Chapter 359: Support from various colleges, making special bullets
Slytherin Common Room.
As Aaron stepped through the doorway, a wave of enthusiastic cheers erupted.
"Our Slytherin champion is back!" Neller led the applause, looking at Aaron with a mix of envy and admiration, saying, "When I heard you signed up, I knew you'd be selected. I just didn't expect that you'd be the only one from Slytherin, and all us seniors would be cut."
"I didn't expect it either," Aaron shrugged modestly, then changed the subject. "But if I participate, the chances of winning for Slytherin are definitely much higher than if any of you did."
"That's true."
"You'll definitely beat the other contestants," Draco said. "We don't know much about the Beauxbatons and Durmstrang champions, but we have faith in you.
As for Hogwarts, Cedric might be a strong opponent, but Harry Potter... haha! Mr. Potter is probably gloating about becoming a champion right now, but I believe he'll regret it once the tasks begin.
He won't know how dangerous the Triwizard Tournament tasks are, nor how powerful his opponents are."
Aaron chuckled dismissively, looking at the twenty-odd Wizards of all ages enthusiastically surrounding him, feeling a bit of a headache.
"Ahem! Everyone, it's a great honor to represent Slytherin in the Triwizard Tournament.
However, your champion also needs rest. I need a quiet environment to think about how to tackle those three tasks, so... could you please make way?"
Everyone exchanged glances, then laughed in unison, clearing the path for Aaron to return to his dormitory.
"We need to find a way to support Aaron," Draco suggested after Aaron left. "How about badges?"
"I think that's a good idea," Walton nodded. "Hufflepuff and Gryffindor will definitely support their champions, and Slytherin can't be outdone."
"And Ravenclaw," a third-year Witch said. "Ravenclawdoesn't have a champion. If we can get Ravenclaw's support, our senior will have the most supporters."
Hearing this, everyone felt a bit troubled.
The logic was sound, but the problem was that Slytherin's relationship with the other three houses wasn't great, and Ravenclaw might not necessarily support Slytherin.
"This isn't easy!" Neller said with a wry smile. "Ravenclawand Hufflepuff have a good relationship; they'll definitely support Cedric."
"Don't worry," Draco waved his hand. "Just send the badges over once they're made. As long as we're fast enough, they'll have no choice but to support Aaron first.
As for later... I think after the first task, they'll realize how wise their decision was."
"We can only do it this way for now."
Meanwhile, Cedric, upon returning to his common room, was also greeted with a warm welcome from the Hufflepuffs.
Hufflepuff House has the lowest presence among the four Hogwarts houses. They are orderly, hardworking, loyal, content, and have a somewhat 'Zen' attitude, but this doesn't mean they don't care about glory.
Cedric was their Head Boy, had led them to win Quidditchmatches, and held the highest prestige in Hufflepuff. This time, he became Hogwarts' first champion, which could be said to have brought great honor to Hufflepuff, and all Hufflepuffs from first to seventh year genuinely admired him.
Harry, however, was much more reserved when he returned to the Hogwarts common room. Many people congratulated him, but he knew his own limitations. His entry was a complete accident, or perhaps a conspiracy, but few believed him, instead thinking it was an act of excessive modesty.
What saddened him most was that his best friend, Ron, didn't believe him either, and their relationship had fractured for the first time... Aaron returned to his dormitory, decisively locked the door, picked up Abe, and opened the secret passage to the Hall of Thunder.
He walked through the long tunnel and saw his thought form hunched over a desk, writing furiously.
"As I expected, something happened again on HalloweenEve.
Harry was chosen as the fifth champion."
"Understood," the thought form calmly put down its quill. "But that doesn't concern us for now."
"It does concern us," Aaron shook his head, transferring his memories from the night to the thought form. "No matter what, Harry Potter cannot die, otherwise we'll be Lord Voldemort's primary target."
The thought form understood Harry's dream, and its expression became serious. It patted its forehead and said, "The pressure was already high, and now we have an extra burden."
"There's still some time. Have you decided which trump cards can't be exposed?
The first task relies on courage and the ability to deal with danger. If I'm not mistaken, it will most likely involve fighting some kind of ferocious creature."
"Blast-Ended Skrewt?"
"That's possible, but we can't rule out something more dangerous. We might even encounter Cerberus."
The thought form nodded slightly, then walked to a blackboard filled with magic it currently possessed but which an ordinary fourth-year Wizard couldn't possibly master.
"I've carefully considered it. First, my thought form absolutely cannot be exposed, unless your life is in danger.
Secondly, the Fiendfyre Curse and the Hall of Thunder cannot be used; these two are too over-the-top.
Thirdly, Apparition and Animagus; using them in public would be quite a hassle..."
The thought form erased the corresponding name with each sentence it spoke. In less than half a minute, half of the blackboard was wiped clean.
"What about the rest?"
"If we don't expose some things, our sister won't be satisfied, and Dumbledore won't give up," the thought form showed a smug smile. "Animagus cannot be used, but Transfigurationcan. At most, Professor McGonagall will be quite surprised.
The Dragon Patronus cannot appear, but a Raven Patronus might be acceptable.
Elemental magic arrays should be avoided if possible. Even if used, only intermediate and low-level elemental magiccan be used. It can be cast instantly, but multiple magicarrays cannot be stacked. If necessary, high-level elemental magic can be used, but it will take more time, and you'll need to pretend to be very exhausted."
"As expected of me," Aaron said with satisfaction. "What about Dragon Slayer magic?"
"Try not to expose it!" the thought form sighed helplessly. "Our bodies already possess the characteristics of a Fire Dragon Slayer, so flames cannot harm us. But anything can happen in the arena, so whether this will be exposed depends on the specific situation.
However, the physique can be exposed. Dragon Slayer magic... can also be used if absolutely necessary, but Dragon Slayer Secret Arts must never appear in the arena."
Aaron looked at the forbidden and weakened magic on the blackboard, pondered for a moment, and said in a deep voice, "That's it then! I have a plan."
"It's not over yet!" the thought form pointed to the storage shelf beside it. "There's also them."
"That's not necessary, is it?" Aaron said sheepishly. "Even if we tie our own hands, it won't be difficult to overpower the remaining four."
"That's true, but don't forget there's an Adrian among the judges!
You know our sister's personality: an angel's face, a demon's heart. It won't be easy to fool her without showing something unexpected!"
Aaron's face instantly developed a few black lines upon hearing this.
"Why did she have to be a judge? Doesn't the Klein family have anything else to do?"
"That only proves that her sister, Klia, means much more to her than us brothers," the thought form said gloomily, then looked at the Lycoris on the shelf. "Jeans will definitely be there to watch the competition, which means the existence of the Lycoris won't be hidden from her.
We can make do with ordinary bullets using Transfiguration, but just in case, we still need to prepare a few special bullets."
Aaron swallowed, feeling that he was probably going to lose money again.
"What do you need?"
"I remember there was a special material in the mall, wasn't there?"
"Don't even think about it. I can't afford it.
The Dark Crystal costs one hundred magic points, and I only have a pathetic two digits right now."
"There are still twenty-five days until the competition. We can get it in about a week."
"But that thing is meant to be added to divine artifacts, and it's not easy to find one!" Aaron said somewhat reluctantly.
"I know, I'm reluctant too," the thought form spread its hands, helplessly. "But I don't need all of it; a small piece will be enough."
Aaron was silent for a few seconds, then said, "Are you confident about the enchantment?"
The thought form smiled smugly, "Basic enchantment is no problem."
"That's not enough. It needs to be enchanted at least three times."
"We might be able to achieve two enchantments before the competition," the thought form mused. "However, adding one more material can make the bullet's power comparable to three enchantments."
Aaron blinked, as if he understood what material the thought form was referring to, and subconsciously looked at the white feather with a faint reddish-gold hue on the storage shelf.
"A Thunderbird's tail feather?"
"It can only be that. Thunderbirds are imperial-level raptors, possessing the power to change the weather. Its tail feather contains lightning magic, and with it..."
"How many bullets can you make?"
The thought form seemed to have anticipated Aaron's change in attitude and unhurriedly held up three fingers, "Three. It's best to use them sparingly."
"Understood," Aaron said, looking thoughtfully at Abe, and showing a fawning smile. "How about you contribute two scales to try?"
Abe immediately crossed its arms, retreated a few steps in alarm, and weakly said, "Is contributing saliva okay?"
Aaron's mouth twitched slightly, and he rolled his eyes speechlessly.
Saliva? Even Snape only discovered that the saliva of a Sacred Dragon could be used to make an appetite stimulant. That stuff had nothing to do with ammunition.
However, he was just making a small joke. Let alone scales, he wouldn't even let Abe shed a single drop of blood.
"Never mind, I never expected to rely on you in the first place," Aaron patted its dragon head. "But I have a small task for you: next time you see Dumbledore's Phoenix, follow my lead. It would be a shameful waste not to pluck a few of its feathers."
Abe immediately perked up, puffing out its chest.
It had been annoyed by that bird for a long time. It was only Dumbledore that it feared, otherwise it would have caught and stewed it long ago.
It was just plucking a few feathers; it wouldn't feel an ounce of guilt.