On the grass outside Durmstrang, the once-scattered spectator stands had already been completely reorganized with the help of the highly efficient Leach University students. At the same time, several doors appeared out of thin air on an open space nearby, and the students from the three schools who had previously taken refuge inside the university were now staggering out with dazed expressions on their faces.
The university had mist screens installed inside as well, so everything that had just happened at Durmstrang had been shown to them in full.
What? Voldemort was going to be resurrected?!
What? Grindelwald was fake?
What? Dumbledore was fake too?!
What? They were going to make three champions who had not even graduated yet face several dozen infamous Dark wizards?!
Were they insane?!
Under the continuous impact of one horrifying thought after another, those poor students had nearly lost the ability to think. They could only numb themselves and accept this increasingly fantastical reality.
Even Baron and the others who held university keys were no exception.
After all, they had only known part of the plan in advance, and their only responsibility had been to open the doors and send the students into the university. As for what would happen after that, they had not actually been very certain either.
And this performance jointly staged by Dumbledore and Grindelwald—no, by Moody and Dumbledore—had completely exceeded every possibility they had previously imagined...
There was no helping it.
Who could possibly have expected that a perfectly ordinary Triwizard Tournament would have this many traps hidden inside it?
...
A few minutes later, the grass outside Durmstrang had completely changed appearance.
The spectator stands, which had originally surrounded the great lake, had now been moved to surround the enormous shield imprisoning several dozen Dark wizards. Their scale had also expanded severalfold, easily accommodating the students of the three schools, as well as the newly added students from Leach University.
Not far away, the judges' platform had still been set up on a raised stage, but the number of seats had gone from five to four.
The fake Ludo Bagman was now trapped inside the shield below as a Dark wizard.
The students of the three schools had already taken their seats under the arrangements of the university professors and their respective headmasters, but there was none of the enthusiastic discussion that had filled the air during the previous tasks. Almost everyone was frowning uneasily, shifting their bodies from time to time, as though merely sitting here was already making them unbearably nervous.
Especially the Hogwarts students.
After all, among the dozens of Dark wizards trapped inside the shield, at least half were familiar faces they could recognize!
Former school governor Lucius Malfoy, Ministry executioner Macnair, direct descendants of the Carrow and Nott families, former professional Quidditch player and Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports Ludo Bagman...
They were all Dark wizards who had colluded with "Grindelwald," attempted to kill Dumbledore, and sought to resurrect Voldemort?!
Rumble—
Suddenly, a dull sound interrupted their chaotic thoughts.
The front doors of Durmstrang Castle, which had previously been closed, were slowly opening once again. As the gap between the doors gradually widened, three figures were slowly illuminated by the sunlight shining in from outside, emerging from behind the cover of the doors and entering everyone's view—
It was Avada, whose expression was somewhat tense, and behind him, Krum and Fleur, who looked visibly even more nervous.
"Very good. The three champions have arrived!"
After "Ludo Bagman" was trapped inside the barrier, the person responsible for commentary had become Dumbledore.
He stood on the platform, a grayish little fledgling perched on his shoulder. As he looked at the crowd inside and outside the barrier below, the smile on his lips carried, to some extent, a trace of strain.
"Next, let us all enjoy the grand finale of this year's Triwizard Tournament—the finest champions among the students of the three schools, facing over forty Dark wizards who are unable to chant spells and can only cast nonverbally. How exactly will they perform?"
"I know that this event may not be quite as safe as the previous ones. Therefore, to further ensure the champions' safety, aside from Headmaster Karkaroff granting them special privileges to Apparate within Durmstrang, we have also obtained approval from the British and French Ministries of Magic, as well as Durmstrang itself, to allow the champions to use any spell in battle during this match, without facing any responsibility afterward..."
"Any spell?!"
The students below were startled.
The last people to receive such authorization had been the Ministry's Aurors during the First Wizarding War!
And the spells they had mainly used in battle back then had almost all been the three Unforgivable Curses and various forms of highly destructive Dark Magic...
"Furthermore, they are also wearing the same spell-resistant cloaks used in the second task. Once they suffer an attack powerful enough to threaten their lives, the cloaks will automatically Apparate them out of the arena. This will also mean the challenge has failed... Now then, champions, please enter the field and begin the match!"
As Dumbledore's voice fell, three smaller shields suddenly appeared within the original barrier, each enclosing an empty area where no one was standing. Avada, Krum, and Fleur then Apparated one after another, each entering one of the smaller shields.
In the current atmosphere, no one cared anymore why Avada, who was only a fifth-year, was able to Apparate.
Meanwhile, the Dark wizards originally trapped inside the barrier—who had been trying to use all sorts of small tricks to break down the shield—were startled by this sight.
This barrier blocked sound. When they saw students filling the area outside, they had thought Dumbledore was publicly exposing their identities to humiliate them and the master who had never had any chance of resurrection from the very beginning...
But why were people coming inside now?
And the ones entering were the Triwizard champions.
Surely they had not become part of the competition's tasks too, had they?
"The champions' shields will be released in ten seconds!"
Inside the smaller shields, Dumbledore's voice could clearly reach the champions' ears.
Upon hearing those words, they and the audience outside drew deep breaths together, calming their wildly pounding hearts as much as they could, and gripping the wands in their hands tighter, then tighter still...
The greatest threat on the field is definitely Barty Crouch Jr., who is currently Bagman. He possesses the strength to defeat the legendary Auror Moody.
While feeling the long-lost fullness of his complete mental power occupying his mind, Avada gripped his wand tightly. Among the sea of people, he instantly locked onto Barty Jr., who was looking around as though plotting something. Avada narrowed his eyes slightly.
The Hallows-ization modification of my wand couldn't be finished before the match, so my current combat power still hasn't reached the ideal state... But fortunately, I can still use soul magic a little. No one can understand it anyway.
Then, just how far have I reached now...?
Let's use this chance to properly test it.
As he thought that, Avada raised his wand. When there were still five seconds left in the countdown, he lightly touched his forehead, silently and invisibly releasing a spell into his own body—one that would shock anyone capable of sensing it.
In the next instant, an incomparable, indescribable sensation erupted from the depths of his soul!
(End of Chapter)