Hogwarts: Don't call me Wandmaker

Chapter 410 Sphinx
Xiren had considered sending the unicorn into the sky to find the correct route; in fact, he had already done so shortly after entering the maze.

But no.

The judges seemed to have anticipated this, after all, Krum had already transformed himself into a shark in the second event, so it was hard to say whether he would transform himself into a bird this time.

So, to prevent any brave warriors from taking advantage of this loophole, the surrounding hedges were enchanted. If anyone tried to leave the labyrinth from the sky, they would grow wildly at the same rate, making it impossible to see the entire labyrinth.

This magic has a wide range, and even the soul of a unicorn is not exempt.

However, it can pass through hedges, helping Xilun avoid dangers and traps ahead.

After an unknown amount of time, Siron used a binding spell to deal with the giant blocking his way, and with the unicorn's warning, he avoided the flock of wicked birds that could bewitch people, as well as a brown magical trap he had never seen before.

Although this forced him to take a long detour, it was probably the most time-saving option compared to the potential troubles he might encounter.

Siren continued forward, the growing darkness indicating that he was approaching the center of the maze.

At this point, Xilun had no choice but to slow down and prepare to deal with any potential dangers.

The unicorn's spirit continued to lead the way, guiding Xiren onto a long, straight path.

At that moment, Xilun vaguely saw a faint blue light flashing through the gaps in the hedge at the far end of the road.

The light was faint, like a firefly flitting by, appearing and disappearing among the hedges.

But Xilun knew exactly what it was.

The championship trophy for the Triwizard Tournament is blue. Now, all he needs to do is step onto this path and walk over, and he can easily lift the Triwizard Cup.

However, the truth is not so simple, because a strange monster blocks the middle of the path.

Its body resembled a frighteningly large lion, yet it possessed a woman's head, and its feet were unusually large, almost as long as its calves. It had a long, pale yellow tail with a tuft of hair at the tip.

This is a Sphinx. Siron had been wanting to see one during his holiday trip to Egypt, but he hadn't been able to. Later, Bill told him that a Sphinx had been borrowed by the British Ministry of Magic, so this must be the one.

Xilun stared at the clump of hair for a while before slowly walking over.

At the same time, the Sphinx stood up, blocking Xiren's path, and then it spoke, its voice low and hoarse.

“You’re very close to your goal. The fastest way is to get here from me.”

“I know,” Siren said, “but I guess you’re not going to just give way to me like that, are you?”

“Yes, unless you can answer my riddle,” said the Sphinx. “If you guess it right the first time, I’ll let you pass. If you don’t, I’ll pounce on you. If you don’t answer, I’ll make you go away.”

“Alright,” said Siren, “I’ll choose to hear the riddle first.”

The Sphinx sat on its hind legs and recited:

First, think about what hasn't been born, but has always existed.

Always running, but never stopping.

Tell me something else that ticks constantly but never gets wound up.

Finally, think about what mercilessly devours everything—birds, beasts, trees, and flowers.

It gnaws at steel and wears down hard stone;
Destroy houses, annihilate towns, and knock down mountains.

Siren stared at the Sphinx without saying a word.

"Could you...read it again?"

The Sphinx winked at him, smiled slightly, and recited the riddle poem again.

Okay, that's confirmed, he doesn't know.

Solving riddles is Hermione's forte, but not his forte. Or perhaps a Ravenclaw would be able to solve it too. After all, their method of entering the common room was to figure out the riddle of the bronze eagle door knocker.

But the fat lady didn't like riddles; she preferred simpler, more direct commands.

"So is this one answer, or three?" Xiren asked after a moment's thought.

“It is,” said the Sphinx. It didn’t urge him, but just kept smiling at Xiren with great patience.

Xilun went through the riddle poem in his mind again, trying to find the key clues in it.

"Always existing...always in motion...and capable of devouring everything..."

Xilun muttered to himself, the answer seemingly becoming clearer and clearer.

This would normally be a good thing, but the most crucial issue now is that there are two possible answers for Siren, while the Sphinx's requirement is to guess correctly in one go.

Will Xilun guess right?

I want to, but I don't want to... It's contradictory, but it's also the truth.

If he guesses correctly, he can successfully navigate this path and win the three-way championship.

If you guess wrong, the Sphinx will pounce, which is dangerous, but also a rare opportunity.

“Alright…” Xiren glanced at the Sphinx’s tail again, reached into his pocket, and grasped the silver mane. “I choose water, or rather, the river.”

The Sphinx's smile vanished, and almost instantly, it stretched out its two front legs and pounced.

Xilun immediately realized he had guessed wrong.

However, being prepared, he wasn't too panicked and immediately took out his wand.

"Fluorescent glow!"

A blinding white light burst forth from the tip of the staff, illuminating the surroundings as if it were daytime, just like the midday sun.

The Sphinx, which had been in darkness, instinctively closed its eyes in response to the sudden, blinding white light, and its lunging body swayed to the side.

Xilun sidestepped and dodged.

Their positions also completed a mutual following at this time.

Xiren stared at the shimmering blue light, hesitating whether he should turn around and run towards the center of the maze before the Sphinx's eyes could adjust, perhaps he could grab the Triumph Cup before being caught.

But this thought had barely formed when it was interrupted by the Sphinx's furious roar.

The sound was loud, but for some reason, Xilun felt dizzy and his eyelids became increasingly heavy after hearing it.

An unprecedented sense of drowsiness washed over him, and Xiren felt that he didn't want to think about anything anymore, not about winning the Triple Cup, nor about plucking the tuft of fur on the Sphinx's tail.

He was so tired that all he wanted to do was get a good night's sleep.

This place is great. The grass is soft, the starry sky is beautiful, and the tall hedges block out the cold night wind. I'm sure I can get a good night's sleep here...

Xilun yawned, his vision becoming increasingly blurry.

hum!
A blue light, even more dazzling than the Three Strong Cup, descended from the sky and passed through Xiren's body in the blink of an eye.

At the same time, as if someone had suddenly poured a bucket of ice water on him, Xilun shivered and then abruptly opened his eyes.

……

(End of this chapter)