Chapter 598: The First to Complete
The Streaming Mirror split into three segments: one showed a champion attempting to use a Transfiguration Charm to lure the Fire Dragon away, another captured Krum’s interception, while Wade, seated alone in the Chamber of Secrets, occupied half the screen.
Ms. Fujiwara of the Magic Institute had no interest in discussing Karkaroff’s student’s battle. Her gaze remained fixed on Wade. With a sharp snap, she closed her paper fan.
“Such a beautiful tactic…” she said, her tone heavy with meaning, glancing briefly at Dumbledore. “That child’s Lumos Charm— at first glance, I almost mistook it for a Sunlight Charm!”
“A Sunlight Charm is merely a Transformation of the Lumos Charm. Similarity is natural,” Antoine said, resting his chin on his hand, smiling as he watched Wade on the mirror. “But to bring an ordinary lighting spell to this level? That’s incredibly rare!”
“Exactly,” said Adeso’s headmaster, a sly grin spreading across his face. “All the spells he’s using are common ones, but his control is astonishing. I’d only thought he excelled at Shield Charm until now. After the Tournament ends, I’m sending him a Thank-You Letter— that little girl finally learned what it means to meet someone truly exceptional!”
Thankfully, Amina was still unconscious. If she had known her own headmaster was saying this behind her back, she’d have burst into tears.
Adeso’s eyes swept across the mirror, lingering on Wade, then shifting to another figure.
Among the champions facing off against Krum stood a student unusually tall— nearly twice the size of Harry Potter beside him. That was his student, Babuaya. Massive in frame, built like a polar bear, radiating raw power. Yet beneath the imposing exterior lay a gentle, calm personality, fiercely protective of his companion— just like his animal form after Transformation.
Wagadoo was renowned for its mastery of Self-Transformation Art. Upper-year students could freely shift into elephants, cheetahs, or sand rats, even casting spells without wands, using only gestures— a feat famed throughout the magical world.
But Babuaya’s transformation took the form of an elephant— impractical in narrow tunnels, useful only in a few wider chambers of the Chamber of Secrets.
Adeso tapped his thigh, a flicker of unease in his eyes. But when he saw his other student, Jabari, his expression relaxed.
No matter what others said, Dumbledore remained serene, eyes twinkling with amusement, as he casually offered:
“Ah… Wade does have a talent for thoroughly studying various spells. He even shares his experiences freely with other students. Would you like a piece of chocolate? This is a personal favorite of mine.”
Only Antoine and Egilbert chuckled and took a piece. The others were too tense to eat.
Karkaroff’s lips moved silently. “Old madman…” he muttered, but dared not speak aloud.
He shifted his gaze, then suddenly locked onto a horn on the Streaming Mirror, shouting, “Dumbledore! What is your student planning now?”
All eyes in the stands turned to that horn. There, the Insect Magic Puppets one by one brushed against Wade Gray’s feet before marching out of the Chamber of Secrets with determined stride.
A heavy dread settled over the crowd. Especially when they saw the scorpion puppet leading the charge— many wanted to scream at the competitors inside: “Quick! Forget the others— burn them! Burn them all!”
But no voice from the stands could reach the champions.
Then, Karkaroff burst into sudden laughter. “Hahaha! Viktor’s out! I knew he’d be first! Brilliant, Viktor!”
With a thunderous crack, Krum’s silhouette appeared on the platform.
The Durmstrang students erupted into a deafening roar. They pounded the stands with fists, shouting, “Viktor Krum! Viktor Krum!” Applause rolled across the arena like a tidal wave.
Michael rolled his eyes, muttering to the person beside him, “Krum? What’s so special about being first? If Wade wanted to, he could’ve taken first place long ago.”
Daphne nodded in agreement, offering a dignified clap.
On the platform, Krum staggered forward, instinctively raising a hand to shield his eyes from the sudden surge of sunlight. His black hair was disheveled, his clothes smeared with moss from the Chamber’s tunnels, a few bloodstains splattered across his cheek.
“Viktor Krum! Viktor Krum! Viktor Krum!” The cheers were deafening. After a moment of dazed confusion, Krum raised his arm high, a golden egg shining brightly in his palm.
Bagman’s voice boomed across the stadium. “What a masterful retreat! Viktor Krum has broken through— and he is the first to return with the Golden Egg!”
Then— crack!— another figure suddenly appeared beside Krum, collapsing onto the ground. He looked around in shock, gasping, “Take me back! I accidentally touched the Portkey! Get me out of here!”
Silence fell for a heartbeat.
Then Bagman’s voice, laced with playful mockery, rang out:
“Oh… Mr. Pria Patel didn’t retrieve the Golden Egg? That’s unfortunate. I must announce— he’s been eliminated.”
…
“Ah!” Harry cried out in pain as a deep gash opened along his calf, bone visible. But he didn’t stop. Reacting with lightning speed, he threw himself to the ground, rolled, and tumbled into a corner, clutching his head.
Growing up being chased and beaten by Dudley Dursley and his cronies— not a pleasant memory, but it had given Harry invaluable experience in surviving chaos.
His fingers were scraped raw, but he still gripped his wand tightly. He twisted his torso and slashed his wand toward the center of the fray.
“Stupefy!” he shouted, gritting his teeth.
Rahma, struck by two Stun Spells, collapsed unconscious. Even a waking charm wouldn’t help now— this Akatim competitor was out.
Harry forced himself up, scanning the area. He saw the Mando champion, who had arrived shortly after him and sparked the earlier chaos, fall to the ground after touching the Golden Compass. His form shimmered, then vanished.
That one… wasn’t it Pria?
Viktor was gone too.
Now only Harry and Wagadoo’s Babuaya remained.
They exchanged a glance. In each other’s eyes, they saw the same quiet understanding— a mutual sense of relief. Both exhaled deeply.
“What was that Mando guy thinking?” Babuaya panted, wiping sweat from his brow. “Chasing after Krum? Now he’s out because of it.”
“Who knows?” Harry replied, pressing a hand to his bleeding leg. “Are you okay?”
Babuaya glanced at him. Seeing the genuine concern in the Hogwarts boy’s eyes, he smiled faintly— warmth flickering in his dark ones.
He pushed himself up from the wall. “Well… we’ll stick to our plan, then. One side each?”
His voice was deep, echoing slightly in the chamber.
Before Krum’s arrival, the four who had entered the Chamber of Secrets had formed a fragile truce. But when Krum emerged with the Golden Egg, Pria— unsure whether he wanted the egg or simply didn’t want Krum to claim first place— suddenly stirred trouble.
He likely assumed the other three were temporary allies, all chasing victory. A four-to-one advantage, he thought, was unbeatable.
But Pria hadn’t counted on their thoughts being so different.
Especially Harry. He didn’t want to lose— but he didn’t want to steal someone else’s hard-earned prize either. That wasn’t the kind of victory he wanted.
Harry shook his head, unwilling to dwell on the chaos that followed. “If we run into anyone else…” he said, voice low.
“Then we lose,” Babuaya said with a hearty laugh, his white teeth glinting in the dim light. “But I’d rather not wait until we find the Golden Egg— and then have to fight you for it.”
“Fair enough,” Harry said, smiling. “Good luck.”
Babuaya chose a tunnel close by, leaning heavily on the wall as he limped inside.
Harry took two minutes to tie a makeshift bandage around his leg before heading the other way.
Blood dripped steadily onto the moss below. Soon, a scorpion puppet emerged from beneath a pile of dry leaves, its pincers trembling as it followed Harry’s trail.
Behind it, seven or eight Magic Puppets shuffled after, some dropping pebbles as they crawled.
(End of Chapter)
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