At that moment, Gabrielle Delacour was tightly bound by writhing Grindylow weeds.
The one who was supposed to rescue her—Fleur—had been overwhelmed by a swarm of Grindylows and forced to retreat toward the surface.
Lucian glanced upward at the towering walls of water, then at the small girl who had been left alone.
He paused for a moment.
It's just a small favor anyway.
With a casual motion of his hand, invisible magic sliced through the vines.
Gabrielle's bindings fell apart instantly.
Like Cho Chang, she too was gently lifted into the air by Lucian's magic.
Now—
two sleeping girls floated beside him.
Above the lake, the audience stared in numb disbelief.
Lucian checked the remaining hostages.
The other two champions were approaching quickly.
They didn't need his help.
So Lucian turned around and began walking calmly back along the miraculous dry corridor through the lake.
Fleur's Despair
Fleur Delacour was the first champion to return to the surface.
She had successfully reached the lake bottom with the Bubble-Head Charm.
But near the merfolk village, a swarm of Grindylows attacked her.
Their long fingers clutched her ankles, trapping her among thick weeds.
She fought desperately.
Casting spells again and again.
But eventually she ran out of air and magic.
She had no choice but to retreat.
When she emerged from the freezing water, trembling and exhausted, despair filled her face.
Her sister was still down there.
Waiting.
And she had failed.
"Gabrielle! My sister!"
She grabbed Dumbledore's arm desperately.
"Please! Someone save her! She's still down there!"
"Calm yourself, Miss Delacour," Dumbledore said gently.
"The hostages are safe. The task still has time—"
Before he could finish—
the crowd erupted in a deafening roar.
Fleur turned instinctively.
Then she saw something she would never forget for the rest of her life.
The Return of the Miracle
At the end of the dry corridor splitting the lake—
Lucian Thornwick was walking toward the surface.
His black hair and robes were still perfectly dry.
His steps were slow and relaxed.
Beside him—
two figures floated gently in the air.
One was Cho Chang.
The other—
a small blonde girl in a silver-green dress.
Gabrielle.
Fleur's pupils shrank instantly.
Her mind went blank.
Shock replaced fear.
He had not only rescued his own hostage—
He had rescued her sister as well.
At that moment the magical timer had only just reached the ten-minute mark.
The task had barely begun.
Fleur's Emotional Collapse
When Lucian stepped onto the dock, the parted lake slowly closed behind him.
Water rushed back into place as if nothing had happened.
Fleur could no longer hold back her emotions.
She rushed forward, ignoring the thousands of spectators watching.
"Gabrielle!"
She hugged her sister first as the girl woke up sleepily.
Then she turned toward Lucian.
Without hesitation—
she threw her arms around him in a tight embrace.
Tears soaked his shoulder.
"Merci… merci… thank you… thank you so much…"
Her voice trembled with emotion.
Relief.
Gratitude.
And a deep awe.
For the first time, the proud and elegant Beauxbatons champion completely abandoned her composure.
In front of the boy she now saw almost as a divine figure.
At that moment—
Fleur Delacour was completely conquered.
The Judges' Scores
The stadium soon quieted again.
Everyone silently watched the scene.
The French beauty clinging to the calm boy who had just performed a miracle.
Everyone knew something had changed forever.
The judges raised their scorecards once again.
Five shining numbers appeared.
10.
10.
10.
10.
10.
Perfect score.
Again.
Yet this time the crowd barely reacted.
Because after what they had witnessed—
anything less would have been absurd.
Lucian Thornwick now stood far beyond the other champions in total points.
The competition itself had already lost suspense.
But Lucian didn't care about the championship.
What interested him was something else.
The person who had put his name into the Goblet of Fire.
The trap that was slowly tightening.
The Suspicious Professor
As spring arrived, someone began appearing frequently around Lucian.
Professor Mad-Eye Moody.
Or rather—
Barty Crouch Jr. in disguise.
He started deliberately "running into" Lucian.
In corridors.
On the grounds.
Even during classes.
"Boy," Moody would growl.
"Don't think being in the lead means you're safe!"
"Constant vigilance!"
At the Black Lake he would sit beside Lucian and mutter:
"The maze… it's a dirty place. No spectators. No rules."
"Sometimes victory requires… unconventional methods."
During Defense Against the Dark Arts class he would suddenly ask:
"Thornwick!"
"If someone used the Cruciatus Curse on you in the maze—what would you do?"
"Strike back? Or run like a coward?"
His words always carried a subtle message:
Victory matters more than rules.
The real Moody would teach students how to fight darkness.
This imposter was trying to teach Lucian how to use it.
Lucian Already Knows
But Lucian had seen through him long ago.
From their very first meeting, his Truth-Seeing Eyes had revealed the truth.
The soul inside "Moody" was not the real one locked inside a magical trunk.
It was Barty Crouch Jr.
A fanatic driven by obsession.
Yet Lucian said nothing.
Because the actors had not all appeared yet.
He simply played along.
When Crouch stared at him with the magical eye, Lucian calmly stared back.
When he tried to plant dark ideas, Lucian listened politely.
When asked questions in class, Lucian answered like a model student.
"Professor, I would block with a Shield Charm and disarm the attacker."
Perfect responses.
Polite.
Respectful.
Impossible to read.
Crouch began feeling something unfamiliar.
Unease.
His mission had changed.
Originally he was supposed to deliver Harry Potter to Voldemort.
But Voldemort had ordered a new target.
Lucian Thornwick.
More powerful.
More dangerous.
Crouch had to ensure Lucian would reach the Triwizard Cup first.
Because the cup had already been transformed into a Portkey.
Straight to Voldemort.
The Final Trap
The third task was announced.
A massive magical maze built inside the Quidditch stadium.
Filled with monsters and deadly traps.
The champions would enter based on their scores.
Lucian would enter first, completely alone.
The winner would be whoever reached the Triwizard Cup in the center.
To everyone else, Lucian's victory seemed guaranteed.
But beneath the surface—
The trap was tightening.
Crouch even gave Lucian a hand-drawn map.
"Fastest path through the maze," he said.
"Trust me, boy."
But Lucian's Truth-Seeing Eyes revealed the real story.
Every piece of advice Crouch had carefully avoided the true deadly traps he had secretly placed.
And the "shortcut" he recommended led directly to one place.
The Triwizard Cup.
The Portkey.
The path to Voldemort.
Crouch believed he was guiding the perfect sacrifice to his master.
Like a shepherd driving a lamb toward slaughter.
But he didn't realize something.
The piece he thought he was controlling had already stepped outside the chessboard.
Lucian watched everything from above the game.
Like a calm observer watching a clown perform on stage.
The final act was approaching.
The maze.
The cup.
And Voldemort.
Lucian was almost looking forward to it.
~~--------------------------
Visit my patreon for advance chapters:patreon.com/DevilWarden