By the edge of the enormous lake beside Durmstrang Castle.
The lakeshore, usually cold and quiet, was now packed with people. Every teacher and student in the entire school, together with the guests from the other two schools, had crowded along the shore. Aside from having seats beneath them, they looked little different from a flock of penguins gathered on the coast.
Not far away, a vast stretch of white mist floated in the sky, with faint moving images surfacing within it like flowing water. A raised platform stood nearby as well, where the five judges sat in a row. Ludo Bagman was seated a bit farther from the other four, since he was also serving as the commentator...
And among the three champions of this Triwizard Tournament, Avada, Fleur, and Krum were each standing at separate points along the edge of the lake, quietly waiting for the judges' signal.
"All right, everyone, the most exciting third task is about to begin!"
"Ludo Bagman" shouted excitedly. His magically amplified voice rang clearly into every ear despite the surrounding noise. "According to the rules, the champions' scores from the previous two tasks will determine their starting times. The highest scorer will be the first to enter the water at exactly nine o'clock in the morning, and every point lower means a delay of one minute... To be honest, the gap between our three champions this time is just too small, so such a tiny score difference won't have much effect at all..."
"So then, Mr. Ken will begin first in five minutes, at exactly nine o'clock. Mr. Krum will begin at 9:03, and Miss Delacour will begin at 9:05."
"Very good, we can now see that the champions have all taken their positions and are stretching, warming up for their entry into the water... What kind of preparations have they made over this past week for the task that will directly decide the championship? Let us wait and see!"
"Haa..."
On a stretch of lakeshore far from the stands, Avada wore a tight-fitting outfit and gripped his wand firmly in one hand. His golden egg rested by his feet. At that moment, he was stretching his legs and taking deep breaths, trying to calm his nerves.
After all, in the match that was about to begin, he could practically be said to be voluntarily jumping straight into the enemy's trap. Krum and Fleur were probably not feeling much better than he was.
As he tried his best to slow his heartbeat, he also found himself recalling the scene from a week earlier, when the three of them had received the notice and gone together to learn the content of the third task...
A week earlier, in the headmaster's office at Durmstrang.
Avada, Fleur, and Krum sat upright in a neat row. Across from them, seated behind a broad desk, were Karkaroff and Barty Crouch Jr., still disguised as Ludo Bagman.
"There is now only one week left before the third task begins. According to the rules, this is the time when you should be informed of the specific content of the third task, so that you may make full use of this week to devise strategies and undergo relevant training..."
Sitting beside Karkaroff, Ludo Bagman held a sheet of parchment and read it aloud to the three champions with a smile. "The third task will be—the Underwater Maze."
Tch.
Although Avada had already learned the content of the third task from the information Dumbledore had left behind, when he heard Barty Crouch Jr. officially announce it, he still could not help grumbling inwardly even while keeping a look of surprise on his face.
Wasn't this just stitching together the second and third tasks from the original story?
Though admittedly, that did increase the difficulty by more than one level...
"This task will take place in the waters of Durmstrang's lake."
Barty continued reading, "During the competition, the champions will need to make full use of their talents, the golden egg they obtained in the previous task, and the various tools arranged underwater by the organizers. Your final goal will be the Triwizard Cup, which has already been placed somewhere beneath the water. The first champion to obtain the Cup will be the champion of this year's Triwizard Tournament."
Avada, Krum, and Fleur all put on serious expressions. Although they had long since learned the content of the task in advance, and even knew that the man before them was not really Ludo Bagman, they still had to act the part.
"And as for the golden egg in your hands—"
Seeing the expressions of the champions, Barty nodded with satisfaction and continued, "It is meant to locate and open the ghost ships we have left beneath Durmstrang's waters."
"These ghost ships were generously provided by Durmstrang as part of the task. They possess the ability to teleport instantly through the water. The reason such tools are being provided is because the Cup has been placed three thousand feet beneath the surface. Not only would it take too long to swim there, but ordinary magic would also be unable to withstand the water pressure at that depth. After all, this year's Tournament is different from previous years—we are doing our utmost to ensure the champions' safety..."
Three thousand feet... Isn't that almost a full kilometer?
Standing on the lakeshore, Avada—who was about to be the first to enter the water—could not help grumbling inwardly again.
Are they planning to use people like submarines? Dumbledore, who knows the truth, is one thing, but how did the other judges, as well as the British and French Ministries of Magic, dare approve such an outrageous task? Are they really that confident in the quality of Durmstrang's ghost ships?
"Mr. Ken, please be ready. You will begin the task in ten seconds!"
Suddenly, Bagman's amplified voice cut off his train of thought. "Ten—nine—eight—seven..."
Avada took a deep breath and abruptly felt like he kind of needed to pee.
"Three—two—one!"
"The task begins!"
The instant Barty gave the order, Avada immediately raised his wand, and dazzling flashes of magic burst one after another around his body—
"The Bubble-Head Charm, a Warming Charm, a Pressure Resistance Charm, acceleration magic..."
Every single one of his actions was being projected with perfect clarity onto the white mist above the spectators, and Barty instantly slipped into professional commentator mode, analyzing each spell as it was cast.
"It looks like Mr. Ken has decided to rely on his own abilities to enter the underwater environment, which is extremely unfriendly to wizards, and he has clearly made thorough preparations for it!"
"He's finally stopped casting, and he's picked up his golden egg—he's about to enter the water!"
Splash!
Amid Barty's exclamation, Avada clenched his wand in one hand and tucked the golden egg tightly under the other arm, then kicked off with both legs and threw himself straight into the still surface of the lake, sending up a huge spray of water.
(End of Chapter)