"Welcome! Welcome everyone back once again to the Triwizard Tournament arena!"
Ludo Bagman's shout echoed through the entire coliseum after several months, thanks to the relentless efforts and emergency repairs by Ministry of Magic employees. The competition venue was finally restored just in time for the second task, and to accommodate the contents of this task, the entire arena had been expanded with the Undetectable Extension Charm to be two to three times larger than the first task's field.
".........It's simply unbelievable. Can magic really achieve this level?" French President Perrier sat back in his familiar seat and exclaimed in amazement, "For a spectator, the arena below looks like a miniature model—it's far too exquisite, and far too vast."
Not only was the arena expanded, but it was also landscaped with a variety of terrains and features: from mountain ranges to caves, from rivers to lakes, and even stocked with numerous ordinary wild animals and magical creatures.
If the audience used telescopes to look closely, they could see these animals naturally hunting and living, completely unaware that their habitat had changed—for the spectators in the stands, it all resembled a miniature model, with the creatures inside a box and the viewers outside it.
"Just like a chessboard," Hack chuckled happily. He was excitedly peering through his telescope at a Forbidden Forest native—an Acromantula—viciously pouncing on a plump wild boar, sinking its venomous fangs in, and then wrapping it tightly in silk to feast. "At least I can be sure of one thing: wizards certainly don't have to worry about housing problems. Hmm, and no need to fret over those pesky folks marching in the streets all day."
"The Prime Minister means—magic is truly wondrous," Humphrey, seated next to Hack, said immediately. "If I may be so bold, have those strangely shaped creatures down there always lived in our world?"
"Yes," the French Minister for Magic replied. "One of the major duties of our Ministry is to keep them hidden, preventing them from being discovered by you—by Muggles. It's difficult and very tedious."
"Are they very dangerous?" Hack asked with keen interest. "Take that spider, for example—I saw it kill that boar effortlessly. Good heavens, that boar was huge!"
"Yes, Acromantula—extremely dangerous," Scrimgeour said in a raspy voice. "They possess near-human intelligence, can speak human language, and lure victims. Humans are also on their menu."
"That's really... terrifying," Hack forced a dry laugh. "Talking spiders and all... So the arena is filled with these dangerous beings right now?"
"Yes: Acromantula, Sphinxes, Chimaeras, Kneazles, Horned Serpents... quite a few, anyway. They're one of the dangers in this task," Madame Maxime nodded and said. "Oh? Look, the champions are about to enter officially."
The group quickly turned their gaze to the arena entrance, where nine champions were already standing. Unlike the previous task, this time the professor group's champions would start first. Compared to the other eight professors of similar height, Harry's stature far exceeded that of his peers, yet when eyes reached his position, they still instinctively dipped downward.
It was a bit amusing, but no one would question Harry's strength—after all, that volcano was the best proof.
".........Remember the golden eggs the champions seized in the first task?" Ludo explained loudly from the commentary booth. "By now, we can openly tell you all: each golden egg contained a piece of parchment inscribed with a different spell. The rule for the second task is that champions can only use the spell written on that parchment when they first enter!"
"But don't panic—you've seen how enormous the entire arena is. Throughout the field, our Ministry employees have buried, er, who knows how many treasure chests. Champions can open these to gain permission to use other spells!"
"Hmm, and it's not just chests—these parchments are hidden in any place you can imagine or can't: under waterfalls, in the habitats of those magical creatures, on their bodies, in their nests—use your imagination! Go find them!"
"For each parchment you obtain, you can use one additional spell. But if the spell on the parchment is one you don't know, sorry, it's as if you didn't get it at all—absolutely! Absolutely do not use any spell beyond those on the parchments you've obtained, or we'll regrettably have to disqualify that champion."
"Of course, there's the most important part: the winning condition for the entire task." Ludo deliberately drew out his words to build suspense. "Yes, just as you thought—the second task will have only one winner. The match ends only when the final champion eliminates all the others."
"The judges will score each champion based on their performance and elimination time. Of course, the spell permissions they've unlocked are a key part too. Anyway, I know you're all itching to start—because I am too! Let the task begin!!"
Amid the audience's cheers—of course, the champions in the arena couldn't hear them—they had stepped into the field, but they knew the spectators were watching them through the false sky overhead.
Everything in the arena felt extraordinarily real: the dry wind blowing from afar, the lake beyond the mountains seen before entering, the forest close at hand.
"Then, according to the scores from the first task, higher scores enter first—Headmaster Potter, this way please," a Ministry employee guided enthusiastically.
"Thank you," Harry nodded slightly, then said to Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick, "We'll meet inside."
"Don't let your guard down, Harry," Professor Flitwick said competitively. "I might just defeat you!"
The elderly little man seemed to have gained a second youth after becoming a champion, brimming with enthusiastic vitality.
He truly saw Harry as a rival and was preparing from every angle to beat him.
"Oh, I'm looking forward to your surprise, Professor," Harry blinked and smiled.
"Haha, then you—!!"
Professor Flitwick's words cut off abruptly. Not just him—Harry instantly looked up too. In that moment, the magically simulated sky—which should have been blue with white clouds and bright sunshine—suddenly tinted with a vivid green glow, allowing everyone in the field to glimpse the outside audience for a split second before only the blinding green remained.
"This is..." Professor McGonagall murmured.
"A barrier—a Fel barrier," Harry stared at the Fel curtain, frowning deeply. "There are more demons hidden here than we imagined... He's here."
Voldemort had come, accompanied by a wild, arrogant, boisterous laugh.
"Harry Potter!!!!"
As someone Harry had truly killed twice, the current Voldemort—even as just a soul fragment—harbored unprecedented hatred for Harry, surpassing even that for Dumbledore. To the point that even after becoming an undead demon, Voldemort couldn't forget it.
No, it was precisely because Voldemort had become a demon that hatred deepened in his heart.
He called Harry's name, but his words were laced with killing intent.
"You just stay down there and watch, Potter!" Through the Fel curtain, Voldemort gazed at Harry below—he knew Harry could see him too. "You're completely trapped now. This is a barrier only demons can use. From this moment, you'll be locked in a sealed space, unable to do anything but watch helplessly as I conquer this world!!"
"Just that?" Harry retorted without mercy. "You went to all that trouble to become a demon, and this is your courage? You don't even dare face your opponent directly. A demon like you would be looked down upon even in the Burning Legion—the Abyss Lord would crush your soul outright."
"—Burning Legion?" Voldemort couldn't help bursting into laughter. "You can't fool me, Potter! I'm completely different from the past—reborn!"
"The Burning Legion is long gone! Even the lowliest imp in the Twisting Nether knows that! They went all out to invade a remote planet, only to get counter-killed by the natives there. Even Argus was blown up, ha!"
"Only I! Voldemort! I will become the most powerful demon. I will build a Legion of Death far stronger than the Burning Legion! I will rule all realms!!!"
"And this world will be my base. All wizards will become new demons—demons under my command! We will possess unique powers that other demons cannot!!"
Compared to little Crouch, Voldemort had integrated Fel energy with wizard magic far more deeply after mastering it. As he said, he was a brand-new type of demon—perhaps in the future, he could even rival the Eredar.
"Aaaah!!!"
Screams and pleas for mercy echoed from the stands everywhere. With wizard-demon power, Voldemort had infiltrated and guided his subordinates to tear open portals to the Twisting Nether, releasing massive numbers of demons into this world.
Harry could clearly see those demons chasing down pitiful ordinary people and wizards. He said nothing, merely hurling a lava ball at the green curtain in the sky—like a pebble into the ocean, the curtain barely rippled.
"What do we do?! Harry!" Professor McGonagall shouted anxiously. "We have to protect them! The children are here too!!"
"Don't panic—Dumbledore is still outside," Harry said, frowning.
Fel energy itself had deep ties to space; demons could easily traverse worlds and space because of it. Harry had seen this Fel curtain several times—it effectively trapped those inside in another dimension, unbreakable by simple means.
It could only be dispelled by destroying the Fel generator or the demon leader or mage who created it. But now...
Harry's heart sank a bit. He began repeatedly trying to shatter the curtain with Lightning Bolt or primal elements—energy impacts did have some effect, but as Voldemort and his demon wizards continuously infused Fel, the dimming curtain brightened again.
Not just him—all the professors trapped below were trying to destroy it with spells, but honestly, the results were minimal.
Outside, the Ministry's Aurors had engaged the demons, but truthfully, against the demons' numbers and power, the Aurors were a drop in the bucket. Even with many adult wizards who came to watch joining the fight, it didn't improve— the demons' assault was too sudden.
The wizarding world's long peace had left many adult wizards merely "adult"—they couldn't even cast a decent Reducto accurately.
"Roar!!!"
Until Ragehorn's roar echoed from the sky—it sensed the elements' fury at the demons' invasion and rose from the Forbidden Forest, flying toward them.
Ragehorn's frost breath rained from above, but it could only target areas with only demons or dense demon clusters, not the stands mixed with people and demons. Back and forth, it seemed at a loss where to start, and instead, some demon wizards seized the chance to hit it with Fel-driven curses, eliciting pained cries.
Time was urgent—Harry had even activated Fire Ascendant form, bombarding the Fel curtain with raging elemental power. He needed time.
The entire Hogwarts area felt like it had reverted to last year's defense battle: massive elements emerged from everywhere, instinctively resisting the Fel invasion and even spontaneously attacking the demons.
"Harry! Hurry! Harry!" Professor Flitwick urged anxiously. "Damn it! Why didn't I see Dumbledore up there?! He didn't come to watch today! He hasn't disappeared again, has he?!"
"Calm down, Professor!" Harry's voice deepened from his elemental form. "Dumbledore hasn't lost contact, and I trust Scrimgeour has notified him. He's been busy with something very important lately."
"I know, I know, but now more—good heavens! What is that?!" Professor Flitwick suddenly pointed at the sky, eyes wide.
A fiery red meteor streaked diagonally from Hogsmeade's direction, fast and growing larger—BOOM!!!
Miraculously, the Fel curtain shattered under the meteor's impact. Smoke billowed—even Harry was stunned, and Voldemort too, luckily dodging in time or it would have hit him directly.
"Sorry, everyone—hope I'm not too late," Dumbledore's voice emerged before the dust fully settled.
"A bit late, but it helped a lot," Harry sighed in relief as the curtain dissipated, allowing him to target those cunning demons. But seeing Dumbledore after the smoke cleared with Vanishing Charm, he froze.
Because Dumbledore hadn't come alone—he brought something... something Harry knew well. More precisely, Dumbledore had brought the most precious item from the Department of Mysteries' Death Chamber.
That battered stone archway, with its two black veils still drooping on either side.
Its appearance stunned not just Harry, but the hovering Voldemort above—he couldn't figure out why Dumbledore dragged this stone door here, but old psychological shadows from facing Dumbledore made him cautious.
"You might not believe this, Harry," Dumbledore said seriously. "Gellert told me to do this... in a way I don't know how, sending the message to me."
"Gellert?"
Harry's question was destined unanswered, as the battered stone door suddenly emitted light—a silvery-gray light, as Dumbledore had once described.
It gradually formed a swirling portal vortex. Harry knew this all too well—from Nico's prophecy, death knights he knew emerged from such portals. And now—
Robes flashed, and someone truly stepped out—a person Harry knew incredibly well.
Shock—so shocking he forgot to breathe, even forgetting to maintain Ascendant form. Harry rarely showed such a dumbfounded expression.
Jaina.
Not the owl named Jaina, but the real Jaina: golden hair, familiar face, and that equally shocked expression upon seeing him. The only difference was she looked much older than in his memories. How long had he been away from Azeroth? Why was Jaina emerging from the Death Chamber's stone door?
Too many questions—too many for Harry's brain to process without chaos.
"Long time no see, Harry." Unlike him, after brief shock, Jaina smiled first. "You look a lot cuter now."
"You're really—?!" Ignoring the "cute" comment, Harry's voice even trembled slightly.
As they spoke, more people emerged from the portal behind Jaina. To Harry's surprise, they included not just Alliance warriors, but Horde champions too.
"Of course it's me," Jaina nodded slightly, her gaze never leaving Harry. "We both have many questions for each other, including those strange new horns of yours. But before that, let's deal with these annoying demons—you can still fight, right?"
"No need to ask," joy bubbling from some corner of his body, Harry said lightly. "It's been a long time since we fought side by side."
"Against demons, still," Jaina added with a smile. "Will you win?"
"Of course!"
[End of Book]
---
T/N: If you find any typos or incorrect names, please leave a comment. Thanks, and enjoy reading!
---
Author note: It's finished. Thank you to all the readers who made it this far—you're my patrons, my elders with halos above your heads. Little Flower here kneels in gratitude; it's your support that let this book reach this point. Bowing to you all! Bang bang bang! As a newbie author, I realized I'm not great at writing invincible protagonist stories, nor those face-slapping tropes. So when Harry became unbeatable, I suddenly didn't know how to develop excitement—that's my mistake. I'll work on improving that in future books. About the plot: At first, I wanted to write about Harry returning from Azeroth and living a real life in the wizarding world—real life with eating, drinking, pooping, and magical details. But maybe due to my limited skills, I got more lost as I wrote and didn't know how to continue. Now, what can I say? Most pits are filled. Though demon Voldemort isn't fully dead, with the Azeroth united forces here, he has no room to jump—it's just a matter of describing his death. This book has big issues—I can say bluntly it collapsed from the middle, with drop-offs in follows. But I persisted to over a million words. Paid books won't be abandoned, so at least I filled the pits for a complete ending—that's my duty. I'll take the lessons from this book and improve in the next. Plan is to rest a bit then start a new one. Thanks again to my readers! Bowing!! --Author:花妖梦璃