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Deep within the Forbidden Forest.
Lynn, who had spent the day traveling and fighting two battles, looked up at the sky.
The twilight was deepening.
Darkness was seeping in from all directions, slowly consuming the remaining light in the forest. The silhouettes of the distant canopy began to blur, melting into the thickening grayish-blue. The birdsong gradually faded, replaced by the rustling movements of nocturnal creatures.
Lynn looked around, assessing his current situation.
Water—there was a stream not far from here; he had heard the sound of water while passing by earlier.
Food—he glanced at the wild duck in his hand. The duck was already stone cold and thoroughly cleaned. He had caught it on his way here; the duck had been drinking by the stream and was foolish enough not to run when it saw him, so it became his emergency rations.
Fuel—surrounded by trees, there was no shortage of firewood.
Lynn nodded with satisfaction. The conditions were quite good.
He began to build a shelter.
Magic was indeed a good thing. With a wave of his wand, several small trees were uprooted, their branches and leaves stripped away to become support pillars.
The soil on the ground was turned up and compacted into a flat floor. Large leaves and vines were woven together and draped over the wooden frame, forming a crude but sufficient roof to keep out the wind and rain.
The entire process took less than five minutes.
As the last rays of sunlight sank into the western sky and the dim daylight turned completely into night, Lynn's temporary camp had begun to take shape.
Holding his wand, he began to walk in circles around the camp.
"Salvio Hexia."
"Shield Charm."
"Muggle-Repelling Charm—though there shouldn't be any Muggles here, it's just a habit."
"Caterwauling Charm—fifty-meter radius, triggers an automatic alarm."
One beam of light after another surged from the tip of his wand, sinking into the surrounding earth and trees.
Having finished all this, Lynn nodded in satisfaction and sat down on a stone by the campfire.
The campfire was already burning brightly.
He casually added a handful of firewood; sparks crackled and flew as the flames licked the new wood, making a warm crackling sound.
Lynn placed the wild duck over the fire.
The duck had been rotated over the flames several times, its skin starting to sizzle with oil. A drop of golden grease fell into the fire, sparking a small burst of flame while releasing an enticing aroma.
As the scent hit his nose, Lynn's stomach growled right on cue.
He stared at the duck with focused eyes.
After roasting it for a while longer, the duck skin had turned an inviting golden brown, glistening with oil. Lynn reached out and tore off a duck leg.
Sizzle—
Steam rose, and meat juices flowed down the torn surface.
He blew on it and stuffed it into his mouth.
He chewed.
"Hmm..."
He frowned and chewed some more.
"Without seasoning, the taste is a bit lacking," he muttered to himself, "but it's not a big problem."
Indeed, it wasn't a big problem.
Finding a wild duck in the Forbidden Forest was already good enough; what more could he want?
In no time at all, he devoured the entire roast duck, gnawing even the bones clean. The bones were tossed into the fire, giving off a final crackle. The grease was consumed by the flames, leaving behind a wisp of blue smoke.
Lynn wiped his hands and let out a yawn.
It's only human to feel sleepy after a full meal.
He stood up and walked into the crude shelter.
Inside the shelter was a wooden bed created with Transfiguration. Calling it a bed was a stretch—it was really just a wooden frame—but Lynn had spread a thick layer of hay and leaves he had collected in the Forbidden Forest today over it.
He lay down on it to test it out.
The hay was soft and carried the unique fragrance of plants. Although it couldn't compare to the mattresses in the dormitory, it was top-tier luxury in the wild.
Lynn rested his hands behind his head, staring at the leaf roof above, listening to the sounds of the wind and insects outside for a while.
Regardless of the environment, he was sleeping here tonight.
He closed his eyes.
Soon, his breathing became steady.
The campfire burned quietly in the center of the camp, crackling occasionally. In the distance, the cries of nocturnal animals rose and fell, but none dared to approach.
Lynn was sleeping soundly...
While at that moment, on the giant screens at the Quidditch Pitch, the footage was switching between the various champions.
Ludo Bagman's voice rang out right on cue, carrying an excitement that suggested he loved a good spectacle:
"Night has fallen, and our champions are facing their first night in the Forbidden Forest. Let's see how they're doing—"
The screen switched to Ilvermorny.
Ryan, Thomas, and Jordan had set up a fairly decent tent.
Thomas was using his wand to heat a pot of some kind of food. Jordan was yawning beside him, and Ryan was holding his wand, trying to provide light with Lumos—but the light at the tip of his wand was flickering, clearly indicating he had exhausted quite a bit of energy today.
"The Ilvermorny champions have set up a tent!" Ludo said. "They are preparing dinner."
The screen switched to Uagadou.
Amina was sitting on the branch of a large tree, leaning against the trunk with her eyes closed. Nema and Wanjiru were taking turns keeping watch below the tree; one was dozing against the trunk while the other scanned the surroundings alertly. The campfire was burning brightly, and the three of them had a clear division of labor, maintaining perfect order.
"The Uagadou champions seem very experienced." Ludo's tone carried approval. "They found a relatively safe high point and arranged a watch; everything is in order. It seems they have more insight into wilderness survival than the other schools."
The screen switched once more to Castelobruxo.
Daniel, Louis, and Nicolas were huddled in a small cave.
The cave entrance was mostly blocked by a large rock, leaving only a slit for ventilation. The three were rapidly communicating in Portuguese, their expressions looking quite satisfied—because they were holding a bottle of wine.
"Uh..." Ludo's tone became subtle. "The Castelobruxo champions... seem to be doing quite well. Where on earth did that bottle of wine come from? I remember I clearly searched them..."
The screen switched to Hogwarts.
Cedric, Harry, and Davies were gathered under a large tree.
They hadn't lit a fire, fearing it might attract unnecessary trouble.
The three were huddled together, clutching their brooms and taking turns on watch. Currently, it was Davies' turn; he stared into the darkness, occasionally yawning.
Cedric and Harry had fallen asleep leaning against each other, but they weren't sleeping peacefully—Harry's brow was furrowed, and he shifted from time to time.
"The Hogwarts champions have chosen a stealth strategy," Ludo said. "No fire, no camp, minimizing the risk of being discovered as much as possible. Though it's hard, it is indeed the safest approach."
The screen switched to Beauxbatons.
And then—
The entire stadium fell into an eerie silence.
On the giant screen, Fleur sat under a large tree, leaning against the trunk with an exhausted expression. Her hair was messy, her robes were covered in mud and grass stains, and that beautiful silk scarf had long since been lost to who knows where.
Sophie leaned beside her, eyes closed and brow furrowed.
And Chloe...
Chloe was curled up between the two of them, her face buried in her knees, her shoulders shaking.
She was crying.
Fleur gently patted her back, whispering something, but it didn't seem to have much effect. Sophie opened her eyes to glance at her, then tiredly closed them again, lacking the strength to offer comfort.
The campfire wasn't burning very brightly, and the surroundings were pitch black, with the occasional cry of some unknown animal echoing through the darkness.
"Uh..."
Ludo's voice was a bit dry.
"The Beauxbatons champions... things really haven't gone well for them today. Chloe was bitten by Red Venom Ants, they traveled all afternoon, and they had to collect golden eggs without finding a suitable place to stay... I hope they can make it through the night."
In the stands, some girls showed expressions of pity.
The screen switched for the last time—
Durmstrang.
Krum stood in a relatively open forest clearing, his eyes scanning the surroundings. Louis followed behind him, using his wand to check the nearby trees and bushes.
Katya stood to the side, clutching his wand with a tense expression.
"The Durmstrang champions don't seem to have found a suitable place to camp yet," Ludo commented. "But looking at Krum, it should be soon—"
Before he could finish, Krum suddenly raised his hand, and Louis and Katya immediately stopped their movements.
The three of them looked in the same direction simultaneously.
Katya's lips moved, seemingly saying something. Krum stared in that direction for several seconds, then shook his head and led the two of them forward.
They walked very slowly, every step cautious.
After walking for a while, Krum stopped once more.
His gaze passed a large tree, looking toward a certain direction.
Louis leaned in, following his line of sight.
And then—
"Eh?"
Louis let out a soft exclamation.
The camera zoomed in.
Through the sparse trees, a faint light could be seen in the distance. The light was orange-red and warm, flickering in the darkness.
A campfire.
And it looked like a very brightly burning campfire.
Krum stared at the campfire for a few seconds, then waved his hand.
The three of them changed direction and headed toward the campfire.
Ludo's voice rang out again, tinged with confusion:
"The Durmstrang champions seem to have discovered something... they are heading in that direction..."
On the giant screen, the figures of Krum's trio grew closer in the darkness.
The campfire grew brighter.
Beside the campfire, a simple shelter could be vaguely seen.
In front of the shelter was a wooden bed.
On the wooden bed lay a person.
That person had their hands behind their head, sleeping soundly.
The camera zoomed in.
When the face became clear—
The entire Quidditch Pitch fell into a dead silence once more.
"That... that is..." Ludo's voice stuttered.
On the giant screen, Lynn rolled over, smacked his lips, and continued sleeping.