At the same time, Cedric noticed that the judges for the competition all looked incredibly anxious, pacing back and forth while staring toward the dense forest.
As the contestants were teleported out one by one, each of them wore expressions of agony.
This was especially true for the event's organizer, Ludo Bagman, the Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports.
Even in the depths of winter, the short, stout man kept wiping sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief, as if he were on the verge of fainting from overstimulation at any moment.
It looked like a Dark Wizard was about to ambush him.
Cedric couldn't help but think this with a touch of amusement.
At the same time, he puffed out his chest with pride. If a Dark Wizard really did show up, he'd be the first to step forward and fight, without a hint of retreat!
Suddenly.
With a pop, a figure materialized out of thin air, landing lightly on the ground. He lifted his iconic cobalt-blue eyes and scanned the surroundings with a shrewd gaze.
It was Ethan Vincent!
Cedric shot to his feet.
Just as he was about to approach, the judges rushed forward even faster, swarming around Ethan.
It was as if they were terrified of what he might do next.
Cedric sensed something off about the scene but didn't dwell on it.
He figured it was just because Ethan was so young that they were offering him extra attention.
"Ethan really got a Portkey. I just wonder what place he'll end up in. Maybe, with his strength, he could even crack the top eight."
"But I'm not too far behind him."
Not long after.
As the last two students were teleported over, Ludo Bagman—the competition's organizer and Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports—slowly stepped forward and positioned himself in the center of the clearing.
His expression was solemn, as if he weren't there to announce the end of the event but to oversee a funeral.
"—Congratulations to everyone. Through the tireless efforts of each of our outstanding contestants, I declare that this Treasure Hunt Challenge has been a complete—"
Ludo Bagman's voice trailed off.
He paused for two seconds before continuing with a strained expression:
"—success."
It was as though he'd just uttered an enormous falsehood.
"Now, it's time to announce the results of the competition."
Cedric immediately held his breath, listening intently.
Durmstrang's star player, Viktor Krum, was very likely to take first. Fleur Delacour from Beauxbatons would probably land in the top five as well...
And then there were the talented students from Hogwarts...
The competition for the top ten spots was fierce.
Ludo Bagman: "—Third place goes to Penelope Clearwater from Hogwarts!"
Penelope, whose name had been called, tugged wearily at the corners of her mouth as she accepted the bronze trophy, a smile still managing to appear on her face.
Hmm? Why start announcing from third place?
Cedric was stunned.
Even if they were going in reverse order, it should have started from tenth place, right?
What on earth was happening? A strange unease bubbled up in his chest.
It felt like things were about to veer wildly off course.
"—Second place: Gemma Farley from Hogwarts!"
Gemma Farley remained expressionless as she clutched the silver cup, her face still cold and proud.
The surrounding students began to murmur.
Why were they all from Hogwarts—?
Was the whole thing rigged?
Amid the growing buzz.
Ludo Bagman shouted even louder:
"First place!!"
Silence blanketed the area.
Under everyone's watchful eyes, he swallowed hard and read out that terrifying name:
"From Hogwarts School—Ethan Vincent!"
?!
In an instant.
Those words hit Cedric like a sledgehammer to the skull.
His mind went blank, and he stared wide-eyed, unable to believe his ears!
—Ethan Vincent, in first place?!
How, how was that possible?!
He wasn't the only one thinking it, apparently.
The scene was deathly quiet; no one spoke or stirred.
What should have been a eruption of applause and cheers was instead utter stillness.
Even the Hogwarts contestants gaped at the figure, struggling to process it.
Only a few fortunate ones who hadn't ended up at St. Mungo's had already seen this coming.
—That wretched kid!
Fleur sat on a lounge chair, grinding her pearly teeth, her emerald eyes practically shooting flames, as if she wanted to incinerate Ethan on the spot.
Penelope gazed at Ethan with a mix of emotions, clutching a Portkey in her hand.
—Ethan hadn't actually hidden the Portkey in the toilet.
That had apparently been another one of his baffling attempts at humor.
The Portkey had simply been sitting on the washbasin in the lavatory.
And it wasn't just one—there were two.
Allowing both her and Gemma Farley to make it through successfully.
In the end, Penelope could only sigh:
"Oh, Ethan, our Ravenclaw is going to be famous."
She just wasn't sure if it would be for the right reasons.
Ethan stepped across the frozen ground and slowly approached the Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports, savoring the crowd's stares.
"Thank you."
Ethan smiled politely as he accepted the golden trophy engraved with his name from the judge's impassive hands.
Along with a full thousand Galleons.
When Ethan's wrist registered that hefty weight, he nearly lost control and broke into a toothy grin right there, laughing maniacally.
Through his parted lips, a golden gleam seemed to shine.
In that moment, it warmed him more than the winter sun ever could.
The prize money—equivalent to first place in the Triwizard Tournament—was his!!
With this cash, he could start prepping for those newly learned second-tier murals.
To give Professor Quirrell a massive surprise.
"I'll make good use of this money," Ethan said earnestly. "I'll use it to create even better paintings."
"And when I do, I'll definitely invite all of you to join in."
The head judge looked at Ethan's sincere smile, his mouth twitching twice.
Don't repay kindness with enmity.
In the oppressive silence.
Ludo Bagman wrapped up wearily:
"In short—these are all the contestants who completed our challenge. Thank you all for participating."
"Even if you didn't place, don't lose heart. We've prepared a small gift for everyone."
"The heads of your respective schools will be here soon to collect you. Feel free to relax and rest."
He paused, then added:
"—If anyone needs psychological counseling, we're more than happy to provide it."
After this year, would the competition even continue...?
Everyone watched in a daze as the organizers departed, their postures seeming to have aged a decade in mere moments.
After a long pause, reality crashed back in!
Unprecedented...
An unprecedented first place!!
A first-year wizard had claimed the championship!
How could this be?!
How had that kid pulled it off!!
People exchanged glances, each seeing raw disbelief in the others' eyes!
"In the hundreds of years this competition has run, no first-year wizard has ever won a prize, let alone first place!"
One contestant exclaimed.
"What's more, have you noticed? They only announced the top three—where are the other seven?"
"That means only three people, including Ethan, actually completed the challenge!"
Since most of those left were contestants who hadn't entered the mansion, they were unaware of Ethan's unorthodox method of clearing it.
But that didn't stop them from instinctively feeling that something was deeply amiss.
What exactly had this first-year wizard from Hogwarts done?
Why had so many contestants been carted off to St. Mungo's this year?
And why were the organizers offering psychological support?
They glanced at the smile on Ethan's face.
For some reason, a shiver ran through them.
A chill crept down their spines.
On the other side.
Cedric was utterly stupefied.
He stood there, mouth agape, watching as Ethan was encircled by contestants from various schools, holding the gleaming golden trophy.
Bathed in sunlight, he seemed to radiate light.
Cedric suddenly felt an insurmountable barrier between himself and Ethan.
Ethan had taken first in the competition, while he hadn't even placed—what right did he have to compare himself? It was absurd, presumptuous!
Cedric muttered.
His smooth-sailing life of over a decade had just taken a devastating hit, and his cheeks burned with humiliation.
He was only glad he hadn't shared his earlier boast about being "on par with Ethan" with anyone.
Otherwise, Cedric would have stunned himself with a Stupefy on the spot.
"I have no right to even speak to him. We're not on the same level—"
At that moment.
Cedric accidentally caught Ethan's eye, and the latter raised a hand, smiling and waving at him.
Cedric trembled all over, his breath catching!
Ethan had waved at him!
He was actually willing to acknowledge someone like him, who hadn't even ranked.
Ethan, what a gracious and kind soul he was!
Cedric was profoundly touched.
He stood up and approached Ethan, bowing respectfully as he said with awe:
"Congratulations on first place, Ethan! That's incredible—this is sure to go down in Hogwarts history!"
"May I ask how you achieved this honor?"
What clever strategy had he used to reach the mansion and snag the Portkey faster than anyone?
Ethan: "It's simple. If I eliminate everyone else, won't that guarantee me first place?"
As he spoke, Ethan flashed the Hufflepuff boy a broad, hearty smile.
Cedric: "..."
His smile froze, and he stared in shock.
A sudden epiphany hit him:
So that's why the organizers had been so on edge earlier!
Just then.
A commotion broke out from the organizers' side, as if they were scrambling to prevent something.
"Bang, bang, bang!"
Several loud cracks rang out, and a group of tall figures appeared before Ethan, gazing down at him with icy eyes as they intoned:
"Mr. Ethan Vincent, you are suspected of murdering Hemberg Carrow, the eldest son of the Carrow family. Please come with us."
"The Ministry of Magic court is already awaiting you."
At those words, the contestants around Ethan recoiled in horror!
They all stepped back in unison!
Murder?!
Did he mean "eliminate" in the literal sense?!
The smile on Ethan's lips vanished, replaced by a hint of coldness and sarcasm.
Murder? Court?
Heh, he wasn't sure who would end up judging whom.
To brazenly arrest him—a frail, defenseless young wizard—the Ministry of Magic was truly scraping the bottom of the barrel.
He'd have to face this sooner or later anyway.
It was a perfect chance to air his grievances.
In his mind, lights flickered, transforming into power that surged into Ethan's words.
--
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