"Ladies and gentlemen, the final task of the Triwizard Tournament is about to begin! And that means tonight, we will crown the ultimate winner of this long and grueling competition!"
A professional commentator really did make a difference. Bagman's passionate voice instantly set the already excited crowd ablaze.
Amid wave after wave of cheers, he had to raise his voice even higher.
"The order in which the champions enter the maze will be determined by their combined scores from the previous two tasks. Which means—"
"In first place, both with 85 points, and both from Hogwarts, Cedric Diggory and Harry Potter!"
Even from afar, Tver could see Madame Maxime and Karkaroff hesitate, as if they wanted to say something but held back.
"In second place, Viktor Krum from Durmstrang!"
"And in the remaining positions, Miss Fleur Delacour, and… well, Mr. Fawley. Unfortunately, with only 68 points, he will enter last!"
Each name Bagman announced drew louder cheers from the crowd. But when it came to Tver, not only was there no applause, laughter broke out instead.
After all, exams were over. Even if the professor wanted to assign homework now, no one cared anymore.
"Ahem, that concludes the standings. Now, champions, please proceed to your respective entrances."
Bagman's timely announcement cut through the laughter, signaling the start of the match.
"Excellent!"
Seeing the champions obediently split up and stand before their own dark passageways, he shouted enthusiastically, as if they had just accomplished something remarkable.
"Now, Harry and Cedric, get ready. When you hear the whistle, you may enter the maze!"
"Three… two… one… whistle!"
At the sharp blast, Harry and Cedric shot forward like arrows, rushing into the maze.
The moment they stepped inside, magic swallowed their figures, and they vanished into the darkness.
Only then did the audience realize a serious problem. What were they supposed to watch?
The entire challenge took place inside the maze, and to prevent interference, the champions and spectators could not see each other at all.
All the battles they had been looking forward to were completely hidden from view.
But the rules had already been set, and there was no changing them now. So the crowd could only watch as, one after another, the remaining champions disappeared into the maze at the sound of each whistle.
Except for Tver.
"So, Dumbledore told you to stall me?"
Hands on his hips, Tver looked helplessly toward Dumbledore, who was smiling at him from a distance with narrowed eyes.
Bagman looked awkward, clearly unwilling to admit it.
"I was just concerned about you. After all, your… well, your strength is quite exceptional. I need to remind you that damaging the maze is not allowed. Even if a stray spell blows up a wall, you'll be disqualified…"
As Tver's expression grew colder, Bagman swallowed and quickly stopped talking.
"Alright, go on in!"
Tver rolled his eyes at Dumbledore. There was no need to guess, these rules were clearly aimed at him.
But so what? The maze had been designed based on Harry and the others' abilities. For him, it was hardly a challenge at all.
He walked leisurely through the maze, turning right without hesitation at every fork.
It was the right-hand rule for navigating a maze. Of course, that method was meant for finding an exit, while Tver's goal was the center.
After a short distance, he casually released several imps to scout the paths ahead for him.
As for the traps inside the maze, the organizers had confined the magical creatures to small areas so they would not wander. They would only react when triggered by the champions.
Unfortunately for them, Tver's imps did not trigger those traps at all.
If the audience could have seen what was happening, they would have noticed that while Tver strolled along as if taking a walk, his progress far outpaced the other champions who had entered before him.
If his wallet had not been confiscated, he might have even taken out a bottle of pumpkin juice to enjoy along the way.
Even on the correct path, there were still obstacles that had to be dealt with.
For example, the Grindylow lurking in a puddle was frozen solid along with the entire pool in one swift move.
And then there was the swamp where the more magic you used to resist, the stronger the crushing gravity became.
Tver felt the pressure squeeze against every inch of his body. Each time he tried to counter it with even a bit of magic, the force pressing in on him increased by the same amount.
It kept him at a barely manageable pace, just enough to keep moving.
And yet, the spell felt strangely familiar…
Wasn't this the Pressure Charm he had created?
After being refined by Dumbledore, the spell not only exerted powerful crushing force but also adjusted itself based on the resistance it encountered.
Still, this was only a preset spell. Tver did not even need to dismantle it. As long as he output enough magic to exceed its threshold, he could pass through without difficulty.
Even so, a spell that could react in real time like this was far more complex than it appeared.
Tver rubbed his chin, thinking as he crossed the swamp.
With every step he took, the soft, sticky mud beneath his feet hardened instantly, supporting him forward.
After clearing it with ease, he did not encounter anything else worth his attention. It made sense. With other champions in the maze, the difficulty could not be set too high.
Guided by the imps, he quickly reached the area where the Triwizard Cup was placed.
It was called an area because it was unusually open. Around it stood scattered barriers just tall enough to shield a person, but near the pedestal holding the trophy, there was no cover at all.
Under the faint glow radiating from the base, the crystal body of the Triwizard Cup shimmered, clear and enticing.
Tver walked straight toward it without hesitation.
As he approached, he noticed a circle around the pedestal with a radius of about ten feet.
There was also a sign placed beneath the trophy. One glance at it left him speechless.
"The champion assigned to guard the trophy must remain within this circle at all times. Only when the guarding period ends and the trophy emits sparks will the task be considered complete."
"Leaving the designated area, or allowing another champion to touch the trophy, will be considered a failure, and the timer will reset."
This was exactly the exercise he used in class. Not only had Dumbledore been paying attention, he had even used it against the very person who invented it.
Still, Tver studied the trophy with interest.
Aside from the magic used for timing and identity verification, there was also a deeply concealed Portkey enchantment layered onto it.
If he had not already expected something like this, he might have overlooked it entirely.