For the contestants from the various schools, solving the golden egg's riddle was not particularly difficult.
By the evening of the second day after Christmas at the latest, nearly all of them had figured out what their task was.
The difficult part came next.
How were they supposed to remain submerged in the freezing lake for an entire hour?
Unlike Rhys, they did not possess a water-type Domain and could not move normally underwater.
Just like that, the Christmas holidays of countless contestants were ruined.
...
While the contestants and the headmasters behind them racked their brains for a solution, Dumbledore was remarkably relaxed.
On the day after Christmas, he met with a very important guest.
"Newt, it's been far too long! How is Tina?"
Dumbledore had reserved a small private room at the Three Broomsticks, where he met with an old acquaintance.
The visitor was a thin wizard with greying hair who nevertheless looked full of energy.
His hair was messy, he wore a navy-blue coat, and he carried a battered-looking leather suitcase in one hand.
He sat down somewhat awkwardly opposite Dumbledore and gently placed the case on the floor.
"She's well. We argue occasionally, but I'm used to it by now. Life in Dorset is peaceful and comfortable. If it weren't for all those irritating letters delivered by owls, I don't think I'd ever leave."
Dumbledore ignored the slight jab in his words.
He knew Newt's personality well and was also aware that his own image in Newt's mind was probably not particularly flattering.
"Would you like something to drink?"
"Tea, please."
Even in a pub, Newt ordered a cup of tea, while Dumbledore asked for a butterbeer.
"What exactly did you want to see me about? What is it that 'only I' can help you with?" Once the tea arrived, Newt could no longer hold back the question he had been keeping to himself.
"It concerns magical creatures."
"Oh?"
That immediately caught Newt's interest.
"Has some rare magical creature appeared in the Forbidden Forest?"
Dumbledore slowly shook his head.
"I need the blood of magical creatures. Many different kinds. You are the only person in the world who can help me with this," Dumbledore said seriously.
Newt immediately placed a hand on his suitcase.
Frowning deeply, he stared into Dumbledore's eyes.
"Professor Dumbledore, may I know why you are asking for something like that?"
The blood of magical creatures was actually a rather sensitive subject.
The blood of many magical creatures was extraordinarily valuable.
Even something as relatively common as dragon blood was expensive, costing nearly one Galleon per ounce.
Only because the request had come from Dumbledore was Newt still sitting there.
If anyone else had made such a request, he would already have picked up his suitcase and left.
But even though it was Dumbledore making the request, Newt still needed to know his purpose and think it over carefully before giving an answer.
"The school has developed a new invention..." Dumbledore explained the transformation magic and the Transformation Fruit Tree to Newt in full.
"Some magical creatures are simply too rare, so I need your help."
Those powerful magical creatures were extremely uncommon. Only a top expert in magical creatures like Newt could gather blood from such a wide variety of species.
After hearing Dumbledore's explanation, however, Newt's doubts and unease did not disappear. Instead, they deepened.
"I've never heard of magic like this..."
"The research only achieved a breakthrough this year."
"Is it safe?" Newt asked.
Transformation, especially transformation involving the human body, was extremely dangerous. Some creatures classified as XXXXX by the Ministry were even said to have originated from failed Transfiguration.
It was only natural for Newt to have concerns.
"I can assure you that it is very safe."
"But that only means the forms you have already tested are safe." Newt knew that Hogwarts had successfully achieved dragon, Basilisk, and phoenix transformations, but this still did not dispel his concerns. The differences between magical creatures could be greater than the difference between a human and a banana.
"We have extensive safety measures. The user must resonate with the fruit before consuming it, which minimises the possibility of side effects."
Dumbledore's words gave Newt exactly the same concern Dumbledore himself had previously felt.
Wouldn't a wizard capable of resonating with an innately violent magical creature also be a violent person?
But after thinking about it, Newt realised that as long as he refused to provide the blood of those kinds of creatures, that problem could be avoided.
At that moment, his attitude shifted slightly.
He had already tacitly agreed to provide Dumbledore with some magical creature blood.
"Graphorns, Mooncalves, Re'em... I can find a way to obtain blood from those creatures. But there's one more question I have to ask you..."
Newt counted on his fingers, listing the magical creatures whose blood he could both obtain and safely provide.
Then he raised the issue he cared about most.
Would Hogwarts' invention cause wizards across the magical world to begin frantically hunting magical creatures for their blood, bringing disaster upon those species?
"No." Dumbledore shook his head with absolute certainty.
"There is only one such fruit tree in the world, and only a handful of people know how to cultivate transformation fruits. It won't bring trouble to those creatures. Besides, their blood is already extremely valuable even without the Transformation Fruit Tree, isn't it?"
Newt sighed.
Dumbledore was telling the truth.
His remaining doubts disappeared.
"Give me two days. I'll bring the blood over."
Newt partially agreed to Dumbledore's request.
Before leaving, he asked one final question.
"I heard Hogwarts is hosting a youth wizarding championship? How is it going?"
"Everything is proceeding smoothly."
"That's good. I hope Hogwarts wins."
"It will."
Newt gave Dumbledore a slight nod, then left the Three Broomsticks.
A few days passed in the blink of an eye.
When the new year arrived, the contestants were startled to realise that the second stage of the Championship had quietly arrived with it.
Whether or not they were ready, the second stage began on schedule.
On the first day of the new year, snowflakes drifted outside the windows. However, the snowfall did not interfere with the planned event.
Nearly every student at Hogwarts, along with the eliminated contestants from the other magical schools, gathered beside the Black Lake to watch the second stage of the Championship.
A large ring of stands had been erected around the lakeshore for the spectators.
The contestants were gathered on an open stretch of ground in front of the stands, waiting for Mr. Jamison from the Ministry of Magic and Ludo Bagman to announce the rules.
After briefly explaining the rules, Bagman cast a Sonorus Charm on himself and shouted,
"Our contestants are now in position, and the second stage of the Championship is about to begin! They will have exactly one hour to obtain the key item for the next part of the competition from the bottom of the lake!
"When I count to three. One... two... three!
"Begin!"
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12 Chaps ahead at Patreon.com/HornyFBI