Chapter 400: The Trophy is the Portkey, the Fake Moody Exposed
By the time Aaron and Fleur arrived at the finish line according to the map, Cedric and Harry were fighting the spiritual cats, but both of them were injured and clearly at a disadvantage.
"Come help quickly," Cedric said hastily.
"It's not that I won't help, but... there's a small condition," Aaron said meaningfully. "How about we all touch the Triwizard Tournament trophy together?"
"Hey! Isn't that taking advantage of us?" Cedric said, somewhat annoyed. "We only just managed to reach the finish line."
"I arrived fifteen minutes before you did. These spiritual cats were released when I opened a golden treasure chest.
If it weren't for someone's special request, if I really wanted to win the championship alone, what would you all have to do with it?"
"This..."
"We agree," Harry said directly. He really couldn't hold on much longer.
These spiritual cats would automatically split when attacked by magic, and each split body was like the original, with sharp fangs and claws and agile movements. The few spells he knew were almost useless; he could only fight and retreat.
Aaron didn't immediately help but looked at Cedric. "What about you?"
Cedric was still hesitating. After all, he was really close to the trophy now, less than ten meters away, almost within reach. Giving up in this situation was truly unwilling.
"It's okay, you can take your time thinking. I'm not in a hurry.
Anyway, Harry and Fleur have agreed. It won't be too late for me to act after you're exhausted by the spiritual cats."
Hearing this, Cedric was stunned for a moment, then a bitter smile appeared on his face.
He understood that even without these spiritual cats, Aaron wouldn't give him a chance to touch the trophy.
The outcome of this competition was already very clear by this point; continuing to persist would be futile.
"I agree."
"Excellent," Aaron clapped his hands. "You've made a very wise decision."
"Enough talk, hurry up and act!" Harry shouted loudly.
"Alright!"
Aaron waved his wand, and the ground beneath Harry and Cedric quickly rose, transforming into a ten-meter-high pillar.
Seeing this, the spiritual cats displayed their flexible bodies and terrifying jumping ability, pouncing towards the pillar. A height of ten meters didn't seem difficult for them to overcome.
Cedric and Harry struggled to fend them off, constantly using spells to repel them, but this also increased their splitting speed.
"You're really increasing my workload!" Aaron clicked his tongue and waved his wand again.
Fences sprouted from the ground, separating all the spiritual cats. In a short while, a circular cage was created in the center of the maze.
As all the spiritual cats were locked up, the pillar beneath Harry and Cedric also began to slowly descend.
Whoosh! × 2.
Harry and Cedric let out heavy sighs of relief, lying on the ground without any regard for their image.
"That was truly thrilling," Cedric said with lingering fear. His clothes were torn and tattered by the cat's claws, and a quick glance revealed seven or eight bloodstains.
Harry nodded in agreement. The last time he felt this way was in the Acromantula's lair.
"Luckily, I agreed quickly, otherwise, I'd probably be lying here like the two of them," Fleur thought to herself.
Aaron walked up to the two of them and helped them up. "Now, we're just missing Krum. Before that, you two, no, all three of you should rest well!"
The three of them exchanged glances, their eyes unconsciously darting towards the Triwizard Tournament trophy in the very center.
It was very beautiful, but this honor had little to do with them.
Although it was said to be touching the trophy together, it was more like a buy-one-get-four deal, and they were the four being given away.
Aaron looked at the Marauder's Map in his hand and couldn't help but frown.
Krum's position should be near the finish line, but he had detoured two hundred meters away, and there weren't many magical creatures around.
"Is something wrong?" Fleur asked. "Viktor isn't weak. As long as he doesn't encounter too much danger, it shouldn't be difficult for him to escape calmly, right?"
"How should I put it? Something isn't quite right."
At this moment, the maze began to move as a whole. Except for a few hedge walls near the center, other places made rustling sounds.
In the Marauder's Map, Krum began to move faster. He seemed to know the correct route, blazing a trail of sparks and lightning, bypassing all the magical creatures, and rapidly approaching the finish line.
"This... shouldn't be!" Aaron's brows furrowed even deeper. He felt that if Krum had this ability, he should have gotten the trophy long ago; there was no need to be the last one!
An ominous premonition lingered in Aaron's heart; Krummight have a problem.
But looking at the Triwizard Tournament trophy, he felt there was no need to think too much.
He would deal with problems as they arose. Hundreds of people were watching this competition, so even if Krum had any ill intentions, he could only keep them to himself.
Besides, all fear stems from insufficient firepower.
With his current strength, unless the Dark Lord resurrected, there really wasn't much that could make him feel apprehensive.
As Aaron set up a strange Flag, Krum arrived at the finish line, panting.
He looked at the three men and one woman sitting by the trophy, his expression becoming extremely complex. "The competition... is over?"
"Not yet, but soon," Cedric shrugged. "We've all been waiting for you for several minutes."
"I..."
"Let's all touch the trophy together!" Harry advised. "The competition hasn't officially ended, but we've already lost. Now we're just helping Aaron fulfill certain conditions."
Krum nodded blankly, not refuting anything, as if it were a matter of course.
The five surrounded the Triwizard Tournament trophy.
"I'll count three, two, one, and everyone touch the trophy together," Aaron said. The other four also tacitly extended their hands, just a palm's distance from the trophy.
"Three, two, one..."
The moment the words fell, Aaron suddenly noticed Krumrevealing a strange smile. His pupils also seemed to have lost all color, like a marionette.
Aaron's heart pounded wildly, but it seemed everything was too late.
Their feet left the ground, whistling wind filled their ears, and the surrounding scenery began to spin rapidly.
The audience outside the arena stared blankly, unable to react to this sudden scene, thinking it was just another test set by the judges.
"Portkey," Adrian stood up from the judges' table, her face incredibly cold. "Professor Dumbledore, I hope you can give me an explanation. Why did the Triwizard Tournament trophy turn into a Portkey?"
"Wasn't that your arrangement?" Dumbledore asked, puzzled.
"I don't recall making such an arrangement," Adrian sneered. "The Triwizard Tournament trophy was placed in the maze by someone from Hogwarts, and someone from Hogwarts was responsible for checking the grounds."
Dumbledore was stunned for a moment, as if he thought of something, he turned his head and looked near the maze. "Alastor, you..."
"I don't know what's going on either!" Moody roared, both anxious and angry.
"I'll trouble you, Uncle Genes."
Genes expressionlessly waved his wand, and a white light struck Moody, sending him flying against the maze's hedge wall.
Moody scrambled to his feet, his face completely changed, worry and anxiety turning into a sinister sneer. "When did you realize I was fake?"
"I didn't realize anything; I just didn't want to let go of any suspect," Adrian said calmly. "Dumbledore trusts you, but you are indeed the most suspicious."
"Sir, can you tell me where you sent my young master?"
"He won't be in danger for now, but the others might not be so lucky, especially Harry Potter," the fake Moody said, laughing loudly. His morbid laughter made the audience present feel a chill.
"Who are you?" Dumbledore asked, suppressing his anger. "Where is Alastor?"
"For certain reasons, I still need him, so he's still alive."
"Polyjuice Potion?"
The fake Moody didn't deny it, only looked at him mockingly. "Goodbye, Dumbledore, I'm going to greet my master."
"It's not that easy to leave!" Genes expressionlessly waved his wand, and a green light shot out from his wand.
The fake Moody immediately raised his wand to counterattack, but the crimson spell he cast was easily shattered by the green light, and he himself flew backward again, landing on top of a hedge.
"Hahaha... Very strong. I'm really no match for you." The fake Moody endured the severe pain in his body, wiped the blood from his forehead. "But it's all too late. The Dark Lordis about to make a comeback, and he will bring a new order."
After speaking, he jumped into the maze and disappeared from everyone's sight.
"Professor Dumbledore, please organize the order on site," Genes reminded simply, then forcefully stabbed his wand into the ground.
A green ripple swept forward, instantly spreading throughout the entire maze.
The next moment, the maze walls began to rotate. While constantly increasing in speed, they also continuously descended, forming a giant green vortex.
The entire audience gasped in astonishment, and even Dumbledore was very surprised.
Even an ordinary Archmage might not be able to use this level of magic. Genes, a mere butler, possessed such terrifying strength.
Soon, the Dementors, Trolls, Blast-Ended Skrewts, and other magical creatures in the maze were all squeezed out of the vortex, but they all stood trembling in place, not daring to move.
Finally, the figure of the fake Moody appeared in the very center of the vortex. He was entangled by countless green hedges, his body covered with wounds of all sizes.
"Incarcerous!"
Lupin conjured a rope and pulled him up, then pointed his wand at his forehead. "Where's Harry?"
"Do you think I'd tell you?
Harry Potter is the one the Dark Lord personally requested!"
Lupin gritted his teeth in anger, just about to figure out how to force him to speak, when Dumbledore walked over.
"Severus has Veritaserum. I think Fudge should temporarily approve his use of it."
"Huh?" Fudge was stunned for a moment, then immediately nodded. "Yes, approved, it must be approved."
"You won't have a chance," the fake Moody said triumphantly. "Time's almost up."
As his words fell, he himself seemed to enter the center of a storm, his figure twisted a few times and then disappeared from where he stood.