(Third Person POV)
"Let's see what our other champion is doing!"
Ludo Bagman waved his wand toward the enormous crystal sphere.
The image of Harry Potter immediately disappeared.
For a moment, the crystal became completely transparent.
Bagman frowned and waved his wand again.
"Switch to Karkaroff."
The crystal shimmered and displayed an empty corridor inside the maze.
The audience watched in confusion.
Bagman blinked. "...That's odd."
All they could see were tall hedges and a few scattered leaves.
But absolutely no sign of Ivan Karkaroff.
Bagman leaned closer. "Where is Karkaroff?"
A murmur spread throughout the stadium.
Students began looking around as if Ivan might somehow be hiding among the spectators.
"He's disappeared!"
"Did he find the Cup already?"
"No, the task hasn't ended!"
"Maybe the crystal is broken!"
At the judges' table, several people exchanged confused glances.
Igor Karkaroff's expression darkened. "Vat do you mean, you cannot find him?"
Bagman waved his wand several more times, making the crystal sphere change perspectives.
Another empty corridor.
Then another.
Then another.
But Ivan Karkaroff remained nowhere to be seen.
Dumbledore studied the crystal thoughtfully. "Curious."
Madame Maxime frowned. "Could he 'ave somehow escaped ze maze?"
"Impossible," Bagman replied immediately. "The wards are still active."
"Then perhaps..."
Dumbledore's eyes twinkled. "...Mr Karkaroff has found a way to hide."
…
He was correct.
Ivan Karkaroff was moving, very quickly.
The young man raced through the maze with astonishing efficiency.
Unlike Harry, who was forced to navigate every corridor normally, Ivan had already mapped the maze in his mind.
He knew where the dead ends were.
He knew where the magical creatures had been placed.
And, most importantly, he knew exactly where he was going.
The Triwizard Cup.
He intended to reach it first.
There was no reason to waste time fighting every obstacle placed in his path.
That was for children.
Ivan had other methods.
His body shimmered faintly as he moved.
The spell covering him resembled a Disillusionment Charm.
But it was far more sophisticated, the magic didn't merely bend light around him, it distorted the perception of anyone attempting to observe him.
Even magical detection became unreliable.
And more importantly, it interfered with scrying.
The crystal spheres could no longer locate him. The enchantment following him had lost its target.
To the audience, Ivan Karkaroff had simply vanished.
But to Ivan… everything was going perfectly as intended.
He moved silently through another corridor, his footsteps barely made a sound.
His wand remained hidden beneath his robes.
He didn't need it.
Not yet.
The modified Disillusionment Charm continued working flawlessly.
He had spent considerable time refining it.
Even Dumbledore would have difficulty locating him.
And as for the crystal sphere...
Well.
The tournament organisers had never expected a champion to deliberately conceal himself from their surveillance.
Ivan almost smiled smugly.
Then...
He stopped.
His expression changed, feeling that something was wrong.
The corridor ahead was different.
The hedges were thicker, the air warmer, and there was something else.
Ivan's eyes narrowed.
He entered the corridor carefully and noticed an enormous shadow in the distance.
He remained perfectly still.
Then a deep female voice echoed through the corridor. "I know you are there."
Ivan's eyes narrowed, but refused to move, confident in his concealment.
But the voice continued. "I can smell you. Show yourself..."
The voice became colder. "...or I shall be forced to attack."
Ivan considered his options. He could attempt to sneak past, but whatever creature was waiting for him had already detected his presence.
That eliminated the element of surprise.
He could attack, but he still didn't know what he was dealing with.
And that… Was unacceptable.
Ivan slowly released the Disillusionment Charm and his body gradually became visible.
Then he lit his wand and took a look into the distance.
The creature waiting for him was unexpected.
A massive beast stood in the corridor.
It resembled a manticore at first glance, a human head, a powerful lion's body, and four enormous legs.
But the similarities ended there.
This creature was considerably larger, nearly twice the size of the manticore Ivan had seen earlier and sent in Delacour's way.
Its golden fur was thick and beautifully maintained.
Its human face was that of an older woman, with long dark hair cascading over her shoulders.
Her eyes were sharp, intelligent, and entirely lacking the playful amusement of the Manticore.
Ivan stared at her.
A Sphinx.
He hadn't expected to encounter one here.
They were extraordinarily rare.
Unlike manticores, which could occasionally be found in magical reserves or controlled environments, Sphinxes were far less common.
And considerably more intelligent.
They were also famous for one particular trait, their love of riddles.
Ivan stared at the creature.
The creature stared back.
A strange thought crossed his mind.
A Sphinx, a creature obsessed with riddles. And the man standing before her...
Was Tom Riddle.
The irony was almost amusing.
The Sphinx smiled. "I see."
Her voice was calm. "You are intelligent enough not to attempt to sneak past me."
Ivan raised one eyebrow. "I could have tried."
"And you would have failed."
"Perhaps."
The Sphinx's smile widened. "Perhaps?"
Ivan shrugged. "Confidence is important."
"That sounded more like arrogance." The Sphinx raised a brow.
"Only if I couldn't do it."
The Sphinx stared at him for several seconds, and then, she laughed.
It was a surprisingly deep and pleasant sound.
"Interesting."
Ivan's expression remained neutral.
The Sphinx lowered her head slightly. "If you wish to pass..."
Her enormous body shifted, completely blocking the corridor.
"...you must answer my riddle."
Ivan stared at her, then he glanced toward the path behind the creature, he was pretty sure the cup was just around the corner.
He looked back at the Sphinx.
"And if I don't want to?" One of Ivan's eyebrows rose challengingly.
The Sphinx answered immediately. "Then you die."
Ivan blinked, for a moment, he was tempted to answer with "no, then you die." But he decided to play along and see where this led him, so instead he said. "...That's rather blunt."
"I am a Sphinx."
"Yes, I've noticed."
"Those are the rules."
Ivan looked at the creature thoughtfully, he had expected some sort of magical challenge before finding the cup, perhaps a duel.
But a riddle?
That was… almost insulting.
He had spent decades studying the deepest mysteries of magic.
He had mastered ancient rituals, created Horcruxes, learned how to manipulate the minds of others, and even defied death itself.
But now...
A magical cat was going to ask him a riddle.
Ivan sighed. "Very well."
The Sphinx smiled. "Good."
She settled herself comfortably in the middle of the corridor, her massive paws crossed beneath her chest.
"Then listen carefully."
Ivan folded his arms. "Go on."
The Sphinx's eyes gleamed. "Many have attempted to answer my riddles."
She paused. "Few have succeeded."
Ivan's lips curled into the faintest hint of a smile. "Then perhaps you should try asking better riddles."
The Sphinx stared at him, and for the first time, she looked genuinely offended.
She suddenly leaned forward.
"Very well." Her voice became almost ominously cheerful.
"Let us see if you are as clever as you believe yourself to be."
Ivan's expression hardened.
The Sphinx took a deep breath and began.
"First think of the person who lives in disguise,
Who deals in secrets and tells naught but lies.
Next, tell me what's always the last thing to mend,
The middle of middle and end of the end?
And finally give me the sound often heard,
During the search for a hard-to-find word.
Now string them together and answer me this...
Which creature would you be unwilling to kiss?"
The Sphinx smiled. "Now answer."
Ivan paused for a few moments, but then his expression became almost amused.
"That's easy."
The Sphinx's smile faltered slightly.
"A spider."
She blinked. "...That was rather fast."
Ivan shrugged. "It wasn't a difficult riddle."
The Sphinx stared at him before finally stepping aside. "Your answer is correct. You may pass."
Ivan didn't move. "Not so fast."
The Sphinx frowned. "What now?"
"You said that if I attempted to pass without answering your riddle, you would kill me."
"Yes." She nodded as if that was a matter of fact.
"And now I've answered correctly."
"That you have."
"Then it's only fair that you die instead."
The Sphinx stared at him. "That's not how it works!"
Ivan's lips curled into a faint smile. "You have your rules. I have mine."
He lifted his wand.
The Sphinx's expression immediately changed.
"Wait…"
"Avada Kedavra!"
The green curse shot from his wand with astonishing speed.
The Sphinx's eyes widened, but she had no time to react.
The curse struck her directly between the eyes and she collapsed heavily onto the ground.
Ivan stared down at the corpse for a moment.
Then he calmly stored his wand and walked past her.
As he did, he lightly kicked one of her enormous paws.
"I really hate riddles."
And with that, Ivan continued toward the Triwizard Cup.
…