Chapter 397: The Moving Maze that Blocks the Shortcut, the Map in the Treasure Chest
It was 5 PM on June 24th.
The teachers and students of Hogwarts, representatives from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang, the champions' families, and the judges were all seated in the stands of the renovated Quidditch Pitch.
Professor Flitwick conducted the band with his wand, playing stirring music, and the Beauxbatons girls sang cheerful songs, making the entire venue incredibly lively.
Amos Diggory skipped into the arena like a child, excitedly spreading his right arm to welcome his son, making Cedric a little embarrassed.
Karkaroff and Maxime each led Krum and Fleur into the arena, Gines respectfully walked behind Aaron, and Harrywas the last, accompanied by Dumbledore and Lupin.
A twenty-foot hedge encircled the field, with several identical entrances visible to everyone, dark passages interspersed with wisps of mist, and the faint sounds of beasts hissing and roaring.
"Quiet," Dumbledore stood on the podium and said using a Sonorus Charm, "This morning, Professor Moody hid the Triwizard Cup in the maze. Whoever finds the cup first will be the champion of the Triwizard Tournament.
The order of entry into the maze is determined by the total scores of the first two tasks: Aaron Gaius, Harry Potter, Viktor Krum, Cedric Diggory, and Fleur Delacour.
We have arranged for people to patrol the perimeter. If any contestant wishes to withdraw from the competition, they only need to fire red sparks from their wand."
"I'm just afraid they won't even have the chance to fire sparks," Aaron said abruptly.
"They might not, but the young master certainly can," Gines said calmly.
He was full of confidence in Aaron; countless extreme escapes in the family's Chamber of Secrets had almost trained Aaron to an instinct. No matter how dangerous this maze was, he wouldn't be unable to even send out a distress signal.
"Even if I can, I don't want to withdraw from the competition."
"Contestants, come here now, please hurry."
The five champions immediately gathered before Dumbledore. He lowered his voice and said gravely, "There will be no dragons or deep-water monsters in the maze, but you will face greater challenges. People entering the maze will undergo certain changes..."
"Wait," Aaron interrupted him, looking a little unnatural as he said, "Professor, you mean changes... will this maze move?"
Dumbledore nodded. "This was Miss Klein's suggestion. She said her brother has an eidetic memory and can find the correct and easiest path just by walking through it once.
To ensure fairness, she specifically enchanted the maze so that, apart from the central area where the trophy is kept, other locations will change at irregular intervals."
Aaron was dumbfounded, and the other four champions exchanged glances, their eyes showing not only surprise but also a hint of sympathy.
They hadn't expected Aaron to have such a memory, nor had they expected Adrian to play so cleverly, effectively blocking his brother's shortcut.
"Try your best to find the cup, but be very careful. It's very possible to lose yourself along the way.
After the cannon fires, Aaron will go in first; the others will be notified by whistle," Dumbledore said, then turned and walked towards the judges' table.
"Aaron, your sister is really..." Cedric thought for a long time but couldn't come up with an adjective, only giving a stunned thumbs up.
"Haha!" Aaron's lips twisted into a bitter smile, and the light in his eyes dimmed by half.
Honestly, he had been mentally prepared. Adrian would definitely set obstacles for him in the maze, but it didn't matter. He had memorized the route in advance, and no matter how many obstacles there were, he would just power through them.
As long as he found the cup first, he would have essentially won most of the competition, but he never expected the first step to be so difficult.
If the maze moved, the advantage gained from the first two tasks would only mean he had to take a few fewer detours than others.
"Why don't we work together?" Fleur showed a charming smile. "Anyway, you'll be the last to touch the cup, so how about helping me win the championship?
I'll split the prize money with you then; at least you'll feel like you participated."
The other three's pupils contracted slightly, cursing inwardly.
It just goes to show how meticulous girls are; why hadn't they thought of that idea?
A moving maze, plus various dangerous animals—the difficulty of the third task was self-evident. In such circumstances, having a divine teammate meant everything.
"Gaius," Cedric coughed awkwardly, "I think it's necessary to remind you that you are a champion of Hogwarts.
The relationship between Hufflepuff and Slytherin isn't great, but it's not terrible either, right?"
Harry was about to say something when he met Aaron's sharp gaze and couldn't help but swallow.
"Don't misunderstand, the championship isn't important, but in terms of safety, I think we should cooperate."
Although Moody, Lupin, and Dumbledore were guarding the maze, he still felt a bit uneasy about this third task. Who knew what methods the Death Eaters in the shadows would use against him?
If Aaron could help him, then safety would be foolproof.
With a bit of luck, he might even contend for the championship—the youngest Triwizard champion, just thinking about it was exciting.
"Um... I don't want any of the prize money," Krum said somewhat stiffly, "I also..."
"Buddy, you'd better keep quiet! We're not that close."
"I also saved Luna Lovegood in the second task," Krumemphasized.
Aaron pursed his lips, took a deep breath, and said, "Understood, I'll return the favor, but helping you win the championship is out of the question."
"No?" Krum frowned slightly.
"I've thought of a way. Being the last to touch the cup can also make me a champion.
It's just that the process will be much more exciting, perhaps so stimulating that it makes me question life."
Boom!
The cannon fired.
Adrian held her wand to her neck. "Now, please welcome our first champion.
Oh, a friendly reminder: to make the competition more interesting, I've placed many different types of treasure chests in the maze.
These chests will provide help to guide the champions to the center of the maze, but whether they can retrieve the clues inside depends on their luck and ability.
Without further ado, I wish you all good luck."
Aaron paused for a moment, then walked into the maze entrance amidst applause and cheers from the crowd.
Adrian smiled slightly, pointing her wand skyward. Five projections appeared outside the maze, allowing all spectators to watch the champions' performances.
But the competition had just begun, and only Aaron's projection was lit, the rest were pitch black.
The moment Aaron stepped into the maze, all external sounds were cut off. He could only hear his own breathing and heartbeat.
Following the correct route in his mind, he took a deep breath and began to sprint rapidly.
But in less than half a minute, the hedges on both sides began to press inward, forcing him to change his route and turn into an unknown fork.
Here, he saw a wooden treasure chest and paths leading to the left and right.
"Open, or not open."
Aaron was momentarily torn, and the other champions outside the arena watched this scene with curiosity.
Adrian had said the chests would provide help, but there was no such thing as a free lunch. Whatever came out of this chest would be very valuable reference for them.
Just then, a whistle suddenly blew.
"Harry Potter enters!" Ludo Bagman announced loudly.
"Huh?"
Harry was startled, looking at Aaron's projection screen with a complex expression. "Can I go in a little later?"
"This..." Bagman hesitated for a moment, then turned to look at the other judges, as if asking for their opinion.
"You can, but not beyond the final whistle," Adrian said indifferently.
"Thank you."
"I suddenly feel that a lower ranking isn't so bad after all," Fleur said with a smile.
"I think so too."
Cedric nodded, saying that through these projection screens, those entering the maze later would know more clues and wouldn't panic when encountering danger.
Aaron heard the whistle and finally made up his mind.
He couldn't wait any longer; the initiative was his only advantage, and he couldn't let a box hold him back.
"Alohomora!"
Aaron stood ten meters away, casting an Alohomora spell at the wooden treasure chest, which then opened.
An eerie cry emerged from the box, followed by a wet claw reaching out, and a disgustingly robed creature flew into the air.
"Holy crab!"
Aaron cursed loudly, and a large number of spectators outside also held their breath in fear.
It was a Dementor, a real Dementor. The moment it appeared, a layer of white frost formed on the hedges.
Harry was stunned, but quickly breathed a sigh of relief.
He knew the Patronus Charm, and one Dementor was manageable. If every treasure chest contained a Dementor, it would actually be easier for him.
"Ahem!" Fudge stood up and explained with a Sonorus Charm, "Everyone, don't worry, the Dementors will not leave the maze's boundaries and will return to Azkaban after the Triwizard Tournament ends."
"I hope nothing goes wrong," Lupin said with some concern.
"It won't," Moody said easily. The few spells Harry had learned so far were enough for him, and Gaius was in there too.
Lupin nodded. He had also taught Harry the Patronus Charm, but he still felt a sense of unease.
"Expecto Patronum!" Aaron chanted the Patronus Charm, and a silvery-white light repelled the Dementor into another passage.
He walked up to the treasure chest; inside was a map of the maze, marking his position and the Triwizard Cup's location. He had only covered less than a tenth of the way so far.
Below the map, there was also a line of text: "The maze will move again in thirty seconds. Please hurry."
Thirty, twenty-nine, twenty-eight... The changing numbers made Aaron's pupils tremble. He spent fifteen seconds analyzing the correct route to the center and then sprinted rapidly for the remaining fifteen seconds.