Chapter 595: Breaking the Cocoon
Before the Triwizard Tournament, Professor Flitwick had advised Wade to stay low-key—only by remaining hidden could he avoid being targeted too early by rivals. Concealing his true strength was the key to securing ultimate victory.
Gellert Grindelwald, however, seemed to hope Wade would reveal himself. Of course, becoming Champion was the primary goal. How one got there mattered little in the grand scheme.
Wade had indeed intended to play it safe, advancing quietly to the finish line. To him, surviving the tournament by “playing dead” in the early stages was nothing short of strategic wisdom.
But after his first triumph over the Fire Dragon, and then witnessing the performances of the other contenders in the Chamber of Secrets, a single thought kept echoing in his mind:
—Is that all? Really?
—Is this seriously the best the world’s magic schools can offer?
Three dozen wizards—prodigies handpicked from every corner of the magical world—had gathered to vie for the crown. It sounded like a gathering of legends, a summit of genius. In Wade’s imagination, at least half of the competitors should have been on par with the legendary four raiders, or even the young Snape.
Perhaps even a youthful version of Gellert Grindelwald, Dumbledore, or Voldemort himself was among them—true titans in the making.
Otherwise, how could they be called geniuses?
They weren’t just talented. They’d also undergone special training. Before arriving at Hogwarts, they’d already been rigorously prepared by their schools, mastering powerful spells with skill and precision.
A spell like Inferno God Spell—if cast by anyone else—wouldn’t have guaranteed Wade’s survival. He’d have had no confidence in living through it.
And when it came to learning time, Wade had certainly tried. But he’d started late. Students at the Magic Institute began training at age seven.
Even more so, pure-blood families’ children often demonstrated magical ability unconsciously from infancy—some could even perform magic while still nursing. If their parents were determined, they could pass down spells and knowledge from the earliest days.
Take Professor Snape, for instance. Rumor had it that before he even entered Hogwarts, he’d mastered more spells than many fifth-years.
So as Wade prepared for the Tournament, he was both confident in his own abilities—and cautious, cautious, cautious.
For a month, he’d observed his rivals with patience. After entering the Chamber of Secrets, he’d found the perfect hiding spot—his ideal vantage point.
Yet as he watched the others perform, a growing realization settled over him: his opponents were far less formidable than the ones he’d imagined.
Or perhaps these performances proved why, over the centuries, only one Gellert Grindelwald had ever risen to ignite a global war.
And why Voldemort—twisted, arrogant, cold-blooded—had once sent the entire British magical world trembling, so much so that people dared not even speak his name.
That was why, when Voldemort returned, the only one who could stand against him was the 120-year-old Dumbledore.
And why, after Gellert Grindelwald escaped prison, he’d marched freely through multiple countries, openly recruiting members for the Wizard Purity Party—while the rest of the magical world remained silent as chickens.
So this was it.
It wasn’t just Britain.
The rest of the world’s wizards were this… ordinary?
And these were the ones who’d been specially trained. The ones who’d made the cut.
The unselected candidates must be even worse.
Wade’s mind cleared in an instant. The fog that had clouded his thoughts for so long vanished like mist under sunlight. He felt both amazed—and strangely amused.
He realized: for years, he’d only ever interacted with the absolute elite of the magical world. That invisible standard had warped his perception, making him overestimate both his own and others’ capabilities.
He’d once seen Gellert Grindelwald and Dumbledore clash in battle. He’d witnessed the raw power of the Wizard Purity Party’s assaults. Unconsciously, he’d equated this tournament with those legendary conflicts—so he’d treated it with extreme caution, terrified of failure.
But figures like Grindelwald or Dumbledore—men who reshaped history—appeared once in a lifetime, perhaps once in a century. How could they possibly emerge in such numbers in a single tournament?
Besides, these students had grown up in peace. They’d never faced war. They’d never known the terror of dying if they didn’t fight with everything they had. For most, passing exams mattered more than battle experience. And romantic relationships often took priority over essays.
Wade exhaled slowly, quietly adjusting his Tournament strategy.
His true cards—Animagus, Apparition, Inferno God Spell—would still remain hidden. He wouldn’t use them in front of the cameras. But spells like Silent Spell, Patronus Charm, and other advanced magic could be revealed gradually in later tasks.
Still, he needed to prove: his victory wouldn’t be luck. It wasn’t due to alchemy. It wasn’t because he’d cheated with some underhanded trick.
It would be undeniable. He was simply better than everyone else.
He wiped his wand clean with his sleeve, making sure sweat wouldn’t slip from his palm and send the wand flying. Then he lifted his eyes toward the tunnel, where footsteps and voices were slowly drawing near.
…
Even for wizards of Gray Castle, the Streaming Mirror was one of their few sources of joy.
Gellert Grindelwald was generous with his own people. In every gathering place—restaurants, the Great Hall, inns, even the lawns outside—he’d placed giant Streaming Mirrors.
The Magic School League was a major event. As soon as the broadcast began, someone inside grabbed a bottle of wine and hurriedly claimed a seat.
“Did I miss Fleur’s moment?” the man asked anxiously, turning to his companion.
“What’s so special about that girl?” another shouted. “Switch the feed to Krum!”
“I want to see what that British boy does. If he loses the Golden Egg, we’ll regret it!”
“Come on, watching the champion fight the Fire Dragon is way more exciting! I want to see the dragon roast him alive!”
“Dream on. The Ministry of Magic in Britain isn’t just decoration!”
No matter how loudly they demanded, the control of the broadcast lay with Britain’s FMC Company. Their shouts changed nothing.
Gellert Grindelwald watched the stream from his private room, lounging in his armchair. One hand rested on his chin. A strip of pine wood burned in the fireplace beside him, crackling softly.
Seeing the wine in his glass nearly empty, Dreian didn’t use magic. Instead, he rose and poured a fresh drink. As he placed the bottle down, he heard Gellert Grindelwald suddenly chuckle.
Dreian glanced at the Streaming Mirror. The scene had shifted from the dim Chamber of Secrets to the stadium above ground. The furious Fire Dragon was spewing flames in all directions. Harry Potter, wand raised, soared upward on a broomstick, its whistle cutting through the air.
Then he looked back at Gellert Grindelwald.
The old man wore a faint smile. His pale blue eyes betrayed no emotion.
After a pause, Dreian offered: “Flying past the Fire Dragon at such a close range? Clever tactic… but risky.”
The dragon would naturally target anything moving swiftly across its path. And the Hungarian Horntail was fast—its fire breath reached far.
Gellert Grindelwald sneered. “After all, he’s Dumbledore’s favorite. Just like his mentor—full of that reckless adventure spirit.”
—But wasn’t that the reason you laughed earlier?
Dreian thought it, but didn’t dwell on it. He waved his wand, adding two more logs to the fire, then returned to watching the screen.
Harry Potter hovered above the dragon, taunting it. The beast gave chase—then Harry suddenly dropped like a stone, executing a daring maneuver beneath the dragon’s belly. The dragon swung around, unleashing a fiery blast—Harry barely dodged.
One minute and thirty seconds later, Bagman’s voice thundered across the stadium:
“Look at that! Harry Potter has just cleared the Fire Dragon obstacle at the fastest speed ever recorded! Unbelievable! How could Viktor Krum not think of this? He even got injured trying to pass through the flames… Oh, Merlin! What on earth are they doing?!”
The screen flickered—suddenly, the bright flames vanished. The scene snapped back to the dark Chamber of Secrets. Several champions stood face-to-face with one another—tension thick in the air. A clash was imminent.
(End of Chapter)
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