The time for the third task had finally arrived.
That dawn came unusually slowly. Pale gray clouds hung heavily over the towers, and thick mist blanketed the grounds outside the castle. The air was dense and stifling, almost suffocating.
Wade was, as always, up early. He followed his usual routine—he did morning exercise, then carefully cleaned his wand and tucked a spare one into his wand holster.
Next came his usual potions—healing draughts, antidotes, tonics, and so on.
Finally, there was food. The house-elves had prepared a large pack for him in advance—bread, sausages, roast chicken, and vegetables like potatoes and carrots.
Fortunately, Wade could use magic to lighten the bag's weight; otherwise, with all that on his back, he wouldn't make it far in the forest.
For the third task, many of the restrictions from the first two rounds had been lifted. Considering how dangerous the Forbidden Forest was, the champions were now allowed to bring various items that might aid them in the challenge.
Bagman had even warned the contestants specifically: the forest's terrain was complex, and it was unlikely the competition would end within half a day. If the challenge dragged on for two or three days, the ability to restore stamina in time could very well decide the victor.
However, high-quality magic dolls could serve as extra helpers—and if a champion brought along a large number of them, it would be no different from carrying a private army.
That would turn the tournament into a contest of wealth rather than skill, completely defeating the purpose of the Magic Tournament.
Thus, magic dolls remained on the list of banned items. Still, the Ministry of Magic clarified that they did not forbid champions from creating such Alchemical constructs during the task itself.
Other banned items included Jink-Off vests, anti-curse helmets, dark magic artifacts like "Hands of Glory," and Muggle weapons or ammunition. The use of any of these would lead to immediate disqualification—something everyone already knew well.
The entire third task would be broadcast live, so spatially expanded containers—like Wade's enchanted pen case—were also prohibited. But after his experience of being kidnapped by Grindelwald, Wade wasn't taking any chances. He discreetly slipped the pen case into his trouser pocket anyway.
By the time all his preparations were finished, the sun had already risen. Sunlight pierced through the clouds, burning away the mist and casting golden ripples over the Black Lake, making it sparkle like a great jewel upon the earth.
Wade took a deep breath, pressed down the faint surge of emotion in his chest, and headed toward the Great Hall.
During breakfast, students yawned as they spread blueberry jam on toast or peeled their boiled potatoes, and their faces showed the dazed fatigue of those worn out by days of final exams.
That morning, the Hogwarts students still had their last exam to sit for—so many had completely forgotten that the third task was also happening today.
As Wade was putting a sandwich on his plate, a tall, graceful figure sat down beside him.
"Good morning, Wade."
Natalia greeted him with a bright smile, her golden hair gleaming like honey in the morning light.
"Morning, Natalia," Wade replied with a smile. "You look well-rested."
"Of course," she said. "I'm ready to face today's challenge."
She neatly sliced a boiled egg—her movements elegant yet powerful.
"I'll do my best to defeat you, Wade Grey," she said. "And I hope you won't hold back on the field—that would be the greatest insult to an opponent."
Wade looked up to meet her eyes and chuckled softly. "If you're not here to become champion, what's the point of stepping into the arena at all?"
"Um…" A lower-year Hufflepuff student approached timidly and said, "Sorry to interrupt, Mr. Grey, Miss Petrov — the professor said that once the champions finish breakfast, they should gather in the meeting room next to the Great Hall."
"Got it, thanks for letting us know," Wade replied with a friendly smile.
The Hufflepuff's cheeks turned slightly pink. He glanced around nervously, then quickly pulled a small notebook from his pocket like a thief sneaking a treasure and whispered,
"Mr. Grey, I… I've always admired you! Could I please get your autograph?"
Wade lowered his gaze to the notebook and said gently, "The competition isn't over yet. Signing now would feel a bit arrogant, don't you think? If I win the championship, wouldn't a signature then be much more meaningful?"
The Hufflepuff boy took an eager step forward, his cheeks flushed with excitement. "Mr. Grey, even if you don't win, you're still the best champion in my heart! So could you please—"
"I can't just ignore that," Natalia suddenly interrupted in a teasing tone. "So, does that mean us Koldovstoretz champions don't measure up at all?"
"I—I didn't mean that…" the Hufflepuff stammered, looking flustered.
"Alright, alright, I know you're just a fan of Grey," Natalia said with a laugh, pushing her plate aside. "Come on, Wade. We should get to the meeting room."
Wade smiled apologetically at the younger student before following Natalia out of the hall.
After they'd walked a short distance, the girl glanced back and saw the boy still standing there blankly for a few seconds before drooping his head and leaving in disappointment.
Quietly, she asked, "It's just a signature… or is there some kind of problem with it?"
"Once I started studying alchemy," Wade said softly, "I learned an important rule — never enter into any contract lightly, whether it's a written promise or a careless oath."
Natalia's expression shifted slightly in realization. "So you're worried… there might have been invisible ink on his notebook? Some kind of contract clause?"
Wade nodded. "Maybe I'm overthinking it… but if it were real, then signing my name would've bound me to it."
Natalia raised her eyebrows, half in disbelief. "Is Hogwarts really that dangerous? Or is it just the people around you?"
She thought about the school's new professor that year — Alastor Moody, infamous for his "extreme paranoia and constant vigilance." When she'd sat in on the seventh-year classes, she'd heard him shout more than once:
"CONSTANT VIGILANCE! If you went into the Auror Office with that attitude, they'd be planning your funeral in under three months!!"
—Is paranoia contagious or something?
Wade noticed her skepticism but only smiled faintly and said nothing more.
Natalia looked at him for a few seconds, feeling an odd sense that his smile hid something she couldn't quite read — not contempt, not arrogance, but something deeper, more obscure…
"Oh! Miss Petrov!"
A young reporter suddenly ran over, speaking excitedly: "I came all the way from Russia! Your performance in the tournament has already won over countless fans in our country! Could I please get your autograph? I'll feature it on the front page!"
Natalia: "…"
The girl froze for a moment, instinctively glancing at Wade beside her.
He stood quietly, his eyes calm and steady, watching her.
"…Sorry," Natalia said at last, her tone sharper than she intended. "We're due to assemble now."
Without waiting for a response, she took Wade by the arm and strode toward the small room next to the Great Hall.
The reporter, caught off guard by the rejection, just stood there blankly for a moment, watching the two figures walk away, disappointment clouding his face.
Suddenly, someone grabbed his arm.
"What do you think you're doing?" barked a photographer with a camera hanging from his neck. "Didn't I tell you before we came? Don't bother Miss Petrov before the match! You'll mess up her focus!"
"I—I just wanted an autograph…" the reporter muttered, dazed.
"Even an autograph is off-limits!" the photographer snapped, dragging him away. "How could you be so unprofessional? Don't expect to come with me on another overseas assignment!"
"Ah—! I'm sorry! Please, give me another chance!"
Flustered, the reporter chased after him — not realizing that he'd dropped his notebook.
A hand reached down, picked it up, brushed away imaginary dust, and let out a regretful sigh.
"What a pity… just a simple autograph. Why be so stingy about it?"
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