Chapter 252: Wade Said I Could!
On the morning of May 16th, almost everyone woke up early and headed to the maze area after breakfast.
No matter how confident Harry had sounded before, at this moment, the thought of competing against many young Wizards older and more skilled than him made his stomach churn. His hair was a mess.
He forced himself to eat a little and drink some pumpkin juice. He didn't dare to eat too much, afraid he'd throw it all up later.
"Let's go."
Hermione, looking just as nervous, walked over and patted Harry's shoulder.
"Everyone's ready."
"O-Okay."
Harry quickly stood up, instinctively glancing at Ron, only to see him sitting with Percy.
It looked like Percy was giving him some advice; Ron's mouth was slightly agape, looking a bit silly.
This time, they were on different teams, not friends, but competitors.
Harry walked towards the others from the Umbrella Room.
Michael's smile was strained; he silently held out his hand and high-fived Harry.
"Go for it! You can do it!"
Padma pumped her fist.
She didn't like fighting and was afraid of getting hurt, so she chose to be a spectator.
When they reached the center of the long table, Neville also joined the group. His legs were trembling with nervousness as he stood up.
The rules stated that each competing team could have a maximum of six people.
Harry, Hermione, Michael, Theo, and Ryan were confirmed participants.
Padma and Wade opted out, the Weasley Twins formed a team with older students, and finally, a hesitant Neville had to step in.
"I... I can't do it..."
Neville's voice trembled when he signed up. "When I get nervous, I forget all the Spells..."
"Then take a sword!"
Wade gripped his shoulder, stating with certainty, "Trust me, you can!"
And then he really made a sword for Neville—shimmering with a cold glint, it looked incredibly sharp.
Wade hesitated for a moment before handing it to Neville.
"I think you should know, you can't use this on people—and of course, be careful not to use it on yourself."
Neville shakily took the sword and asked,
"C-Can I not use it?"
"Of course—it's your decision," Wade said.
Michael also asked, "Can we bring this into the competition?"
Wade replied, "The rules don't say no, so it's allowed."
Now in the Great Hall, Neville had the sword, which was as long as his lower leg, strapped to his side. He was also wearing clothes that allowed for easy movement. If you didn't look at his face, he actually looked quite dashing.
But Neville's face was pale; he looked like he was about to faint.
"Don't forget to breathe, Neville."
Theo reminded him,
"Take a few deep breaths, I think it'll help you."
Michael had a bad feeling but still encouraged him,
"Come on! We don't necessarily have to win, but we have to walk in there standing tall."
"...Michael, are you really that pessimistic?"
Ryan couldn't help but retort.
As they bantered, Neville's nervousness finally eased a bit, and then he heard Theo ask,
"Harry, didn't Wade say you had an advantage? What is it?"
Harry shook his head. "He said I'd know when we entered... but I think it should be..."
He bit his tongue, making a soft "hiss" sound, and Neville suddenly understood.
"Oh, that..."
"Don't say it out loud!"
Padma immediately stopped him, and Neville quickly clapped a hand over his mouth.
But Theo shook his head.
"I guessed that too... but I don't think it is."
Michael followed up, confirming,
"Don't forget, it's not just other teams on the field; people from the Ministry of Magic will be there too. What if they find out…?"
He lowered his voice meaningfully, then swallowed the rest of his words.
Everyone understood what he meant—even if they didn't know the exact outcome, it would certainly be bad.
Then, Michael changed tack.
"But if it's an emergency, you can use it secretly. We'll cover for you, just don't let anyone find out."
Harry nodded slightly, but his heart still felt heavy.
They walked out of the castle.
The weather that day was beautiful, not too hot nor too cold, with a thin layer of clouds in the sky, blocking the increasingly intense sunlight.
The competing teams were already gathering in front of the different entrances to the maze. Filch and Hagrid were checking names one by one against a list, and Professor McGonagall watched the students with a stern expression, making sure they didn't sneak in.
"Today's maze is different from usual; many dangerous elements have been added. If you wish to withdraw, now is still the time!"
Harry heard Professor McGonagall say this loudly, and he thought to himself:
Everyone came prepared. At this point, who would withdraw?
Before the echo of his thought faded from his mind, he saw a team of first-year girls suddenly raise their hands, then giggled as they ran out of the line of contestants.
Another Hufflepuff team was pleading with Filch:
"…That guy was too nervous yesterday and had a bit to drink. He's been throwing up all morning and can't get up. But even if there are only five of us, we can still compete, right?"
"No!"
Filch said sternly, without emotion,
"Even if just one person withdraws, the entire team forfeits! Those are the rules!"
He mercilessly crossed out their names.
People continued to leave the line of contestants, one after another. Neville was so nervous and anxious that he almost wanted to leave the line too.
Just then, a group of people approached, led by Malfoy, whom Harry disliked the most.
He glanced at their team and sneered,
"I heard you're competing too, Longbottom, is that true? You're not planning to make your enemies laugh with some pathetic juggling act so they'll go easy on you, are you?"
Neville's face was still pale, but his trembling suddenly stopped.
"I can do it! Wade said I can!"
"Oh?"
Malfoy said indifferently,
"Then I have to say, his judgment has been a bit off lately. He should borrow Potter's glasses for a bit."
"Get lost, Malfoy!"
Harry clenched his fists and stepped forward, saying angrily,
"Otherwise, we'll fight right now!"
"What are you doing?"
Professor McGonagall noticed the conflict and immediately strode over, saying sternly,
"Malfoy, I recall you're not at this entrance! Return to your team immediately!"
"Understood, Professor."
Malfoy said grudgingly, glaring fiercely at the two Gryffindors when the professor wasn't looking, then walked towards another entrance nearby.
Professor McGonagall looked at the mixed team of students from three houses. Her tone softened slightly, but she remained very serious.
"Please, at least be quiet for me today! Many people from the Ministry of Magic are watching your performance!"
Following her gaze, Harry and the others saw Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic, and also Wade, who was standing there as well.
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