RNP Chapter 199 Changing Content to Test the Courage
Chapter 199 Changing Content to Test the Courage
Chapter 200 (4k long chapter) - Changing content - truly courageous test
Meanwhile, the scarred man claimed to have discovered the secret of the competition and even wanted to instruct the judges to change the content.
Crouch and Ludo, being outsiders, already knew the intricacies of the situation.
Upon hearing the word "dragon," their hearts skipped a beat. But when they heard the mention of "slaying the dragon," their hearts, which had been pounding in their throats, finally calmed down.
Karkaroff seemed frozen in place, his eyes wide open, staring intently at Harry.
Is there something wrong with this scarred kid's comprehension?
What kind of competition allows minors to slay dragons?
Ludo and Crouch exchanged a glance, then Ludo asked:
"Mr. Potter, where did you hear this news from?"
Ludo's question was like a needle probing a vital point, hitting the nail on the head. Harry, however, was a man of principle and would never reveal Hagrid's name.
He immediately stood with his hands clasped together and chuckled:
"Why need anyone else to inform me? I recognize Naobeta's features myself. This female dragon has been urinating with a white substance lately; I know she must have mated with a male dragon!"
"It was already incredibly difficult to keep it in the school back then, and now several more dragon shadows have suddenly appeared, yet they're hiding their heads and tails. What are they doing instead of preparing for the first battle in this three-way struggle for supremacy?"
His words were so logical and reasonable that all the judges in the room were dumbfounded and speechless.
Hearing such vulgar language, Furong, standing beside her, blushed with embarrassment, but couldn't help asking:
Why would you pay attention to that kind of thing?
Harry, without batting an eye, continued, "This Noberta is someone I've cared for since childhood, a bond forged through thick and thin. What's wrong with glancing at it a few more times?"
Upon hearing this, everyone in the room looked at each other in bewilderment.
He wondered how he had somehow linked the seemingly unrelated fields of "caring for someone since childhood" and "living on the edge of a knife" together. He was completely baffled.
The room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop, with only the crackling of the candlelight.
After a moment, Crouch cleared his throat. "Alright, it seems we really do need to change the content of our first project."
"Mr. Porter did indeed guess part of what would happen in the game."
Upon hearing this, Maxim's massive frame tilted slightly like a mountain, and he immediately replied, "That's perfectly reasonable. I support Mr. Crouch's decision."
Before the words were even finished, Karkarov jumped up anxiously, "It's only a part, is it really necessary to change the competition events?"
"Besides, that was just Mr. Potter's guess; it doesn't even qualify as cheating!"
Harry stepped forward, clasped his hands in front of his chest, and said in a voice as firm as metal, "Whether I cheated or not is irrelevant! In the end, it was I who knew the secret first, keeping you all in the dark. Is that what a true man does?"
"Even if we win, we'll end up with a tainted reputation, which won't be good for our name in the martial arts world!"
These words were truly powerful and resounding. Krum, listening intently, nodded repeatedly, his eyes gleaming.
Karkaroff was so angry he gritted his teeth, wishing he could sew Harry's lips shut immediately, muttering under his breath that Harry was stupid.
In an instant, a variety of expressions appeared in the classroom: Crouch lowered his eyes and stroked his beard, like an old monk in meditation; Maxim stood tall and proud, like the majestic Kunlun Mountains; Ludo scratched his ears and cheeks, like a monkey sitting on a candle.
Finally, Dumbledore slammed his hand on the table, making the final decision: "Harry is right. Since the details of the competition have been leaked, it is indeed necessary to make changes."
Having said that, he stood up, pushed open the elm door, and said to the four referees, "Let's go to my office, everyone."
"I do have a good idea, maybe you'll like it."
Seeing everyone file out, Karkarov, though full of resentment, had no choice but to swallow his bitterness and get up dejectedly.
As he passed Harry, he glared at him fiercely, then strode out the door with his robes billowing in the wind.
As everyone had almost left, Dumbledore suddenly stopped at the threshold, turned around, a smile playing on his white beard, and spoke gently to Harry and the others:
"Rest assured, warriors, although the content of the first project will be slightly different, our core principles will remain unchanged."
That is courage.
After saying this, Dumbledore closed the door behind him and left.
Only four warriors remained in the classroom, and the other three had their eyes fixed on Harry.
Fleur looked at Harry with a smile, a smile that held a hint of respect and a touch of curiosity. She lifted her skirt slightly in a curtsy and said in a melodious voice:
"I must say, Mr. Potter, your honesty surprises me."
"I've never met anyone as interesting as you in Beauxbatons."
Though the words were sweet as honey, Harry found them like chewing on rock. Suddenly recalling how he had been extorted by the Beauxbatons woman by the Black Lake earlier that day, he simply snorted coldly.
"So you say that? You, Beauxbatons, are a heartless scoundrel!"
As soon as he finished speaking, he strode out the door and left.
As the old saying goes, "Walls have ears, and windows have eyes." In just a few days, the news that the three-way battle was going to change its starting lineup spread like wildfire throughout Hogwarts.
When the students learned that Harry had revealed the secret to avoid suspicion, they all applauded in admiration.
In the long corridor and on the tower, groups of three or five could be seen praising the scarred man's courage and magnanimity.
Even students and professors at Durmstrang and Beauxbatons praised it highly.
"...Very gentlemanly, very courteous, very fair, but don't blame me for being harsh—"
During Defense Against the Dark Arts class, Moody mumbled a few words in his hoarse voice, then strode over to Harry's desk in a flash.
He slammed both hands on the table with a "bang," causing the ink pot and brush holder to jump around wildly.
"That's incredibly foolish!"
The words caused an uproar. Hermione immediately gripped her wand tightly, her knuckles turning white; Ron glared at her, almost drawing his club.
Many of the Boxer Rebellion heroes looked menacing, each gripping their swords, spears, and clubs tightly.
Moody, however, paid no attention, looking around with one eye and continuing to shout as if spewing spittle.
"No one says you can't use tricks in the top three tournament; cheating through your own skills has always been a tradition in the competition!"
"And you! Mr. Potter! I dare say that when Voldemort duels you, he will absolutely not bow to you first!"
Hearing this was like having a bucket of ice water poured on a cold winter's day, sending chills down the spines of all the students.
Nassim secretly gripped the meteor hammer chain, mustered his courage, and cried out, "But the mysterious man is already dead!"
"His remnant soul has no chance against Harry!"
"Of course! After all, Hogwarts has Dumbledore's protection!" Moody roared, glaring at Seamus. "You're all like flowers in a greenhouse, you have no idea how dangerous the wizarding world outside is!"
"You only see the grandeur of Mr. Potter building a pyramid of human heads, but you don't see the horror of the Death Eaters regrouping!"
"The Black Mark has appeared! Chaos is coming!"
"All this talk of etiquette is bullshit! Survival is the most important thing!"
These words were so shocking that they stunned all the students.
Harry, however, remained calm, his fingertips lightly tracing the hilt of his knife, and said with a tilt of his head back:
"Professor, are these profound remarks merely a rebuke to my foolish kindness?"
"Of course not! I just think you need some special training!" Moody unfastened the curved bottle at his waist, took a big gulp, and said, "Come to the underground classroom every night at 8:30, I'm going to give you some extra lessons!"
After saying that, he returned to the podium.
Ron, frowning and with his arms crossed, leaned close to Harry's ear and said, "Should I take a few men and ambush him tonight?"
"I sensed he was unusually upset about the changes to the match rules—even though it had nothing to do with him, right?"
Harry thought to himself: This guy's behavior is still somewhat unpredictable, yet he insists on passing on his skills and techniques. I wonder what he's really thinking.
Without turning his head, he waved his hand and said, "Brother, don't worry, his few punches and kicks can't hurt me."
"Even if it really is a weasel paying New Year's respects, you should know that I am no ordinary chicken egg."
From then on, Harry went to the cellar every night for training, and Moody taught him everything he knew, as if he wanted to give him his heart and soul.
However, Harry observed that Harry's magical skills were still inferior to Rowena's, and his combat experience was far less than Harry's own, who had been through countless battles.
Over the next few days, Harry's doubts grew stronger, but he still couldn't figure out what the key was.
After enduring this until the 24th of the 11th lunar month, the first match of the three-way battle finally arrived.
Before dawn, Harry removed all his magical implements, took up only his wand, went to the Great Hall for some tea and food, and then headed to the edge of the Forbidden Forest with the other three warriors.
After traveling for a short while, they arrived at the place where they had seen the four fire dragons that night.
The dragon that had been coiled there was nowhere to be seen, but instead a majestic viewing platform, as tall as a small mountain, had been erected.
Below the stage, there is a secluded passageway with a wooden sign that reads "Warriors' Exclusive Passage".
A large cowhide tent, over ten feet high, was pitched by the roadside, resembling a crouching giant beast.
Just as they stood still, the tent flaps fluttered, and Ludo Bagman emerged, laughing merrily:
"Ah! Warriors, come in quickly, I've been waiting impatiently!"
Harry and his three companions filed into the tent, only to find that it was a completely different world inside, several times more spacious than it appeared from the outside.
Ludo took a jingling, gilded wooden box and placed it back on the table.
"Let's draw a number, like betting on dice, but instead of betting on Galon, we'll bet on the order in which we appear."
Furong remained unmoved, only fixing her phoenix eyes on Lu Duo, and said:
"Now can you tell us what the match is about, Mr. Bagman?"
"Oh, my dear Miss Delacour," Ludo shook his head, "it's not time for her to go on stage yet, is it?"
Seeing that she couldn't get any clues out of him, Furong reached into the box with her jade-like hand and pulled out a white, round ball with the character "three" engraved on it.
Harry and the others made their moves one after another, with Harry holding the "four", Krum grasping the "one", and Cedric taking the "two".
Upon seeing this, Ludo clapped his hands and laughed, "It seems Mr. Potter will be putting on a farewell performance for everyone."
"Get ready, warriors. Forgive me for not being able to chat with you for a while longer, as I will be acting as a commentator."
Before he finished speaking, he had already whirled out of the tent.
Just a short while later, a rumbling sound of footsteps was heard outside the tent, like thunder rolling across the ground in spring.
Interspersed with the laughter and shouts of thousands of spectators, the atmosphere was incredibly lively, even more so than the Quidditch World Cup.
Before long, Ludo's rough voice rang out from outside the tent, like a thunderclap in a clear sky, greeting the hundreds of onlookers.
Just as the opening gongs and drums finished their third or fifth line, he suddenly shouted.
"Let's welcome our first warrior, Viktor Krum!"
Nakrum took a deep breath, drew his wand, and strode out of the tent with a powerful stride.
In an instant, cheers as loud as a mountain roared and the sea surged into the sky.
Harry, listening intently from inside the tent, scratched his head and thought to himself: "It's so noisy outside, all the brothers are having a great time, but I'm stuck here waiting. It's so frustrating!"
Thinking of this, he immediately lifted the curtain and rushed towards the entrance of the passageway.
When Hibiscus and Cedric saw his actions, they were both taken aback. After exchanging glances, they hurriedly followed him.
"Harry? Where are you going?" Cedric hurried forward and tugged at Harry's sleeve. "Mr. Buckman wants us to wait in the tent."
Harry then put his arm around his neck and laughed, "Brother, you're so honest! Sitting here like this is nothing compared to seeing it for yourself!"
"You two have already had your match, and you can at least enjoy watching it. But I'm ranked last; if I don't go and watch, wouldn't my trip be in vain?"
Without waiting for a reply, he grabbed Cedric and dragged him into the narrow passageway.
Seeing the two of them walk straight ahead, Furong hesitated for a moment, then lifted her skirt and followed closely behind.
The three of them stopped a few steps away from the entrance. By the light filtering through the gap, they saw Krum standing there, wand in hand.
Why is Krum stunned? It turns out that Crouch came down from the stage and personally presented him with a flying broom.
Cedric's eyes widened in shock, his jaw dropping. "Why does he have props from outside the ring?"
"Not at all. Judging from the expressions on the Krum brothers' faces, I was also caught off guard."
Harry crouched down, clapped his hands, and said thoughtfully, "In my opinion, this broom must be related to that competition."
No sooner had he finished speaking than Ludo's shouts boomed from outside the tent, just as Harry had guessed.
"Please allow me to express my sincere gratitude to Professor Rubeus Hagrid, the Professor of Conservation of Magical Creatures at Hogwarts, and the renowned magical biologist, Newt Scamander!"
"Thanks to both of them for their advice, inspiration, and those elusive, wondrous creatures for this event!"
Immediately afterward, a long, resounding roar, like the sound of rocks splitting the sky, echoed across the field and reverberated even in the narrow passageway.
In an instant, the sky darkened, thick clouds turned as black as ink, and a giant bird appeared in mid-air. It had two pairs of iron wings, the forewings of which were more than five zhang wide when spread out.
Each flap of its wings summons wind and thunder, lightning flashes like silver snakes darting about, and hurricanes whip up sand and stones from the sky.
Krum hurriedly recited a protective spell, but the gale still made him stagger backward, almost flying off the ground.
Just then, Ludo shouted excitedly, "Let's welcome the XXXX-level magical creature—the Thunderbird!"
It should be known that the Thunderbird is swift as lightning, and seeing the referee team give this star player a flying broomstick, how could Furong not understand the trick?
He shuddered and said dryly, "They want Krum to lose in Quidditch, the game he's best at."
"Perhaps we should also think about what we might be facing."
P.S.: I have a fever and my whole body aches... I'll just do 4k today and give myself a break...
(End of this chapter)