Before participating in the Triwizard Tournament, Professor Flitwick advised Vid to keep a low profile so that he wouldn't be targeted too early by others. By hiding his true strength, he would have a better chance of winning in the end.
Grindelwald's idea was that he should display his strength. Of course, winning the championship was the main goal, and how he achieved it didn't really matter in the process.
Vid initially intended to keep a low profile, smoothly reaching the end. For the victor, mid-game "stealth" could entirely be considered as "strategic wisdom."
But after he was the first to pass the Fire Dragon and then saw the performance of the others in the Chamber of Secret, a word kept floating in Vid's mind:
—Is this it? Seriously? Is this all there is?
Talented wizards from all the Magic Schools! 33 people gathered to compete for the crown, it sounded like a gathering of heroes, a congregation of talent.
In Vid's imagination, at least half of the competitors should be on par with those four Raiders or the young Snape.
There might even be hidden among them a young version of Grindelwald, Dumbledore, or Voldemort—a wizard of that caliber.
—Otherwise, how could they be called geniuses?
Not only were they talented, but they worked particularly hard. Before coming to Hogwarts, they all experienced special training given by their schools. They surely had mastered some extremely powerful magic.
A spell like [Flame God], if cast by someone else, Vid couldn't say with confidence he would survive it.
Considering the time for learning magic, although Vid was also diligent, he had started too late while the Magic Institute's students enrolled at the age of seven.
Not to mention the pure-blood family's children, some could unconsciously use magic while still nursing. If their parents had intentions, they could teach them all kinds of magical knowledge from a young age.
For example, Professor Snape was said to have known more spells before enrolling than some fifth-year students.
So, when deciding to enter the competition, Vid was confident in himself on one hand, and on the other, cautious, cautious, and even more cautious.
For the past month, he patiently observed his opponents. After entering the Chamber, he immediately found the best hiding spot.
However, looking at the others' performances, Vid gradually realized that his opponents this time were far less formidable than he imagined in his mind.
Or rather, these students' performances proved why only one Grindelwald has emerged to wage a global war over so many years;
And why...a twisted, arrogant, and cruel Dark Wizard like Voldemort could make the entire British Magic World tremble, not even daring to speak his name.
Thus, when Voldemort came back, the British Magic World could only rely on a hundred-year-old Dumbledore; and after Grindelwald broke out of prison and brazenly engaged in activities, recruiting Witch Pure Party members in many countries, the global Magic World remained silent as chickens.
So...not just Britain, but most of the world's wizards are on this level...
And these are the "excellent students" who have undergone special training. It's imaginable what the level of those not selected must be.
Vid's thoughts suddenly became clear, and the fog entangling his mind dispersed at that moment. Surprised, he even found it somewhat amusing.
He realized that he had been interacting with the most powerful people in the Magic World all along, which had unknowingly raised his standards, causing significant bias in his judgment of his own and others' abilities.
He had once witnessed battles between Grindelwald and Dumbledore, also saw the combat power of the Witch Pure Party during an attack, which inadvertently led him to equate this tournament with the past, treating it cautiously, fearing it might end in disaster.
But such people are rare, appearing one or two in decades, even centuries, it's not easy. How could they all pop up in one competition?
Moreover, these students from the Magic Schools have all grown up in peaceful times, haven't experienced war, and don't face the pressure of survival or death. For most of them, passing exams is more important than mastering combat, and they care more about romance than writing papers.
Vid slowly exhaled, quietly adjusting his strategy for the competition.
He still had to keep his trump cards hidden, like Animagus, Apparition, the Flame God, and so forth, and couldn't use them in front of cameras; however, nonverbal spells, the Patronus Charm, and other more potent spells could gradually be revealed in later events.
But he also needed to prove his victory wasn't sheer luck or due to Alchemy's advantages, nor was it because he used any disgraceful means, but undisputably, he was stronger than others!
Vid wiped his Magic Wand, ensuring that he wouldn't accidentally toss the stick away later due to sweaty palms, and then raised his eyes, looking toward the tunnel where footsteps and voices were gradually coming from.
...
Even for the wizards in Gray Castle, the Flow Mirror was one of their few sources of joy.
Grindelwald had always been generous with his own people. In places where the Witch Pure Party liked to gather, be it restaurants, halls, taverns, or the lawns outside, he had installed massive Flow Mirrors.
Such a grand event like the Magic School tournament naturally became the focus of everyone's attention. As soon as the broadcast started, someone clutched a bottle of wine, hurried to find a good seat.
"Did I miss Fleur's shot?" that person anxiously asked those around him.
"What's so good about that little girl?" another person shouted loudly, "Switch the picture to Krum for me!"
"I want to see what that British kid is going to do; it would be a huge loss if he drops the Golden Egg!"
"Hey, isn't it more interesting for the Champion to confront the Fire Dragon? I want to watch the Fire Dragon roast the Champion!
"Stop dreaming, isn't the British Ministry of Magic just a decoration!"
Then the broadcasting control for the Flow Mirror is in the hands of the UK's FMC company. No matter how much people here shouted, they couldn't influence the result.
Grindelwald watched the broadcast in his room as well. He sat in an armchair, resting his chin on one hand. The pine logs, split into strips, burned in the fireplace beside him, occasionally making a "crackle" sound.
Seeing that his wine glass was nearly empty, Delaine didn't use magic, but got up to pour another glass of gin, and upon setting down the bottle, heard Grindelwald suddenly chuckle.
Delaine first glanced at the Flow Mirror, and the screen had switched from the dim Chamber to the ground arena. The furious Fire Dragon was spewing fire crazily, and Harry Potter was raising his Magic Wand with a broom rushing towards him, whistling through the air.
He then looked at Grindelwald, the old man had an expectant smile on his face, and his gray-blue eyes showed little emotion.
Delaine pondered for a moment and commented, "Is that kid going to fly past the Fire Dragon? It's quite a clever approach...just a bit risky."
Fire Dragons are naturally more interested in fast-moving objects, and the Hungarian Horntail is not slow in flying; plus, its fire-breathing range is quite long.
Grindelwald sneered disdainfully: "After all, he's Dumbledore's beloved little Savior, just like him...full of so-called adventurous spirit."
—Wasn't this the reason for his laugh earlier?
Delaine unconsciously speculated but did not delve into it. Instead, he waved his Magic Wand again, adding two more logs to the fireplace before continuing to watch the Flow Mirror.
Harry Potter was riding his broom, provoking the Horntail in mid-air, and the Fire Dragon was chasing after him... Harry suddenly nosedived, performing an extremely risky maneuver to fly underneath the Dragon, and the Horntail angrily turned its head to spray flames, Harry narrowly dodging it...
A minute and a half later, Bagman's excited voice resounded across the arena:
"Look! Harry Potter has pierced through the Fire Dragon's blockade at the fastest speed! Absolutely brilliant! It's unimaginable that Victor Krum didn't think of this method and even got injured while passing through the Fire Dragon... Oh, Merlin! What are they going to do?!"
The fiery scene abruptly changed again, returning to the dim underground Chamber, where several Champions and one person ran into each other, and conflict was imminent!