I, Hogwarts Second Time Around.

Chapter 273 The Competition Begins

When the cave remains were discovered.

Owen noticed that Old Deng looked at those magical puppets with a strange expression.

Well known.

Hogwarts also has magical golems—the stone pillars are deployed, after all.

But the golems in the castle are like the difference between an eagle and a chick compared to the golems in the cave.

Although Old Deng found dealing with these puppets very easy.

But that's Dumbledore, one of the most powerful white wizards in the wizarding world.

There isn't even one of them.

If an ordinary wizard were to deal with this kind of puppet...

Imagine this—a magical puppet over ten feet tall (more than three meters tall), like a small mountain, quite fast, and capable of using 'sword skills' to dash.

Its metallic surface can block most magic.

What's even more terrifying is that these puppets can also cast spells!

How many wizards in this world could deal with such a magical puppet?

"They don't need to be defeated!" Victor said calmly. "The first test is how a wizard can achieve his goal without getting hurt when he encounters an invincible enemy."

"Okay! So, basically I have to be there and keep an eye on things?"

“That’s right. Otherwise, these puppets wouldn’t be able to move for very long,” Victor continued, handing Owen a stack of parchment on the table. “This is the instruction manual.”

"Huh? Do you also have an instruction manual?"

"Of course, during the match, I will restrict some of the puppet's abilities."

"Oh! That's good." Owen took the parchment, which was covered with all sorts of ancient runes. "I knew a little wizard wouldn't be able to handle such a puppet."

"Oh, right, during the match, you and a few professors will be patrolling around the field. If any accidents happen, you must help them in time," Dumbledore said. Victor suddenly stopped talking, as if he couldn't quite remember what Dumbledore had told him.

Indeed, scientists generally don't pay much attention to things that are unrelated to scientific research.

"Hmm—you're the special assistant for this competition because only you can easily control those puppets."

"Oh!" Owen held the parchment, his eyes gradually brightening from boredom.

hehehe~

Let me control it?

Irving's lips curled up high, his unrestrained smile impossible to conceal.

This is going to get interesting!

----------------

It was a cold November morning.

It snowed all night yesterday.

It only stopped this morning.

All classes today have been cancelled.

After a long period of spell practice, Hermione's energy and spirit reached a peak, and she confidently walked out of the Gryffindor tower.

Everyone in Gryffindor who passed by her greeted her and offered their blessings.

Of course, there were also sarcastic remarks, but they didn't dare say them to Hermione's face.

Just then, a witch dressed in a dark green robe and walking hurriedly came towards us.

"Miss Granger, the warriors are now heading to the field below. You must be ready to complete the first task," Professor McGonagall said somewhat impatiently.

"How's your spell learning going lately?" She looked flustered, just as anxious as Ginny.

This is big news; Professor McGonagall has never shown such an expression before.

As is well known, Miss Granger has always been unpopular with women, and there are very few people in Gryffindor who can be considered her friends.

Ginny is one of them.

As the day of the competition approached, Ginny's reaction was even more intense than hers.

I worry every day about what will happen if Hermione gets injured during the match.

She didn't think Miss Granger couldn't pass the challenge, but Dumbledore's repeated hints that the competition would be very difficult made her very uncertain.

This morning, Ginny was still preparing clothes for Miss Granger.

The outfit was suitable for combat, ranging from high boots to wrist guards, elbow pads, and knee pads; Ginny even found a breastplate.

In the end, Hermione simply accepted the shoes.

The rest—that's too strange, she's not a knight.

"Excellent, Professor!" Hermione replied cheerfully.

Those brown eyes were brimming with a confident light.

She wore a dark-colored blouse with intricate embroidery at the neckline and a dark tie. The long, loose sleeves added to her mystique.

For her lower body, she wore a long skirt that looked old-fashioned. The skirt was the same color as her top, and the hem was designed to flare outwards, like a flower.

Black cotton stockings covered her legs, which were then fitted into dark-colored knee-high boots.

Her shawl was black, with the Hogwarts crest embroidered on the back, silver trim at the neckline, and the Gryffindor lion at the heart.

The shawl's material looked very soft, making her look elegant and beautiful.

Seeing Hermione's reaction, Professor McGonagall sighed. She hesitated, unsure of what to do, and finally only said, "You need to prepare yourself for what you're going to face. Oh! Merlin's beard. I've clearly opposed Dumbledore's actions, but he's going his own way."

"Miss Granger," she said, "we've positioned some wizards around the course. If things get bad, they'll step in to control the situation. If we encounter uncontrollable difficulties, we can simply give up—there's no shame in that. I think the most important thing isn't completing the project, but making the most of your abilities and staying alive. Nobody will think you're inferior to anyone else."

"."

Professor McGonagall's nervousness made Hermione a little nervous as well.

Could it be that they weren't dealing with a fire dragon?

What is something even more dangerous?

"Professor, you don't look well," Hermione said.

The professor led her around the edge of the forbidden forest toward the newly constructed competition venue.

The location is on the open space that Irving burned in the second year.

That became the Quidditch practice field for all of Hufflepuff's schools.

It has now been transformed into a competition venue for the championship.

Hermione could see the towering stands from afar, and the four school flags fluttering in the air.

The cheers of the young wizards rose and fell in my ears.

A lively scene!

Hearing Hermione's question, Professor McGonagall pursed her lips and looked at her with apprehension. "The competition is more difficult than you think. I must give you one last piece of advice: Mr. Sanchez will be in charge of patrolling the field. If there is any problem, even the slightest sign, you can withdraw immediately, and let him handle everything. As the Head of Gryffindor, I won't blame you."

She gave Hermione a long look, then led her to the entrance of the tent.

On her deathbed—Professor McGonagall finally couldn't resist coming over.

She whispered something in Hermione's ear.

"You'll find it useful; I know you've been using it lately."

"I'll bring that thing into the stands, and then—the summoning spell, Miss Granger, you know that spell."

After saying that, he offered his final blessings.

Professor McGonagall turned and hurriedly left the stands.

This scene looks like Hermione was being sent to the battlefield, where she died and was never seen again.

Hermione, who was originally very relaxed, is now starting to worry after being subjected to Professor McGonagall's continuous manipulation.

However—he touched the robe he was wearing.

What Irving prepared was much more normal than what Ginny had prepared.

The outfit Miss Granger is wearing now is the one he prepared.

Touching.

A gentle touch spread throughout her body, and a strange emotion began to creep into her heart.

Like a warm current, it slowly flowed into her heart, gently scorching it.

Her cheeks flushed involuntarily.

"Phew~"

Just then, a gust of cold morning wind blew across her face, and Miss Granger, snapping out of her reverie, quickly stopped her wandering thoughts.

Turning around, he quickly walked into the tent, completely forgetting the tension he had just felt.

It was a minimalist wooden room.

Once inside, there was nothing there except a few chairs and a sofa leaning against the wall.

In the very center of the room, there was a fire stand, from which warmth emanated to dispel the cold.

Cedric sat on a low wooden stool in the corner, and his gaze fell on Hermione the moment she walked in.

"."

A strange light flashed before his eyes. At this moment, with her hair tied in a simple ponytail and wearing that outfit, she was many times more beautiful.

Most importantly, it's her aura—bold, mysterious, and confident like a flame—that no boy could resist.

"The clothes suit you well," he said with a sheepish grin, greeting Hermione.

"Thank you," Miss Granger replied.

Krum also looked at Hermione with a surprised expression.

But he was even more direct than Cedric. This made him momentarily forget about his constant leg-shaking while sitting in the chair—and he stopped.

As for Furong, she seemed calm, although her complexion was not very good.

"Come sit here!" she said.

Then Hermione went over and sat down with her.

"What's wrong?" Hermione asked, puzzled. "Has something happened?"

"An unexpected turn of events?" Hibiscus sighed. "We were wrong from the very beginning, how can you call it an unexpected turn of events?"

"Isn't it a fire dragon?"

"No!" Furong laughed bitterly, then fell silent.

It's no use saying anything now.

Are we really expecting them to find a solution within the first few minutes of the game?

Silence fell inside the tent.

Everyone was worried, except for one person: Koyatl Stewart.

She was the most relaxed person present.

Her face showed no signs of tension or fear; she looked at the others with disdain and occasionally let out a soft snort.

This unexpected turn of events has thrown you into a panic.

That's really weak.

As the Warriors' house fell into an even deeper silence.

On the other side, the door to the room on the other side of the venue was suddenly pushed open.

Bagman walked in.

"Ah, you're all here, that's great!" Bagman said cheerfully, then beckoned the five of them to gather around. "I'm sure Dumbledore's been using his brain a lot lately, otherwise how could he have come up with such a dangerous challenge?"

"But—the arrow is on the string and must be released."

He put on his old Hornets jersey and stood among them, looking like a big, cartoonish figure.

His expression clearly tried to put everyone at ease, but his words were so cruel.

"Alright, now that everyone's here, it's time for me to give you a brief introduction!" Bagman said, pulling out a bag. "Once everyone's gathered, I'll be passing this bag around to each of you in turn!"

He raised a purple silk bag and shook it vigorously at the four of them.

"Inside are five silver medals; the numbers on them will determine your order of deployment."

"I'll be in charge of security around the perimeter. There will be at least five Aurors in the stands watching you the whole time. If you can't continue during the match, just flash a red light or yell. The Aurors will be there to rescue you," he said with a smile. "Of course, you have to yell quickly, otherwise we can only rescue part of you."

The Warriors nodded, indicating that they understood Bagman's words.

No one spoke, and everyone's face darkened because of Bagman's bad joke.

"As for the specific details of the competition, a young man will give you a detailed introduction."

After he finished speaking, another group of people walked in from the other side of the door.

They were several professors.

Professor Moody, Professor Flitwick, Snape, and Professor Victor.

Of course, Irving came in too.

"Hey! Hello everyone!" Owen waved and greeted everyone cheerfully, though of course no one paid him any attention. "Alright! I'll get to the point."

Several professors and I are responsible for patrolling the arena. If any unexpected events occur, or if we perceive any unexpected events that the young wizards are unable to handle, we will intervene to interrupt the match and save you.

As for your task, it's very simple—hehe." He chuckled excitedly, then continued, "The arena is divided into two areas, an inner and an outer one, with the inner city wall as the dividing line. The monsters in the outer circle will not attack the warriors in the inner circle."

The competition is divided into three parts.

First: I call it Death Valley. In the outer area of ​​the competition, an unspecified number of magical golems, ranging from 15 to 20 feet in height, will suddenly appear (like they'll suddenly pop out of the ground!). These golems are immune to most spell damage and will unleash unlimited attacks on you while wielding longswords that are 20 feet long.

In other words, the puppets won't stop unless you completely destroy them.

"Second, the guardian of the treasure." As he spoke, Owen suddenly seemed to have a relapse of his chuunibyou syndrome, waving his arms and imitating Professor Trelawney's appearance during a trance—ah—no—prophecy, and said in a drawn-out tone: "From the void, I broke the shackles of the great will, saw through Hilder's conspiracy, and invited the Ninth Apostle, the Dragon King Bakal, to guard the pass."

You will pass through a silver dragon whose body is engulfed in flames.

No matter what method is used to climb the inner pyramid it guards.

Third, the hero fights the dragon! Under the dragon's golden flames, seize the golden egg placed at the top of the pyramid, which contains information about the second stage of the championship.

This is also the key for you to unlock the second level. If you fail to obtain the golden egg, it means you will not be able to participate in the second competition!

Irving smiled, but the others inexplicably felt a chill.

"What do you mean by not being able to participate in the second match?" Furong asked first, frowning.

"From the moment you received the golden egg, the second test began," Owen said cheerfully, walking toward Hermione. "The second test is mainly a test of your wisdom and will. It is embedded in a mystery within Hogwarts Castle itself. You must solve the mystery before you can see the test questions."

Of course, to ensure fairness, the two young wizards from Hogwarts will only receive half the hints from their golden eggs.

"Alright, let's draw lots!"

Having said that, he stepped aside, at which point Mr. Bagman came back over.

The five warriors gathered together and took turns reaching into the pocket in Mr. Bagman's hand.

Koyatl was the first to extend her hand, holding a silver badge engraved with the Hogwarts crest, which, when turned over, had the number 2 written on the back.

Next up was Krum, who drew a 3.

Next is Hibiscus, 4.

Cedric, 1.

Hermione 5.

Miss Granger looked up at Owen, who was pretending to be innocent.

She was absolutely certain that he had rigged the lottery.

As soon as she put her hand into the bag, a silver medal slipped into her hand.

Before I even realized it, I instinctively took it out.

"Shh!" Owen put his finger to his lips, his eyes filled with joy as he looked at Hermione.

Miss Granger—I've done a big one for you!

Oh—and, he quietly moved closer to Hermione, "This outfit is really beautiful, but I have a question. Dude, I clearly paired your cosplay outfit with black stockings! How come they're cotton socks?"

"..." Hermione blushed instantly and lowered her head. Of course, she couldn't possibly wear—wear that kind of thing. Although her legs felt hot when she tried it on because of the magic, and it must have been engraved with ancient runes, the transparent material was just too embarrassing.

She wouldn't wear it out anyway!

"Alright. It seems our order is settled." Mr. Bagman smiled, looking at a boy near the warrior. "Now, everyone, leave the room."

"Cedric, you're to be the first one out when the bell rings, understand?"

"Good sir." His voice was broken, his face was pale, and he nodded with a slight tremor.

"The others should take turns listening to the bell."

"Now then!"

As he spoke, he suddenly pushed open the door.

In an instant, the noise from outside surged in.

"Hogwarts!"

"Hogwarts!!"

"Iphamoni!"

"Iphamoni!!"

"Demstrand!"

"Beauxbatons!!!"

"."

The shouts of young wizards could be heard everywhere.

They welcomed the warriors representing their academy as if they were heroes.

At this moment, looking further afield, on the viewing platform arranged in a circle, Mr. Crouch, Mrs. Maxim, Professor Euryale, Grindelwald, Sirius Black, and other members of the judging panel sat on the largest and highest viewing platform, while the other junior wizards from the four houses sat on the spectator stands extending from both sides.

Everyone was screaming enthusiastically.

The sounds rising and falling were like a replay of the World Cup.

Just then, a deep, resonant bell rang out.

The game started.

The noise at the scene grew even louder.

They waved all sorts of flags, cheering on the warriors.

Cheers and applause surged like waves, one higher than the next, fully expressing their enthusiasm and anticipation. The entire venue was enveloped in fervent passion, as if even the air itself was ablaze.

Amidst the raging sound waves, Cedric steeled himself and stepped out of the room.

(End of this chapter)