Durmstrang had waited a long time for this moment. Finally, they'd found their opening.
Krum roared, "Stop them! Now!"
As Britain reacted, the Durmstrang students surged forward. Wands flashed, unleashing an unprecedented wave of spells. They held nothing back, firing every hex they knew.
With Sunny Finch sidelined—a crucial combatant—and the two who'd cast lightning spells nearly as exhausted as her, Britain had effectively lost three of their strongest fighters in their assault on Hogwarts. The remaining seven struggled to fend off the desperate Durmstrang athletes.
The audience was startled by the sudden shift. Their attention had been fixed solely on the clash between Hogwarts and Britain; they hadn't noticed Durmstrang until the team charged into the fray. Now they watched in astonishment. Durmstrang had proven themselves formidable—second only to the top schools. A group of athletic students were single-handedly holding the British practitioners in check.
Impatience crept into the Kunlun disciples' movements. When you're impatient, mistakes become inevitable. They could no longer overcome Durmstrang.
Krum charged toward one of the artifacts. Under the gaze of both the Kunlun disciples and the paralyzed Hogwarts students, he seized it. A triumphant grin split his face.
Sunny Finch, still weak, shouted, "Take the other one! Don't let them get it!"
Reminded by her cry, the British students changed tactics immediately, rushing toward the remaining item. Krum made a split-second decision: abandon the second artifact and escape with the first.
With the Kunlun disciples firing at full power, Durmstrang students were blasted back one by one. The second item soon ended up in Britain's possession. The prizes were now split between the two schools.
"Retreat!" Sunny Finch ordered.
Meanwhile, the Hogwarts students had begun recovering. A cold glint flashed in Charlotte's eyes. "Stop Durmstrang!"
The Hogwarts students struggled to their feet, fighting the lingering numbness to attack the Durmstrang athletes. The British team, having secured their artifact, immediately retreated to activate the stone pillars.
Krum watched the Hogwarts students' approach, anxiety knotting his gut. Suddenly, a group of Durmstrang students cut off the pursuit.
"Krum, activate the pillar!" one shouted. "We'll hold them off!"
Krum met the eyes of his companions blocking the path. He gritted his teeth and sprinted toward the designated stone pillar, clutching his prize.
Because of Britain's masterful use of water conductivity, the Hogwarts students hadn't fully recovered. They were relentlessly stalled by the Durmstrang students' frantic resistance. As Krum ran further away, Charlotte let out a bitter sigh.
They'd truly lost their advantage. The Hogwarts team was in no condition to break through Durmstrang's blockade. Charlotte could only watch Krum vanish into the distance.
She signaled her team to cease fighting. Though exhausted and on the verge of collapse, Krum was already beyond reach.
The Durmstrang athletes stood panting, few remaining on their feet. As Hogwarts ceased hostilities, smiles spread across their faces. They'd upheld their school's dignity—that was enough. Those still standing looked skyward, satisfied.
On the sidelines, Karkaroff studied his students with a contemplative gaze. For the first time, he truly saw them.
Grindelwald chuckled. "Well? Did you see it, Karkaroff?"
Karkaroff turned to him, puzzled.
"Strength is essential," Grindelwald said, "but so is the courage and wisdom displayed when facing overwhelming odds. Your obsession with raw power led your students astray—you focused on form over the resilience that matters most. Look at Beauxbatons. Their individual power was weakest, yet they won the second round because these young people displayed remarkable resilience and wisdom. Their success wasn't due to strength alone, but to a driving purpose. The same applies to Durmstrang. They aren't weak; they were simply misled by arrogance and reliance on brute force, forgetting that wisdom is a wizard's greatest asset. Fortunately, they've finally rediscovered what truly matters."
Karkaroff frowned, pondering Grindelwald's words. He looked at the screen, where the Durmstrang students huddled together, backs to one another, beaming with exhausted smiles.
He stood and bowed. "Thank you, my Lord. I understand now."
Grindelwald merely smiled.
Dumbledore watched the exchange, quiet amusement in his eyes. Grindelwald simply stated, "I was once a Durmstrang student, after all."
Standing nearby, Voldemort sneered. "It seems Karkaroff isn't entirely useless. He has his merits."