle lately?"
"Really?" Fred narrowed his eyes in thought and then shook his head. "I feel like all the ghosts are still here."
"Nearly Headless Nick... Peeves..." George counted, "And the sobbing girl in the second-floor bathroom, Moaning Myrtle. I've seen her in other places too, not just the bathroom."
"Not them," Autumn clarified. "The Ravenclaw ghost, the Grey Lady."
"Oh, her." Fred nodded. His interest in this topic was minimal, and he casually replied, "Maybe the Grey Lady just didn't feel like showing up."
"Like Nearly Headless Nick." George added, "He used to hang around the towers but has preferred the busier entrance hall in recent years."
"No, we've looked everywhere. The Grey Lady is nowhere to be found in the entire castle."
Autumn shook her head. "Do you think ghosts can just disappear into thin air?"
"In theory, yes." Cedric said seriously, "But as far as I know, that's never happened. According to 'Hogwarts, A History,' these ghosts have existed for hundreds of years, and not one has gone missing."
As they spoke, Kyle remained silent, listening quietly.
He knew where the Grey Lady was. She had been in the Room of Requirement since the Easter holidays, spending time with the diadem.
But he had promised to keep it a secret, so he couldn't tell the others.
Fortunately, Autumn didn't seem overly concerned. She was just curious, having noticed the absence of her house's ghost.
Before long, their conversation shifted to the final task of the Triwizard Tournament.
Everyone was curious about what the last task would be and how the champion would be chosen.
Kyle, however, had no idea. The only thing he could guess was that the competition would likely involve a Hippogriff.
...
After the holidays, the weather gradually warmed, and students shed their thick robes.
Time passed until the last week of May. After their Transfiguration class, Professor McGonagall asked Kyle to stay behind.
"You should go to the Quidditch pitch at nine o'clock this evening," Professor McGonagall said, "Mr. Bagman will be there to inform the champions about the third task... Good luck." She offered a rare smile.
And so, that evening at half-past eight, Kyle left the Hufflepuff common room punctually.
"I say, why are you lot following me?"
Kyle's words echoed in the empty entrance hall as he walked.
"That's right, we've spent half a year learning the Disguise Spell just for this moment," one of the twins continued.
A ripple seemed to disturb the air, but it quickly vanished.
"Oh, Cedric, you're stepping on me."
"It wasn't me, I'm over here..." Cedric's voice came from Kyle's other side.
"Good job, Fred!"
"Hey, I didn't do it on purpose."
...
As they crossed the entrance hall, Madame Maxime and Fleur also happened to be walking over from the other side of the pitch.
Fred and the others immediately quieted down and stopped following Kyle.
"What do you think it will be?" Fleur suddenly asked as the two of them walked together in the night, under the gloomy clouds. "I think it might be an underground tunnel, and we'll have to search for treasure."
Madame Maxime glanced over, seemingly wanting to stop her, but in the end, she didn't say anything and just quickened her pace, walking ahead of them.
"That would be simple." Kyle said, "Maybe we can borrow some Sniffers from Hagrid and let them do the work. Those little guys might even be able to dig out the Triwizard Cup."
They walked across the pitch in the dark, heading towards the Quidditch stadium, and then entered the stadium through a passageway.
"Oh, this is impressive."
The stadium was no longer flat, as someone had built countless intricate and winding hedges that twisted and turned in a complex maze.
Bagman walked over from the middle of the pitch, talking to Dumbledore, with Chris and the long-unseen Barty Crouch not far away.
"Oh, poor old Barty, that investigation had a big impact on him."
As Kyle and Fleur walked past, they just caught Bagman quietly saying to Dumbledore: "He didn't want to get involved again, but we thought he'd put a lot of effort into the Triwizard Tournament before, so he should still be involved.
"Of course, the referee selection will not change, and to be honest, his current state is not suitable for scoring.
"Oh, hello there." He noticed the two of them walking over and quickly changed the subject. "So, what do you think? Things are going well, aren't they?"
"In another month, Hagrid will have them twelve feet tall..." Oh, and Krum's here too."
Bagman's tone had become much more cheerful.
"Well, I think you can probably guess what we're going to do here."
"A maze." Kyle said.
"Absolutely correct." Bagman said, "The Triwizard Cup is located at the center of the maze, and whichever brave warrior touches it first will become the champion... It's simple and clear, isn't it?"
Bagman continued cheerfully, "There will be many obstacles in the maze, Hagrid has provided a bunch of magical creatures, Pomona has provided many plants, and there will be some spells that must be lifted... and so on. It should be quite fun."
"Wait a minute, whoever gets the cup becomes the champion?" Krum asked in his rough voice: "What about our previous scores? Don't they count?"
"Of course they do, the warrior with the leading score will be the first to enter the maze." Bagman smiled at Kyle, "Mr. Krum, you will be second, and finally, Miss Delacour.
"Of course, the lead is only temporary, and whether or not one can win the Triwizard Cup in the end will depend on your ability to overcome the obstacles...
Well, if there are no other questions, let's head back to the castle... It's a bit chilly here."
(End of Chapter)
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