Author's Note: Don't forget to vote, comment and leave a 5 star review to help the story grow and reach more people.
Read upto +30 Chapters worth of content ahead and receive extra updates daily by going to my Patreon and becoming a fellow Patreon.
Patreon: mrfanfiction140
Be sure to read my other Novels as well:
- Naruto: Multiverse Adventures
- Hunter x Hunter : The Alchemist.
- One Piece : Reincarnated As A Genderbent Charlotte Linlin.
----
Like Katya, Krum was also slammed violently into a large tree.
The force of the impact was so fierce that the entire tree shook violently, and countless fallen leaves rustled down, covering his head and face.
Then he hit the ground hard.
Thud.
His body bounced twice on the ground, rolled half a turn, and finally lay there face down, motionless, having fainted on the spot.
According to Lynn's rough estimation, he had probably broken several ribs.
Lynn withdrew his gaze and looked at Louis.
Louis stood in place, holding his wand, looking like a statue.
"Aren't you going to check on your classmates?" Lynn asked.
Louis froze for a moment, then subconsciously took a step toward Krum—
Just as he took that step—
Whoosh!
A chain shot out from the tip of Lynn's wand, accurately wrapping around Louis's ankle.
Louis only had time to let out a cry of surprise before his whole body was sent flying, tracing an arc through the air—
Bang!!!
He crashed heavily into the bushes, landing right on top of Katya.
Katya had been lying there, groaning in pain.
He had been hit by Krum's Dark Arts; his stomach was in turmoil, the foul stench was still spreading, and he was as weak as a stranded fish.
Then Louis crashed down.
A weight of over a hundred pounds, combined with the impact of the flight, slammed entirely onto him.
"Pffft—!!!"
Katya felt like he was about to split open. His ribs, spine, stomach, and that unrelenting intestinal churning—all the pain erupted at the same time, making him wish he could just die on the spot.
Louis scrambled to get off him and tried to stand up, but the chain was still around his ankle, causing him to fall back and crash onto Katya once more.
Katya let out a death-like groan.
"Sorry... I'm sorry..." Louis said frantically, though it was unclear who he was apologizing to.
Lynn walked over slowly.
He looked down at the two miserable Durmstrang Champions.
Louis looked up and met his gaze.
"Still want to steal?" Lynn asked.
He began shaking his head frantically, like a rattle; the speed and frequency were so high that they fully demonstrated a distinct advantage he held over his famous namesake.
"No more stealing, no more!" Louis's voice was fast and urgent. "Absolutely not! I swear! I swear on my wand! I swear on Krum's wand! I swear on all of Durmstrang!"
Lynn raised an eyebrow.
"I know you didn't propose it," he said. "From beginning to end, you were hesitating, objecting, and trying to stop them."
Louis was stunned.
"That's why you were only tripped by me," Lynn added. "Not pinned to a tree, not sent flying ten meters, just a little fall. Just for show."
Louis: "..."
So I'm supposed to thank you?!
His expression was so transparent that Lynn understood it at a glance.
"What's with that look?" Lynn tilted his head. "Say thank you."
Louis opened his mouth.
He looked at Lynn's calm face, then at Katya, who was lying half-dead beneath him, and took a deep breath.
"Thank you."
Lynn nodded in satisfaction, then changed the subject.
"Where is your golden egg?"
Louis's expression froze instantly; his mouth hung open, and his eyes began to wander, looking left, then right, then up at the canopy—anywhere but at Lynn.
"Not talking? Then I'll have to use Legilimency."
He raised his wand and pointed it at Louis's forehead.
"My skill isn't exactly refined," he said. "Legilimency might hurt a bit, I might see some things I don't want to see, and I might accidentally turn your brain into mush. You sure you want to try?"
Louis's face turned from white to blue, and then from blue to green.
"I'll talk!" he shouted. "I'll talk!"
He reached out and pointed toward Krum.
"Krum's pocket! His pocket has an Undetectable Extension Charm! There's one inside!"
Lynn looked in the direction he was pointing.
Krum was still lying face down, motionless.
Lynn walked over, knelt down, and began to search him.
Louis lay paralyzed in the bushes, watching the scene with extremely complicated feelings; now he only wanted to pray—pray that Lynn would take the golden egg and leave, pray that this nightmare would end quickly.
Lynn pulled a bulging pouch from Krum's pocket.
He opened the pouch and glanced inside.
Then he looked up at Louis.
"Just one?"
His tone carried a hint of suspicion, a hint of scrutiny, and a warning that said, You'd better not be lying to me.
Louis nodded desperately.
"Just one! Really, just one!"
Lynn stared at him for two seconds.
Then he looked away and glanced down at the golden egg in his hand.
"Tsk. How pathetic."
Louis: "..."
He opened his mouth to retort, but the words died in his throat.
Retort with what? Say that Durmstrang isn't pathetic? Say that they are very powerful? Then who was it that just got wiped out by a single person?
He chose silence.
Lynn took the golden egg out of the pouch and weighed it. Then he reached into his own pocket and pulled out two other golden eggs, holding all three up to glimmer in the moonlight.
Louis's eyes widened.
Three?!
He had obtained three all by himself?!
Lynn stuffed all three golden eggs back into his pocket and patted it.
Louis was overjoyed at the sight.
It was done! Three golden eggs had been gathered! This meant Lynn could withdraw from the competition! It meant they could escape from this guy!
"Haven't you finished the task?!" Louis shouted. "Why aren't you leaving yet?!"
Lynn turned to look at him, then waved his hand through the air.
Slap.
An invisible force slapped Louis across the face; the strength was just right, enough to daze him without causing injury.
Louis clutched his face, stunned.
"Who said I have to leave just because I finished the task?" Lynn asked.
Louis: "...Eh?"
"The rules only say that gathering three golden eggs counts as completing the task," Lynn said unhurriedly. "They don't say you must leave once you have three. I can choose to stay here and remain until the end of the event."
Louis's eyes went wide.
"You—!"
"I, don't let a grudge last overnight," Lynn interrupted him, his tone matter-of-fact. "You think this is enough to settle it? You three didn't sleep in the middle of the night, sneaked into my camp to steal my golden eggs, got caught red-handed, and now you think one hit each is the end of it?"
Louis opened his mouth but couldn't find any words.
"I'm telling you," Lynn said, his gaze sweeping over the paralyzed Louis and Katya, then over to the prone Krum in the distance, "I will be watching you. From now until the end of this event. Wherever you go, I follow. You won't get a single golden egg."
Louis's face went completely white.
Lynn flashed a smile.
The smile was very gentle, friendly, and harmless.
But in Louis's eyes, that smile was more terrifying than any curse.
"You... you are..."
"A personal grudge," Lynn said. "Who told you to make the first move?"
He turned and walked toward his shelter.
After a few steps, he stopped and looked back.
"By the way," he said, "get some good rest tonight. See you tomorrow."
He waved and vanished into the darkness.
...
At the Quidditch Pitch.
"Hahahahahaha!!!"
Laughter erupted like a volcano, drowning out the entire stadium.
"He's actually going to stalk them!"
"A personal grudge!"
"Durmstrang is finished! Completely finished!"
"For the next two days and nights, they'll be living in Lynn's shadow!"
Ludo Bagman stood at the commentary booth, laughing so hard he couldn't stand straight.
"Mr. Lynn... Mr. Lynn... has shown us a completely new competition strategy..." he said between breaths. "Not completing the task... but... but torturing the opponents..."
He laughed for a while longer before managing to straighten up.
"Let us... let us wish the Durmstrang Champions... a pleasant time... over the next two days and nights..."
Thunderous laughter erupted from the stands once more.
At the judges' table, Karkaroff had already stood up. His face was ashen, and he was trembling as he pointed at the giant screen in protest.
"Krum have been seriously injured! I suggest disqualifying him for such atrocious behavior!"
Before Dumbledore could speak, Madame Maxime retorted, "Your school's Champions can steal golden eggs from other schools, so why aren't others allowed to fight back?"
"Is it the same?!" Karkaroff roared. "Stealing golden eggs isn't life-threatening, but the Champions are clearly seriously injured! If they don't get treatment, people will die!"
"Which Triwizard Tournament hasn't had deaths?" Madame Maxime shot back. "According to you, did all those poor Champions in the past die for nothing?"
Karkaroff was furious; he turned to Dumbledore, demanding an explanation.
Dumbledore hummed thoughtfully.
"In fact, they should... be fine. Didn't Lynn leave one student behind? As long as they don't run around, at most, it will hurt for a couple of days. They'll be fine."
Karkaroff: "..."