Chapter 581: The Birth of a Champion (First Update)
Chapter 581: The Birth of a Champion (First Update)
"Let's go too!"
Watching Hagrid and Maxime gradually disappear into the distance, and the Bartonwitches and Jerry, who had to jog to keep up with them, Jerry waved his hand and opened a portal leading directly to the castle.
"This Magic is really useful, but it's so difficult!"
Harry and Ron looked at the portal Jerry had opened, their faces filled with envy.
With this Magic, traveling anywhere was incredibly convenient, but the theoretical knowledge required was extremely challenging. At their current level, it was really tough to learn.
Ron and Harry, both academically challenged, had decent practical skills, but when it came to theoretical knowledge, they could only laugh it off.
Learning the portal Magic required a wealth of theoretical knowledge and a deep understanding of Spatial Magic.
Even for most adult witches outside, it would be nearly impossible to master this Magic through self-study alone.
This Magic didn't belong to this world's Magic system but rather to the Kamar-Taj Magic system from the Marvel universe.
Although Jerry had adapted it based on his understanding, self-study from books alone was still insufficient to comprehend the non-standard magical theories.
This is why, even though Jerry's magic books had been published for some time, only a small number of very famous old witches had managed to master the portal Magic.
And even they couldn't open portals as large or maintain them as long as Jerry could.
"Why can't I use my portal inside the castle?"
As they crossed the portal, Hermione asked Jerry in a low voice.
Indeed, during the school term, with Jerry's careful guidance, Hermione had mastered the portal Magic. However, she still couldn't use it within the Hogwarts castle grounds.
"The castle not only has Anti-Apparition Charms but also some Spatial-restricting Magic arrays, likely left by the four founders when they built the castle. Subsequent headmasters have reinforced these arrays.
Once you have a deeper understanding of this Magic, more research into Spatial Magic, and stronger magical power, you'll be able to use the portal inside the castle."
Jerry explained with a smile.
Thanks to the Meditation Technique, Time-Turner, and the necklace that accelerated Magic learning, Hermione's theoretical knowledge and magical power were significantly stronger than the Hermione from the original story at this point.
She had even surpassed many adult witches outside.
This is why, under Jerry's guidance, she managed to master the highly complex portal Magic in less than two months.
However, despite mastering it, she had never successfully used it within the castle.
Initially, she thought it was due to the castle's restrictions, but today she saw that Jerry could use the portal without any issues, both in the morning and now.
"So it's still a matter of strength!"
Upon hearing Jerry's explanation, Hermione's eyes dimmed. She realized that while the castle was part of the issue, the main reason was her strength. Her magical power was far behind Jerry's, which is why she couldn't bypass the castle's Magic arrays like he could.
"You're already very talented, don't worry so much."
As they passed through the Magic array, as if reading Hermione's thoughts, Jerry patted her head encouragingly.
It was true. If he hadn't put his name in the Goblet of Fire, it likely would have chosen Hermione as the Champion to represent Hogwarts.
Although Hermione lacked practical combat skills, her magical power and spellcasting abilities were far superior to those of seventh-year witches.
Jerry often gave her special attention, helping her optimize her spells.
When two witches fight, even if one witch's combat skills are exceptionally strong, it's hard to withstand the other using big spells like regular attacks.
If Hermione were to engage in a real battle with an enemy now, she wouldn't need to use any special magic. Just by continually using the Fire Dragons Spell and Mental Lock that Jerry taught her, she could overwhelm the enemy to the point of doubting their life.
Even if the Protective Charm could withstand one Fire Dragons Spell, could it withstand ten, or a hundred?
It was only because of the frequent discussions about magic with Jerry that Hermione often felt she was still lacking.
But Jerry didn't think this was a major issue.
After comparing herself to other young wizards during various exams, Hermione should easily regain her confidence.
Compared to the lively and exciting Halloween Feasts of previous years, Jerry felt that the atmosphere in the Great Hall this year was noticeably less enthusiastic.
Everyone seemed to be eating their dinner quickly, hoping to end the feast as soon as possible.
Clearly, the continuous banquets over the past period had diminished the young wizards' interest in the sumptuous dinner. Instead, they were more eager for the announcement of the Champions after the feast.
Especially this morning, except for a few young wizards who were not in the Entrance Hall, everyone had submitted their name slips.
Each of them had the potential to be chosen as a Champion.
Among the young wizards from the three schools, Jerry was probably the only one who looked completely at ease, as he already knew the Champions from all three schools and thus had no expectations.
Finally, the feast ended, and with the help of the house-elves' magic, the golden plates on the tables were restored to spotless condition.
At this moment, Snape, as the Headmaster of Hogwarts and the host of the Triwizard Tournament, slowly rose and made his way to the Goblet of Fire, which had already been moved to the podium.
The previously noisy Great Hall instantly fell silent, with everyone holding their breath, eagerly awaiting Snape's announcement of the results.
Even Karkaroff and Maxime showed signs of tension in their expressions.
Before the Goblet of Fire announced the results, no one could be 100% certain of the Champions, though the heads of the schools had their own general expectations.
For instance, Snape and Dumbledore were confident that if Jerry participated, the Goblet of Fire would definitely choose him.
Similarly, Karkaroff and Maxime had their own chosen candidates.
However, it's not the certainty that worries them, but the unexpected. If the Goblet of Fire chose someone other than their ideal candidates, the subsequent competition could become dangerous.
"In a moment, when your name is called, I hope you will stand up and go to the small room over there to wait. You will receive preliminary instructions afterward."
Snape, standing in front of the Goblet of Fire, first delivered this expressionless instruction before waving his wand to extinguish all the magic candles in the Great Hall.
With the magic candles extinguished, the Great Hall was left with only the Goblet of Fire, which emitted a blue-white flame, creating a dim and eerie atmosphere.
As everyone's gaze fixed on the Goblet of Fire, the originally blue-white flames suddenly turned red, and sparks began to fly.
Then, a tongue of fire shot into the air, from which a scorched parchment flew out.
Snape took the parchment, a barely noticeable look of satisfaction on his face, and announced loudly:
"The Champion of Hogwarts—Jerry Carmen!"
(End of Chapter)
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