Chapter 677
The 3nd Project
Chapter 677, Project 3
"Are you feeling alright, Harry?"
As he walked down the steps, Wade heard Bagman ask enthusiastically, "You didn't forget to prepare food, did you?"
“Of course not,” Harry said simply, then breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing Wade and immediately walked over.
Cedric then walked out of the auditorium and joined Wade, followed by the other school's contestants.
Natalia looked at Wade, raised an eyebrow and smiled. Her blonde hair was braided into a tight plait and pinned up at the back of her head.
Clementine and Hope from Salem College walked together. Both girls were petite and looked somewhat frail even in their sleek protective suits.
Krum had a stern face, seemingly a little nervous, but the nervous expression on his face made him look somewhat fierce.
Jabari of Vagado looked relaxed; the forest was practically his comfort zone. But when he thought of the various terrifying legends about the Forbidden Forest, the boy frowned again.
In preparation for activities in the Forbidden Forest, everyone swapped their loose but cumbersome robes for more suitable gear, and carried a very sturdy backpack on their backs.
Wade was wearing a dark green dragon-skin protective suit, with the trousers and boots tightly bound together to prevent any dangerous insects from crawling inside.
Harry adjusted his sleeves as he walked. His clothes were prepared by Sirius Black himself, and they were similar to the ones Lupin had prepared for Wade.
The raiders who once roamed the Forbidden Forest offered many helpful suggestions, including a rudimentary map showing the approximate range of Forbidden Forest creatures.
Upon seeing the map, Wade understood that Lupin and Sirius had probably already guessed the location of the third match before it was announced that the venue would be in the Forbidden Forest, and had secretly sneaked in and wandered around for who knows how many laps.
Of course, similar cheating practices are actually carried out secretly by various schools, who try their best to provide convenience for their chosen students. But in the end, the results still depend on the individual's ability.
So the night before, Lupin reminded Wade again—
"We must create distance immediately... because if I were a competitor, I would unite everyone and take down you, the biggest threat, first!"
"Look over there!" Cedric suddenly pointed to the entrance gate as they headed to the competition venue: "The spectators are entering."
The warriors turned around and saw wizards dressed in exotic costumes, led by Hagrid, heading in a steady stream toward the Quidditch pitch. Some were carrying colorful flags, while others wore cloaks that shimmered like neon lights.
"My God!" Jabari muttered, "Thank goodness we don't have to play in the center of the field, or I might have forgotten how to walk."
The others remained silent, but nodded in agreement.
Soon, the group approached the edge of the forbidden forest, where a twenty-foot-high hedge surrounded the area, with only one gap in front of them.
Professor McGonagall was standing at the entrance. Today she was wearing a dark red hunting outfit, and her usual pointed hat had been replaced with a narrow-brimmed soft hat. Harry almost didn't recognize her at first glance.
Professor Flitwick, Professor Moody, and a dozen or so Aurors stood on either side of the entrance. When Vader looked over, Professor Flitwick winked at him discreetly, and Vader returned a slight smile.
Near the entrance, there were three or four small blue birds set up specifically for filming. No one knew which scene was being played on the big screen. Harry subconsciously avoided looking at any of the blue birds, while Clementine gave the camera a sweet smile.
"Warriors."
Professor McGonagall said solemnly, "We will be patrolling near the Forbidden Forest. If you encounter any difficulties and need assistance, just fire a red spark into the sky, and someone will come to help you. Do you understand?"
Everyone nodded together.
The patrolmen mounted their brooms and scattered in different directions, disappearing from sight in the blink of an eye. Bagman checked the time and said in a light tone, "Very good, it seems everyone is ready, so let's begin."
He pointed his wand at his throat, uttered the words "Loud voice," and his magically enhanced voice echoed throughout the entire area.
"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the final battle of the Magic School League!"
With a big smile, he made an exaggerated bow, and thunderous cheers and applause came from the Quidditch pitch not far away.
"After two fierce competitions, the last remaining warriors will compete in the most dangerous and magical forest in the world! They will not only face dangerous magical plants and bloodthirsty magical creatures, but also competition and battles among themselves!"
There can only be one champion! The rules of the competition are also very simple—
Bagman's wand shot out a beam of red light, which formed a giant golden trophy in the sky.
"The first warrior to touch the Goblet of Fire will bring eternal glory to his school!"
Another cheer erupted from the audience, who seemed even more excited than the contestants themselves.
Then, Bagman canceled the amplification spell, looked at the contestants, and smiled:
"According to the rules, the first contestant to bring back the compass intact can start first, and then one person every two minutes—the contestant with the complete compass has priority."
"So you can enter in the following order: Wade Gray, Viktor Krum, Natalia Petrova, Harry Potter. Then Clementine Durand, who collected a portion of the compass, Cedric Diggory, Jabari Weaving, and Hope Cruise."
Harry looked somewhat surprised; he was the last to return to shore, yet he was now the fourth to enter the forest.
The others, however, became visibly tense upon hearing that Wade was the first.
Bagman coughed twice and added:
"But once you enter the forest, you must not linger. Within half an hour, warriors are not allowed to attack each other. Please abide by the rules—may Merlin bless you all!"
“Alright, now… Wade Gray, listen to my whistle!” Bagman pulled out his whistle and said, “Three, two, one!”
With a short whistle, Wade was the first to pass through the entrance, followed closely by two bluebirds that flew in.
As soon as you step into the forest, all the sounds outside disappear instantly, and the surroundings become quiet and eerie, with the light as dim as if it were night.
The scents of various plants filled the air, but the forbidden forest before me was completely different from what I remembered—
I don't know what kind of spell the Ministry of Magic cast, but the already tangled trees became even taller, and the ground was covered with a layer of dark purple moss, so slippery that you could easily slip if you weren't careful.
The vines twining around the branches swayed slightly as if they were alive, and faint rustling sounds could be heard all around, like the murmurs of some ghost.
Between the trees, twisted branches formed several natural archways. Wade took out his compass, and after the red needle swayed for a while, it pointed steadily in a certain direction.
He glanced at the direction the pointer was pointing; it was a group of large trees huddled together, their thick trunks completely blocking his view.
After a moment of silence, Vader waved his wand and, confirming that the trees were not a magical illusion, randomly chose a nearby entrance and went inside.
(End of this chapter)