Hogwarts' Golden Glory

The next morning, the shore of Black Lake was already crowded with people.

People started reserving seats before 9:00 AM, and by 9:30 AM, there were hardly any empty seats left in the stands.

The flags of the four houses fluttered slowly in the morning breeze, with Beauxbatons' pale blue and Durmstrang's crimson hanging on either side of the stands, as if they were waiting for the same thing to be revealed.

The lake was as calm as an untouched mirror. A thin layer of morning mist floated on the gray-green water, moving slowly along the surface without completely dissipating.

Several referees were already seated on the high bench. Bagman was checking his notebook, Karkarov was leaning back in his chair, and Mrs. Maxim was adjusting her cuffs.

Dumbledore sat in the middle, his blue eyes gazing at the lake, as if waiting.

The warriors arrived at the shore one after another around 9:30.

Fleur arrived first, wearing a light-colored robe, her hair tied in a low ponytail, and holding a magic wand in her hand.

Cedric was the second; he stood on the shore observing the water, as if confirming the direction of the current that day.

Harry was the third; he was holding a glass bottle containing gill sac grass.

Krum arrived as well, his expression calm, without any obvious signs of preparation.

Kane arrived last, without Igor on his shoulder or anything in his hands.

Bagman stood up, walked to the tall pillar on the shore, and raised his voice: "Before the warriors go into the water, I will announce the treasure each warrior is entitled to—that is, the hostage they need to find at the bottom of the Black Lake. They are already waiting for you underwater."

He unfolded the parchment: "Viktor Krum, warrior of Durmstrang—the person you are to save is your dance partner, Anya Verkova."

Krum didn't turn his head, as if he already knew the answer in advance. He didn't react further and just stood on the shore waiting to enter the water.

Bagman continued reading: "Hufflepuff Warrior, Cedric Diggory—the person you are to save is your roommate, Eric Oliver."

Cedric's expression changed slightly, but he quickly regained his composure. He truly hadn't expected it to be his roommate, but he had no choice but to accept it.

Bagman turned to the next line: "Heroine of Beauxbatons, Fleur Delacour—the one you must save is Gabrielle Delacour, your sister."

Furong's lips twitched slightly, as if she had known this would be the answer, but she remained calm and made no unnecessary movements.

Bagman paused when he read the last line: "Hogwarts champion, Harry Potter—the person you are to save is Cho Chang."

Harry paused for a moment when he heard his name called. This was a list arranged by Dumbledore; Cho Chang was already at the bottom of the lake.

Bagman turned to the next paragraph: "The hero of Hogwarts, Kane Malfoy—the man you are to save is Draco Malfoy."

The people on the shore fell silent for a moment.

Many people thought Kane's hostage would be Hermione, or even someone who was absent, but it turned out the mermaid kidnapped his brother.

Someone spoke first: "His brother? The mermaid chose his brother?"

"Oh no, how could I forget Draco! Give me my money back! I want my money back!"

"If he chooses the person Kane cares about most, he will definitely give it his all."

"Is Draco already screaming for his dad right now?"

"I think it will be named Kane."

Draco was no longer on shore and could no longer hear the people teasing him.

He had already been taken underwater and tied to a pillar at the bottom of the Black Lake along with the other hostages.

Bagman closed the parchment: "Now, warriors, you may begin to prepare. You will have one hour after the whistle blows. If more than an hour has passed, the hostages may not be able to be brought back."

Harry glanced down at the bottle of gill sac grass in his palm, uncorked it, and swallowed it whole.

A few thin slits briefly appeared on both sides of his neck before returning to normal, as if he were ready to enter the water.

Fleur took her wand out of her pocket and cast a head-bubble spell on her head. A transparent film covered her face, and she took a deep breath to make sure she could still breathe.

Cedric also cast a head-bubbling spell on himself, standing on the shore, waiting for the right moment to enter the water.

Krum did nothing; he walked straight to the shore and stepped into the water.

The water started at his ankles and spread upwards, past his calves, past his knees, past his waist. He continued walking forward, as if the water didn't exist for him, requiring no further preparation.

Kane also walked to the shore. He had no gill sac grass, no bubble head charm, and no wand. He just paused on the shore for a moment and then stepped into the water.

The instant he entered the water, a thin layer of golden light emerged from his skin, covering his entire head and chest.

It wasn't a wrapping, but a seeping in, as if a transparent layer was slowly spreading along his breathing path, preventing water from entering.

Someone on the shore noticed: "How did he do that? He didn't cast a spell or use a wand."

Five people had already lined up in a row on the shore.

Bagman raised his wand, and a beam of red light shot from its tip into the sky, exploding above the lake and turning into a string of tiny sparks. A whistle blew.

Five people entered the water at the same time.

Water splashed across the lake surface, then closed up again.

Ripples spread outwards in concentric circles, then bounced back upon reaching the lake shore, converging again near the center before gradually subsiding.

After a few ripples, the water returned to stillness, as if nothing had happened.

The people in the stands began to wait. Nothing could be seen at the bottom of the lake except for the slowly spreading ripples.

Bagman returned to his seat and wiped his forehead: "Now it's up to them."

Dumbledore sat on the referee's bench, his gaze fixed on the lake, never looking away.

The moment Kane entered the water, the world suddenly fell silent.

The sounds seemed to be cut off by an invisible barrier; the shouts from the shore, the rustling of flags, and the echoes from the Bagman megaphone were all cut off the moment the water entered the water.

Instead, there was a low, continuous hum, like the water itself vibrating slowly.

He could feel the light dimming, changing from bright to soft, and from soft to dim.

Sunlight has limited ability to penetrate the water's surface, reaching only about ten feet deep before being absorbed by the water, leaving only a grayish-green light slowly flowing around.

He continued downwards.

He was passing through a layer of water composed of tiny plankton, the light scattered by countless tiny particles, like dust suspended in the air.

He pushed them aside and continued downwards, treading water with his feet to adjust his direction.

Not far to his left, he saw Krum using a transformation spell to turn his upper body into a shark.