Chapter 685: Double-Edged Pressure
Clementine swallowed with difficulty, her throat parched and raw. Fear, like a cold serpent, coiled around her ankles, sending shivers through her entire body. She didn’t care that she was drenched to the bone—she scrambled onto the bank on hands and knees, staggering into the depths of the forest.
Just behind her, a branch stretching over the stream suddenly bent downward with a creaking groan.
Plash!
Water erupted in a spray as the Lizard plunged into the stream. It shook its head, then began to crawl forward, its entire body sinking beneath the surface. Only ripples remained on the water’s surface.
Minutes later, on the very clearing where the two had rested earlier, a figure appeared without a sound.
Hope brushed the dirt from her clothes, bent down, and picked up her water kettle and backpack. Then she retrieved Clementine’s abandoned pack, rummaged inside, and pulled out a needle-like object resembling a magical sword. She combined it with the compass and bearing she already held.
Click.
A soft mechanical sound. The girl’s lips twitched into a faint smile.
…
“Quick! Quick! Pull up that segment of the recording—the one just now!”
The head of the streaming broadcast team sensed a subtle shift in the visual feed and barked orders to his subordinates. “We can’t miss a single critical moment!”
Seconds later, the audience in the stands saw the screen flicker.
To everyone’s astonishment, instead of seeing Clementine being overtaken by the Lizard, Hope emerged from the forest.
A stunned silence followed. Then, chaos erupted.
“What? She didn’t get taken by the Magic Puppet?”
“When did she disappear? I didn’t even notice!”
“Merlin’s beard! I thought she was out—she’s still in the game?”
“Who bet on this Champion?”
“Which House is she from?”
When Hope assembled the complete compass, the murmurs grew louder.
Everyone in the audience had seen how the two had worked together earlier—Hope held the compass and bearing, Clementine only the needle. Each kept their own piece, only combining them when they needed to determine direction.
Logically, Hope had two-thirds of the components and should have had greater authority. Yet, it was always Clementine who made the final call. Hope, the dark-haired girl from Salem Academy, had remained silent, unobtrusive—like a shadow.
No one expected this transformation.
Watching Hope adjust her course with the fully assembled compass, Ms. Owens of Salem Academy finally allowed a small, satisfied smile to form. Nearby, Abby and Samuel—two other Salem Champions—exchanged a knowing glance, as if this outcome had been expected all along.
At Ilvermorny, Professor Egilbert leaned forward, intrigued.
“Your child… does she have some special ability?”
Ms. Owens smiled politely. “Just a talent for Disguise Charm.”
Egilbert raised an eyebrow. “Disguise Charm… even fooled the Magic Puppet’s sense of smell?”
Ms. Owens countered, “Are you certain that Lizard even has a sense of smell?”
Egilbert opened his mouth, then closed it.
The creature looked indistinguishable from a real lizard—its nostrils flared with each breath. How could he say it couldn’t detect someone hiding nearby?
—You’re not underestimating Wade Gray’s Alchemy Water skills. You’re underestimating my intelligence.
…
In the stands, Antoine murmured to those beside him:
“Britain’s Ministry of Magic has a natural Animagus, right? Hope’s not far off—she’s just got her own Obliviation Charm. Rumor has it her parents often forget they even have a child. Used to leave her hungry, crying for hours.”
He gestured toward the streaming screen. At that moment, the image shifted from Hope, and for two seconds, Wade’s hurried figure appeared—then snapped back to Clementine, fleeing through the trees.
Antoine glanced at the screen. “Ever since she mastered the Disguise Charm, Hope’s become nearly invisible in human form. Now it seems even the Magic Puppet unconsciously ignores her. That’s a new discovery.”
Dreian’s brow furrowed. “You didn’t warn Wade about this ability?”
Before Antoine could reply, Gellert Grindelwald let out a cold, mocking laugh, his fingers tapping lightly on his knee.
“If someone can’t bypass an opponent just because of an Obliviation Charm, then they should abandon Hogwarts and spend a few years training in Gray Castle. No need to waste time playing childish games with kids—only to embarrass themselves out there.”
Dreian stiffened. His spine straightened. He felt a fresh wave of shock—again, he’d misjudged the leader’s tone.
He’d expected something like: “Then he has no right to inherit my legacy.”
Instead, it was just about taking the girl away, training her personally?
If that was the case… Dumbledore would storm the door again.
Dreian swallowed, his throat working. He nodded silently.
Antoine, meanwhile, didn’t dwell on it. His eyes remained locked on the screen, fingers tracing his jaw as if deep in thought. Suddenly, he let out a soft chuckle.
“Of all things… they actually ran into each other? How ironic.”
…
Clementine burst out of the bushes, panting, and froze—there, leaning against a stone, was Natalia.
Their eyes met. The moment echoed the earlier scene.
“You…?” Natalia tensed, her wand already in hand. Her eyes darted around, searching for Hope—finding nothing.
“A Lizard… a Magic Puppet… it’s chasing me!” Clementine gasped, pointing wildly behind her. “Hope… she might’ve been taken! Oh Merlin—this thing is terrifying! It’s not something a student could’ve made!”
Natalia’s pupils snapped wide. She flung her backpack onto her shoulder, about to speak—when she suddenly sensed something wrong.
Too quiet.
No crickets. No birdsong. Just the rustle of leaves in the wind.
Crack!
A branch snapped.
Natalia spun around—just in time to see the massive Gorilla hanging from a tree by one arm, lips curling back in a grotesque, feral grin.
Clementine inhaled sharply, a choked sound—half sob, half whimper.
Natalia turned slowly. There, emerging from the tall weeds, was the Lizard Magic Puppet. Its yellow eyes glowed with cold, lifeless intensity.
Boom!
The Gorilla landed on the ground, shaking its massive arms as it charged forward. The Lizard snapped its tail like a whip, launching itself through the air.
Two artificial beasts.
Yet, in that moment, an eerie默契 passed between them—unnatural, chilling. A wave of dread crept up the spine of everyone watching.
“Back to back!” Natalia rasped, voice raw.
Clementine lunged forward, pressing her back against Natalia’s. Both could feel the frantic rhythm of the other’s heartbeat.
Thud.
Thud.
Thud-thud.
Roar!
The Gorilla bellowed, slamming its fists against its chest, then launched itself forward.
The Lizard surged ahead, tail lashing.
(End of Chapter)
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