Chapter 713: Out of the Game
Chapter 713: Out of the Game
Lately, Guy Bernard had been feeling rather gloomy.
Ever since he lost to Albert Anderson in the first round of the Magic School Potions Championship a few days ago, the pride he had held in his innate talent for potions had been ruthlessly trampled and reduced to mud.
He could still remember his grandfather telling him when he was young that he had a gift for potions.
And Guy Bernard had not disappointed. After enrolling in Durmstrang Institute, he had displayed remarkable talent in Potions, even participating in the Potions Championship, intending to use this event, held only once every seven years, as a stepping stone to further success.
However, everything changed in the last few months.
His grandfather, now the president of the Extraordinary Potioneers Association, told him that if he wanted to win the Potions Championship, he had to follow his arrangements.
Guy Bernard was reluctant at heart. He believed in his talent and abilities and felt he could win the Golden Cauldron without resorting to cheating, which he scorned.
"Your talent in potions is only slightly better than that of others," President Bernard cruelly shattered his grandson's dreams. "Much of your current achievements stem from the vast amount of time and effort I invested in teaching and nurturing you from a young age. I told you that you had excellent talent to foster your passion and confidence in the field of potions. But now that you're an adult, it's time to face reality. The world is not as simple as you think."
Guy Bernard sadly realized that he had only passed the entrance examination for the Extraordinary Potioneers Association at one go because his grandfather had helped him cheat, which was why he had chosen Felix Felicis.
No matter what, he refused to believe this harsh reality and still clung to the hope that his abilities would prevail, allowing him to win the Golden Cauldron.
But the first round of the competition mercilessly crushed all of Guy Bernard's pride, just as his grandfather had said. He was merely more gifted than others, not a genius.
If he wanted to advance in the field of potions while still young, the Potions Championship was a good opportunity. Winning the competition would smooth his path in life, and all he had to do was follow his grandfather's plan.
Guy Bernard had initially been averse to cheating, but he soon discovered that, as his grandfather had said, everyone at the Potions Championship was cheating, and it had become an accepted part of the competition.
So, Guy Bernard compromised. He wanted the ultimate victory, to trample that detestable Brit underfoot.
Even Guy Bernard had to admit that Albert's handsome looks incited envy. That fellow already had a beautiful girlfriend, yet he still flirted with other pretty girls. He was a complete scoundrel.
What made Guy Bernard even more jealous was that the Potions Master who invented Wolfsbane Potion seemed to be well-acquainted with Albert, and the two spoke to each other as equals.
Being able to converse with a Potions Master on equal terms implied that your abilities in the field of potions were acknowledged.
How could this be?
Guy Bernard could hardly believe his suspicions.
Had the world gone mad?
Or was it him?
He must be the mad one.
Guy Bernard finally concluded that he must be insane to consider the other a Potions Master.
That cream puff must have cheated too, just like him.
Just as Guy Bernard was comforting himself in this way, President Bernard mercilessly shattered his illusions. The European wizarding world had never heard of the surname Anderson, at least not as a prominent wizarding family.
Guy Bernard also heard that Albert Anderson was actually a Muggle-born wizard.
This news was not groundless. It originated from the British newspaper, the Daily Prophet, which had caused quite a stir when Albert Anderson won the International Wizarding Chess Tournament.
All signs indicated that Albert Anderson's current achievements were due to his innate talent and hard work.
As Britain's most renowned genius wizard, everyone believed he was another Albus Dumbledore. Some even said that his future accomplishments might surpass Dumbledore's, and he could become the Minister of Magic within a decade or two.
(Professor Slughorn, in order to gain the assistance of Lady Serena, had once boasted about Albert to her and successfully convinced her to provide as much help as possible to the boy.) Guy Bernard had lost his edge and no longer believed he could defeat that Brit on his own. But he hadn't given up yet. He knew the rules of the game and had received many "suggestions."
Although reluctant, Guy Bernard understood that if he followed his grandfather's "suggestions," he had a high probability of winning the final championship. He would trample that damned cream puff underfoot and claim the Golden Cauldron, the symbol of ultimate glory.
Even though this predetermined path was not what he desired, Guy Bernard realized he had no better choice.
The second round was, in fact, a trap.
Initially, the Magic School Potions Championship only consisted of one round: the contestants entered the Magical Garden to collect ingredients and brew a potion.
The organizers would provide the participants with one ingredient to test their knowledge and breadth of potions and encourage the potion geniuses to showcase their extraordinary skills during the competition.
However, the Magic School Potions Championship had gradually evolved, adding the first round as a screening process, but the actual situation had not changed much.
In this session of the Potions Championship, the organizers no longer provided the contestants with an ingredient, which contradicted the information most participants had received. In other words, it was a trap.
If they hadn't paid close attention and still believed that the organizers would provide them with an ingredient, they would likely face merciless elimination.
And for the third round, Guy Bernard was also well-prepared.
With the help of his grandfather, he had undergone rigorous training throughout the summer, and Guy Bernard's feelings were very mixed as he understood the old man's good intentions.
Following the old man's "suggestions," Guy Bernard easily gathered all the potion ingredients. However, to avoid standing out too much, he also collected other raw materials along the way.
After about an hour, Guy Bernard had collected all the potion ingredients he needed and was ready to leave the Magical Garden, completing the second round ahead of time.
As he passed by several Aliotte plants, Guy Bernard suddenly felt a moment of dizziness, and his mind went blank.
When Guy Bernard came to his senses, he noticed a strange taste in his mouth, and worst of all, he found himself lying on the ground, hysterical with laughter, holding a few leaves of Aliotte in his hand.
What's wrong with me? Guy Bernard didn't even have the energy to think about other things, and his uncontrollable laughter left him with little ability to think, even getting up from the ground was a difficult task.
Guy Bernard's change immediately caught the attention of a nearby patrolling team member.
There was no choice but to do something, as his laughter was too loud and bizarre.
The patrolling team member was also hesitant, unsure of how to handle the situation.
Undoubtedly, the beloved grandson of the President of the Extraordinary Potioneers Association had been ambushed, and it was clear that no fool would dare to put Aliotte leaves into his mouth.
If he helped now, it would mean Guy Bernard would immediately be disqualified from the competition. If he didn't step in, he doubted that the other could last half an hour, and it was obvious that Guy Bernard couldn't walk back on his own in his current state.
As the patrolling team member hesitated, Albert, hidden under the Disillusionment Charm, quietly slipped away.
He had stuffed a large amount of Aliotte leaves into Guy Bernard's mouth, confident that the unlucky guy would be laughing uncontrollably for several hours. As for whether Guy Bernard would laugh himself to death, Albert wasn't worried at all, as the patrolling team nearby would surely send him back.
This meant that Guy Bernard would lose his eligibility to continue in the competition.
In fact, Albert's guess was correct.
The patrolling team member waited for a moment but still didn't see Guy Bernard stop laughing, so he knew he couldn't ignore the situation any longer.
To prevent any mishaps, he stepped forward to help and had Guy Bernard sent back for treatment.
Guy Bernard, who had been confident about winning the final championship, was thus eliminated from the competition. President Bernard's face turned grim as he watched his grandson being brought back.
However, being the capable leader that he was, he quickly regained control of his emotions.
"Someone has violated the rules of the competition and attempted to gain the championship through despicable means," President Bernard said softly. "This is not a good sign, and we should put a stop to this deplorable trend."
Guy Bernard was soon cured by a Potioneer using the sorrowful insect's honey, but he still had no idea what had happened or who had attacked him.
His expression was gloomy as he realized he had been ambushed and ruthlessly eliminated.
His dream of becoming the champion had shattered.
This drove Guy Bernard almost insane.
The judges gathered together to discuss how to handle the situation.
Usually, those who were eliminated could only blame their bad luck.
But Guy Bernard was the grandson of President Bernard, and it was obvious that his grandfather would not accept such an outcome.
"Don't worry, we will find the culprit," they assured him. "By inspecting the contestants' wands, we will quickly identify who attacked you."
"As for your situation," President Bernard cleared his throat, "after consulting with the judging panel, we have decided to give you an extra chance. You may now use the ingredients you have collected to brew your potions."
Not everyone agreed with letting Guy Bernard continue the competition, as it was undoubtedly unfair to the other participants, and there was no precedent for such a decision.
The only concession President Bernard could get was to allow his grandson to use the existing ingredients to brew his potions, believing that Guy Bernard should have already collected them.
Guy Bernard breathed a sigh of relief. As long as he wasn't immediately disqualified, he still had a chance. Indeed, he had already collected the potion ingredients, enough to brew two different potions.
However, when he opened his bag to take out the collected ingredients, his expression froze as he found that the potion ingredients he had prepared were mysteriously missing two types, and these two types happened to be crucial for the two potions he had intended to make.
Guy Bernard's face turned deathly pale, and his body swayed slightly, almost falling.
"Are you alright?"
"That bastard tampered with my potion kit and took away several potion ingredients," Guy Bernard said, clutching his heart and gritting his teeth.
The rollercoaster of emotions from despair to hope and back to despair was too stimulating for his young heart to bear.
President Bernard also noticed his grandson's state, and his expression turned extremely ugly as he understood Guy Bernard's implication.
It's over. Everything is over.
President Bernard slumped into an armchair, feeling the strange gazes of the other judges upon him, as if they were mocking him for his futile efforts that ultimately amounted to nothing.
He knew he would soon become the laughingstock of their circle.
All of this was caused by that damn culprit.
If I can't be happy, neither can you.
President Bernard vowed to himself that he would revoke that bastard's eligibility to compete.
(End of Chapter)
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