Chapter 386 The missing compass, mission accomplished
Aaron thought of Fleur Delacour, and the compass needle spun rapidly, pointing to a precise direction.
"This time, it really is a race against time." Aaron shook his head bitterly, added a Waterproof Charm to the Merpersonstatue's tail, separating the lake water, and then reinforced Hermione and Gabrielle with a Shield Charm.
With two layers of protection, he sped off in the direction the needle was pointing.
In less than half a minute, Aaron arrived in front of a large, dense patch of water weeds.
Pale red lights flickered continuously within the emerald green water weeds, and strange, sharp cries echoed from all directions, instantly making him feel uneasy.
Damn it, to stumble upon a Grindylow nest—this luck is a bit too good.
Aaron cursed under his breath, but his actions were swift and precise.
With a wave of his wand, the water weeds parted in two, revealing Fleur struggling inside.
She was surrounded by countless Grindylows; each wave of her wand petrified a dozen or so water monsters, but another wave would rush in the next moment, leaving her in a sorry state.
Logically, a Triwizard Champion shouldn't be overwhelmed by these Grindylows, but her most cherished sister's fate was unknown, and the hour-long time limit was tightening, making her extremely anxious and unable to exert even eighty percent of her strength.
Moreover, underwater was the Grindylows' home turf. The Bubble-Head Charm only allowed her to breathe freely; it didn't completely shield her from the lake water's effects like the Waterproof Charm.
Her Veela blood also couldn't sustain her in underwater combat; over time, her limbs would become increasingly heavy until she couldn't even wave her wand.
Aaron aimed his wand straight ahead, took a deep breath, and said, "Impedimenta!"
A rope shot from the tip of his wand, extending dozens of meters long, wrapping several times around Fleur's waist.
Fleur, who was fighting the Grindylows, felt something around her waist and thought it was the water monsters entangling her. Just as she was about to cast a spell, her body moved uncontrollably and rapidly to one side.
A buzzing sound filled her ears, but the ringing sensation didn't last long before it disappeared.
When she opened her eyes again, she was already out of the water weeds and finally saw who had saved her.
However, seeing the transparent barrier around Aaron that isolated all lake water, she felt a bit uneasy.
This magic was far more advanced than her Bubble-Head Charm; it made being in the water virtually no different from being on land, perhaps even more convenient.
Just as Fleur was about to express her gratitude, Aaron pulled her into the range of his Waterproof Charm, then quickly moved towards the Merperson dwelling.
"We can talk later; there's no time now."
Hearing this, Fleur also reacted, her expression changing dramatically. "Gabrielle…"
"She's fine for now." Aaron quickly interrupted her, saying, "I put a Waterproof Charm and a Shield Charm on her. Even if the Merpeople wanted to harm them, it wouldn't be easy.
As long as we can get back within two minutes, you can take her."
"Phew!" Fleur breathed a sigh of relief. "That's good.
Wait, them? Who else?"
"My dance partner."
"Which dance partner?"
"Hermione Granger." Aaron said with a grim face, "I had Krum help take Luna Lovegood up."
"Oh!" Fleur seemed to understand something. "Thank you."
"Heh heh!
If you want to thank me, prepare a fruit basket for Adrienne afterward!
If it weren't for her being one of the judges and setting such difficult requirements for me, I wouldn't have taken such a big risk to save you."
In the last minute, Fleur untied the rope from Gabrielle, and Aaron decisively untied the rope from Hermione, pulling her into the Waterproof Charm.
"This is the second one," the Merpeople said disapprovingly. They all picked up their spears and aimed them at Aaron.
Some Merpeople, along with a group of tamed Grindylows, blocked Aaron's path and said fiercely, "Let her go, and you can leave."
Seeing this, Fleur was momentarily at a loss.
"You…"
"Go quickly, don't look back.
Don't forget, your sister is still here, isn't she?"
Fleur struggled internally, then nodded at Aaron and swam upward with Gabrielle.
"Alright, now it's just me.
The first task was like this, and the second task is still like this." While Aaron sighed, he feigned a glance at the compass. The black compass rapidly petrified, then turned into sand and permanently sank to the bottom of the lake.
This was just a simple illusion. Normally, it certainly wouldn't fool a Grand Master like Dumbledore, but Dumbledore could only observe the competition through the light screen now and definitely couldn't see through his illusion.
And indeed, the Thought Form clearly captured the regret and pity in Dumbledore's eyes, and a weight finally lifted from his heart.
"Let her go," the Merpeople continued to warn.
"I'm sorry, but if I can't take her back unharmed, I'm afraid I won't be able to sleep well.
So, would you all mind moving aside?" Aaron said, drawing his wand. "This is also for your own good. If you choose to block me, you must be prepared to face the consequences."
"Attack!" the Merperson leader roared angrily, and a large group of Grindylows snarled and lunged at Aaron.
"Petrificus Totalus!"
Aaron waved his wand, and a brilliant red light covered a large area of water, freezing the charging Grindylows.
"Petrificus Totalus," the Merperson leader's voice was hoarse. "This spell won't last long. The magic he's consuming to keep the lake water separated must be considerable; he won't be able to hold out much longer.
Keep going, get the person back for me."
"Nonsense." A hint of anger flashed in Aaron's eyes. "Sectumsempra."
As his voice fell, the Merperson leader let out a tragic howl. His arm was covered in wounds as if it had been cut by countless sharp blades, and his blood uncontrollably dissolved into the lake water.
"How dare you? A Hogwarts student…"
"Strictly speaking, I am a student of Slytherin House at Hogwarts." Aaron said seriously, "Students of the Snake House are shrewd and powerful, protecting themselves, but they can be ruthless when necessary.
Maintaining the Waterproof Charm does consume a lot of magic, but I have enough strength left to fight you to the death. Want to try?"
"You can only take one. Leave her, and we will return her to you after the second task is over," the Merperson leader argued. "This is our agreement with Professor Dumbledore."
"It has nothing to do with me. That's your agreement with him." Aaron said lightly, "Frankly, I don't trust you. That was just a warning. Don't think I won't kill you.
So… get out of the way."
One Merperson, holding a spear, was about to stab, but before he could act, the Merperson leader hastily restrained him.
"You may leave," the Merperson leader said somewhat helplessly. The Merpeople and Grindylows surrounding them all dispersed. "It's just a competition task, there's no need to be so aggressive."
"Thank you." Aaron breathed a sigh of relief. "The wounds on your body can only be removed with a counter-curse. You can go to Professor Dumbledore; he might help you."
After speaking, he quickly swam towards the surface of the lake with Hermione.
A few minutes later, a transparent barrier emerged from the Black Lake, and the last light screen above it disappeared.
The stands were bustling with noise, many people cheered and clapped, and the judges all smiled at Aaron.
Hermione, just surfacing, groggily opened her eyes. She looked at the spherical barrier that isolated the lake water, and little stars appeared in her eyes. "It's so amazing. Is this the magic that allows you to breathe underwater?"
Aaron nodded, then led her to the shore.
Several champions, including their rescued hostages, were all there. They were wrapped in thick blankets, looking at Aaron with varying expressions, but all with a hint of shock.
After coming up, they had also seen Aaron's performance through the light screen and had to admit that this fifteen-year-old Wizard was truly astonishing.
Luna handed Hermione a blanket. "Wipe yourself off! Senior didn't get a single drop of lake water on him, but we've been soaking in the lake for a long time."
"And this." Luna took out a bottle of red Potion. "A Potionfrom Madam Pomfrey, it can warm you up quickly."
"Thank you." Hermione, a little embarrassed, opened the bottle and drank the Potion. A burning sensation spread throughout her body, and a lot of steam rose from her, making her feel much refreshed.
"That… I think I should apologize to you.
If I had appeared on time at the Yule Ball, you wouldn't have been in such a predicament."
"It's all in the past." Aaron staggered and sat on the ground. "Adrienne told me, and Luna was also mentally prepared."
"Are you alright?!" Hermione frowned when she saw his pale face.
"Overexertion of magic. I'll be fine after a rest."
"Is it that spell?"
"The Waterproof Charm isn't like the Bubble-Head Charm; every second of maintaining this magic consumes magic," Aaron explained with a wry smile. "Although the consumption will gradually decrease as my strength improves, it's still a considerable burden for me right now.
After all, I stayed underwater for over an hour and had several encounters with Grindylows.
To be honest, if those Merpeople had really clung to me, it probably wouldn't have been so easy for us to get up."
"I should thank you in person." Fleur walked over with her sister and said, "When I was at the bottom of the lake, I… I didn't mean not to help you, but…"
"No need to explain, I understand." Aaron waved his hand. "Honestly, I'm already very relieved that you didn't stay, because at that time, I really didn't have any extra strength to save you all again."
Fleur's mouth twitched slightly. Was she being underestimated?
She was, after all, a Triwizard Champion, considered a genius among her peers, but when comparing herself, she truly didn't know how to refute him.
"That… if I may ask, I heard them say you found me with a precious compass?"
"That's an ancestral magic item from my family." Aaron waved his hand nonchalantly. "You don't need to worry about it; that old antique has completed its mission."
Fleur's expression was complex. She had no idea of the enormous lie Aaron had told to the entire audience; she only felt that she owed him a huge favor this time.