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Chapter 654: Intelligence for the Second Task
Chapter 654: Intelligence for the Second Task
With this thought, Ivan’s gaze toward Hermione became a bit more unusual.
Hermione turned her head away, unwilling to continue the conversation on this topic. Instead, she hurriedly asked about the important matter. “Have you found any clues for the second task, Ivan? Harry? We should figure it out as soon as possible. If it’s as dangerous as the Dragon, you might need a few more days to prepare…”
Ivan didn’t respond, but Harry took out his Golden Egg.
“Mr. Bagman said this Golden Egg can be opened, and the clue is inside. I haven’t tried it yet…” Harry said distractedly, using his fingernail to pry open the groove on the Golden Egg. He easily opened it.
Ivan hadn’t expected Harry to be so reckless and couldn’t stop him in time.
The next moment, a terrifying, shrill, and piercing scream echoed through the Common Room.
Harry and Hermione, who were closest, clutched their ears in pain. The others in the Common Room also heard the noise and turned to look.
“Quietus!” Ivan immediately waved his wand, and the piercing scream quickly subsided.
Harry took the opportunity to grab the Golden Egg and forcefully closed it.
The young wizards in the Common Room collectively sighed in relief. Ron rubbed his ears and muttered, “What was that? A Banshee’s scream? What kind of clue is this? Do you need to subdue a Death Omen Banshee for the second task?”
Harry nodded, thinking Ron’s guess was likely. They had already dealt with a Dragon; a Banshee wouldn’t surprise him.
However, Hermione had a different opinion. “That couldn’t be a Banshee. Their voices are nothing like that.”
“Hermione, how can you be so sure? Have you heard a Banshee’s scream before?” Harry asked curiously.
“Have you forgotten? We learned about it in second year!” Hermione looked at Harry with a surprised expression.
Harry and Ron exchanged glances. Did they learn about it? They couldn’t remember.
Ivan, however, quickly recalled it and chimed in. “You mean Lockhart’s ‘Breaking with a Banshee,’ right? I’ve seen it. It describes the cry of a Death Omen Banshee as sharp and mournful, usually making the listener feel very sad.”
“That’s right! It’s different from what we just heard. That was clearly not a cry, and we didn’t feel sad at all.” Hermione spoke confidently, then added uncertainly, “It sounded more like singing…”
Harry rolled his eyes, thinking Hermione’s guess was far-fetched. What creature sang so horribly?
Ron also sneered, “Isn’t Lockhart a fraud? Who would read that guy’s books for no reason? Who knows if he just made it up…” He and Harry continued their discussion.
After yesterday’s incident, their relationship had returned to normal, and neither brought up the previous tension.
Hermione, firm in her belief, pulled out a copy of the Magical Creatures Compendium from the stack of books in front of her and began searching for clues related to sounds.
Ivan pretended to read a book, but his thoughts drifted elsewhere.
He already knew the specifics of the second task and had confirmed it by placing the Golden Egg in water. It was indeed the same as in the original timeline: rescuing hostages from the bottom of the lake.
The reason for not revealing it now is to use this matter as bait, hoping to lure out the hidden Barty Crouch Jr.
However, even with prior knowledge of the tournament's content, Ivan hasn't been able to relax these past few days, as he has far too much to do!
Apart from practicing Legilimency with Hermione every afternoon, he also needs to find time to deal with the Mermaids in the Black Lake to prepare for the second task.
Evenings are no time for rest, as he uses the Marauder's Map to monitor the entire school, watching for any sign of Barty Crouch Jr. suddenly appearing.
Additionally, the most important and challenging task is brewing the Bloodline Fusion Potion!
After several days, the System Task [Fanatical Followers] he received is nearly complete. He expects that after boosting his reputation in the second task, he will earn those two precious Legendary Points and begin the next round of Bloodline Fusion.
Naturally, he needs to start brewing the potion in advance.
The only relief for Ivan is that Luna's reply yesterday indicated she has accepted his advice to stay away from the Forbidden Forest as much as possible. They have also postponed their search for the Crumple-Horned Snorkack until after the second task, likely considering the approaching competition and not wanting to disturb him at this crucial time.
This allows Ivan to focus his full attention on more pressing matters...
After spending the morning searching through materials, Harry and Hermione are somewhat frustrated. They haven't managed to decipher the information hidden in the scream, which Ivan had anticipated. He offers a few comforting words, then joins them for lunch in the Great Hall.
In the afternoon, Ivan and Hermione practice Legilimency as usual.
Unlike Luna's compliance, Hermione, while no longer refusing to have her memories read, still puts up a fierce resistance whenever they revisit their shared moments. She constantly uses her newly learned Occlumency to resist Ivan's intrusion, sometimes even creating false memories to confuse him.
It's like a game of mental hide-and-seek, with Hermione desperately trying to hide her true thoughts, and Ivan, like a powerful overlord, swiftly breaking through the young witch's defenses. Each session ends with Hermione's failure, leaving her blushing and flustered.
Ivan is pleased to see his nearly stagnant Legilimency proficiency rapidly improving.
For the next few days, Ivan continues this monotonous cycle: practicing magic during the day, brewing potions at night, or using the Boggart transformation to change his form and visit the Mermaids at the lake bottom, chatting and gathering information.
After a few days, Ivan discovers that while Mermaids are ugly, they are also intelligent beings with their own language and customs. They enjoy collecting artifacts created by wizards to decorate their nests.
However, living at the lake bottom for so long, they have not experienced the cunning of wizards deeply, so they quickly divulge a lot of information to Ivan.
Dumbledore had already spoken with them at the beginning of the school year and obtained their permission to use the lake bottom as the venue for the second task.
Before the start of the competition, the champions' most cherished people will be placed at the lake bottom, waiting to be rescued. The Mermaids' role is not to increase the difficulty of the task but to ensure the safety of the hostages, preventing any unnecessary accidents.
(End of Chapter)
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