"Special Effects Makeup?" Headmaster Dumbledore lowered his head in confusion to look at Amanda, while the other Professors and Moody also looked at her with bewildered expressions.
"Perhaps Miss Amanda could explain to us what kind of thing Special Effects Makeup is?"
Hearing Headmaster Dumbledore's words, Amanda nodded with an indifferent expression and began her introduction in a mechanical, dull voice.
"Special Effects Makeup utilizes specialized techniques and materials to create various bloody atmospheric effects, including age makeup, highly realistic body parts, prosthetic makeup, body painting, remote-controlled puppets, animals, and so on."
"It is widely used in the filming of Muggle movies and television shows. Using Special Effects Makeup to create highly realistic body parts can satisfy the requirement of allowing Voldemort to draw real Harry's blood from a fake Harry."
As Amanda spoke, she waved her wand, and a piece of silicone for realistic body parts, a small blood bag filled with red ink, and a small bottle of glue for securing props appeared on the table beside her.
Everyone present was silent, staring at her without blinking.
Putting down her wand, Amanda picked up the small blood bag with her right hand and placed it on her left forearm. Seeing the blood bag on her arm, the Professors and Moody couldn't help but frown.
It was so obvious that there was something extra on her arm; how could this possibly deceive Voldemort?
However, out of trust in Amanda, the Professors said nothing for the moment. They weren't in a hurry anyway; it wouldn't be too late to evaluate after Amanda finished and they saw the results.
Seeing that the Hogwarts Professors and Headmaster Dumbledore remained silent, Moody pursed his lips and swallowed his doubts.
Amanda picked up the glue and carefully secured the small blood bag to her left forearm, ensuring no glue was visible outside the bag.
Though it was extremely meticulous work, Amanda completed it in the shortest possible time.
Next, she picked up the realistic human silicone with her right hand, pressed it onto her left forearm, and began sculpting.
The structure and muscle lines of her own left forearm were crystal clear in Amanda's mind.
Her slender, white fingers moved rapidly, and the realistic silicone gradually took shape on her left forearm.
Muscle lines and faintly visible protruding veins appeared; that piece of realistic silicone gradually adhered perfectly to Amanda's arm.
Even at the joints between the arm and the palm, no flaws could be seen. The previously obvious blood bag fixed to her arm was now completely invisible.
"This is Muggle technology?" Professor McGonagall watched Amanda's nimble fingers and whispered a question in admiration.
"How much of a difference is there between this and our magic? If such technology were used to disguise the face and the whole body, how different would it be from Polyjuice Potion?"
Listening to her soft murmur, Professor Flitwick, standing beside her, couldn't help but nod gently.
They had thought they didn't discriminate against Muggles or look down on them, but they hadn't expected that, in the end, they had still underestimated Muggles—underestimated a group whose creativity far exceeded their own.
In less than five minutes total, Amanda finished the Special Effects Makeup on her left forearm. After finally securing it with glue, she lifted her left arm and tested it with movements in various directions and degrees.
"Movement is flexible and unobstructed, no visible incongruities to the naked eye," Amanda observed her left forearm closely after the trial movements, quickly analyzing in her mind. "Initial evaluation of Special Effects Makeup: success. Estimated score: 85 points."
Picking up her wand, Amanda casually pressed the tip against a spot on her left forearm. Now, the entire inner side of her left forearm was covered by that small blood bag, so she could "draw blood" from anywhere she cut.
With a gentle flick of her wand, the realistic silicone was instantly sliced open. The internal pressure she had perfectly adjusted caused the red ink in the blood bag to flow out like blood from a real vein.
Tightening his grip on his wand, Headmaster Dumbledore nodded inwardly; this Special Effects Makeup was indeed very realistic.
Watching Amanda cut open her "left forearm" gave him a genuine feeling that his student was injured. Even knowing it was fake, he still felt an urge to stop the bleeding and send her to the Hospital Wing.
Perhaps this was the instinct of a Principal? Headmaster Dumbledore shook his head with a smile.
Looking at the "blood" pouring from her left forearm, Amanda nodded with satisfaction.
"Injury and blood flow are normal, no visible falsehood. Estimated Special Effects Makeup score increased to 90 points."
The formulaic evaluation slipped from Amanda's mouth. Based on the Special Effects Makeup books she had read, she gave her skills a certain degree of affirmation.
Not bad; the book she spent an hour reading in a corner of the Library was quite useful. As expected, there are no useless books.
Amanda thought with certainty that she should speed up her reading of the books in the Hogwarts Restricted Section.
Of course, this had to be balanced with her rest and entertainment.
Thinking of Hermione, her friends, and the Professors, Amanda felt a warmth in her heart and instinctively pushed reading and studying down one priority level.
"Merlin's boxer shorts," Professor Flitwick stepped forward to examine Amanda's left forearm closely. "One really can't tell that this has been tampered with."
"Albus, I think Miss Amanda's method is feasible." He looked toward Headmaster Dumbledore as he spoke.
Headmaster Dumbledore nodded with certainty, stroking his white beard. "I agree, Filius. Before the third task begins, we can have the person disguised as Harry undergo Miss Amanda's Special Effects Makeup. Of course, Harry will also need to contribute some of his own blood."
Amanda nodded expressionlessly, her voice cold and solemn. "I have no problem with that, Headmaster Dumbledore. As for drawing the blood, we can ask Madam Pomfrey to use professional equipment to ensure hygiene and safety."
She wasn't sure if the Hogwarts Hospital Wing had specialized equipment for drawing blood; after all, Madam Pomfrey only needed spells and Potions to check and treat most common ailments.
Drawing blood seemed like an unnecessary step, but this was Harry's blood, and Harry was a friend to both her and Hermione.
After a brief thought, Amanda felt that simply using a spell to cut the arm for blood was too crude and completely inconsistent with her understanding of safety and hygiene. Using professional medical tools would be more reassuring.
To prevent a situation where the Hospital Wing lacked the necessary tools, she planned to write a letter tomorrow morning to have someone purchase a full set of medical blood-drawing equipment from the Muggle World and send it to Hogwarts.
"I have no problem with the second half of this plan," Professor McGonagall said, pursing her lips as she looked at Headmaster Dumbledore. "But for the first half, the first two tasks of the Triwizard Tournament—is Harry to participate in those himself?"
"Isn't that obvious, Minerva?" Moody responded in a low, raspy voice, while refusing the water Headmaster Dumbledore offered him. "Only if Potter himself participates in the first two tasks can the deception be convincing enough."
"He's only fourteen!" Professor McGonagall could no longer remain calm at the thought of her student being sent onto the competition field.
"That is the Triwizard Tournament; those tasks carry extremely high risks and mortality rates. Even with Albus outside the field, he could very likely be injured or face even more serious consequences."
"He's just started his fourth year; he hasn't even learned many spells. How can he be allowed to participate in such a competition?"
Professor McGonagall was like a lioness out for a hunt, showing her claws to Moody without backing down.
Thinking of Harry's age, Moody fell silent for a moment but ultimately shook his head.
"He's fourteen, Minerva. You can't keep treating him like a child. He's not a baby who needs to stay in your arms. That boy needs to grow—to grow into a warrior who can withstand the storm."
"Even if my students are to become warriors, that must wait until they are adults. Before they are adults, they are simply my students, my children, nothing more."
Professor McGonagall took a deep breath and looked toward Headmaster Dumbledore, seemingly waiting for his decision.
Lowering his head slightly, Headmaster Dumbledore no longer held his insistence on a definitive opinion.
He knew in his heart that letting Harry participate in the first two tasks was indeed the most stable way, and it would indeed temper Harry.
But he also felt a personal bias; he had watched that boy grow for three years. Three years—watching him grow bit by bit, watching him grow up happily and mischievously in Hogwarts.
Was he really going to send him onto such a dangerous competition field?
The situation on the field changes in an instant; could he really protect him whenever danger arose?
Would Harry not become another... another Ariana, failing to receive his timely protection?
A flash of pain and struggle appeared in Headmaster Dumbledore's azure eyes.
He wanted to choose the path that was best and most stable for the British Wizarding World, yet he also wanted the path that was safest and would bring Harry the most happiness.
But why was it so hard to find such a choice?
Blinking in confusion, Amanda stiffly turned her head to look at everyone who had fallen silent.
"Pardon me, Headmaster Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall, Mr. Moody, please allow me to join your conversation."
Amanda spoke politely, tilting her head. "Since the decision is whether Harry should personally participate in those two tasks, why not ask for Harry's opinion directly?"
"Explain the situation to him and ask if he is willing to participate. Regardless of whether he joins the competition, doing so ensures his knowledge and cooperation. According to analytical assessment, this can effectively and significantly reduce the occurrence of accidents and misunderstandings."
"I used to believe that as a student, one should listen to everything from Professors and parents, but Hogwarts has taught me that a student is an independent individual."
"When making decisions that will affect oneself, one's own opinion should be primary, with the opinions of Professors and parents as references. So, in this matter, why not ask for Harry's own opinion?"
Hearing Amanda say this, everyone present except Moody couldn't help but smile; even Professor Snape's lip twitched.
"We are very gratified, Miss Amanda—very gratified that you can say these words."
Professor Flitwick smiled warmly, his eyes full of encouragement and emotion.
Being able to say such things meant Amanda had truly changed for the better. Seeing this child improve more and more, how could they as Professors not be moved?
Professor McGonagall also nodded and gave a slightly embarrassed smile. "You are quite right, Miss Amanda. It is we, as Professors and adults, who have fallen into a trap."
"Always thinking our decisions are the most correct and the best, yet easily forgetting your own choices and what you yourselves want."
Though she was almost certain in her heart that once Harry was asked, with his kind nature and brave personality, he would definitely join the first two tasks without hesitation.
But as a Professor and an elder, shouldn't she support and protect the choices made by her students and the younger generation?
Let Harry make the choice. If he chose not to participate, no one would blame him; he was still young and deserved protection and safety.
If he chose to participate, then she as his Professor would train him well to ensure he could safely get through those two tasks.
Amanda looked at Professor McGonagall and shook her head, a hint of warmth entering her indifferent voice. "The Professors are just too concerned about the students' safety. I can understand, and Harry can understand as well."
After speaking, she turned to Headmaster Dumbledore, who nodded kindly.
"Then let Harry decide whether to participate in the first two tasks. Of course, for the final task, I will personally disguise myself as Harry."
He wouldn't trust anyone else to disguise themselves as Harry. After all, it meant facing Voldemort directly, and almost certainly while being restrained. It was better that he handle such an extremely dangerous matter himself.
"You're going?"
This time, it was Professor Snape who spoke first. He narrowed his eyes at Headmaster Dumbledore, his usually slow drawl now incredibly rapid.
"Perhaps our Headmaster Dumbledore hasn't forgotten that he is the leader of the camp resisting Voldemort?"
"Perhaps our greatest white wizard hasn't forgotten that Hogwarts and the future big picture still require his presence?"
"As the leader, to directly put yourself in harm's way—what a truly brilliant decision. It makes me wonder if an excess of sugar has corroded our greatest white wizard's clever mind."
Professor Snape sprayed his "venom" without reservation.
Then he changed his tone. "Given that I know Voldemort best among everyone here and have the highest level of Occlumency, I believe the person to disguise themselves as Potter in the final task should perhaps be me?"
Her brain working at high speed, Amanda processed Professor Snape's rapid-fire words in a second.
Indeed, his reasoning was correct. Considering all aspects, having Professor Snape disguise himself as Harry was a more viable option than having Headmaster Dumbledore do it.
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