https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-692-A-Conversation-Before-the-Triwizard-Cup/13685915/
Chapter 691: The Application of the Explosion Spell
At the last possible moment, the girl seemed to have eyes in the back of her head—she twisted sharply to the side. But the Lizard’s tongue still pierced her shoulder, slicing across it.
"Bloody Blossom!"
"Ah!" Hope cried out in pain, and her Disguise Charm shattered instantly. She staggered backward, her wand flashing wildly.
"Shield Charm!"
An invisible barrier barely managed to block the Lizard’s second attack.
The Magic Puppet leapt down from the Thorn Wall in a ferocious lunge, and the girl flicked her wand—her body was thrown backward as if hit by an invisible car, narrowly dodging the Lizard’s charge.
The creature didn’t pursue immediately. Instead, it slithered slowly across the ground, its eyes rotating independently—one fixed on Hope’s wand, the other tracking her legs.
Cold sweat beaded on Hope’s forehead. She inched forward, matching the Lizard’s movements. When she neared the entrance, she suddenly whipped out a Cutting Charm:
"Split-into-Parts Spell!"
The spell struck the Lizard’s body—but only scattered a few scales.
The creature roared, then lunged forward with terrifying speed!
At that moment, Hope did something completely unexpected. She thrust her wand straight into the ground and bellowed:
"Thunder Explosion!"
Boom—!
The Explosion Spell erupted with devastating force. The ground exploded beneath her, sending shockwaves that knocked the charging Lizard off its feet—while simultaneously hurling Hope herself into the tunnel.
Success!
Joy surged through her mind. Seizing the moment, she rolled into the narrow passage just as the Magic Puppet came rushing after her. She turned, threw up her wand, and cast:
"Obstacle Course!"
The Lizard, just regaining its footing, suddenly felt an invisible resistance—as if trapped in thick, sticky mud. Its movements slowed to a crawl.
But seeing Hope vanish into the tunnel, the creature let out a furious roar. With a violent flick of its tail, it tore the appendage free and sent it flying straight at the girl!
Hope, still trying to seal the entrance, was struck squarely by the whipping tail. She was thrown to the ground, sprawling hard. She scrambled up desperately, raised her wand—only for a barbed, arrow-like tongue to strike it aside.
Then the Lizard burst through the entrance, jaws snapping shut around her ankle, yanking her back out of the tunnel with brutal force.
"Aaaaah!!!"
Hope screamed as the creature released her leg, then lunged forward to bite her head. With a surge of will, she twisted upright, driving her wand straight into the Lizard’s open mouth—so deep that her wrist was pierced by the creature’s jagged teeth, blood pouring down her arm.
"Try this!"
Her eyes burned with cold clarity as she roared:
"Thunder Explosion! Thunder Explosion! Thunder Explosion!"
A blinding white light erupted from the cracks in the Magic Puppet’s scales—followed by a deafening explosion.
The Lizard’s head split apart in a spray of fragments, flying like raindrops. But the blast also hurled Hope backward, sending her flying several meters. Shards of scale and stone pattered into her body like bullets—she looked like a bloodied, mangled pumpkin.
"Nice work!"
A rough, booming voice cut through the chaos. Moody appeared mid-air on his broomstick, landing before she hit the ground. He grinned, already praising her:
"Kid, that was ruthless!"
His Magical Eye spun wildly, scanning the surroundings. Then he knelt beside her, checking her injuries.
"Can you keep going?"
Hope tried to push herself up—but gasped in pain, too weak even to crawl toward her backpack and grab a potion.
She stared at the thorny entrance just ahead, clenched her teeth, and whispered through gritted teeth:
"I… I surrender."
The words came out like a broken whisper.
Moody nodded approvingly.
"Smart choice."
He waved his wand, quickly applying a rough but effective treatment to her gruesome wounds.
"Some battles," he said, "it takes more courage to admit defeat than to keep fighting. Only by surviving can you have infinite possibilities."
"Professor," as she floated upward, Hope asked weakly, "is the Triwizard Cup… at the end of this tunnel?"
"Tunnel?" Moody laughed. "Know this—there was no tunnel here before. It was Wade’s little idea—didn’t want to take the long way."
Hope’s eyes widened. She glanced back at the receding Thorn Wall and the deep, artificial tunnel behind her. A bitter smile tugged at her lips.
And from nearby, Moody’s grumbling continued:
"Honestly, he cut the tournament in half! I spent half a month setting up traps along the way—now they’re all wasted!"
"By the way—if you’d chosen the long route, you’d find a rest zone about two hundred meters out. There’s food, medicine, and someone there who can help you."
"Too bad… all that effort went to waste. That brat Wade—!"
Perhaps it was the frustration of his hard work being undone that made Moody, usually so silent, unleash a long stream of complaints.
But Hope didn’t miss the quiet pride—and the hint of show-off pride—underlying his tone.
—He must be proud, teaching a student this brilliant.
But she… had let Ms. Owens down.
Her heart clenched as if gripped by an invisible hand. Her eyes burned, and a single tear slipped free, mixing with the blood on her cheek and vanishing into her hair.
After that, everything became a blur.
She vaguely knew she’d been carried into a treatment tent. A kind-faced witch took her from Moody’s hands, laid her on a hospital bed, and began pulling debris from her wounds—stopping the bleeding, healing the gashes.
All the while, the witch raged at someone inside—the organizers, the Ministry of Magic, Hogwarts’ Headmaster Dumbledore, the Champions, Wade Gray… even Hope herself.
Hope buried her face in the pillow, wishing she could shut out every word.
But the witch’s healing magic was astonishingly strong—perhaps mastery through repetition? In the blink of an eye, most of her wounds were sealed.
The reason? Her injuries, though severe, were purely physical. No magic residue remained—making healing remarkably simple.
When the curtain around her bed was drawn back, Hope froze.
The Salem students weren’t watching the tournament. Instead, they stood silently outside, waiting. When they saw her open her eyes, they erupted in cheers.
"That was incredible, Hope!" a boy shouted, fist clenched in excitement. "You turned that terrifying Lizard Puppet into fireworks!"
"We watched the whole thing," a girl said, her eyes red, gripping Hope’s hand. "That final move—so brave!"
"You actually shoved your hand into its mouth… were you scared at all?" her younger sister asked, trembling with awe and fear.
"You’re so reckless!" her mother said, voice trembling with relief. "Can you even use an Explosion Spell like that? You nearly blew yourself to bits!"
Ms. Owens stood at the back of the crowd, her usually perfect silver-streaked hair loosened, strands escaping their tight knot. When the students finally quieted, she stepped forward and wrapped Hope in a firm, warm embrace.
For Hope, it was worth more than any words.
She inhaled the familiar scent of cedar from her professor’s robes—then couldn’t hold back. She began to cry.
"I’m… I’m sorry, Professor… I… I lost…" she sobbed.
"But to me, you’re not just strong. You’re a winner." Ms. Owens gently stroked Hope’s scorched hair, her voice soft. "You showed a courage I never thought possible, child… I’m so proud of you."
Hope wept openly. The others around her were red-eyed—but smiled, too.
Antoine, another professor, stood nearby. He patted her hand.
"Alright, two of you stay with Hope. The rest, go back out. She needs rest."
Of course, Hope needed her family’s presence most. Though reluctant, the others rose and said their goodbyes.
"Get well soon, Hope. When you’re healed, we’ll talk about Explosion Spell techniques!"
"Shut up, you forgot safety protocols!"
Laughter rang out—gentle, warm. Hope wiped her eyes, and a tearful smile spread across her face.
(End of Chapter)
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