The third task of the Triwizard Tournament was about to begin.
Hagrid, Moody, McGonagall, and Flitwick entered the arena to conduct a thorough inspection. After ensuring there were no ambushes or deranged creatures lurking about—even the Goblet of Fire was checked—they finally allowed the champions to enter.
"Where's John?" Daphne asked, glancing behind Heinrich, searching for him.
"He had something to take care of," Heinrich replied, his gaze fixed on the maze below the stands. "He told us to stay alert."
Knowing that John never spoke without reason, Daphne asked, "Does he think something's going to happen?"
"Maybe," Heinrich responded noncommittally. They stood near the entrance, keeping watch.
Under the summoning of Ludo Bagman, the four champions stepped into the arena.
The professors all wore hats adorned with red stars—except for Hagrid, whose red star was stitched onto the back of his thick, furry vest.
Professor McGonagall addressed the champions, "We will be patrolling outside the maze. If you encounter any difficulties and require assistance, shoot red sparks into the sky, and someone will come to help you. Do you understand?"
After the incident with the merpeople, the third task had significantly improved its safety measures for the champions.
The champions nodded, indicating their understanding.
"Good luck, Harry," Hagrid whispered.
But no matter how quietly he thought he was speaking, the four champions stood too close together for it to go unnoticed.
Fleur rolled her eyes and nudged Cedric with her elbow, her tone filled with dissatisfaction. "Are you even a Hogwarts champion? It's like no one ever favors you."
During her time at Hogwarts, she had finally understood why Slytherins always complained about the professors being biased.
All four of them were champions, yet Cedric felt like he had been left out in the cold.
Cedric could only offer a helpless smile and gave Fleur a subtle look, signaling her to drop it.
Hagrid's face turned red from embarrassment. It wasn't that he had anything against Cedric—he simply wasn't as familiar with him. Realizing his mistake, he awkwardly greeted Cedric in return.
Harry had also heard Fleur's remark. Even though it wasn't aimed at him, it still made him feel uncomfortable.
Hagrid quickly walked away, and Moody stepped up to Harry, his gruff voice sounding out. "You did it, Harry."
Then, lowering his head and leaning in, he muttered, "You're in great shape. Looks like you've been practicing hard."
As he spoke, Moody gave him a knowing wink with his good eye.
Harry nodded seriously, replying, "Thank you for the encouragement, Professor Moody."
Moody, pleased, gave Harry a firm pat on the shoulder. Then, his hand moved toward Harry's head, hesitated for a moment, and in the end, gave it a light tap.
The sensation left Harry feeling extremely uncomfortable.
Professor McGonagall approached with a stern expression. "Professor Moody, we need to go."
"All right, see you later, Harry."
Professor Moody waved at Harry, while Fleur rolled her eyes yet again.
Ludo Bagman cast a Sonorus Charm on himself and announced, "Ladies and gentlemen, the final task of the Triwizard Tournament is about to begin!"
He proceeded to read out the current scores for each school. Hogwarts' champions held the first and second positions, drawing a round of enthusiastic applause.
However, Karkaroff and Madame Maxime didn't look too pleased. Their applause was half-hearted at best.
Amid the cheers, Heinrich took note of Moody's earlier gesture, a flicker of doubt flashing through his eyes. In a serious tone, he told Daphne, "Stay here and stay alert."
Daphne was taken aback and watched as Heinrich turned to leave. "Where are you going?" she asked.
"I need to confirm something." Leaving those words behind, Heinrich walked toward the exit of the stadium.
Daphne glanced around. Just then, Malfoy and Neville arrived, both of them panting.
"And now—Cedric, on my whistle!"
Ludo Bagman began the countdown. When the whistle blew, Cedric was the first to enter.
After a short wait, Harry followed as the second champion.
A little while later, it was Fleur and Krum's turn to step inside.
Cedric, who had entered first, soon encountered an obstacle—a Blast-Ended Skrewt.
Its scorpion-like tail nearly set his pant leg on fire.
Using a Blasting Curse, Cedric managed to take it down.
However, the hedge walls blocked his path forward, forcing him to turn around and find another route.
It was unclear how many magical creatures Hagrid had placed inside, but as soon as Harry entered, he ran into a Boggart.
Mistaking it for a Dementor, he cast a Patronus Charm, only to see the "Dementor" stumble backward, tripping over its own robes.
Realizing it wasn't the real thing, Harry quickly cast Riddikulus, driving the Boggart away.
Like Cedric, he found himself twisting and turning through the maze, gradually losing his sense of direction.
Suddenly, a sharp cry rang out.
It was Fleur.
The hedges trembled violently, and from behind them, Cedric came running out.
Their eyes met for a brief second, and without needing words, Harry understood.
"The sound came from that direction!"
Without hesitation, Cedric sprinted forward, and the two of them rushed into a dense golden mist.
The world suddenly flipped upside down, and both of them cried out in surprise.
"We need to get through quickly," Cedric said, stepping forward. As soon as he moved, the world returned to normal.
Harry followed, and after reaching a crossroads, they spotted a flash of red light.
The next second, Krum was sent flying backward.
"What happened?" Cedric frowned, noticing Fleur.
Fleur glared at Krum and said, "He ambushed me just now—luckily, I was prepared."
She stepped forward angrily, ready to teach Krum a lesson.
But Harry, sensing that something was off, quickly shouted, "Look at Krum!"
Hearing this, Cedric and Fleur turned around, just in time to see Krum unsteadily rising to his feet.
"But I hit him with a Stunning Spell!" Fleur gasped in shock.
Suddenly, Krum swung his wand, and a Disarming Charm struck Fleur, sending her wand flying.
Cedric and Harry reacted simultaneously, casting a Disarming Charm and a Stunning Spell. The combined force sent Krum flying once again.
"Fleur, are you okay?"
Cedric glanced at her condition and asked with concern.
Clutching her injured ankle, Fleur said angrily, "I can't continue in the tournament. I'll have to forfeit early."
She could have healed herself with a spell, but after receiving help from the two Hogwarts champions, she felt there was no point in pushing forward.
Knowing Fleur's personality, Cedric picked up her wand and handed it back to her.
"What's wrong with Krum?" Harry asked, still confused.
"Maybe Karkaroff ordered him to do this," Fleur said as she cast red sparks into the sky. Then she turned to the two of them. "Don't worry about me. I'll keep an eye on Krum."
If she hadn't let her guard down, Krum wouldn't have been able to disarm her.
Cedric and Harry exchanged glances, and both could see the determination in each other's eyes.
Nodding slightly, they silently agreed and each chose a different path to continue forward.
...
Outside the maze, the professors stood ready to respond at any moment.
Moody leaned on his staff, watching the red sparks rise with a casual expression.
Despite his rugged appearance, there was an oddly refined and aristocratic air about him.
"You're not Moody." A voice came.
Moody turned around without the slightest surprise. With a hint of amusement, he said, "Looks like you finally figured it out. You should have realized it much sooner."
Leaning against his staff, he didn't show the slightest unease despite having a wand pointed at him. Instead, he looked as if he was the one truly in control of the situation.
Heinrich panted heavily, his golden eyes widening as he demanded sharply, "Who are you really?"
Just moments ago, he had gone to Moody's office.
At this crucial moment, the office had been empty.
He had sneaked in and opened that chest.
Inside, he found a cabinet.
Heinrich was all too familiar with this cabinet.
It bore Edgar's family crest—it was a Vanishing Cabinet.
A pair of such cabinets could be used for teleportation.
In that instant, countless thoughts flooded his mind.
Stepping out of the shadows, Heinrich kept his wand firmly trained on the composed Moody, his gaze filled with caution.
"How did Edgar's cabinet end up with you?"
There was something he needed to confirm.
Moody let out a sigh and said, "Haah~ You really are an unlikable child—just like you were when you were young."
Then, shifting the topic, he tapped his wooden leg with his staff and said, "Did you know? Hogwarts has anti-Apparition wards, but there is a way to bypass them—"
"Petrificus Totalus!"
Wasting no time on pointless talk, Heinrich struck decisively.
Moody smiled and suddenly stomped his foot.
His wooden leg jerked violently, yanking him into a swirling vortex.
The spell missed its mark, and Heinrich's expression shifted.
"A Portkey!"
...
Harry answered the Sphinx's riddle and finally reached the Triwizard Cup.
Just as he suppressed his excitement, Cedric appeared from another path.
The two exchanged a glance—there was no need for words. Both sprinted at full speed toward the Cup.
At last, almost simultaneously, they touched it.
They locked eyes, momentarily at a loss—how was this supposed to be decided?
Before they could react, the pedestal holding the Cup suddenly exploded.
With no time to dodge, they were sucked into a swirling vortex, like being flushed down a giant drain.
At the very last second before vanishing, Cedric forcefully tapped the Constellation Society badge.
Everyone in the Constellation Society's expressions changed instantly.
They had just been watching as Fleur was escorted out by Professor McGonagall when Daphne suddenly stood up.
"Something's wrong."
...
Pop!
Harry's legs hit the ground hard, nearly making him stumble.
Both he and Cedric were still clutching the Triwizard Cup, confusion mirrored in their eyes.
It looked like… a graveyard.
Cedric said grimly, "That pedestal—it was a Portkey. And a one-time-use one at that."
Harry, still bewildered, asked, "So what do we do now?"
Cedric was just about to answer when Harry suddenly said, "Someone's coming."
Pulling out his wand, Cedric silently tapped his Constellation Society badge again, muttering under his breath.
A tall, slender figure emerged from the shadows, cradling something in their arms.
From a distance, a voice, thick and chilling like venom, echoed through the air.
"Kill the extra one."
A blinding green light pierced through Harry's eyelids. "Avada Kedavra!"
Harry froze for a second.
In the next instant, he saw Cedric struck by the green light.
Two spells rang out almost simultaneously from opposite directions.
"Petrificus Totalus!"
"Stupefy!"
_________
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