A certain Hogwarts professor of runes.

“Perhaps I’m mistaken, Dumbledore,” Fudge said breathlessly, his eyes fixed on Felix, “I need to double-check.”

“You are always welcome in my office, Fudge, but next time you’d better bring evidence,” Dumbledore said, his gaze also fixed on Felix—unlike Fudge, his deep blue eyes were incredibly profound.

“Time…” he said softly.

As the enchanted ceiling turned from blue to a dark purple twilight, Dumbledore stood up at the table, and everyone fell silent.

"Ladies and gentlemen, in five minutes I will invite you to the competition venue to watch the final event of the championship. Now, please follow Mr. Bagman and leave first."

Chapter 480 Encouragement

The warriors rose one by one, leaving amidst enthusiastic applause and the blessings of their loved ones. Mrs. Granger held Hermione's hand tightly, tears welling in her eyes. "My dear, she'll be alright," Mr. Granger said, embracing his wife.

“I know, I just…” Mrs. Granger couldn’t speak.

With tears in his eyes, Mr. Granger said to Hermione with great emotion, “Your mother is a little emotional… because of the recording of the second project… I waited outside the Leaky Cauldron all afternoon before I found a wizard in strange clothes who led me in… Anyway, we want you to know, Hermione, that we are proud of you.”

Hermione's eyes welled up with tears. Harry and Ron stood awkwardly to one side, Sirius and Bill each with their arms around their shoulders. Sirius patted Harry hard on the back, almost making him stumble, and said to the Grangers, "There are two men in the group!"

“Yes, that’s right, we’ll take care of her,” Harry and Ron said hastily.

As they walked through the foyer and down the steps, Hermione was still somewhat downcast. Harry and Ron exchanged a glance, and Ron said with a hint of complaint, "Hermione, you should tell your parents some basic wizarding knowledge. Don't they know that you're the strongest of the three?"

“Oh,” Hermione laughed through her tears, “In their minds, I’ve just changed schools, like… well, how should I put it? A scholar studying the occult? After all, I can’t use magic outside of school… Maybe the books I bring home every summer have reinforced that impression.”

They walked cautiously across the dimly lit field, a dozen warriors forming a long procession, with other people following in the shadows on either side.

"Who are they?" Harry looked around.

“Most of the people in the Ministry of Magic are Aurors,” Ron said, shrugging at Harry’s puzzled look. “Every level of the maze needs someone to keep an eye on it, just in case. Professor Hyp can’t handle it all by himself… Percy told me that, and I have to admit, he’s been doing really well lately.”

The group crossed the field and passed the Quidditch pitch, where several goblins carrying shortbows waved to Ephamoni's warriors.

Hermione tensed up: "We didn't consider dealing with goblins. What if they show up in the maze?"

Harry didn't speak, only staring at the goblin's silhouette, unsure himself. These little creatures used to live in forests; surely they could thrive in mazes? He vaguely remembered that the goblin's arrows were poisoned…

"Did you bring the antidote, Hermione?" he asked.

“I brought it. I prepared quite a few things… but to be honest, if we are really ambushed, we might not be able to use them,” Hermione said, touching her beaded pouch.

They remained silent for the rest of the time, walking along the edge of the Forbidden Forest. The path became increasingly familiar. Before turning a corner, Harry took one last look behind him. The steps they had just walked on were covered with countless tiny points of light—the glow of wands. People from the Great Hall had also come out, but he couldn't hear a sound because they were too far away.

Harry could easily imagine how excited they were. Seamus and Dean were probably excitedly discussing what might be in the maze, something they'd been doing for months; Ginny was probably with Luna, but he couldn't guess what they were talking about—maybe some kind of 'undiscovered' magical creature? As for Neville, he'd gotten a list of spells from Hermione recently and was sure to shine in next year's dueling class… and Malfoy, he was probably grinding his teeth in frustration!

This last thought gave Harry a sliver of excitement. "Oh my God!" Hermione groaned in his ear.

Harry followed her gaze and was deeply shocked. Before him stood a square tower-shaped building not much smaller than Hogwarts Castle. He could only see its three solid corners, straight prisms made of black stone, the gaps between them filled with impenetrable thorns and hedges. The building was at least a hundred feet tall, and Harry secretly estimated how many levels the maze might have.

They stopped ahead. Bagman waited for everyone to gather before leading them to the huge building. They walked through sparse trees to a clearing where a huge silver tent stood, glowing faintly in the darkness.

Harry was momentarily dazed, as if he had returned to the first project, where they had to work together to fight a fire dragon... but that seemed like something from a past life.

“Alright,” Bagman said happily, “you should be quite familiar with this place. We’ve built a maze castle for the competition on the original site. The school has prepared two areas, but I think the familiar surroundings will make you feel at home…”

Everyone was staring at him.

Bagman looked at everyone with a smug expression, seemingly hoping for a compliment or two, but in the awkward silence, he had to abandon that idea. "Well then, uh, I'll read out the rules. You need to navigate a maze. There are seven levels, and the area gets smaller as you go up. The top level has no traps, only a trophy."

"The use of black magic is forbidden, and the use of powerful spells on people is forbidden..."

He talked for over ten minutes straight, and Harry was getting a little annoyed. They had analyzed these things many times before. Finally, Bagman got to the point.

“Next, I’ll explain the order of entry into the maze. According to the rules,” Bagman glanced at Harry, “the two teams from Hogwarts will have their scores averaged, but since they’re already first and second, that’s unnecessary. They can simply enter in descending order of their scores—”

At this moment, the tent flap was lifted from the outside.

"Bagman, the trophy is ready."

“Thank you, Yaxley. This was supposed to be my job, but as you can see, I’m overwhelmed…”

Yaxley grinned, forcing a stiff smile through his teeth. "You're welcome." The man disappeared into the tent.

"Alright, the trophy is set up. Now, let me introduce the guards in the maze. They are all from the Ministry of Magic. Well, except for Felix, the guards won't easily show themselves, even if you're unconscious."

The warriors exchanged bewildered glances. "What if the unconscious warrior is discovered by a roaming monster—" asked one of the warriors from Busbarton, a girl named Jacqueline Bourgeva. Several warriors nodded; they had the same question.

“Ah, that’s the role of the guards,” Bagman smiled. “They’ll just watch from the sidelines and won’t intervene unless you’re truly in mortal danger. If the unconscious person is lucky enough to find a teammate, then they can continue the match…”

The tent flap was lifted once more. Kingsley and Felix walked in together.

“The audience is all seated, Ludo. In five minutes, we can bring the Warriors in; staff will escort them through different entrances,” Kingsley said calmly.

“Excellent,” Bagman said happily. “I can’t wait to host the game.”

“Wait, different entrances?” Byers from Iphamoni’s team asked.

“There are four entrances in total, and which one you enter is random. The only restriction is that teams from the same group must split up,” Felix said gently.

“That’s right, exactly,” Bagman agreed. “So—” he looked around.

"May I say a few words?" Felix asked softly.

“Oh, what—of course,” Bagman said.

Felix stood before the warriors, his gaze sweeping over each one. "You have all put in unimaginable effort this year, and you have also gained tremendous rewards: strength, friendship, courage, cooperation, trust... Although the third project is incredibly difficult, I believe you can overcome the challenges. All you need to do is use your wisdom, trust your teammates, and most importantly—never give up hope, even in the worst circumstances."

"Today is just an important milestone in your lives, not the end—time is on your side."

Chapter 481 The Labyrinth Castle (Part 1) - Immense Advantage

Harry was thrilled. He suppressed the urge to applaud and stared intently at Felix.

“Ahem,” Bagman said, sounding a little uncomfortable, “Well said, Felix. Can I repeat what you said after the match? Just kidding. Honestly, you might as well give them a hug…”

“That’s right, Professor!” Roger Davis chimed in. “What we need more is a hug.”

Harry thought Roger's words made a lot of sense, and Hermione's eyes sparkled, but Felix hesitated for a moment, then smiled and shook his head, "Let's wait until the match is over."

He stepped out of the tent, his smile quickly fading. "The professor's strange pre-match speech, and his refusal to hug—done. Now all I need to do is wait quietly and minimize contact with them...is that right?"

He stood still, seemingly waiting for a response, then smiled slightly and turned to leave.

He returned to the stands, where a joyful, restless atmosphere filled the air. At one of the entrances to the labyrinthine castle, several chosen Aurors walked into the dark entrance.

The sounds outside became almost inaudible in an instant. Felix wandered through the maze, quietly contemplating. Could he really transform into runes? He should be able to, with just a little pressure... After all, he had already successfully mastered his first level seven spell.

On the fifth level of the labyrinth, a wandering Sphinx discovered Felix, whose body resembled a terrifyingly large lion: enormous paws, a long yellow tail with a tuft of fur at the tip. But it had the head of a woman.

The Sphinx blocked the way, its voice hoarse as it said, "You're very close to the entrance to the next level—"

Felix glanced at it, a flash of silver light in his eyes, and the Sphinx froze on the spot as Felix brushed past her.

"Transforming into demonic runes... what should I do?" He paced away.

……

"Ladies and gentlemen, the final match of the tournament is about to begin! Let me announce the current scores! At this moment, the staff can arrange for the first group of warriors to take their places... Hogwarts, Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger, with a total score of 128, are in first place. This will give them a huge advantage, as each team will have a five-minute interval..."

"Five minutes." Harry felt a surge of excitement as he stared at the dark entrance. This meant he was a full half hour ahead of the last person! That was a huge advantage. With a short, sharp whistle, Harry hurriedly ran into the maze entrance.

He knew that, at the same time, Hermione and Ron had also entered the maze.

Everything around was eerily quiet and eerily dark. The tall hedges almost met the ceiling, which was several feet high, casting large shadows. Every so often, a candle with a faint blue flame would hang from the ceiling, its light so dim that Harry could only see a very small area nearby.

"Fluorescent." He waved his wand, and the surroundings immediately lit up. A sense of unease rose in Harry's heart, and he carefully lowered the brightness. After walking a few dozen meters along the only path, they came to the first fork in the road.

“Give me directions,” he whispered, holding the wand flat in his palm. The wand spun and pointed to the right, which was due north. “Very good.” He started running, his head bobbing from side to side.

The first level of the maze should be the simplest… that was the conclusion of their discussion; at least they wouldn't encounter any serious danger. Harry recalled the strategy they had previously devised: to find the passage to the second level as quickly as possible, if possible.

This is crucial to the success or failure of the competition!

At another fork in the road, Harry chose the left one this time. He saw a dark shadow flash past on his right, and without thinking, he turned and ran.

Don't get bogged down in the details; the first five minutes are crucial.

……

“The first team has already gone in, let’s see—oh? They’re using a different strategy,” Bagman couldn’t help but widen his eyes. “Granger used the Disillusionment Charm, amazing, for her age!”

Draco scoffed in the stands, crossed his arms, and stared at the giant screen.

“…Weasley walked steadily. He stopped. Did he find a trap? …It was a false alarm. It was probably just a whistle. There weren’t many traps on the first level. To let the warriors get used to the environment, the real danger is to come later—ouch!” Bagman ducked and dodged a small pebble.

Professor McGonagall angrily swung her fist at him, drawing boos from the stands.

"Ah! Sorry, it was unintentional. I shouldn't have revealed that there are still warriors who haven't entered the arena—cough cough, let's turn our attention to the youngest warrior, oh, look!" Bagman quickly changed the subject, "He's running through the maze, did he guess it?"

The restless crowd immediately quieted down, staring at the screen. Harry barely hesitated, using a directional charm to confirm his direction at each intersection before quickly taking action. "Look, Harry's encountered a Blasttail!" Seamus shouted.

Ludo Bagman noticed this too, and he stood up excitedly.

"Will Potter dodge? No, he didn't. He chose to fight. Silent Disarming Charm! Oh no, the spell bounced off. Excellent Trap Trap Charm. The Blasttail is temporarily trapped. Next, we should finish it off—oh, Potter didn't continue attacking. He chose to leave. The Blasttail jumped out of the pit, but it lost Potter!"

Bagman was ecstatic. "The game's been going on for less than five minutes! Porter's already close to the next level's entrance, his two teammates are far behind, and the other teams haven't even entered yet... Is he planning to be the Seeker in the maze? To be the first to grab the trophy? That might not be a wise move; his teammates can't keep up with him..."

The crowd buzzed with discussion; they could all see that Harry was racing against time, but they didn't know his purpose.

"He wants to be the first to win the trophy, which is typical of him, isn't it?" Draco said. "Still so eager to show off."

“But the trophy is on the seventh floor, and it will definitely get harder as you go further. He will suffer a great loss.” Daphne looked at the screen in confusion.

……

"Huff...huff..." Harry breathed heavily, his chest feeling like it was about to explode, but it was all worth it. He smiled broadly and walked toward the vine-woven steps, where a hidden entrance was concealed in the ceiling.

He struggled to climb the steps, his feet feeling light as if he were stepping on soft cotton candy. He couldn't muster any strength and almost tumbled down the stairs halfway up.

But he finally stood at the highest point, his head above the ceiling, with a gap of about a foot between the hedge and the ceiling. Harry grinned, his palm outstretched, and runes flickered and took shape at his fingertips, coalescing into a milky-white sphere of light.

Outside the maze castle, everyone stared wide-eyed at this scene.

The orb of light floated slowly away. Harry sat on the steps, stared at it for two seconds, and whispered, "Explode." The orb rapidly expanded, radiating endless light—

A milky white light spread through the maze, and a faint glow suddenly appeared on the hedges. Under the influence of this faint light, the effect of the illumination spell quickly weakened, but it was enough. In different locations on the first level, Hermione and Ron simultaneously looked up, staring at the direction in which the ball of light exploded. Then, the path in front of them lit up, extending all the way to their feet.

"Well done, brother!" Ron shouted excitedly, clenching his fist. He started running quickly; the maze was now as bright as day, but he noticed the light was rapidly diminishing, which suited him perfectly—he could chase after the light.

There was complete silence outside the stadium; from the referee's box to the stands, there wasn't a sound.

"This is cheating!" Karkarov shouted angrily.

“Kakalov, they haven’t broken any rules,” Bagman retorted habitually. “This magic isn’t prohibited, and it’s not lethal, even if… well, its range is indeed quite large…”