Chapter 270: Lord Voldemort Blocked
On the second day of Christmas, everyone woke up very late.
After all, yesterday's Christmas Ball lasted until midnight, and even then, many people wished the Ball would be extended further.
Inside the Common Room, it was much quieter than in previous days, with a few young Wizards chatting idly.
Some were busily writing their assignments; during the first week of the holiday, most young Wizards only cared about playing, but now they should consider their homework, as classes were only a few days away.
After lunch, Ethan greeted Cassandra and the others, then activated a Portkey and directly disappeared from Hogwarts Castle.
When he reappeared, he was already in Knockturn Alley.
From here, he could still see Diagon Alley under construction. The main structure was now almost complete, with only the various magic spells remaining to be arranged.
From the conversations of nearby Wizards, he learned that Diagon Alley could be rebuilt before the summer holiday.
The reason it took so long, despite the presence of magic spells, was mainly due to the troublesome lava ground from before.
Although the Goblins were keen to move Diagon Alley to a different location, which would save them considerable cost and time, and also allow them to expand Diagon Alley's territory to gain some profit.
However, these proposals were rejected by the shops in Diagon Alley. Since the losses were borne by the Goblins, along with resettlement fees, they were in no hurry.
He walked into the Witch Heart Society's base and went directly to Heerbo's laboratory door, knocking twice.
Ethan didn't have to wait long before a middle-aged bald strong man, about one meter ninety tall, opened the laboratory door and walked out.
"Boss!"
Hezper the Vile, resurrected from a Horcrux remnant, was very satisfied with his recent life.
He was a very traditional Dark Wizard, who usually enjoyed researching new spells, Alchemy, and such, but many of these processes required human experimentation.
If he lacked materials, he would go and capture them. Whether Muggles, other Wizards, or Animals, they were all his targets. Plus, when capturing materials and conducting research, he made a bit of a commotion, which made him famous.
It was precisely these actions that earned him the title of the Dark Wizard Ancestor.
Now, he spent his days doing experiments, occasionally taking on two tasks, never lacking experimental subjects or materials, and undisturbed by anyone. Aside from having someone above him, he lived more comfortably than before.
"Have you found any traces of Lord Voldemort in Little Hangleton?"
This was a task Ethan had given him over a week ago: to go to Little Hangleton and investigate Lord Voldemort's whereabouts, especially around the Gaunt Old House.
Ethan wanted to find Lord Voldemort, and that was the most likely place he would appear.
After all, Lord Voldemort's final resurrection took place in the graveyard there, and that Potion also required a certain amount of time to brew, so it was very possible they had arrived early.
As for whether he would be there now, Ethan wasn't entirely sure, but he had to try.
Although Lord Voldemort was only a remnant soul, his senses were quite sharp. To avoid alerting him, either Ethan had to go, or it had to be Tom or Heerbo.
As for Tom, Ethan wasn't sure if there would be any connection between the two of them, so he wasn't suitable. Ultimately, this task fell to Heerbo.
"Near the Gaunt Old House, I found quite a few warning spells. When I approached, I discovered a decaying smell inside. Without a doubt, it's a soul that hasn't gone to hell and is clinging to life."
As he said this, a hint of self-mockery flashed across Heerbo's face, because he too feared death in the same way.
Ethan, having received the answer he wanted, waved his hand, dismissing Heerbo.
A soul that didn't descend into hell to prolong its miserable existence—wasn't that Lord Voldemort?
Having pinpointed his target, Ethan vanished from his original spot, reappearing in a valley in the Little Hangleton area.
He put away the VoldyBat disguised as a Death Eater, picked up a Potion, and gulped it down in a few mouthfuls.
His body immediately swelled, and he transformed into a robust middle-aged white man with black hair and blue eyes, standing around one meter ninety tall.
This was the same appearance he had when he fought Lord Voldemort outside Hogsmeade and crippled Quirrell.
It was also the image he revealed during the Gringottsrobbery.
He even earned the nickname 'Infernal Demon'.
Ethan had carefully considered before deciding to use this disguise.
Following a small path, Ethan made his way to the Gaunt Old House without any attempt to conceal his tracks.
Soon, he arrived outside the Gaunt Old House. Its exterior was as dilapidated as ever.
There were indeed several warning spells around, but to Ethan, their arrangement wasn't particularly clever.
Avoiding these spells, Ethan pushed open the main door and walked in.
However, Ethan didn't sense anyone inside. With a puzzled mind, he thoroughly checked every nook and cranny, but there wasn't even a single hair.
Nor was there any hidden space created by an Undetectable Extension Charm.
If not for the shattered statue and the warning magicoutside, it would truly seem as if no one had been here since Ethan's last visit.
Indeed, the statue that once held the resurrection stonewas now scattered in fragments on the ground.
Lord Voldemort likely discovered that the resurrection stone, which he had made into a Horcrux, had been stolen from here, so he, in a fit of rage, had it blown up.
It's just unknown who Lord Voldemort suspects now, after his Horcruxes have been destroyed one after another.
After a thorough search, Ethan returned to the outside of the small courtyard.
Clearly, Lord Voldemort had already left, and finding him would require other means.
"Traces, Revelio!"
As the spell was cast, Ethan crouched down and blew a handful of golden powder all around him, as if blowing a kiss. As the powder settled, a series of footprints appeared on the ground.
This was a spell specifically used for tracking people, not found in books, but Ethan now had many channels to learn spells. He had learned quite a few of these spells, which are only used in specific situations, just in case he might need them.
Now, this spell was perfect for the current situation.
Under the golden powder, it would reveal the footprints of everyone who had walked through here recently.
Of course, to prevent one's tracks from being discovered by this spell, one could also clear their own footprints, which wasn't complicated. It just depended on whether one had the awareness to do so. Ethan, for one, habitually cleared his.
This didn't require Ethan to do anything special. When he first encountered Alchemy in his first year, Ethan had already modified his shoes. It was in his second year that he added the trace-clearing spell, and he had been using this model ever since.
As for Lord Voldemort, it was unknown if he had this good habit.
Heerbo met Tom just a few days ago, and if he hadn't deliberately cleaned up, there would certainly be their imprints now.
Then, all he needed to do was identify which footprint belonged to him.
Due to its secluded location, even Muggles were unwilling to come, so there weren't many footprints here. Only three locations were suspicious.
Ethan placed his wand over the footprints; the first one wasn't it.
It wasn't until the second phantom appeared on his wandthat Ethan saw his target.
A short, stout man with a rat-like face and a pointed nose, a fawning smile, and holding a small object that looked like a baby, though it was wrapped and its face was unclear.
Following the footprints, he was walking down the small path towards the mountain.
This was good; if he had Apparated directly, that would have been troublesome.
Following the footprints, Ethan also spotted a grayish-white hair. This was the advantage of good eyesight; otherwise, for an ordinary person, unless they bent down and used a magnifying glass, they would hardly notice this hair.
With the hair, subsequent tracking became even more convenient.
"Trace the Source!"
He tossed the hair into the air, and propelled by magic, the hair swayed twice in mid-air before finding a direction and slowly moving forward, becoming a guide.
Following the hair, he walked down the mountain. When passing the cemetery, the hair did not stop but turned a corner and floated towards a nearby village.
Finally, the hair floated towards an old house. From outside the courtyard, the house also appeared to have been abandoned for a long time.
However, under Ethan's perception, there were still quite a few warning spells here.
If nothing unexpected happened, Peter and Lord Voldemort were currently inside.
Without the slightest hesitation, Ethan used an Alohomora spell and directly entered.
Unlike the decayed and dilapidated exterior, the interior was quite clean, showing clear signs of life.
"Avada Kedavra!"
Just as Ethan placed his hand on the door of the house, preparing to open it.
A dark, sickly green light shot directly towards Ethan's face from around the corner.
Clearly, opening the courtyard gate had startled the people inside.
But at this moment, facing this light, which was feared by everyone in the Wizarding World, Ethan not only showed no fear but a slight smile appeared on his lips.
He hadn't come to the wrong place, and they hadn't left yet.
Just as the green light was about to hit Ethan's head, a pitch-black crow flew directly into it.
Under the effect of Avada Kedavra, the crow naturally met its demise, but what the attacking Wizard didn't expect was that not only did his sneak attack fail, but the crow didn't die either. Instead, it split into two and rushed towards him.
Before he could react, he was pecked by a crow. It was this single peck that caused him to completely turn into an orange-red torch. In just two or three seconds, he became a pile of ashes scattered by the wind.
Ethan wouldn't be surprised if there were other Death Eaters with Lord Voldemort. Since he could find Peterand Barty Crouch Jr., it was highly probable that he had also connected with other rats hiding and scurrying outside.
"Bang!"
Ethan kicked the door open directly. Since he had already been discovered, there was no point in hiding. Then he shouted into the house:
"Lord Voldemort, come out and greet your guest, otherwise don't blame me for ruining your resurrection plan!"
The reason for this was also the fear that the commotion just now would make Lord Voldemort run away, which would then require Ethan to spend more effort to find him.
Don't let Lord Voldemort's arrogant and condescending demeanor fool you; in reality, he's not truly brave. He fears Dumbledore, he fears death, and now in this ghastly state, he would sacrifice everything for his resurrection.
Currently, he has no power. If he encounters an invincible enemy, he would definitely run without a word, especially with the cowardly Peter by his side.
"M-Master, what do we do now?"
Peter, who was holding Lord Voldemort, had just been about to Apparate away when he heard that sentence, which made him completely afraid to act rashly.
Lord Voldemort was a lunatic, obsessed with resurrection. If this plan were truly ruined, even if he left to protect Lord Voldemort, once Lord Voldemort found another opportunity to resurrect later, he would definitely not let him off, even if he had contributed a lot.
As for the person below trying to trick him, that was unlikely.
To be able to find this place so precisely, with such strength, he must have discovered something. If he interfered, this grand resurrection plan could indeed be ruined.
"Go down and see who it is. Now, truly, anyone dares to jump around in front of me."
The already ugly and deformed infant face became even more distorted.
Although he was timid and didn't mind fleeing for his life, he was still fundamentally a very proud person.
Now, being challenged and threatened with the disruption of his resurrection plan, how could Lord Voldemort possibly tolerate it?
"As you command, Master!"
Despite still being somewhat afraid, Peter had no choice but to go downstairs.
He had already completely offended Dumbledore's faction, and once exposed, he would undoubtedly be hunted by the Ministry of Magic's Auror forces. Besides Lord Voldemort, there was no other place that could accommodate him.
As for the Witch Heart Society, that was not even in Peter's consideration.
Although they were developing quite well now, and their leader was strong enough, they hadn't fallen out with the Ministry of Magic.
If the Ministry of Magic demanded his surrender, they might not make the choice he hoped for.
Peter, descending the stairs with the two Death Eaters he had prepared as delaying cannon fodder, saw Ethan's appearance and his already narrow pupils suddenly constricted.
With that one glance, he recognized who the newcomer was—the Infernal Demon, who had been featured in newspapers for a long time and had wanted posters everywhere.
Undoubtedly, this was an extremely troublesome person.
But why would he find this place? The two sides had no contact whatsoever!
"Lord Voldemort, long time no see!"
"How did you end up looking like this?"
Ethan looked at the deformed infant in Peter's arms, sneered, and then teased.
"It's you!"
The moment he saw Ethan, Lord Voldemort recognized him, and his entire face immediately twisted even more.
It was well known that Lord Voldemort was a very vengeful person.
Harry, as the culprit who caused his demise, was the person he most wanted to kill.
Next was Dumbledore. He was not only the only formidable enemy in the Wizarding World who could stop him, but when he was studying at Hogwarts, all the Professors liked him, except Dumbledore. Later, Dumbledore even rejected his application. What was so bad about him that he had to be rejected like that?
Following these two were Ethan and the Infernal Demon. A first-year Wizard actually prevented him from getting the Philosopher's Stone and resurrecting. It was a disgrace to even mention it.
The other one was the Infernal Demon, who conducted business without integrity, stole his Dragon egg, and even damaged Quirrell, his vessel at the time. This was unbearable for Lord Voldemort. He had always been the one to backstab others, when had he ever been backstabbed and failed to retaliate? Once resurrected, he would definitely seek revenge.
Chapter 271: The Enraged Lord Voldemort
"Alright, don't make such a ghastly face, it's quite disgusting."
"I'm here to make a deal with you today!"
Ethan ignored Lord Voldemort's glare, which seemed intent on killing him. Anyway, he didn't have pupil magic, and his eyes couldn't shoot Avada Kedavra, so he wasn't flustered at all.
"A deal? You still dare to talk about a deal with me?"
Hearing that word, Lord Voldemort immediately lost his temper. He had never suffered such a great loss in his life.
Moreover, this person had no integrity at all, even worse than him, the Dark Lord. How dare he come to him for a deal again?
"Don't you dare be so ungrateful!"
Ethan scoffed, and immediately, orange-red flames erupted, incinerating the entire old house into ashes.
The scorching flames enveloped Ethan and Lord Voldemort's group.
Talking about a deal was giving Lord Voldemort a bit of face; to be blunt, it was coercion.
This time, he had to agree whether he liked it or not.
As for Lord Voldemort's side, facing Ethan's sudden outburst, Peter's legs went weak, and he almost dropped Lord Voldemort from his arms.
From the moment they met, Peter felt something was off. These two clearly knew each other, and something unpleasant had happened between them.
At that time, he was afraid that a fight would break out. He didn't know if Lord Voldemort would die, but he certainly wouldn't be able to escape from such a powerful person.
Now, what he feared most had come true.
He wished he hadn't asked Lord Voldemort just now and had simply Apparated away. At worst, he could go back to being a rat in a sewer and never come out again.
Now, he couldn't even leave.
Not only was the cowardly Peter regretting it so much his guts turned green, but the two Death Eaters behind him also showed hesitation and retreat on their faces.
They had been hiding for so many years not to die. If they weren't afraid of death, they wouldn't have been hiding like sewer rats.
Do you know what happened to those who threatened him in the past?
"Stop with your 'you, you, you'! Are you going to make a deal with me or not?!"
As Ethan's words fell, the ring of fire encompassing the group shrank inwards again.
The intent to threaten was clear: either agree, or stay here.
"Impossible! I have no deal to make with you!"
Lord Voldemort immediately broke down, a hoarse, beast-like sound emanating from his throat, his scarlet eyes fixed on Ethan.
Now, Ethan had risen to the top of his kill list.
How could a mere junior, who appeared from nowhere, try to pressure him? It was impossible.
So what if he was stronger than Lord Voldemort in his current state? Lord Voldemort had a Horcrux, so he couldn't be killed.
If the plan was thwarted, then so be it. It wasn't as if there were no other opportunities. As long as he existed in this world, there would be a chance. He just had to wait.
For him to bow his head so humiliatingly, that was impossible.
That's right, he still had a Horcrux.
Ever since his failure to acquire the Philosopher's Stone at Hogwarts, Horcruxes had been destroyed at a rate of one every few months, until the last one was destroyed a few months ago.
Yet, he could still sense something and still had an anchor in this world, which meant he still had a Horcrux—one he had no memory of, one he didn't know how it came to be.
After scrutinizing his memories during this period, only one moment could have possibly birthed a Horcrux: the day he died.
And the sacrifice was himself, when the Avada Kedavrarebounded.
This Horcrux was unknown even to him, let alone anyone else. Furthermore, Harry Potter was currently under Dumbledore's protection, making him absolutely the safest Horcrux.
Therefore, with Harry Potter's existence, he still had hope of a comeback.
However, Lord Voldemort still had one point he couldn't figure out: his Horcrux, Hufflepuff's Cup, was stored in the Lestrange Family's Gringotts vault. Bellatrix had indeed told him this.
But this Horcrux was destroyed the day after Gringottswas attacked.
Lord Voldemort wasn't sure if the Fiendfyre user in front of him had destroyed it personally, or if he had sold his Horcrux as a treasure and it was destroyed by someone else.
Logically speaking, the Fiendfyre user had no conflict of interest with him. Even if he discovered his Horcrux, he wouldn't destroy it directly. Making a deal or threatening him, as he was doing now, were both possibilities.
Or perhaps he obtained the Horcrux but didn't know whose it was, so he simply destroyed it on a whim.
Lord Voldemort still hadn't figured out the exact situation.
But regardless, this debt was on his account.
Another point was the abnormal growth of the Fiendfyre user's power.
When they first fought, he was already considered a quite powerful Wizard, and even among his Death Eaters, few were qualified to face him. But he was still far from Lord Voldemort's level of power.
However, the commotion he caused recently, which Lord Voldemort had witnessed, showed he was much stronger than before and had calmly left Dumbledore's grasp.
His strength had undoubtedly reached the pinnacle of the Wizarding World, and his recent display proved this point.
The opponent was extremely skilled in the Fiendfyre Curse, even more so than Lord Voldemort himself.
Yet, even so, this was not a reason for him to compromise.
"Is that so?"
"Then you can stay here now."
Ethan shrugged indifferently. After all, he was in control now.
"Heh heh!"
Lord Voldemort stared intently at Ethan with his scarlet pupils, utterly fearless.
As long as he found an opportunity, he would reclaim everything he lost today, one by one.
"I know your confidence. You've made Horcruxes, and you can't die no matter what until your Horcruxes are destroyed."
"But I can seal you away. As long as I live, you won't even think about getting out."
Ethan sneered, then waved his hand, and the towering orange-red flames around them crashed down directly.
"Wait!"
Just as the flames were less than two meters away, Lord Voldemort suddenly shouted.
Lord Voldemort truly wasn't afraid of abandoning his current deformed body, but being sealed away was something he couldn't accept.
It was well known that Wizards could live for a long time, especially powerful ones. If they were cautious, they could live for several centuries. No one knew how many years such a seal would last.
More importantly, while Harry as a Horcrux was hidden and unknown, he was a living person, and he didn't look like he would live long. It was fine now with Dumbledoreprotecting him, but what if Dumbledore died? How many years could he live then?
If something unexpected happened and he died, or simply died of old age, Lord Voldemort without a Horcrux would undoubtedly be easily eliminated.
"What else do you have to say?"
Ethan, who had stopped the flames, looked at Lord Voldemort with a mocking expression.
Seeing Ethan like this, veins bulged on Lord Voldemort's forehead. From Ethan's eyes, he understood the meaning: "So tough just now, but now you've softened. Is this the Dark Lord?"
But when under someone's roof, one has to bow one's head.
"A deal isn't impossible to discuss!"
Upon hearing this, Peter finally breathed a sigh of relief. He truly thought he was going to die just now.
He had done so much to survive, even acting as a spy and causing the death of his best friend. If he were to capsize here, he would truly be unwilling, no matter what.
"Wouldn't it be better to face reality earlier?"
"By the way, that Hufflepuff's Cup I acquired in Gringotts, it was made into a Horcrux. It wouldn't happen to be yours, would it?"
"It's well known that the Lestrange Family are your loyal followers. A Horcrux appearing in their family vault is very likely yours."
"If so, then I apologize. I conveniently destroyed that thing."
Looking at Ethan's insincere demeanor, Lord Voldemortcould only snort coldly, making his presence known.
Sure enough, his Horcrux had been destroyed by this bastard.
"What kind of deal do you want to make?"
Lord Voldemort truly didn't want to argue with Ethan anymore, fearing he would be angered to death.
"It's simple. After obtaining Hufflepuff's Cup, I became interested in the other relics of the Hogwarts founders. Except for Gryffindor's Sword, which has always been at Hogwarts, the others are nowhere to be found. I hope you can bring me Gryffindor's Sword."
Ethan quickly stated his objective.
There weren't many valuable collectibles in the Wizarding World. Only a few appeared in the original work that had discernible value.
The ones he hadn't gotten yet were Gryffindor's Sword, the Invisibility Cloak, and the elder wand.
As for the Invisibility Cloak, he would still have a chance to get it later. Dumbledore would certainly not let go of the elder wand unless he died; it was something left by his old lover.
"If you want it, go steal it!"
Lord Voldemort looked at Ethan, somewhat bewildered. He wanted it too!
If he could have obtained it back then, he would surely have made Gryffindor's Sword into a Horcrux.
But that thing was in Dumbledore's hands; he had no way to get it.
Even at his peak, he couldn't snatch it from Dumbledore. Now, he wanted this pathetic version of himself to steal it?
Perhaps this guy's brain was fried.
0 flowers wanted
"If I could steal it, why would I come to you?"
Ethan said this self-righteously, casually giving Lord Voldemort a disdainful look as if he were looking at an idiot.
"You…"
Lord Voldemort was furious.
Kill him, absolutely kill him!
"According to your plan, aren't you going to make a move on Harry Potter during the final stage of the Triwizard Tournament?"
"The main purpose is to use his blood to resurrect you. All I need you to do is add one step: use Harry Potter to exchange for Gryffindor's Sword with Dumbledore."
"Given Dumbledore's Degree of importance, and the fact that you've also resurrected, the importance of him as the savior will be infinitely elevated. Dumbledore will definitely not refuse then."
Ethan had already thought of how to operate it for him.
While Ethan himself could kidnap Harry to exchange for Gryffindor's Sword, he didn't want to incur animosity.
This matter, naturally, was best handled by Lord Voldemort, who already had plenty of debts.
Otherwise, to obtain Gryffindor's Sword, he would have to wait until Dumbledore died, and Ethan didn't want to wait a few more years. Who knew when Dumbledorewould be willing to "log off" without the pit of the resurrection stone?
"How did you know the plan, and how did you find your way here?"
Lord Voldemort had been bothered by this point.
If he hadn't been accurately found and told that if he left, his plan would be disrupted, he would have left long ago. How could he possibly still be here enduring this humiliation?
Lord Voldemort would absolutely not let go of any traitor who leaked his plan.
"I stumbled upon it during the Triwizard Tournament. After all, seeing that renowned Auror, it's normal to try and peek into his thoughts, isn't it?"
"Who would have thought the truth would be like this? It gave me an unexpected gain."
So it was Barty Crouch. If it was him, Lord Voldemortwas certain he would never betray him.
It was just that he encountered this unscrupulous fellow and his thoughts were spied upon, which led to the exposure.
But if this guy in front of him could see through him, what about others?
Although Barty Crouch also knew Occlumency, his skill was truly mediocre. Once Dumbledore grew suspicious, then…
Looking at Lord Voldemort, who was deep in thought, Ethan unceremoniously shouted:
"Can the deal proceed? Say something."
"What can you offer?"
It wasn't that it couldn't proceed. No matter how valuable Gryffindor's Sword was, it was just an inanimate object. Its importance couldn't compare to Harry Potter's importance in Dumbledore's heart. If he used Harry Potter for the exchange, it would definitely succeed.
Moreover, he couldn't kill Harry in the short term. At least until he created a new Horcrux, Harry had to stay alive. Using this method to send him back was suitable.
Another point was that this was a transaction, and the Fiendfyre user would come to collect the goods later.
By then, fully resurrected, he would properly teach him how to respect his elders.
Even if the Fiendfyre user showed strength on par with his own, Lord Voldemort still had confidence in himself.
After all, even within the same tier, there were stronger and weaker individuals.
"I'll let you live. Is that enough?"
As Ethan's words fell, the surrounding flames intensified a few points.
"It's enough!"
Looking at the extremely unwilling Lord Voldemort, Ethan was afraid he would grind his teeth to dust.
"Hey, you, come over and be a witness. You know the Unbreakable Vow, right?"
Ethan casually pointed to a Death Eater following Peter.
"I know!"
The Death Eater called out by Ethan answered quite honestly.
He couldn't afford to offend someone who dared to threaten Lord Voldemort and strong-arm him. Moreover, the other party was extremely skilled in Legilimency; the consequences of lying were unimaginable.
"Good that you know!"
Then, under his witness, Ethan and Lord Voldemortdirectly made a contract.
The contract required Lord Voldemort to hand over Gryffindor's Sword to Ethan within seven months, and Ethan didn't have to pay anything.
The reason for seven months was that the last competition was in June, and Lord Voldemort would definitely have no problem getting Gryffindor's Sword by then.
And even if Lord Voldemort was reborn, this contract would still be in effect unless he changed his soul, but that was impossible.
"Alright, I'll leave now. Notify me after you get Gryffindor's Sword."
Saying that, Ethan waved his hand, dispersing the surrounding flames, dropped a wizard mailbox, and then directly Apparated away.
This wizard mailbox recorded Ethan's other contact method.
After the Death Eaters, who had sworn an oath to Ethan and Lord Voldemort, picked up the wizard mailbox, they quickly departed.
The disturbance caused by the Fiendfyre just now was not small; the Ministry of Magic would likely arrive soon. Staying here would only invite trouble.
Chapter 272: The Second Task Begins
The date was February 24th!
In the period after the Christmas holidays, a few minor incidents occurred.
These mainly revolved around Snape and Moody. Ethan didn't pay much attention to them, continuing on as usual.
Two nights ago, when Harry came to find him, Ethan told him how to open the golden egg.
There was no other way. The Triwizard Tournament's final outcome depended on the total house points.
Even if Ethan could guarantee a perfect score for himself, the others still needed to perform decently; otherwise, they would still drag him down.
Therefore, telling Harry how to correctly open the golden egg was the most suitable approach.
Otherwise, without a reminder and with a bit of bad luck, Harry would never figure out how to open the golden eggin his lifetime.
Outside of combat, Harry's mind simply wasn't up to the task.
For example, in the original story, Cedric had already told Harry how to correctly open the golden egg, and Myrtlehad also informed Harry what he would face in the second task.
Yet, for over two months leading up to the second task, Harry couldn't find a good way to go underwater.
It was only at the last critical moment that Dobby helped Harry; otherwise, Harry would have struggled to even get into the water for the second task.
His mind wasn't suited for solving problems.
Today's task began in the morning. When Ethan, Gene, and Michael arrived at the Great Hall for breakfast, more than half of the young Wizards were already gathered there.
Terry wasn't there because he hadn't been seen since his last class yesterday.
Michael and Gene had reported it to the Prefect last night, and the answer they received was that the Professors would help search, but they shouldn't panic yet.
If nothing unexpected happened, this guy would be Ethan's rescue target.
Even Ethan himself didn't know why he had to save Terry. Wouldn't Cho Chang or Cassandra be more suitable?
After breakfast, as usual, Professor McGonagall gathered Ethan and the others, but Harry was still missing from the group.
Was he still up all night trying to find a way to go underwater, like in the original story, and overslept?
For this reason, Professor McGonagall gave a quick few instructions before hurrying off, presumably to find Harry.
The main instruction was to arrive at the Black Lake on time for the second task. Ludo would explain the specific rules there.
Ethan and Fleur sat in a corner, primarily with Ethan comforting Fleur.
Just like in the original story, Gabrielle had gone missing last night. Fleur was distraught, and Ethan had to explain the reason to her, but even so, Fleur couldn't help but worry.
Not long after, the appointed time arrived.
Stepping out of the Hogwarts gates, the cold wind of the Scottish Highlands in February made the two other lightly dressed Beauxbatons girls shiver.
At this time of year, the ice and snow had just melted, and the temperature was still quite low. If a young Wizardwent into the water without magical protection, it would be very difficult for them to endure.
Walking down the lawn, one could clearly see the seats that had surrounded the Dragon enclosure last November, now arranged in tiers on the opposite side of the lake. They were already packed, with their reflections shimmering in the water below.
"Adrian!"
"Adrian!"
"Hogwarts!"
...
As Ethan and the others approached, a fervent cheer erupted from the crowd, so much so that ripples spread across the calm surface of the Black Lake.
Although Krum, Fleur, and others had a certain popularity and received considerable cheers, this was Hogwarts, Ethan's home ground.
"Champions, please come over here!"
Ludo, standing on the stage, naturally saw Ethan and the others arrive and immediately invited them over.
They made their way to the table covered with a golden-yellow tablecloth. All the judges were there, except for Barty Crouch.
And in Barty Crouch's original seat sat the Wizard they had seen once at the Christmas Ball.
But should Barty Crouch be saved?
It was definitely not too late to save him now.
In the last Wizarding War against Lord Voldemort, his prestige was quite high. With Lord Voldemort's return, he would certainly be remembered, and it wasn't impossible for him to rise to power again.
However, if Barty Crouch Jr. was exposed, then Barty Crouch would lose all value and would be completely stripped of his position, possibly even ending up in Azkaban for retirement.
After all, Barty Crouch Jr. was officially dead in the Ministry of Magic's records, but now that he had been saved, it was obvious whose doing it was.
With a Death Eater son at home, and secretly rescued, who would dare to employ him?
Who knew if he had also secretly pledged allegiance to Lord Voldemort?
Even if Barty Crouch hadn't, no one would believe him.
After a brief thought, Ethan decided to let him fend for himself. Besides, even if he saved him, he might not be willing to join his side. His personality was too unyielding, and it would be troublesome later.
Moreover, there was truly no value in saving him. The chance of Barty Crouch Jr. being exposed was too high. Even if he escaped this time, there would eventually be a time when he had to walk around in his true form. He wouldn't disguise himself forever. At that point, even if Barty Crouch was saved by Ethan, it wouldn't be of much use.
Time passed by second by second, and Ethan and the others were already standing aside, chatting.
Karkaroff finally couldn't sit still and immediately shouted loudly at Ludo:
"Can we start explaining the rules now?"
Hogwarts was still missing one champion. If he got zero points, plus that red-haired kid dragging them down...
This would directly bring Hogwarts down and throw off their last-place status.
If they could find an opportunity to trip up Beauxbatonsagain, they might even have a chance to win the championship.
"There's still some time. How about we wait a little longer?"
Ludo naturally wouldn't obey Karkaroff's suggestion but looked at Dumbledore.
He naturally understood Karkaroff's intentions. If he sided with Durmstrang now and directly sabotaged his own people, then after the Triwizard Tournament ended, his position as Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports would be gone.
Throwing the problem to Dumbledore now was perfect. Everyone knew Dumbledore's Pay attention to for Harry Potter, so he would naturally step up.
Even if he didn't want to, it didn't matter. In any case, the blame wouldn't fall on him in the end.
"Then let's wait a bit longer. We must give the young champions some leniency, mustn't we?"
Dumbledore smiled as he looked at the surrounding judges.
The task was officially scheduled to start at nine, but before that, the rules had to be explained to the champions. There were indeed about ten minutes left, but that depended on how the judges arranged it.
Hearing this, Karkaroff glanced at Madam Maxime, signaling that it was her turn.
Not to mention that the two were already in a cooperative relationship, Hogwarts was also a major rival for Beauxbatons to win the championship. If they could further widen the score difference between the two, she would be quite happy to do so.
"We can give the champions some leniency, but we cannot delay everyone's time because of one individual."
"The task doesn't start until nine. This doesn't count as delaying everyone's time. If Harry Potter hasn't arrived by then, he will be considered to have forfeited."
Dumbledore said seriously. He would definitely protect Harry.
However, Harry still hadn't arrived, and Dumbledore was a little worried. Although Professor McGonagall had gone to find him, whether he would make it in time was still unknown.
On the other side, Ludo, as the host and judge, hearing Dumbledore say this, immediately made a decision:
"I will start explaining the rules at eight fifty-five. There's enough time. The task officially begins at nine. If he still hasn't arrived, we'll start directly."
Madam Maxime and Karkaroff had nothing more to say about this. They exchanged glances, and both could see the dissatisfaction in each other's eyes.
But this was Hogwarts' home ground, and they had to bow their heads at this moment. After all, Great Britainheld three of the five judges, and they were definitely on the same side.
If the Triwizard Tournament were held at Beauxbatons or Durmstrang, they could completely block Harry Potterfrom the arena on the grounds that he had missed the entry time.
With less than ten minutes until the official start of the task, just as everyone thought Harry wouldn't make it, a figure rapidly rushed towards the arena from the Black Lake.
"I... I'm here..."
From a distance, Harry shouted breathlessly. As he approached the long table, he slipped in the mud, stopped, and accidentally splashed a Beauxbatons girl's robes.
This caused the girl to roll her eyes at Harry several times.
"I can still participate in the task, right?!"
Still panting, Harry cautiously looked in Ludo's direction.
The champions and spectators had already arrived, and he was deeply afraid that the task had already begun.
"Of course, you can. The task has not yet begun. I will now explain the rules of the task."
Ludo explained with a smile.
Harry finally breathed a sigh of relief, then looked at the other judges. Dumbledore was still smiling, but Karkaroffand Madam Maxime seemed very unhappy to see him, and Mr. Crouch was still absent.
These past two days, ever since he learned from Ethan that he could open the golden egg while bathing, Harrytried it that very night, in that abandoned girls' lavatory.
With Myrtle's hint, Harry also knew that he needed to go underwater and face something beneath the surface.
But how to get underwater, Harry had no clue.
He had originally intended to ask Ethan the next day, but Harry stopped himself. The first task's golden egg was obtained with Ethan's hint, and now the golden egg was opened with Ethan's help. If he still needed Ethan's help later, what would that make him?
This time, Harry wanted to try and find a solution on his own; otherwise, he would truly feel no sense of participation.
So, he spent most of the past two days in the library, just to find a method. Unfortunately, he still hadn't found one and almost missed the task. Luckily, Dobby woke him up.
Thinking about everything he had done these past two days, Harry felt like a clown.
Taking advantage of the last bit of time before Ludobegan explaining the task rules, Harry urgently sought help from Ethan.
Otherwise, once the task started, it would truly be over.
Feeling someone tugging at his Wizard robe, Ethan turned to Harry and asked:
"Is something wrong?"
Ethan truly didn't know why Harry was looking for him now.
"Ethan, do you know how to go underwater?"
Harry asked nervously.
He hoped Ethan had a suitable method for him. If it required learning a spell, there definitely wouldn't be enough time.
"You haven't found a way to go underwater yet?"
Ethan was a little confused. Had Dobby not given him gillyweed?
After a careful thought, Ethan understood. In the original story, Harry knew he had to go underwater much earlier, and Dobby had time to help Harry find a solution. But this time, it was only two or three days, and Dobby hadn't found a way to go underwater.
"No."
Harry nodded quite honestly.
"There are many methods. The Head Bubble Charm I used in my first year is a spell for going underwater. There's also Transfiguration and such. The simplest is to eat gillyweed. After eating it, gills will grow on your face, and for the duration, you can breathe underwater like a fish."
Ethan said softly and quickly.
"Ethan, do you have gillyweed now?"
Harry asked urgently. He was now placing all his hope on gillyweed.
Ethan had used the Head Bubble Charm on him before, but Harry had never considered what specific purpose it served, so he naturally hadn't learned it.
Human Transfiguration was out of the question; that was forbidden at Hogwarts, and Professor McGonagallstrictly prohibited young Wizards from using Transfiguration on themselves.
Even if it wasn't, Harry wouldn't dare. He couldn't even manage animal Transfiguration, so Harry wouldn't dare try it on himself.
Only gillyweed sounded most suitable; you just had to eat it.
"No, I don't use that stuff."
Ethan's words ruthlessly shattered Harry's hope.
"You could try Accio on Snape. He might have some on him."
Snape definitely had gillyweed somewhere. As for whether he would bring it to give to Harry, Ethan wasn't sure, but it was worth a try.
If that didn't work, he could only cast a Head Bubble Charm on himself. To be honest, if you didn't care about your appearance underwater, gillyweed was much more effective than the Head Bubble Charm.
"Hmm, I'll try when the competition starts," Harry said.
Knowing the history between Snape and his mother, Harry still had some confidence in Snape. Although he always liked to target him, he was trustworthy in crucial moments.
When Ron had pierced him with Dark Arts, though unconscious, Harry later heard from others that Snapewas the first to rush over.
He hoped Snape could help him this time too!
Just then, Ludo also came before the competing champions. Only five minutes remained until the competition began.
He pointed his wand at his throat and said, "Sonorus!"
Ethan and Harry also quieted down.
"Listen up, everyone, our champions are in position. As soon as I blow the whistle, the second task will begin."
"They have a full hour to retrieve what was taken from them. Remember, only one hour."
"I'll count to three. One... two... three!"
Chapter 273: Each Showing Their Abilities
A sharp whistle echoed in the cold, still air, and a burst of cheers and applause erupted from the stands.
As the whistle fell silent, the champions sprang into action, tearing off their cumbersome robes to reveal swimming attire underneath. Especially the Beauxbatonsgirls, who were, to put it mildly, amply and generously endowed, not at all like seventeen or eighteen-year-old students.
This delighted the spectators in the stands, some of whom even whistled.
But to their disappointment, Fleur, whom they most wanted to see, showed no such display. She didn't even take off her shoes, not being generous at all.
She raised her wand, pointed it towards where her academy's students were seated, and shouted loudly:
"Accio Potion!"
At the same time, a Beauxbatons girl sitting in the front row of the audience released one of the three boxes she held.
Under the effect of Accio, this wooden box bypassed the stage and landed directly in Fleur's hand.
After catching it steadily, Fleur eagerly opened the lid and unhesitatingly chugged both Potions inside. She then placed the empty bottles back in the wooden box and set it on the ground.
After doing all this, she eagerly walked into the water, finding her clothes were not wet, nor did she feel any cold.
After casting a Head Bubble Charm on herself, she immediately plunged into the murky Black Lake without hesitation.
Gabrielle was still waiting below, and every minute she waited was torture for her, making Fleur quite anxious at the moment.
Both of these Potions were prepared for her by Ethan.
One Potion could repel water and also provided some underwater breathing, but it was still better to add a Head Bubble Charm. This Potion was similar to the fire-repelling Potion Snape had set as a trap in the Philosopher's Stone challenge. The latter could prevent damage from flames, even protecting clothes, and this waterproof Potion worked the same way.
However, both of these Potions were quite expensive and complex to brew, which led to them being rarely used.
The second Potion was for warmth. This Potion was much more common and could be bought at any Potionshop.
With Fleur leading the way, the other two Beauxbatonschampions also refused to be outdone and resorted to their own cheating methods.
There was no other way; Harry Potter of Hogwarts had used it first, and it had also been allowed by the judges. There was no reason why he could cheat but they couldn't.
The Beauxbatons girl who had brought Fleur the Potions also released the remaining two wooden boxes she held.
Unlike Fleur, Hilda Donahue and Hesel Godwin, upon opening the wooden boxes, first drank one Potion, and then, after entering the Black Lake in their swimsuits, poured the second Potion down.
Since Fleur's relationship with them wasn't great, there was no communication, and they prepared their own Potions.
Hilda Donahue and Hesel Godwin, once in the water, immediately twisted their bodies upon drinking the Potion, until their lower halves completely transformed into fish tails and their heads into fish heads.
They instantly went from being amply and generously endowed female Bodhisattvas to being completely unappealing!
That's right, the second Potion was Polyjuice Potion, but unlike the normal version, fish scales were added to this one.
This was how Hilda Donahue and Hesel Godwin planned to cope. After learning that the second task would be underwater, thanks to a hint from their families, they prepared these two Polyjuice Potions.
Although Polyjuice Potion was not part of the school curriculum, for pure-blood nobles, it was trivial, and its effects were naturally well understood.
What they consumed now was a side effect of it. It is well known that Polyjuice Potion only achieves perfect results when a Wizard's hair or other body parts are added. If animal hair is added, drinking it results in a failed beast-human hybrid, neither fully human nor fully animal.
However, this beast-human hybrid possessed some animal characteristics.
Under normal circumstances, this would naturally not be the case.
But if this competition was underwater, possessing some fish characteristics was naturally most suitable.
Compared to gillyweed, the effect of this Polyjuice Potionwas much greater, and it was also much more expensive.
This caused the two to transform into such grotesque figures: fish heads and fish tails, but with human arms and normal, pale skin from their belly to their chest, without a trace of fish scales.
The two also disregarded their current unsightly appearance, as the competition was more important. They immediately plunged into the lake, disappearing from everyone's sight.
Krum disdainfully glanced at the cheating group and walked directly into the icy lake. He drew his wand and pointed it directly at himself.
Amidst a distortion, he transformed into a monster with a human body below, wearing swimming trunks, and a shark's head above—an image best suited for a horror movie.
Krum was not very satisfied with his appearance, as it was not a perfect Transfiguration, but it was sufficient.
Immediately, applause erupted in the arena. Krum also had many fans, and compared to Beauxbatons' collective cheating earlier, even though his Transfiguration was not perfect, it significantly improved Krum's popularity with the audience.
And the other two from Beauxbatons were not to be outdone; they also performed Transfiguration on themselves. One's lower body transformed into an octopus, and the other's upper body sported a dolphin's head.
One could only say that Durmstrang students were indeed braver than those at Hogwarts; they truly lived up to being a school that taught Dark Arts.
If this were at Hogwarts, Professor McGonagall would be the first to disapprove of her students performing biological Transfiguration on themselves. Of course, in such a teaching environment, they wouldn't dare either.
So, only the three from Hogwarts remained at the scene.
Ethan also wanted to see how Harry and Ron would enter the water. Anyway, once he went down, even if the others got a five-minute head start, he could easily catch up.
Ron glanced at Ethan and Harry, then confidently pointed his wand at his head and shouted loudly:
"Head Bubble Charm!"
Immediately, a transparent bubble appeared above Ron's head. Upon reaching the lake's edge, he smugly glanced at Harry and then plunged into the water.
Ron had learned this spell from his older brother, Bill, after asking him through his wizard mailbox. He had worked extra hard for two days and finally mastered it.
Harry's face turned exceptionally grim watching this. He was the one who had told Ron that this task would be underwater, as Ron hadn't obtained the golden egg.
This was also for the sake of Hogwarts. If Ron could achieve a score in this task, as long as it wasn't zero, with Ethan scoring high, it was still possible to surpass Beauxbatons.
Yet, Ron had found a way to go underwater but hadn't told him.
He was certain Ron didn't know the Head Bubble Charmbefore; he must have learned it in the past two days. He and Ron were roommates, and Ron wasn't even willing to practice in the dormitory, instead sneaking off to practice outside, all to keep it from him.
Taking two deep breaths to calm himself, Harry looked towards Snape's location.
"Accio gillyweed!"
As he pointed his wand at Snape, Harry's heart was filled with tension.
His main concern was that Snape might not be carrying gillyweed, as a normal person wouldn't typically carry such a thing.
He must have it, he must have it... Harry stared intently at Snape's location, continuously chanting in his mind.
It wasn't until he saw a grey, slimy mass flying from Snape's position at the very front of the stands that Harry's excited heart finally settled.
Once this mass, resembling countless slippery grey rat tails of seaweed, reached his hand, Harry unhesitatingly ate it. Immediately, he felt the muscles in his head moving.
"Ethan, I'm going down first."
After greeting Ethan, Harry walked directly into the water. He was already entering later than everyone else, so he couldn't delay now.
He didn't have Ethan's strength to catch up at any time.
At the same time, a trace of gratitude arose in his heart for Snape. Indeed, although Snape liked to target him in class, he still cared for him deep down.
At this point, all the champions had descended into the Black Lake, and only then did Ethan slowly step forward.
The young Wizards in the stands, far from blaming Ethan's arrogance, erupted in thunderous cheers. Many Hogwarts students' faces were red from shouting.
Upon reaching the edge of the Black Lake, Ethan's entire body distorted, directly transforming into a black dragon only slightly smaller than the red dragon Ethan had summoned in the first task.
Watching this strangely shaped, skull-headed giant black dragon soar into the sky, although they didn't understand the purpose of Ethan transforming into a black dragon for this task, it looked impressive, and that was enough.
"Adrian!"
"Adrian!"
"Adrian!"
Amidst even more fervent cheers, the black dragon, soaring into the sky, immediately folded its wings and plunged towards the Black Lake.
Bang!
With a explosive sound, a huge wave erupted from the calm surface of the water.
Witnessing this scene, Dumbledore had no choice but to stand up and wave his elder wand to calm the water.
If that wave were to truly crash over them later, although the spectators were on a high platform, those in the front rows would still inevitably be splashed by the icy lake water.
In such weather, Dumbledore felt he couldn't bring himself to let them be drenched and then watch the competition in the cold wind.
What puzzled him, however, was that this spell and the red dragon Ethan had summoned earlier seemed to be from the same series.
But the former was a summoning spell, while this was more like human Transfiguration.
Dumbledore, being proficient in Transfiguration, knew how difficult it was to transform a human into a magical Animal, especially a magical Animal of the size and power Ethan had just demonstrated.
It was even hard to say if this magical Animal existed in the Wizarding World, which made it even more difficult.
Had he underestimated Ethan's strength? Dumbledorecouldn't help but fall into deep thought.
At the same time, he also felt a bit fortunate that he hadn't placed Cassandra and the others at the bottom of the Black Lake to be held by the Merpeople. Otherwise, after today, it was uncertain whether the Merperson tribe would still exist in the Black Lake.
If it were Terry Boot, he wouldn't be so extreme, would he?
Probably!
Dumbledore wasn't too sure, and he also regretted why he had agreed to host this wretched Triwizard Tournament, making him anxious for every single task.
But could this black giant dragon really go underwater?
It was common knowledge that dragons breathed fire and lived on land. Even when catching fish, they wouldn't submerge their bodies in water. Would it really be alright for it to plunge into the Black Lake?
It wasn't just Dumbledore pondering this question; the judges and even the spectators in the high stands were also considering it.
That black dragon indeed looked powerful, but for going underwater, a fish would be better, wouldn't it?
Given the black dragon's size, if it transformed into a super-giant shark, how could the other champions even compete?
Meanwhile, after plunging into the Black Lake, Ethan quickly swam in one direction.
He was currently in his Animagus form. Originally, it was a five-headed dragon, but inspired by the Patronus Charm successfully separating into five, Ethan had also completed the modification of his Animagus form.
Dividing into five was naturally impossible, but he could transform into one of the five dragon heads. In terms of power, it was naturally not as strong as the five-headed dragon.
However, in terms of maneuverability and flexibility, a single-headed dragon was stronger.
The black dragon he had now transformed into originally lived in swamps, so it naturally possessed corresponding abilities, such as spitting linear acid and being able to breathe underwater.
Of course, there was another ability: it could turn water into corrosive water unsuitable for living creatures, but Ethan did not use this ability.
After a while, Ethan reached his destination. There were two strange creatures here, shaped like horses but without hind legs, and with manes resembling broad-leaved cattails.
However, as Ethan approached them, their bodies trembled violently, looking as if they wanted to escape but dared not move.
These two Grindylowss were arranged by Ethan beforehand, waiting for him here.
Originally, Ethan had planned to use a Grindylowshimself to rescue the target, but after thinking about it a few days ago, he gave up. Since he was going to show his strength, he would show it completely, so Ethan planned to give these two Grindylowss to Fleur.
However, directly handing them over wouldn't work. As XXXX-level magical Animals, they were quite ferocious and had a habit of eating people. Fleur wouldn't be able to control them underwater.
Now, with Ethan in his black dragon form, releasing his powerful aura and giving them commands, they would absolutely not dare to disobey.
Moreover, magical Animals of this level were already quite intelligent and would definitely understand commands perfectly.
"Follow me!"
Hearing the somewhat familiar voice, the two Grindylowss exchanged glances, both seeing uncertainty in the other's eyes.
But they dared not disobey and immediately transformed into two arrows shot from a bowstring, following behind Ethan's black dragon.
Chapter 274: A Competition of Luck
Hearing the rumbling sound from beside him, Krum, who was struggling to dive deeper, froze in place.
The only thing in the Black Lake that could cause such a huge commotion was the giant squid they encountered on their way over; its size was not much smaller than Durmstrang's ship.
In the opponent's home territory, and without any restrictions, this was simply not something he could contend with.
Could Hogwarts be planning to cheat this way?
With this thought, Krum turned his head with difficulty, only to see a huge dark shadow rapidly approaching him.
It just didn't look like an octopus, and its size was even larger.
Before Krum could get a clear look, the dark behemoth had already rushed near him.
The good news was: this guy didn't seem to notice him, so he escaped a disaster.
The bad news was: he was so dizzy from the powerful currents that he was seeing double.
Easily passing Krum, Ethan quickly caught up to Fleur, who was at the very front, and stopped directly above her.
Fleur showed no fear towards Ethan's sudden arrival.
A few days prior, Ethan had shown Fleur this form and told her he would participate in the competition in this guise.
"I found two Kelpies; they'll be here soon."
Although Grindylowss are among the fastest Animals in water, they are still a bit slower than a transformed black dragon, so it would indeed take a moment for them to arrive.
There was no need to worry about other champions overtaking him during this time; when Ethan passed them earlier, while he couldn't directly charge into them, it was no problem to affect them with the water currents.
It would take at least a few minutes for them to recover.
Not long after, two Grindylowss had already arrived behind Ethan; due to their excessive speed, a lot of the broadleaf cattail on their backs had been washed away by the current.
After giving them instructions, Ethan dived down first.
This should be fine, right?
In the original story, Fleur was quite disheveled in this competition, and even Gabrielle was rescued by Harry. Now, with the help of the Grindylowss, as long as the Merpeople don't intentionally cause trouble, it shouldn't be a big problem.
However, Ethan swam for several minutes at the bottom of the lake without seeing a single scale of a Merperson.
Given his speed in the water, this shouldn't be the case!
He should have investigated the bottom of the Black Lakebeforehand. He had encountered Merpeople before, but with their ugly appearance, Ethan had no interest whatsoever, let alone going back to inquire about their tribe's location.
Harry found them easily in the original story, so why was it so difficult for him?
He should have kept one Grindylows to lead the way for himself earlier.
Slowing down a bit, Ethan's main goal this time was to catch a guide.
Ordinary Animals have no intelligence, but if they are Animals living in the Black Lake, they would definitely know where the Merperson tribe is.
Moreover, the Black Lake is not lacking in Animals.
Not long after, Ethan sensed several faint magical reactions ahead, which were definitely Animals.
Regardless of their strength, as long as they could understand speech, they could serve as a guide.
With a burst of speed, Ethan arrived directly above the water plants and simultaneously saw his target: an Animal with very long claws, horns, and a pale green body resembling a demon.
This thing was taught about in Lupin's Defense Against the Dark Arts Class: Grindylows, XX-gender.
They feed on small fish, attack both Muggles and Wizards, and can also be tamed by Merpeople.
Looking at these trembling, almost dying little creatures, Ethan also withdrew his oppressive aura.
Subsequently, facing Ethan's request for a guide, these Grindylows scrambled to compete for the position of guide, deeply afraid of being considered useless by Ethan and casually eliminated.
With the Grindylows, the locals, leading the way, Ethan then realized that he had been a bit off course when he dived earlier, and he wasn't too far from his destination.
In just a few minutes, he saw many crude stone dwellings, speckled with algae.
Through the windows of the crude stone dwellings, many ugly faces could be seen, but they all hid away the moment they saw Ethan.
Undoubtedly, Ethan had arrived at the Merperson tribe, and Terry was currently there.
As he approached, Ethan also saw many Merpeople, no different from the ones he had seen sunbathing by the Black Lake before.
Their skin was iron-gray, their long hair was messy and dark green, their eyes were yellow, and their broken teeth were also yellow. They wore pebbles strung on thick ropes around their necks. The moment they saw Ethan, they didn't even care about the spears in their hands, all of them flicking their strong, powerful silver fish tails and hiding in the surrounding caves.
Ethan had no interest in destroying the Merpeople's homes; after all, it wasn't their fault they were ugly, and they hadn't come out to scare anyone. All of this was arranged by Dumbledore.
In the original story, these Merpeople would not attack the champions who entered the water, nor would they offer help. They were more like spectators, and Hogwartsmerely borrowed their territory.
As he approached the central plaza of the tribe, more and more stone dwellings appeared. Some dwellings even had gardens around them, and some had a small Grindylow tied in front of their doors.
Before Ethan could get close to the plaza, a large group of Merpeople who had been singing outside suddenly scattered like fireworks in all directions. Many Merpeople looked at the Grindylows that had attracted Ethan, as if they were looking at traitors.
Upon reaching the plaza, a crude statue stood there, a large Merperson carved from a giant stone.
Nine people were firmly tied to the tail of the Merpersonstatue, and two Grindylowss were stopped nearby. Fleurwas anxiously pulling at the ropes that bound Gabrielle.
Indeed, Fleur arrived even faster than him.
"Ethan, Gabrielle she..."
Fleur, who looked up and saw Ethan upon hearing the commotion, had a face full of despair.
Gabrielle's face was now pale and she was motionless. Of course, the other champions' conditions weren't much better, but they looked a bit better than Gabrielle; at least their faces weren't as unsightly.
"Don't worry, this is from taking a Potion; she'll be fine once she's brought out of the water."
Ethan immediately understood Gabrielle's situation. Her poor condition was due to her young age. There were no side effects, but she would certainly be weaker than the others.
Hearing Ethan say this, Fleur finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Fleur had originally thought Gabrielle would be terrified in this underwater environment, which was why she had desperately rushed to save Gabrielle quickly.
But when she arrived, she saw Gabrielle in this state, soaking in the water without any protection, her face pale, no breathing, no heartbeat, looking just like she was dead. It truly scared her.
Fleur, having regained her composure, picked up a spear that the Merpeople had dropped while fleeing to cut the tough ropes made of water plants, and at the same time, curiously asked Ethan:
"You ran ahead of me just now, so why did you arrive later than me?"
"It's a rare chance to come down here, so I went to other places to see the scenery of the Black Lake."
Ethan naturally couldn't speak the real reason.
Looking at the Grindylow in front of Ethan, Fleurimmediately guessed the reason. She had also asked the Grindylowss to bring her here earlier; otherwise, she wouldn't have known where the target was.
Looking at the silent Fleur, Ethan felt he had no face to stay. Just then, Fleur also cut the rope binding Gabrielle.
He directly instructed the Grindylows to rescue Terry. Since he was tied to the giant Merperson's tail, Ethan's size made it difficult to act.
Unless Ethan also got points for rescuing others, in which case Ethan could directly take the statue out with him.
The Grindylow, with its long claws, lightly swiped twice and rescued Terry. Ethan scooped him up with a claw and held him in his hand.
Fleur, who had placed Gabrielle on the back of the Grindylows and then climbed on herself to hold Gabriellesecurely, watched this scene and didn't know how to complain.
He really wasn't afraid of crushing him to death!
With that body size, a little force would probably kill the person in his palm.
"Fleur, I'm going up first."
After Fleur and Gabrielle were ready, Ethan also prepared to depart.
After all, these points were related to the final achievement reward, and Ethan still needed to pay attention. At least for this round, he definitely had to get full marks.
Along the way, after interfering with the Beauxbatonsand Durmstrang champions with water currents twice, he finally burst out of the water and ascended into the sky.
The bored spectators staring at the Black Lake surface immediately cheered excitedly when they saw the black dragon emerge.
Regardless of the outcome of Ethan's journey, this was better than staring at the water.
This competition was really dull, far inferior to the previous one, and they couldn't see the champions' performance in the Black Lake at all.
Ethan flapped his wings, and in just two breaths, he arrived above the high platform. After dispelling his Animagus form, he floated down, pulling Terry by his collar.
Seeing Terry dangling in Ethan's hand, the Hogwartsyoung Wizards immediately erupted, all standing up and shouting.
Undoubtedly, the first place in this competition still belonged to Ethan, belonging to Hogwarts.
After landing, Terry also woke up slowly after spitting out a few mouthfuls of lake water.
"Are we out?"
Looking at the ground beneath his feet, Terry swayed twice and stood upright.
Ethan also used a spell to clean him up; otherwise, the soaked Wizard robes and hair would have been quite uncomfortable.
Shaking his head twice, Terry quickly asked:
"We're the first, right?"
Even before participating, Terry had been told everything: this was to help the Triwizard Tournament, and he would not be in danger; otherwise, he wouldn't have agreed.
At the same time, Terry also wanted to participate so he would have something to talk about later.
It was just that this differed a bit from what he had imagined. He didn't know what happened during the whole process, nor what the bottom of the Black Lakelooked like; it was as if he had just slept.
This made it difficult to talk about, as he wouldn't know what to say.
Now he could only hope that his group was first place, which would sound better when he talked about it.
"That's right."
"Then tell me what happened down there."
...
Not long after Ethan successfully returned, Fleur and Gabrielle also successfully reached the shallow waters of the shore with the help of the Grindylowss.
Ethan immediately abandoned Terry and rushed over to clean up Gabrielle.
At the judges' table, Madam Maxime's face flashed with joy upon seeing this scene.
Second place again. Although Ethan got first place for Hogwarts, with a drag, their score probably wouldn't surpass theirs.
Indeed, Beauxbatons had a great chance of winning the championship.
"Getting help from Animals through charm, that doesn't violate the rules, does it?"
Madam Maxime looked at Dumbledore gleefully.
Although she knew Fleur's charm had no effect on Animals, and this was most likely arranged by Ethan, the credit naturally had to be given to Fleur now.
"It doesn't violate!"
Karkaroff's face turned as black as a pot bottom. How could Durmstrang turn the tables like this?
Rely on the third task?
At this point, Karkaroff had lost most of his confidence. He only hoped Krum could be more powerful now and come up quickly, otherwise the score difference would only grow larger.
However, reality is often cruel.
Just as an hour was about to pass, the third champion finally stumbled out of the lake, supporting a large figure. Karkaroff only took one look and knew this was not his student.
When they reached the shore, Ethan helped them clean up.
"Thank you!"
Harry, trembling all over, thanked Ethan. Neville, whom he was supporting, was not much better.
Unlike the others, Harry had only taken gillyweed and had not used warming spells or Potions. It was truly impressive that he had lasted this long.
"What's the situation down there now?"
Ethan asked with some curiosity.
Whether in the original story or now, this competition was basically a test of luck.
There was basically no danger. Dumbledore had already discussed it with the Merpeople; they were not an obstacle. As long as luck wasn't too bad and they didn't get lost, or encounter attacks from Animals, there would be no problem.
"When I rescued Neville and returned, I encountered Krum. I didn't see anyone else. As for Krum, he should be coming out soon!"
No sooner had Harry finished speaking than the calm surface of the water was broken again. Krum emerged, supporting a Durmstrang student, and dispelled his shark head as he came out of the water.
As time passed, minute by minute, until the hour ended, no one else surfaced.
Ludo, as the host, had no choice but to announce that only four people had completed this task.
Ethan suspected this was probably related to him affecting the Beauxbatons and Durmstrang champions twice. That probably delayed them by at least seven or eight minutes.
Otherwise, there would likely have been one or two more who completed it. Ethan had already sensed that some Wizards were heading towards the shore.