Chapter 931: Above the Water's Surface
Chapter 931: Above the Water's Surface
"Albert's back so soon!"
"Where's Lee Jordan?"
"Never mind him, come help us bring out the big stuff!"
Albert's sudden return took the Weasley twins by surprise as they had been preparing a grand spectacle for him. The duo hastily gathered their things and rushed outside the spectator area, struggling to lift a cylindrical firework from their trunk. They aimed it at the sky— "One, two, three."
Fred silently counted to three in his head, raised his wand, and ignited the firework, promptly covering his ears with his hands.
—Bang! The dazzling firework blossomed in the sky, transforming into a winged lion with an eagle's head. The colossal beast roared, spreading its wings and soaring in the air before finally bursting into a brilliant display of colors.
It would undoubtedly have been even more spectacular at night.
As the pair climbed onto the shore, they heard a loud "bang" from the direction of the stands. Looking up at the fireworks above them, the young girl curiously asked, "Was that you?"
"Definitely not," Albert replied, gazing toward the stands with a smile. "But I think I know who's behind this surprise."
Below the 'Hogwarts Must Win' banner, Lee Jordan was rallying the crowd to cheer for Albert. The chaotic mix of shouts and applause gradually coalesced into a unified chant: "Albert to victory! Hogwarts to victory!"
Albert smiled and waved his arms in gratitude to the supporters in the stands.
Isabelle draped her arm around Albert's and smiled. "You're quite popular."
"Being too popular isn't necessarily a good thing. Let's go and rest for a bit. We'll get a warm drink; you need to take care now so you don't catch a cold or get sick." Albert guided Isabelle toward the hastily approaching Madam Pomfrey. The latter was muttering something under her breath as she wrapped Albert tightly in a blanket and attempted to force a cup of potion into his mouth, but Albert stopped her.
"The effects of the underwater breathing potion haven't worn off yet, so I won't feel cold right now. And my clothes are enchanted with warming and waterproof charms." Albert removed the blanket and draped it over Isabelle instead.
"Underwater breathing potion? You mean gillyweed?"
Madam Pomfrey immediately recognized the effects of the potion on Albert's appearance.
"Yes, the underwater breathing potion is made from an extract of gillyweed. It was showcased at last year's International Alchemy Conference." Albert took the potion from Madam Pomfrey's hand and handed it to Isabelle. "You drink it first. I'll have it after the effects of the gillyweed wear off."
The two followed Madam Pomfrey to the medical tent to receive some care.
As for the other champions, it would likely be a long while before any of them completed the task.
"Oh my, this is incredible! I'm so curious as to how Mr. Anderson managed it," Amelia Bones remarked as she glanced at the hourglass timer on the judges' table. It had only taken Albert a quarter of an hour from the start of the task to rescue the hostage and return.
In fact, not just her, but Madame Maxime and the entire audience were curious about how Albert had accomplished this feat and whether he had cheated.
"I believe I know how Mr. Anderson did it," Dumbledore said as he raised his wand and summoned the underwater booster that Albert had discarded on the shore.
"A clever combination of a Transfiguration spell and a basic movement charm, resulting in this marvelous outcome." Dumbledore tapped the booster with his wand, and the propeller, which had stopped spinning, began to rotate again.
"So that's how he swam so fast?"
"Indeed."
Dumbledore gestured for everyone to observe the object and explained its purpose. "When placed in water, it provides a stable and rapid propulsion, allowing for effortless underwater movement without the need to swim."
"As for the location of the mermaid village, I believe Mr. Anderson was the only champion who located it in advance," Dumbledore continued calmly, having already discerned the reason for Albert's swift completion of the task. "As you know, once the village is found, there are numerous ways to quickly locate the hostage for the second task."
"But isn't that unfair to the other champions?" Scrimgeour frowned and asked, "Surely this counts as cheating?"
"In fact," Dumbledore said, "you should note that at the end of the first task, each champion received a golden egg. By unraveling the secret of the egg, they could gain insight into the content of the second task and prepare accordingly. This is essentially a part of the second challenge." Dumbledore spoke casually, "Undoubtedly, Mr. Anderson's preparation was exceptionally thorough, allowing him to complete the task with ease and giving the impression that the second task was simple."
Dumbledore waved his wand, and the underwater booster transformed back into a stone.
"Was the second task difficult?" Fudge asked, puzzled. He felt that the second task shouldn't have been too challenging! "I believe the presence of the golden egg significantly reduced the difficulty of the task," Dumbledore replied. "The champions should have been faced with unknown challenges to truly test their abilities."
Madame Maxime frowned at Fudge, feeling that he was being rather insensitive to the difficulties the champions faced.
If Fudge could have accomplished the tasks himself, she would have had no objections, but the more likely scenario was that he would have been roasted by the dragon's fire as soon as he entered the arena.
"If they had to dive into the lake, they'd probably drown at the bottom, or maybe they wouldn't even have the courage to dive in at all."
"I really don't know how this guy became the Minister of Magic."
"The existence of the golden egg did indeed reduce the difficulty of the task." Dumbledore readily admitted, calmly explaining to the temporary judges, "Without the golden egg, the challenge would have been extremely difficult, and it's possible that no one would have been able to complete it. Of course, Mr. Anderson may have managed it, but it would have required a tremendous amount of effort. Believe me, very few brave souls could rescue the hostage without any preparation, and they would more likely fail or drown in the icy lake. It's as challenging as subduing a dragon."
The trio was surprised to hear Dumbledore's words.
"According to what you're saying, I dare say that even well-trained Aurors may not be able to do it." Scrimgeour frowned, doubting that the Aurors of the Ministry of Magic had the capability to subdue a dragon single-handedly. Perhaps they could find a way to drive the dragon away, but subduing one was a different matter, hence the need for dragon tamers.
At this moment, Albert's evaluation in the head of the Auror Office Director rose significantly.
"Aurors can't do it?" Fudge frowned, clearly displeased to hear such a statement.
It would be embarrassing if the elite of the Magical Law Enforcement Patrol were outperformed by a student who hadn't even graduated yet. After all, each Auror was supposed to be an exceptional wizard.
"Very few can subdue a dragon single-handedly," Scrimgeour said quietly. "Even dragon tamers, who are familiar with those beasts, usually work in groups. Of course, Dumbledore here could easily do it."
Ignoring Fudge, Scrimgeour turned to Dumbledore and asked, "What is Mr. Anderson's career inclination? Has he considered becoming an Auror?"
He couldn't help but ask, as the Auror Office had been struggling with a severe shortage of manpower, having failed to recruit any qualified new members for the past three years.
"As far as I know, Mr. Anderson has been writing books lately." Dumbledore smiled, "During Christmas, I received his new book, 'A Guide to Ancient Runes.' It's a brilliant work, and Professor Babbling is considering using it to replace 'Ancient Runes Made Easy' in her classes."
"He published a book?"
The trio was astonished.
A student who hadn't even graduated from school publishing a book?
What caliber of student was this?
"In fact," Dumbledore continued, "if you've been following his work, you would know that Mr. Anderson contributed to the compilation of the 'Complete Guide to Basic Runes' a long time ago. He's currently working on a book related to Dark Arts defense, and we may see it published this year."
"He's truly an extraordinary individual." Amelia Bones marveled, "I've heard rumors about him before, and it seems they weren't exaggerated at all. Perhaps he'll soon secure a seat in the Wizengamot."
"There are no vacant seats in the Wizengamot at the moment," Fudge interjected, clearing his throat.
"Someone will make way for him," Amelia Bones said dismissively, glancing at Fudge.
She specifically recalled the emergency Wizengamot meeting that had been held for Albert, where the absurd title of "Wizengamot Youth Representative of Britain" had been proposed, though it had ultimately been blocked in the approval process. However, she knew that Albert would inevitably become a part of the Wizengamot.
At least two-thirds of the members would agree to it.
Perhaps only Dumbledore had such influence in all of Britain, but that particular incident had clearly had nothing to do with him, as the elderly wizard would never involve himself in such matters.
"Let's talk about the second task," Scrimgeour said, changing the subject. He agreed with Amelia Bones, although he personally favored pure-blood wizards.
"Were the previous Triwizard Tournaments really that difficult?"
"Indeed, they were extremely challenging, which is why accidents often occurred, and even if one wanted to rescue someone, it was often difficult." Dumbledore seamlessly continued, "Later, when the Ministry of Magic decided to restart the Triwizard Tournament, Barty and Ludo came to discuss it with me, and we decided to slightly lower the difficulty to ensure the safety of the champions."
"Of course, I think the modifications better highlight the champions' abilities in various aspects." Dumbledore explained to the trio, "First, the champions need to overcome the challenge of breathing underwater. Although the Bubble-Head Charm can solve this problem, it doesn't last very long, and an hour is pretty much the limit."
"Also, with the current cold weather, it's easy to get frozen in the water. Swimming in such conditions is no easy task, not to mention the dim light at the bottom of the lake, which tests the champions' endurance and mental fortitude. Champions with insufficient psychological strength will face a formidable challenge." Dumbledore continued, "Moreover, finding the mermaid village hidden in the seaweed is no simple task. Although the mermaids will sing to attract the champions, I believe most of them would still get lost along the way. They will also encounter Grindylows, which, although not particularly dangerous dark creatures, can cause enough trouble for the champions underwater."
The difficulties Dumbledore described were currently unfolding at the bottom of the lake for the other champions.
In fact, apart from Albert, the other champions were all facing various troubles.
(End of Chapter)
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