The audience's engagement was incredibly high—far better than just waiting on the lakeside for news or outside the maze for results.
Every movement made by the champions was accurately transmitted through magical projections, so the spectators outside could see everything as though watching a live broadcast on a giant screen. They could clearly witness what the champions experienced. The appearance of traps, mechanisms, and magical creatures constantly drew gasps of amazement from the crowd.
Such enthusiastic responses pleased Minister of Magic Fudge immensely. It seemed hosting the Triwizard Tournament annually wouldn't be a problem at all. He was even beginning to consider selling tickets to foreign spectators, just like with the Quidditch World Cup.
Since the Death Eater attack at the last Quidditch World Cup, wizards around the world had developed a fear of the sport. The magical world lacked entertainment options, and it was time to develop new forms of amusement.
The Triwizard Tournament was an excellent candidate.
The champions' predicaments were only temporary. The bronze gauntlets they wore on their left hands also had protective functions. This feature remained inactive unless the wearer's life was in danger, so unless the life-protection spell was triggered, there was no need for Aurors to intervene.
Krum used Lumos Maxima to drive away the spiders. Then, with several swipes of his wand, he severed the webs and quickly freed himself. Although more traps awaited ahead, Krum would now proceed with greater caution.
Cedric had also escaped the grip of the Devil's Snare. The ground was littered with severed vine limbs, and the remaining parts recoiled with a hissing sound.
Gabrielle stopped resisting the unicorn. Instead, she sat down to calm it, singing a gentle melody. Within moments, the unicorn leaned against her and fell asleep. According to legend, unicorns only trusted virgins and could only fall asleep beside them.
"Sleep well. I have something I must do—I need to help my sister."
Gabrielle whispered and quietly slipped away from the unicorn, which let out a contented snort.
"Gabrielle is so adorable! We love you, Gabrielle!"
The girls from Beauxbatons watching from outside were clearly smitten with the Delacour sisters, frequently cheering for their small victories.
Stanislav Ivaneski finally crawled out of the tar pit, though his method was rather unconventional. He cast Engorgio on himself. Typically, wizards would never use such a volatile spell on themselves, as it risked losing control over their bodies. The altered physical state would significantly affect their ability to use and manage magic, which was one reason Animagi were so rare.
However, Durmstrang Institute had always had a unique expertise in dark magic. This was already evident in the lake task, where two of their champions had transformed into beast-headed humanoids. So gigantification didn't seem too far-fetched for them.
Even so, Stanislav Ivaneski took it too far. He made himself so enormous that he now stood taller than the maze walls. From his vantage point, the entire maze was like an open map in his hands, and he could easily spot the positions of the other champions.
He didn't even glance at the trophy in the center of the maze. His eyes were fixed solely on the other competitors.
Gabrielle happened to be nearby. With one massive step, he crossed the distance and swung a gigantic fist at her tiny figure.
"No!"
The spectators outside screamed. The giant had grown so large that his upper body was now visible even from beyond the maze. If that fist landed, would Gabrielle survive?
Gabrielle felt the imminent danger. That towering fist was no ordinary trap—it was a real threat to her life. What should she do? Her body wouldn't move.
Stanislav's punch was so powerful it compressed the air around Gabrielle, completely engulfing her in pressure.
But just before impact, Gabrielle's gauntlet activated its protective mechanism. A transparent energy bubble enveloped her, and the punch struck it as if sinking into a cushion of cotton, unable to exert any force.
"That was close!"
The audience collectively breathed a sigh of relief. But the giant wasn't done—his massive fist remained pressing down.
BOOM!
With a thunderous crash, Stanislav's giant fist slammed into the ground, smashing a crater into the earth.
"She's going to die! Someone's going to die!"
Some of the boys began shouting, but none of them saw that just moments ago, the air current surrounding Gabrielle had suddenly collapsed inward and vanished beneath the fist—only then did the punch hit the ground.
The magical creatures in that area scattered in a panic. That single punch had already damaged some of the magic nodes, causing several temporary contracts to fail. And with such a dangerous figure present, fleeing was the only sensible option.
"Regulus! Was it you who saved me?"
Gabrielle had been summoned out by Regulus Black. According to the previous rules, when a champion's life was in danger and they triggered the protective air shield, it would mean forfeiting their place in the competition. This was meant to ensure the safety of the participants.
"Of course! You're not dreaming."
After summoning Gabrielle, Regulus Black held her tightly in his arms—of course, Fleur would've been granted the same treatment.
"All the animals have run out, but there's still a unicorn inside."
Gabrielle was indeed a good child. Even at a moment like this, she was still worried about the unicorn that had just tried to stop her. Though it had blocked her earlier, she had managed to soothe it to sleep.
"Don't worry! I've already arranged everything. The unicorn has been returned to a safe place. Lauren Faust is a battle-hardened druid warrior, after all!"
Regulus Black continued to hold Gabrielle as he sat down in the spectator stands.
"Who's Lauren Faust?"
Gabrielle Delacour looked confused.
"That's the unicorn's name. You'll get to meet again someday."
Regulus Black finally set the little girl down—if he didn't, Madame Maxime standing nearby might just land a punch of her own, though her target definitely wouldn't be Gabrielle.
Meanwhile, the situation on the field was shifting rapidly. Stanislas Ivanesky's punch had already hit the ground, and the little girl had vanished. Whether she had exited the competition or been smashed into the dirt made no difference now, because there were still others to eliminate.
On either side of Stanislas Ivanesky were Gabrielle and Harry Potter. Past Gabrielle was Cedric, and beyond Harry was Fleur. He and Krum stood on opposite ends.
Compared to Harry Potter, Cedric appeared more formidable. Stanislas Ivanesky took large strides straight toward Cedric's area.
Fleur had also seen Stanislas Ivanesky transform into a giant and had moved to a straight corridor to get a better view of his movements. She hadn't expected him to head toward her sister Gabrielle's area—then to throw a punch so powerful it shook the ground, filling everyone with dread.
"Gabrielle! My Gabrielle!"
Fleur, thinking something terrible had happened to her sister, immediately rushed toward the opposite side of the field.
Harry Potter also picked up his pace. Based on Ivanesky's current direction, he was in the clear for now. He was relieved the giant hadn't come toward him—but the thought that Gabrielle might be in danger sparked a sense of alarm in him as well.
Cedric quickened his steps too, chased by the giant behind him while also having to dodge traps and mechanisms. Thankfully, the fleeing magical creatures had revealed many of the hidden setups—but that didn't make it any less terrifying.
Viktor Krum was at a loss for words. If that girl named Gabrielle had truly been hurt, even winning the Triwizard Cup would be a hollow victory, forever shadowed by death.
For a moment, the entire arena was in utter chaos. Every champion was fleeing for their lives, with one of them—a transformed giant—chasing down Cedric.
At last, Cedric was caught. Stanislas Ivanesky struck him with a massive slap, sending him flying.
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