Chapter 694: The Shortest Distance Between Two Points is a Straight Line!
Chapter 694: The Shortest Distance Between Two Points is a Straight Line!
After the audience in the Arena had gathered, Mcgonagall, accompanied by four Patrol Officers, walked over with a serious expression and spoke.
"During the competition, we will be patrolling outside the Maze at all times. If you encounter any difficulties and need assistance, shoot Red Sparks into the sky, and we will come to your aid immediately."
"However, firing the sparks means the Champion is forfeiting the competition. The decision is ultimately yours!" Ludo Bagman added.
Ivan and the others nodded in unison.
"Alright, let's begin the official competition!" Ludo Bagman cleared his throat, cast a Sonorus Charm on himself with his wand, and then addressed the crowd on the platform.
"Ladies and Masters, the final event of the Triwizard Tournament is about to begin! Let me announce the current scores!"
"First is Hogwarts' Champion, Ivan Hals, who has achieved a perfect score, currently totaling one hundred points!"
As Ludo Bagman finished speaking, the Arena erupted into enthusiastic applause. Ivan nodded graciously to the crowd, his eyes sweeping over the audience to see several friends waving at him.
"Next is Harry Potter, the Master! He stands in second place with an impressive score of eighty-two points!" Ludo Bagman continued loudly.
The audience's applause rang out once more. When Ludo Bagman mentioned Fleur and Krum, the cheers diminished significantly, with only the Beauxbatons and Durmstrang Young Wizards clapping fervently.
After successfully rousing the audience, Ludo Bagman pointed at Ivan and said,
"Now… please Champion Ivan Hals, get ready to start at the sound of my whistle!"
"Three… two… one, go!" Ludo Bagman counted down loudly.
With a sharp whistle, Ivan dashed into the Maze.
Although the previous two events had given him a significant advantage, he wanted to secure his victory by winning the Triwizard Cup as early as possible, to avoid any unforeseen issues.
Moreover, he needed time to check if the Triwizard Cup was genuine. Thus, as soon as he entered the Maze, Ivan wasted no time and began exploring quickly.
However, Ivan soon discovered that the Maze was much larger than he had anticipated and was eerily dark. The towering hedges around him made it feel as though he had been cut off from the outside world, and the enthusiastic cheers and applause from the audience abruptly ceased, likely due to some sound-dampening magic.
"Lumos!" Ivan waved his wand, and a beam of light shone from its tip, illuminating the surroundings.
After advancing about fifty steps, Ivan found himself at a fork in the path, with two passages leading left and right.
"Left or right?" Ivan hesitated.
Choosing the wrong path could cost him a lot of time.
So Ivan opted for neither, instead focusing on the massive hedge directly in front of him.
"I remember, what's the shortest distance between two points?" Ivan rubbed his chin, recalling that Ludo Bagman hadn't mentioned anything about not causing destruction during the rules announcement.
"Of course, a straight line is the shortest! Reducto!" Ivan pointed his wand forward, and a crimson beam shot out, accompanied by a deafening explosion.
When the dust settled, a large gap appeared in the towering hedge. Ivan gripped his wand and walked through the gap, followed by another series of explosive sounds.
If he couldn't find the right path, he would simply create one!
"Violation! This is a serious violation!" On the Judges' Stand, Karkaroff, watching the scene through a Crystal Ball, slammed his hand on the table and shouted in anger.
Dumbledore, who was also watching the scene, felt quite helpless. Clearly, if Ivan had followed the proper procedures, he would have certainly won the championship. But Ivan always managed to come up with some unconventional ideas.
"Strictly speaking, there is no explicit rule in the competition that forbids contestants from damaging the hedges, Karkaroff", Dumbledore explained solemnly. "You should be aware that these hedges have been reinforced with specialized spells. For an ordinary wizard to destroy them, it would take a considerable amount of time and effort, not any easier than navigating through the Maze!"
Dumbledore paused, his gaze shifting to the Crystal Ball floating high in the air, and continued, "And I believe... Mr. Hals will soon pay the price for his actions!"
Karkaroff and Maxime were skeptical, but when they looked up, they saw that the situation in the Maze had already changed.
Ivan's aggressive use of magic to clear his path seemed to have awakened the entire silent Maze. Monsters emerged from the darkness, appearing from all corners.
"Diffindo!" Ivan waved his wand, using Diffindo to blast a massive Giant Spider that was attempting to attack him. He then pointed his wand at the opening he had just created.
Long crab legs began to probe through the opening, and when the creature emerged, Ivan realized it was a several-meter-long Blast-Ended Skrewt. It looked like a combination of a giant scorpion and a strange crab, with a hard, heavy shell covered in menacing spines. Even more terrifying, the Blast-Ended Skrewt's tail suddenly erupted with a jet of scorching flame, propelling it forward like a spiked iron ball, quickly charging at Ivan.
The narrow Maze corridor offered little room to dodge. As the Blast-Ended Skrewt charged, Ivan activated his Magic Ring and used the force to jump. The seventeen Runic Inscriptions on his bracelet lit up instantly, generating a Magic Shockwave that carried him away from the impact.
The Blast-Ended Skrewt, with its massive size, couldn't stop itself. After Ivan dodged, it crashed into the hedge behind it, its sharp crab legs deeply embedded in the wall, half its body stuck in the crevices.
Ivan, of course, wouldn't miss this opportunity. He waved his wand and cast a Cruciatus Curse.
The Blast-Ended Skrewt's hard shell was even more resilient than Ivan had imagined. After taking the spell, the shell only cracked, but the creature continued to thrash about.
However, the cracked shell disrupted some internal balance. As the Blast-Ended Skrewt prepared to emit another burst of flame, its entire body suddenly exploded, showering the area with blood and debris.
"What on earth is this bizarre creature?"
Ivan looked at the scattered hard shell and flesh, shaking his head. It seemed that the Blast-Ended Skrewts Hagrid had bred still needed some improvement.
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(End of Chapter)
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