Chapter 956: The Third Task
Chapter 956: The Third Task
Dinner was more sumptuous than usual, but Albert barely ate anything before hurrying back to his dormitory to make his final preparations.
There would be no spare time after dinner, as everyone would head directly to the Quidditch pitch.
To be frank, such arrangements were rather unreasonable, but that was how it was.
Just as Albert finished donning his Fire Dragon outfit and prepared to return to the Great Hall, Dumbledore stood up from the staff table and raised his hand to signal for quiet.
"Ladies and gentlemen, in five minutes, I will be inviting you to the Quidditch stadium to watch the final task of the Triwizard Tournament." Dumbledore's gaze swept across the Great Hall, pausing briefly on the champions before landing on Albert, who had just returned. "Now, please follow Madam Bones to the Quidditch pitch, champions."
Albert glanced at the other champions and turned to leave the hall.
Amelia Bones frowned at the extravagant Fire Dragon outfit Albert was wearing. "What is the meaning of this...?"
"It's an advertisement for the Wizarding Fashion House," Albert shrugged. "I wore it during the first task, and it clearly didn't violate any rules."
Amelia's frown deepened. She felt that Albert would easily win the Triwizard Championship even without this over-the-top outfit. Why was there also an advertisement for the Wizarding Fashion House?
Why hadn't anyone mentioned this to her?
Amelia Bones still hoped for the competition to be as fair as possible, especially since Albert already had so many advantages. However, she ultimately didn't voice any opinions on the matter, as it was obviously Ludo Bagman's doing.
As the champions followed Amelia Bones into the Quidditch pitch, they were astonished to find that it had been completely transformed.
A twenty-foot-high hedge encircled the edge of the pitch, and the champions' entrance happened to be at the entrance of a large maze. To create a gloomy atmosphere, the match was scheduled for after dinner, and the dark passages of the maze looked rather eerie.
The spectators soon filled the stands, and many of Albert's acquaintances and friends cheered him on.
"Albert Must Win, Hogwarts Must Win," banners were once again unfurled, and to ensure visibility in the night, the letters and the lion-headed eagle-bodied beast shone with magical light.
The Hogwarts choir seemed to be there to liven up the match as well, playing sparse tunes that made one suspect they were just filling in numbers.
Amidst the excited chatter of the audience and the sparse music of the choir, Dumbledore, Hagrid, Professor Moody, Professor McGonagall, and Professor Flitwick entered the Quidditch pitch in that order.
Apparently to signify their role as patrol officers, the four professors wore flashing, large red-star wizard hats, which looked utterly ridiculous, especially on Hagrid, who wore a thick velvet vest with a red star.
"We've arranged for four professors to patrol outside the maze."
Professor Dumbledore continued to preside over the match, his eyes scanning the champions and indicating the professors beside them. Then he called the champions over and instructed them, "If you encounter any difficulties and need rescue, shoot a red spark into the air, and someone will come to your aid. Understand?"
The champions nodded together.
"Ladies and gentlemen, the final task of the Triwizard Tournament is about to begin!"
Dumbledore stood on the podium beside him and pointed his wand at his throat, magically amplifying his voice across the Quidditch pitch.
"The first champion to retrieve the cup will be declared the winner." Dumbledore continued to explain the rules: "The order in which the champions enter the maze will be determined by their scores in the previous two tasks. Now, let me announce the current scores!"
"Albert... Albert... Albert..."
Even before Dumbledore could formally announce the scores, cheers and shouts erupted from the stands.
"He's really popular."
Bill was amazed at the extent of Albert's popularity. A large number of banners and flags in the stands were for Albert, while Harry's supporters were pitifully few. Even Fred and George were waving a specially made flag to cheer for Albert.
"Now that is a cool outfit." Bill's attention was drawn to the extravagant Fire Dragon costume that Albert was wearing.
"That's a Fire Dragon outfit worth several thousand galleons," Ron said sourly. He, too, wished he could wear such a fancy outfit for a photo.
From the family seats, both Niya and Isabelle were enthusiastically waving at Albert.
"Albert Anderson - 100 points, first place, Hogwarts School!" Dumbledore announced amidst the dwindling commotion.
"Harry Potter - 85 points, second place, Hogwarts School!"
Compared to the well-liked Albert, Harry had very few supporters, which left Mrs. Weasley somewhat disgruntled.
"Don't be angry, Mum. The most important thing for Harry right now is not winning the championship but staying safe until the end of the competition," Ron quickly consoled her.
"Viktor Krum - 75 points, third place, Durmstrang Institute!"
Krum received significantly more applause and cheers than Harry, a benefit of being an international Quidditch star. He, too, had quite a fan base at Hogwarts.
"Fleur Delacour - 65 points, fourth place, Beauxbatons Academy!"
Fleur's beauty won her favor with the boys, and many were happy to cheer and applaud for her.
"All right, Mr. Anderson, after I blow my whistle, you may choose an entrance to enter the maze." Dumbledore turned to Albert and began a countdown, "Three - two - one!"
After a brief whistle, Albert showed no urgency to enter the maze. Instead, he turned towards the stands, smiled and waved at Isabelle and Niya, and then, amidst the crowd's cheers and screams, he casually strolled into the maze.
This scene left Krum's parents feeling glum. Who was the real Quidditch star, after all?
"Did you get the shot?"
In the stands, Mike Daboe, dressed flamboyantly, asked the photographer beside him. He thought Albert's calm and collected demeanor, as if he had everything under control, was incredibly cool.
"Ok, I dare guarantee with my professional reputation that once these photos are released, a large group of girls will fall head over heels for him. Mr. Anderson will absolutely become the center of attention for countless people." The photographer said excitedly.
About thirty seconds later, Harry casually strolled in through one of the entrances as well.
As soon as he entered the maze, the entrance closed automatically.
Harry had no intention of breaking his promise to Sirius. He planned to stay put and wait for the competition to end.
However, this maze seemed to have other plans, as the hedges on both sides of the passage began to close in.
Wasn't he supposed to wait on the outskirts until the competition ended?
Harry cursed under his breath as he watched the maze close in around him, forced to quicken his pace to avoid being engulfed by the closing hedges.
After the four champions entered the maze, Fake Moody, acting as a patrol officer, began his move. With his magical eye, he could easily locate the champions' positions. The Mudblood wasn't in a hurry to solve the maze but was strolling casually, as if taking a leisurely walk in the park.
"Something's odd here."
Barely Bode immediately sensed that something was amiss. He could tell that Albert was up to something. This slow stroll didn't seem like an attempt to win the championship but rather like he was deliberately waiting for something.
"Now that I think about it, that Mudblood is a Seer, and he knew about the danger in the third task well in advance." Barely Bode mumbled to himself, analyzing the situation, "The fact that he's daring to do this means he's confident about something."
"What an arrogant and detestable brat, thinking that the results of divination and prophecies are set in stone? Those things are inherently unreliable." Barely Bode wasn't angry; instead, he was pleased to see Albert taking his sweet time, as it gave him more time as well.
"You will regret this."
Barely Bode eyed the patrolling professors in the distance and quietly raised his wand, pointing it at the back of one of the professors. He whispered, "Soul Leaving the Body!"
"I'll make sure you don't even have a chance to regret it!" Barely Bode watched the swaying figure in the distance, knowing that the person was struggling against the control of the spell.
He didn't give the person a chance to break free from the Soul Leaving the Body spell and instead intensified its control.
"Success."
Barely Bode's face twisted into an even more sinister grin, and he stared at Albert's location, muttering, "I'll make sure you live to regret this!"
(End of Chapter)
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