"You're here." Wayne smiled at the group, his demeanour exceedingly pleasant.
How could it not be? They were all plump sheep ready for shearing.
Bagman, having delivered them, tactfully withdrew from the tent to stand guard at the entrance like a sentinel.
Wayne's smile unsettled everyone. Cedric gripped his money pouch warily, an ominous premonition creeping over him.
"Wayne, what are you up to?"
The boy maintained his smile, radiating friendliness. "The final round is about to begin. In light of your outstanding performances thus far, the organising committee has decided to offer you some... assistance."
"What kind of assistance?" Fleur asked curiously. "You didn't mention this to me last night."
Sakura immediately puffed out her cheeks.
The hairs on Wayne's neck stood on end as he swiftly changed the subject. "Right now, you have a one-time opportunity. Not for 998, not even 648—just 98, and a brand-new Command Seal goes home with you!"
Krum's tone remained gloomy. "You're saying 98 Galleons can buy a Command Seal?"
Buso also stared at his money pouch in astonishment. "Command Seals can be traded?"
"Not before, but they can now." Wayne produced a square device with a centimetre-wide slit in the centre.
Through card magic, Wayne had gained deeper insight into the nature of magical power fluctuations.
Before the term exams, he'd finally perfected the method for crafting flawless Command Seals.
This was the last chance to fleece the flock—Bagman had already seized the opportunity to earn some extra coin, and Wayne wasn't about to fall behind.
When he proposed the idea, the other schools' Headmasters quickly agreed.
After several rounds, they'd all witnessed the impact Command Seals could have in such competitions. Used wisely, it could even stage a comeback.
Money? The schools would cover it.
Receiving confirmation, Krum's eyes flashed with delight, though his expression remained stoic. "I'll take ten. But I don't have enough on me—can I fetch more from my parents?"
As a professional Quidditch player, a thousand Galleons meant little to Krum. The allure of the championship far outweighed the cost.
Wayne shook his head. "Each person can possess a maximum of three Command Seals. Right now, you... Ah, you can buy two." He glanced at Cedric's hand before adding.
Krum clearly disliked this rule. If he had the money, why restrict him?
But seeing that Wayne had already dismissed him, he obediently paid up.
"What do I do?"
"Place your hand here. It'll only take a moment."
Following instructions, Krum slid his arm into the cube's slot. Wayne pressed a button, and the upper half of the device erupted in a dazzling crimson light, captivating everyone present.
After ten seconds, the glow faded.
"Done. You can withdraw your hand now."
Krum pulled it out—sure enough, his Command Seals had been fully replenished.
"I'll take one," Buso hurriedly queued behind Krum. His pouch only held a hundred Galleons; even if he wanted two, he couldn't afford it.
Vladimir topped up two, while Cassandra added one.
Cedric, who had used one in the second round, reluctantly handed the money to Wayne. He'd thought it was prize money from his father, but it had barely warmed in his hands before being given away.
Harry used a Command Seal when threatening the merpeople underwater, but having also placed first in the previous round, his count remained full.
Sakura and Fleur also had full Command Seals, though they were about to compete. Finding the money inconvenient to carry, they directly handed it to Wayne.
Minutes later, everyone except Buso had reached full capacity.
Wayne then called Bagman in to announce the competition rules.
"Are all the potions prepared?" Bagman asked before announcing the rules.
The group nodded in unison.
"Excellent." Bagman beamed, then led everyone to the maze entrance.
The Quidditch Pitch was teeming with distant figures, their clamour audible even from afar.
At the maze entrance, Professors Lupin and Sprout smiled at them.
Bagman produced several keys and distributed them among the eight champions.
"Now, let me explain the rules."
"Your task is simple: navigate the maze, reach the centre, then enter the central tower. The challenges within will be more difficult than those on the periphery. The Holy Grail symbolising victory awaits at the topmost level—the first to claim it becomes the Holy Grail War's victor."
"What's the purpose of these keys?" Buso asked.
"Keys are required to enter the tower. The tower has seven floors. Possessing two keys transports you directly to the fourth floor, giving you a significant lead."
The group's pupils contracted. "And those who lose their keys..."
"Unfortunately," Bagman shook his head, "while keyless participants aren't immediately eliminated, without obtaining another key from fellow competitors, that's as far as you'll progress."
Instantly, the atmosphere among the champions shifted. All subtly distanced themselves, eyeing competitors warily.
Stealing keys could bypass three checkpoints, while losing one would force a confrontation with other participants. These rules clearly encouraged magical conflict between champions.
"If injured, fire red sparks skyward. Patrolling professors will locate you," Bagman continued, detailing regulations. "No high-powered spells against fellow competitors, and absolutely no Dark Magic."
"Your friends, family and professors are watching. I trust you'll exercise good judgment, yes?"
Bagman's rare solemnity prompted serious nods from Fleur and others.
"Good. Now I'll announce current standings, then call entry order."
Clearing his throat, Bagman produced a note:
"Cedric Diggory—First place, Hogwarts, 151 points."
"Cassandra Worley—Second place, Ilvermorny, 142 points."
"Viktor Krum—Third place, Durmstrang, 140 points."
"Harry Potter—Fourth place, Hogwarts, 138 points."
"Fleur Delacour—Fifth place, Beauxbatons, 137 points."
"Rivers Vladimir—Sixth place, Koldovstoretz, 133 points."
"Sakura Kinomoto—Seventh place, 132 points."
"Buso—Eighth place, 130 points."
Sakura stuck out her tongue playfully. She'd wasted considerable time in the second round obsessively opening treasure chests, then got lost in the third round, completely squandering her initial lead and plummeting to second last place.
"That's the current ranking," said Bagman, putting away the parchment and pointing to the entrance. "Mr Diggory will enter first. For every point difference, competitors must wait an additional thirty seconds."
"Any questions?"
When no one responded, Bagman smiled again. "You have a final bit of preparation time. When fireworks launch from the Quidditch Pitch, that signals the start of the task."
"Now I must return to commentary."
He waved and left with brisk steps.
...
The Quidditch Pitch was packed to capacity.
The goalposts had been removed, replaced by four massive screens ensuring everyone could clearly see the projected images.
The aerial view showed the competitors' progress through various challenges, though the tower at the maze's centre remained obscured.
After explaining the rules and current standings, Fudge launched fireworks into the sky.
Amidst the roar of the crowd, the final task began!
With a nine-point lead, Cedric charged into the maze first.
The passage was eerily quiet and dark. The towering hedges, nearly fifteen feet high, blocked out all external light. Inside, eight numbered forks awaited.
After a brief hesitation, Cedric chose entrance eight.
The long corridor had torches every ten metres. He extinguished his Lumos Charm, resting his wand flat on his palm as it rotated continuously.
This was the Compass Charm—the maze's centre lay northwest. He needed to head that way.
Drawing from his second-round maze experience, Cedric left subtle markers in hidden corners to avoid retracing steps while preventing others from noticing.
"Who do you think will win?" Cho asked from the stands, eyes fixed on the screens. Most remained dark, only illuminating fifty metres around Cedric, where several Green Tree Frogs lurked ahead.
"Fleur, Harry and Cedric all stand a chance. Krum's slightly weaker—he's out of contention."
"What about Sakura?" Cho looked puzzled. "She's so powerful. Couldn't she catch up despite trailing?"
Wayne sighed. "She'd be a strong contender... if she weren't directionally challenged."
"Pfft!"
Tomoyo burst out laughing before composing herself. "Who'd have guessed three of four tasks would involve navigation?"
The other girls chuckled in agreement.
With only twenty points separating first and last place, competitors entered at staggered intervals after Cedric's ten-minute head start.
Everyone hesitated at the entrance choices.
Early encounters risked losing keys—and with them, any chance of a championship.
Sakura entered second-last but knew her advantage. Immediately activating the Fly card, she attempted to soar directly to the tower's entrance. She didn't even try to snatch the key anymore—she couldn't bring herself to attack anyone.
But when Sakura rose to the same height as the walls, she was shocked to discover what seemed like a transparent ceiling blocking her path.
Though she could vaguely see the firelight ahead at this altitude, sustained flight consumed a considerable amount of magical power. Sakura had no choice but to descend reluctantly and enter the maze through entrance number three.
The spectators' eyes darted about as contestants encountered various challenges one after another.
Bagman's mouth ran like a machine gun, occasionally letting out excited exclamations when particularly thrilled.
Krum faced a stretch of swamp. He attempted to transfigure the marsh but failed; then, he conjured a long rope and a wooden plank to carefully cross.
After finally reaching the opposite side and turning a corner, he frustratingly found himself at a dead end and had to retrace his steps.
At this sight, everyone except Durmstrang students and Karkaroff burst into laughter.
Fudge's belly shook with mirth until Karkaroff's unfriendly gaze made him hastily add, "Your student has excellent transfiguration skills."
Karkaroff merely snorted and ignored him.
Meanwhile, Cassandra wasn't faring much better. She encountered several frenzied Manticores moving at terrifying speed. Fighting while retreating, she soon lost track of her location.
"What's contestant Vladimir doing?" Bagman wondered aloud. The audience quickly spotted Vladimir standing motionless before a wall.
Yet no one noticed that Mad-Eye Moody, on patrol duty, had simultaneously entered the tower at that exact moment.