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Chapter 656
Chapter 656
A few days passed in the blink of an eye, and it was soon time for the second task. The castle gradually buzzed with excitement.
Champion Ivan and Harry, who rarely woke up early on their days off, both got up early and headed to the Great Hall for breakfast.
Perhaps due to his nerves, Harry had little appetite and only picked at his food, his hand clutching the bottle of Gillyweed tightly, afraid of forgetting it during the competition.
Ivan, who was leisurely enjoying his meal, noticed Harry's unease and tried to reassure him. "Relax, Harry. Haven't you practiced a lot over the past few days?"
Harry nodded absentmindedly. Although he had swum a few times in the Black Lake and overcome his fear of not knowing how to swim, it was much like the annual Final Exams. No matter how much you study before the test, your legs still turn to jelly as you approach the exam room.
"What do you think they'll make you spend so much time searching for at the bottom of the lake?" Ron, sitting nearby, speculated curiously.
"The lyrics mention something we love the most..." Harry hesitated, thinking for a moment before saying uncertainly, "I think the Mermaids might sneak my Firebolt into the lake while I'm not looking!"
It was his most valuable possession, but Harry wasn't sure if the Firebolt could withstand water. He only hoped it would still be usable when he retrieved it.
Ron nodded in agreement, thinking it was a likely scenario.
"By the way, where's Hermione? Hasn't she gotten up yet?" Harry looked around but didn't see his other best friend, finding it odd. Normally, Hermione would be up earlier than all of them.
"Who knows? I haven't seen her since last night... Professor Mcgonagall seemed to have something to discuss with her." Ron shook his head and replied.
Ivan paused in his meal, not surprised. He had already guessed that Hermione would be taken as a hostage to the Black Lake and probably forbidden from contact with them last night.
What surprised Ivan was that Ron was still sitting in the Great Hall, suggesting that the person Harry needed to rescue in the competition had changed from the original timeline.
Thinking this, Ivan scanned the Great Hall and, as expected, didn't see Ginny, confirming his suspicions.
The Christmas Ball had largely been a setup to identify the Champions' most valued people, as evidenced by Cedric and Krum in the original timeline.
However, Harry and Fleur had shown little interest in their temporary dance partners, forcing the organizers to make alternative choices.
After breakfast, considering the competition was about to start, Ivan didn't waste any time and led Harry and Ron straight to the competition site.
As they approached the lake in the Forbidden Forest, Ivan saw a massive viewing platform set up, forming a semicircle along the lakeshore.
Many students had arrived earlier, and the rows of seats were already packed. Ron offered a few words of encouragement before hurrying off to find a good viewing spot.
Ivan and Harry, on the other hand, headed towards the entrance of the competition area. Ludo Bagman, who had been waiting, immediately greeted them with a broad smile. "Ivan, Potter, you're just in time. The competition is about to start. You'll all be going into the lake together soon."
Ivan exchanged a few pleasantries, then followed Ludo Bagman to the center of the competition area, which had been transformed into a small dock. A long wooden plank extended from the lakeshore into Black Lake.
At the end of the plank, the figures of Fleur and Krum were clearly visible. They were clearly well-prepared, each wearing swimwear. Fleur’s alluring figure drew frequent glances from the male wizards in the audience.
Seeing this, Harry quickly took off his outer robe and tossed it under a nearby tree, revealing a waterproof short-sleeved T-shirt and tight pants.
“Ivan, aren’t you going to take off your robe?” Harry turned to look at Ivan, who hadn’t moved a muscle. He was still wearing his black wizards' robe, which would certainly be cumbersome underwater.
“No need…” Ivan shook his head without further explanation.
Harry couldn’t quite grasp Ivan’s intentions but understood that he didn’t need to worry about it. He didn’t press the matter and instead focused on the track, taking out the bottle containing Gillyweed.
Meanwhile, Ivan’s gaze shifted to the Judges' Stand.
Ludo Bagman, serving as both referee and commentator, had already taken his position at the front of the stand. Clearing his throat, he read out the various rules for the second task, his expression becoming more serious. He looked at Ivan and the other champions on the track, then addressed the audience.
“Last night, we took the most precious treasures of the champions and placed them in the center of Black Lake this morning. Their task is to find and retrieve these treasures within the specified time!”
“I must remind the champions that time is of the essence; you only have one hour! If you exceed the time limit, the consequences will be severe, and you may lose your treasure forever!”
Ludo Bagman’s voice, amplified by the Sonorus charm, echoed along the lakeshore. The young wizards in the audience were intensely curious about what these treasures could be, and they began to discuss it excitedly.
The champions—Fleur, Krum, and Harry—were also speculating. Although they had solved the mystery of the Golden Egg, they were still in the dark about what they needed to find.
Ludo Bagman didn’t intend to keep them in suspense. He turned to Dumbledore and continued, “As for what we have taken… Dumbledore, the headmaster, will reveal it to us!”
Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Dumbledore stood up with a serious expression. He waved his wand with his left hand, and five crystal balls, each about the size of a fist, rose from Black Lake.
Harry, Fleur, and Krum looked at the crystal balls with confusion. Could their task really be to find these balls?
Only Ivan’s lips curved into a slight smile, as he knew that these crystal balls were ones he had personally made and rented to Ludo Bagman. As for their purpose…
Dumbledore waved his wand again, and the crystal balls rapidly expanded, each growing to about ten meters in diameter, floating silently in the air.
Only then did everyone see the images appearing on the surfaces of the crystal balls.
Especially the one in the center, which showed the bottom of the lake—a large mermaid village with many stone huts scattered around. Occasionally, fierce-looking mermaids with tridents could be seen swimming through the scene.
In the center of the image, a giant mermaid statue carved from stone stood prominently. Bound to the tail of the mermaid statue were four people…
(End of Chapter)
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