Chapter 398: Treasure chests are also divided into different levels, and the maze is becoming more and more dangerous
"I think I understand now," Harry said thoughtfully, watching the scene. "The treasure chest is the key."
"The treasure chest is indeed the key, but..." Krum paused, his expression solemn. "That Dementor hasn't disappeared; it's still roaming the maze."
As his words fell, the other three exchanged glances.
But soon, they thought of something, and their expressions all turned unpleasant.
Aaron opened a box and got a thirty-second map, but he also released a Dementor.
If he opened two boxes, it would mean there would be two Dementors in the maze, and so on. The number of Dementors in the maze would gradually increase as the Champions obtained more clues.
What was worse, the boxes might not only contain Dementors; Hagrid's Blast-Ended Skrewts hadn't appeared yet!
No wonder Dumbledore said to release red sparks if they wanted to withdraw, because as time went on, the maze would only become more dangerous.
"If I go in and immediately release red sparks, can I withdraw from the competition?" Harry asked jokingly.
"What did you say?" Moody stomped up to him angrily. "I think I just heard some coward say he wanted to withdraw from the competition."
"No, I..." Harry stammered, explaining, "I was just joking."
"Then don't talk nonsense." Moody pulled him to the entrance of the maze and said earnestly, "Honestly, I'm a little disappointed, Harry Potter. You are a Gryffindor, and a brave Gryffindor would actually shrink back from difficulties.
James and Lily would surely not rest in peace if they knew their son was of this caliber."
Hearing this, Harry clenched his fists, his eyes becoming exceptionally firm. "I won't withdraw."
"Excellent," Moody patted his shoulder and lowered his voice. "I know you're worried someone will tamper with the third task, but trust me, and trust Lupin, and even more, trust Dumbledore. We won't give anyone a chance to harm you.
So, promise me, don't give up until you absolutely can't go on."
Harry nodded seriously, took a deep breath, and walked into the maze.
Just then, Bagman blew his whistle, "Viktor Krum can enter!"
Krum glanced at the projection screen, then strode towards the entrance. As he passed Moody, the two exchanged a subtle glance.
The maze had completed its second shift, and the map in Aaron's hand had completely lost its effectiveness; its only use might be to estimate how far he was from the trophy.
Aaron made a simple calculation using the Quidditch Pitchas a reference; he was still about four hundred meters from the trophy.
But being in the maze, he dared not move rashly and could only cautiously approach the center.
After walking through several forks, the sound of sparks exploding came from not far away, getting closer and closer.
"Is this... a Blast-Ended Skrewt?" Aaron's expression was odd. He was very sure the source of this sound was a Blast-Ended Skrewt, as Hagrid had made them raise them for a long time.
Snap!
Aaron snapped his fingers, concealing himself with an illusion.
Then he created a phantom, which quickly ran down another fork, leading the Blast-Ended Skrewt in the complete opposite direction after it appeared.
The third whistle blew, and Cedric entered.
He had only walked through two forks when he discovered a silver treasure chest, which he also opened from a distance using an Alohomora.
However, no strange creatures appeared inside the box; there was only a piece of parchment.
Cedric raised an eyebrow, and upon opening the parchment, it was indeed a map of the maze: The maze will shift again in one minute; please hurry.
In addition to the maze map, the parchment also recorded the exact locations of Aaron, Harry, and Krum.
"Looks like I'm lucky," Cedric said with a smile, then quickened his pace following the map's instructions.
Fleur, outside the arena, understood from this scene that not every box was dangerous.
But she had barely breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Harry release a Boggart, and Krum release an Acromantulaover two meters tall, which made her wince.
The number of dangerous animals successfully increased by two, and she was still waiting at the entrance, inevitably feeling a bit anxious.
Finally, the last whistle blew, and she immediately felt as if she had heard heavenly music, rushing into the maze without waiting for Bagman's commentary.
As dusk gradually fell, the maze's hedges were at least six or seven meters high, and with the thin white mist, the Champions had to use the Wand-Lighting Charm to see their way.
Aaron walked, drawing a precise route map in his mind, wanting to get as close to the finish line as possible before the maze changed again.
After a few turns, a silver treasure chest appeared before his eyes.
"Alohomora!"
Without hesitation, Aaron directly opened the box.
A pungent smell immediately spread in all directions, followed by the sound of bubbles bursting.
A Troll, about four meters tall, slowly stood up, holding a long wooden club in its hand.
"My goodness."
Aaron rubbed his forehead and shook his head, not expecting such a creature to exist in the competition maze.
The Troll quickly walked towards Aaron, club in hand, a ferocious sneer appearing at the corner of his mouth.
Snap!
Aaron snapped his fingers, not taking out his wand, but instead turned and sped away.
The Troll immediately gave chase, its heavy footsteps echoing almost throughout the entire maze.
When the Troll ran far away, Aaron's figure emerged from the shadows.
Trolls are quite aggressive and destructive, but their intelligence is low, so they can be easily fooled with illusions, making them the least threatening to him.
He took out a Marauder's Map, identical to Cedric's, from the silver box, looked at the silver box meaningfully, and smiled, "It seems treasure chests are also divided into different grades!"
Wooden treasure chests contained ordinary maps, providing thirty seconds to filter routes. Silver treasure chests contained Marauder's Maps, including the Champions' positions, and the maze's movement time was correspondingly doubled.
There should also be golden treasure chests, and the maze's movement is divided into overall movement and partial movement; otherwise, if the Champions received their maps at roughly the same time, the maze's movement frequency would be too high.
Aaron thought to himself, then followed the Marauder's Map to find the correct route... Ten minutes later, most of the maze's map had been traversed by several Champions, and everyone was steadily approaching the very center.
Aaron was the closest, and according to his estimation, he was less than a hundred meters from the trophy. Harry and Cedric were tied for second, about one hundred and fifty meters from the center. Krum and Fleur were also less than two hundred meters away.
But they were not as relaxed as they were at the beginning. Besides the maze moving from time to time, the Blast-Ended Skrewts and giant scorpions hidden within also made their appearances.
These behemoths, like scavengers, had great destructive power and a certain degree of magical resistance, so they could only walk around them when encountered.
In addition, each of them had opened about three treasure chests, releasing over a dozen dangerous magical creatures, which made the maze even more perilous.
Aaron opened a silver treasure chest in a dead end.
No strange creatures were released; inside was only a mirror—the Mirror of Erised. (Reflecting the deepest desires of one's heart)
"Good heavens, they even brought out this old antique."
Aaron approached the magic mirror, and his own reflection appeared within.
A moment later, the Aaron in the mirror pointed to his feet, and Aaron instantly understood, bending down to pick up a Marauder's Map.
This map showed that he had three more corners to go to the finish line, and he had one minute.
Aaron felt a sense of relief. Less than fifty meters, one minute—that was enough time even to walk.
But just in case, he still quickened his pace.
However, an unexpected event still occurred. He passed through several corners but stopped at the final exit.
He could clearly see a circular clearing twenty meters away, where the Triwizard Tournament trophy stood, surrounded by three golden dragons, with crystal clear blue light constantly flickering.
But a Sphinx made of yellow sand blocked the exit. Its body was huge, its limbs like stone pillars, and even when prostrate on the ground, it was as tall as the hedges on both sides.
"Answer my riddle. Guess correctly, and you may pass. Guess wrong, and you shall be eaten by me. If you do not guess, you must find another way," the Sphinx spoke in a hoarse voice.
"I'm short on time; you'd better be quick," Aaron said impatiently.
"I do not exist in the past, but I am always present. No one has seen my face, and I am the pursuit of all living things. What am I?"
"An abstract answer!
Fortunately, I know a friend who loves riddles. The answer is 'tomorrow.'"
"Answer... correct."
The Sphinx dissolved into yellow sand, clearing the final path.
Aaron shrugged, walked to the finish line. The Triwizard Tournament trophy was placed on a pedestal, shimmering with alluring brilliance.
All the spectators outside the arena excitedly watched this scene. Professor Flitwick even raised his baton, ready to strike up the music at any moment.
"It seems the Triwizard Tournament Champion has been decided!" Bagman's voice was excited. "After more than a century, we are about to witness history..."
Mid-sentence, his voice abruptly stopped.
Because Aaron did not go to take the trophy, but instead sighed, and silently sat down next to the pedestal, quietly waiting for the arrival of the others.
"Miss Klein, was this your arrangement?" Dumbledore asked with an amused smile.
"I merely arranged for him to be the last to touch the trophy, but to win the championship under such circumstances, there is only one way."
Dumbledore paused, surprised. "All the Champions touching the trophy together? But this..."
"He has to persuade the others," Adrian said as a matter of course, "or beat them into submission."
"Miss Klein is truly... unconventional!" Fudge said with a laugh. "To end with a Wizard's duel, not many people could come up with such a good idea. I believe the audience here today will all have a feast for their eyes."
"Perhaps!" Adrian said indifferently. "I've also arranged something else that will make this final task even more interesting, though I don't know if it will be used."