At 8:50 that evening, Tver arrived at the Quidditch pitch right on time.
The other four Champions were already there. Whether they were simply more eager or just less laid-back than him, they had arrived early and were now curiously examining the sudden changes on the field.
The pitch was no longer flat and smooth. Countless long, low walls had been raised by magic, weaving and twisting in every direction.
It was the rough outline of a maze. But to Tver, it looked more like a series of jagged, twisted scars, making the once green field feel strangely ominous.
No wonder Harry and Cedric looked displeased. Viktor even kicked one of the low walls with a frown.
"Good evening, sir. You must be Professor Fawley."
To Tver's surprise, the one who approached him was a stranger, a formally dressed witch who looked slightly nervous.
"And you are?"
"I'm an employee under Miss Cynthia. You can call me Barasha."
Barasha lowered her head slightly, not daring to meet Tver's eyes, which still seemed bright even in the night, and spoke with respect.
"She asked me to pass on that both she and Mr. Crouch have been very busy with Ministry affairs recently, so they won't be able to come to Hogwarts until the day of the task."
They had actually met once during the Quidditch World Cup. Barasha had been the one checking his ticket, but the lighting had been too dim for Tver to clearly see her face.
Even then, she had sensed that this professor had a close connection with Cynthia, who was about to become her superior's superior.
Now that she had been assigned this task, she could not help but feel nervous.
From Tver's perspective, though, the situation felt rather puzzling.
He was not exactly someone with an overwhelming presence. How had he managed to intimidate her like this?
"So you've been sent here tonight to explain the third task?"
"Yes!"
Once it came to business, Barasha took a deep breath and immediately composed herself, becoming much more capable. For a moment, she reminded Tver of a younger version of Cynthia, and he understood why she had been chosen for this role.
Even though she was actually older than Cynthia.
After Tver arrived, Barasha led him over to the group of Champions, where Harry and the others were whispering among themselves.
"The Ministry isn't going to leave us with this mess, are they?" Harry said, clearly unhappy.
"Hard to say," Cedric replied, sounding a little restrained.
"My dad says the Ministry has done plenty of ridiculous things. Take the Centaur Liaison Office, for example. There's a well-known joke about it."
"If someone gets transferred there, it means they're about to be fired."
Viktor nodded in agreement.
"Those Ministry officials are always foolish. The head of Bulgaria's Department of Magical Sports once asked me why Quidditch matches don't use two Golden Snitches, so even very weak teams could get one hundred and fifty points instead of none."
"Ahem." Barasha looked slightly embarrassed. "Please rest assured, once the task is over, the pitch will be restored to its original state."
Startled by her voice behind them, everyone quickly turned around.
"Since all the Champions are here, let's begin."
"In one month, this place will be fully constructed into a complex maze, with the trophy placed at its center."
"Your previous scores will determine the order in which you enter. According to the rules, Champions may not damage the structure of the maze, nor may they fly over it. Any violation will result in disqualification."
Everyone immediately turned to look at Tver.
The maze walls were formed by magic. Even if they were allowed to destroy them, they would not be able to carve out a path to victory.
As for flying, unless Harry could somehow summon his broom through layers of magical protection, they would not even be able to get over a single wall.
Clearly, that rule was aimed at Tver.
Still…
Was that really necessary?
Tver met their teasing looks with a helpless expression.
"So all we have to do is find the right path and take the trophy?" Fleur asked.
"Yes, but not only that." Barasha seemed to think of something and smiled.
"Inside the maze, there will be many… unusual creatures, along with various obstructive spells, and even traps set with strange potions. Most of these have been kindly provided by the professors of Hogwarts."
"Also, after obtaining the trophy, whoever takes it must guard it for a certain period of time. Based on your previous scores, from highest to lowest, the required time will be two minutes, four minutes, six minutes, and thirty minutes."
A question immediately popped into Tver's mind.
Two minutes, then increasing step by step… how did it suddenly jump to thirty minutes for him?
"In addition, the other Champions will be notified the moment someone touches the trophy. They will each receive a protective badge, also provided by a Hogwarts professor, and head toward the center."
"And the Champion guarding the trophy will not be allowed to use the badge's power."
As she spoke, Barasha took out a badge that both Tver and the Hogwarts students knew very well.
That was the Shield Charm badge he had given to the students.
Using his own creation against him?
Tver's eyes widened.
With this kind of setup, along with all the specially tailored rules, they might as well have written it outright that everyone should gang up on Tver.
He did not even need a second to figure it out. This had to be the work of that old… headmaster Dumbledore.
And it was not just Tver. After thinking it through, Harry and the others quickly realized what the task would look like.
When it came to magical creatures or breaking spells, none of them could match the professor.
And no matter whether the professor was the first to reach the trophy or not, the moment his thirty-minute timer started, they would definitely attack him together without hesitation.
That way, their chances of winning would no longer be so slim.
With that realization, excitement quickly filled their hearts.
With all four of them, plus the help of the badges, surely they could handle even the professor.
"That's everything for the third task. Any questions?" Barasha pressed her lips together, trying not to laugh.
Anyone could tell these rules were designed to target this overwhelmingly powerful professor.
"I understand perfectly," Tver said flatly.
Being surrounded did not bother him, but being targeted this thoroughly left him somewhat speechless.
"Ha!"
A laugh slipped out first from Fleur.
Soon, everyone else joined in, and the Quidditch pitch filled with laughter.