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Chapter 660: The Pitiful Champions
Chapter 660: The Pitiful Champions
After all, this is a live broadcast...
Ivan looked at the young witches in his arms, his expression somewhat strange. He couldn't help but wonder what Hermione's reaction would be when she saw the Crystal Balls later.
Thoughts raced through his mind, but Ivan's hands didn't stop moving. He lightly waved his wand over his wizard robes, and they transformed back into the black "wing" shape. With a powerful flap, the two of them quickly flew back in the direction they had come from.
Passing through the Mermaid Village, Ivan re-entered the Dangerous Lake Bottom Jungle.
Since he had spent a lot of time chatting with Hermione in front of the Mermaid Statue, the one-hour competition limit was already halfway over.
However, what surprised Ivan was that he hadn't seen the other Champions on his way back.
Did they get lost? Or had they already dropped out of the competition?
Ivan furrowed his brow. Although a few days ago he had convinced the mermaids to set up the arena and harass the Champions as much as possible, in Ivan's view, the mermaids were too timid. They would back off after a few hits, so the overall difficulty of the competition wasn't high.
Compared to the original Time and Space, the changes were minimal: the mermaids would actively attack in groups, there were a dozen Grindylows lurking in the seaweed jungle, and occasionally, some wandering Giant Squids. All non-magical creatures, as long as the Champions had their wands and could stay calm, they should be able to drive them away without much trouble.
"Hals!"
Just as Ivan was thinking, a faint cry reached his ears. He instinctively glanced down at Hermione.
The young witch shook her head and pointed to the side, indicating that the voice was coming from the seaweed patch.
Ivan tightened his grip on his wand, considering whether to go over. It could very well be a trap.
Such dense seaweed was perfect for an ambush, and he was the first Champion to rescue the hostages. There might be other Champions hiding here, waiting to ambush him to secure the win.
By the time he hesitated, the cry had become almost inaudible.
"Let's go check, Ivan... Someone might be in trouble", Hermione gently tugged at Ivan's robe, speaking softly.
Ivan hesitated for a moment but, confident in his own abilities, he nodded. He cast a Protego on Hermione and then approached, raising his wand to cast a Lumos spell.
The eerie blue light gradually dispelled the darkness, revealing a scene that was far from what they had expected.
"Fleur?"
Hermione was shocked to see the unconscious Beauxbatons Champion. Thick, black seaweed twisted and entangled around Fleur's body, binding her tightly. Bruises were visible on her exposed arms and waist, as if she had been hit by something.
Ivan easily recognized this as one of the mermaids' traps.
He guessed that Fleur had been injured while trying to escape the mermaids and had the bad luck to stumble into this trap. Unable to break free immediately, the seaweed tightened its grip, eventually draining her of all her strength and causing her to pass out.
Hermione looked at the unconscious Fleur, then at Ivan, hesitating to speak.
She wanted to plead with Ivan to save the other contestant, but she also knew that they were in the middle of a competition. As opponents, Ivan had no reason to help her, and it would be generous enough if he didn't take advantage of her predicament.
Hermione hesitated for a moment before finally asking, "Will you save her, Ivan?"
"Of course!" Ivan didn't hesitate. Fleur, now unconscious, was no longer a threat to him.
Moreover, the competition was being broadcast live. Saving Fleur would likely earn him points for good impression, while not saving her would make the Students and referees watching from the stands think he was cold-blooded.
"Diffindo~ (Diffindo)"
Without a second thought, Ivan decisively waved his wand, cutting the water plants that bound Fleur. He then used a Healing Spell to treat her wounds, ensuring she wouldn't bleed to death on the way.
However, to Ivan's surprise, as he approached to heal her, Fleur's tightly closed eyes suddenly opened, and she grabbed his arm.
Ivan's reaction was quick, and in an instant, his wand was pressed against Fleur's neck, the tip glowing with a faint red light.
The bone-chilling cold made Fleur feel the presence of death, yet she clung to Ivan's arm, pleading desperately.
"Please, help me… Hal! I can forfeit the competition, I beg you, help save Gabrielle… She can't stay here…"
Fleur's face was pale and terrifying, her weak and feeble voice devoid of the pride she once exuded, now filled with humility and helplessness.
Ivan was speechless at Fleur's words. A moment's thought should have made it clear that the Ministry of Magic and Dumbledore wouldn't allow any Hostages to be in danger; only the Champions were at risk.
Unfortunately, before Ivan could explain, the exhausted Fleur fainted again, but her hand remained tightly clamped around his arm, impossible to shake off.
"This is such a hassle. I wish I hadn't helped her at all…" Ivan sighed, muttering under his breath.
Hermione, who had seen Fleur's heartfelt plea, felt a pang of sympathy. After a moment's consideration, she turned to Ivan and suggested, "Why don't we help her? There's still some time left before the competition ends, and the other Champions haven't arrived yet. If we go back to save Gabrielle now, we can still finish first."
"That's easier said than done…" Ivan shook his head. With Gabrielle, he would have to carry three people, which would significantly slow him down.
As Ivan pondered, a noise came from the black water plants ahead. Ivan instinctively pointed his wand in that direction.
A moment later, Harry's head emerged from the water plants. He looked in bad shape, with small cuts on his arm and thigh, and his clothes were tattered.
Most strikingly, Harry had Krum on his back, who had been transformed into a half-man, half-shark. Like Fleur, Krum seemed to be unconscious, and even when Harry accidentally bumped Krum's head, he didn't wake up.
"Harry, why are you carrying Krum?" Ivan asked, surprised.
"He was knocked out during the fight with the Mermaids. I couldn't just leave him there", Harry panted heavily, lake water continuously surging into his mouth and then being expelled through the gills on his neck.
(End of Chapter)
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