"No, no, no!"
Seeing Dumbledore standing so completely resolute and unmovable on this matter, his expression looking carved from stone, Ludo hurriedly tried to dissuade him with increasing desperation. "How could we possibly trouble you with something so complex and dangerous?"
As one of the primary organizers of the Triwizard Tournament and the one whose career and financial survival depended on its successful completion, faced with all participating schools either requesting to suspend the competition or having already forfeited (Durmstrang had officially withdrawn after Karkaroff's injury), Ludo truly had no other viable options remaining.
His back was against the wall, financially and professionally.
"There must be other more reasonable solutions that don't involve destroying an irreplaceable magical artifact," Ludo insisted, his expression grave and almost pleading.
Sweat had broken out on his forehead despite the cool air. "The tournament isn't scheduled to conclude until the end of June, which means we still have plenty of time to find a better solution that satisfies everyone's concerns."
"At the end of the day, it's just a competition," Adrian interjected with a shrug, his tone casual. "Although the Triwizard Tournament carries historical significance and international prestige, it's not exactly crucial to anyone's survival, is it? Mr. Bagman, why are you so personally insistent on this event continuing at all costs?"
Ludo was momentarily rendered completely at a loss for words, his mouth opening and closing without sound.
He could hardly admit openly that he was largely motivated by the need to cover his gambling debts through tournament-related corruption and embezzlement schemes he'd arranged.
Those damned, persistent goblins from Gringotts had already tracked him down to his very doorstep at home, pounding on the door at all hours! They were demanding urgent repayment!
After much heated debate back and forth, when Ludo finally left the corridor nearly twenty minutes later, he still stubbornly hadn't accepted Dumbledore's firm proposal to suspend the Triwizard Tournament indefinitely.
Of course, his continuous objection was ultimately futile and meaningless.
As long as Dumbledore insisted on this course of action as Hogwarts' Headmaster and he clearly did, with absolute conviction, no amount of passionate opposition from Ludo Bagman or even the Ministry would ultimately matter.
"Why exactly cancel the Triwizard Tournament at this particular juncture?" Adrian asked Dumbledore with genuine curiosity once Ludo had left. "What's changed?"
"It's a temporary suspension, not a permanent cancellation," Dumbledore gently corrected, holding up one finger. "Although I personally also believe suspension is the most prudent and appropriate course of action at present given the circumstances, this particular proposal was actually initiated by Madame Maxime rather than myself. I'm simply supporting her position."
"Madame Maxime initiated this?" Adrian felt somewhat surprised by this, his eyebrows arched. "What does this have to do with her? She's not the target."
Dumbledore nodded slowly and continued his explanation: "It may be because young Fleur's psychological condition isn't ideal after recent events, or perhaps, as Madame Maxime claims, Beauxbatons' divination teacher who apparently has genuine Sight has foreseen some highly unusual and disturbing omens."
'So that's how it is?' Adrian thought, his eyes narrowing with sudden understanding.
He remembered clearly that in the original timeline, Voldemort's resurrection had been specifically triggered by the final event of the Triwizard Tournament.
However, now Voldemort's detected actions had long since deviated from that original trajectory.
After the incidents with Barty Crouch Jr. and Karkaroff, Adrian didn't believe for a moment that Voldemort would still stubbornly follow his original plan exactly.
He had been carefully monitoring Moody's condition and behavior as well, watching for signs of Polyjuice or possession, and everything seemed perfectly normal so far.
So, whether the tournament proceeded on schedule or was suspended indefinitely made no particular difference to Adrian.
"Bagman won't easily agree to suspend the competition voluntarily," Adrian judged with certainty, knowing the man's desperate financial situation. "He'll fight this."
Dumbledore nodded in weary agreement, sighing heavily.
Speaking of Ludo Bagman's troubles, those aggressive debt-collecting goblins from Gringotts had actually pursued him all the way to Hogwarts itself just yesterday. They'd confronted Dumbledore in his office, demanding that he provide information on Ludo Bagman's precise whereabouts.
Dealing with those particular creatures when they were in collection mode was no easy task at all.
A few days later, after considerable behind-the-scenes negotiation, Ludo Bagman held a brief meeting with all the relevant personnel of the Triwizard Tournament, which the now three remaining champions also attended.
Adrian didn't personally attend this meeting as he had classes to teach but he learned the meeting's complete contents and decisions from Dumbledore later that evening over tea.
According to the final discussion results after much argument, the Triwizard Tournament would officially continue as scheduled rather than being suspended.
However, the specific competition content and challenges would now be announced in advance with full details, so the champions could prepare properly rather than facing unknown dangers.
In addition, all matters related to the tournament's final task would be personally reviewed and approved by Dumbledore himself to ensure maximum safety for all participants.
Although Dumbledore was Hogwarts' headmaster and had two students competing, everyone present seemed willing to trust that he wouldn't show favoritism toward his own school.
Simply put, the format had changed from a closed-book examination to an open-book examination.
The person most visibly delighted that the Triwizard Tournament hadn't been cancelled or indefinitely postponed was none other than Ludo Bagman himself.
Afterward, whenever he came to Hogwarts on tournament business, he practically walked with an spring in his step, whistling cheerfully.
Preparations for the final task also began proceeding in full swing, with workers appearing on the grounds to begin construction.
Time quickly arrived at the first Saturday in early April.
April brought genuine spring weather to Hogwarts at long last after the cold, wet March.
The lawns outside the castle gradually turned a tender, vibrant green as new grass pushed through the dead brown of winter. Students shed their heavy winter robes one by one with relief, presenting a cheerful scene of seasonal revival.
Additionally, there seemed to be noticeably more couples around campus than usual, walking hand-in-hand between classes.
Harry had initially thought this sudden surge in romantic activity had absolutely nothing to do with him personally, yet he kept receiving more and more strange gifts or treats from various girls with less-than-innocent intentions which annoyed him endlessly and made him deeply uncomfortable.
What depressed him even more was that this particular morning, he had accidentally stumbled upon Cedric and Cho Chang chatting and laughing together intimately in the sunny courtyard. They were clearly on a romantic date, and looked completely absorbed in each other.
The sight had hit him like a Bludger to the chest.
So that afternoon, feeling miserable and restless, he dragged his closest friends along on an expedition to lift his spirits and distract himself.
"I have to say..." Ron said nervously, looking around at their gradually dark surroundings with uneasiness. "If we're supposedly trying to relax and have fun, why exactly did we have to choose the Forbidden Forest of all possible places? There's literally anywhere else we could go!"
Harry kicked aside a thick dead branch at his feet and said sullenly, "Isn't it perfectly quiet here? Peaceful? Besides..."
He turned to look at Ron. "Weren't you the one who said just yesterday that you wanted to see Bart again?"
Ron shrank his neck at this accurate reminder. "That's technically true, but that doesn't mean we have to actually come into the Forbidden Forest to find him! He could come out!"
"I completely agree with Ron this time," Hermione added with a concerned frown, her eyes scanning the shadowy trees around them constantly. "It's far too dangerous here, especially this deep in. If we're discovered by a professor or Hagrid, there's also the very real risk of losing massive house points."
"It's fine, it's perfectly safe," Harry waved dismissively, his confidence unshaken. "We've been here more than once before without any problems."
Returning to the Forbidden Forest was now nearly as familiar to him as returning to his own dormitory.
After walking for about ten minutes deeper into the increasingly dense forest, following half-remembered trails, Harry successfully led Ron and Hermione to the general outskirts of Bart's usual activity area.
"Bart!?" Harry shouted loudly, his voice echoing through the trees. "Bart, are you here?"
But he received absolutely no response except the rustling of leaves.
"Looks like we need to go deeper," Harry decided, walking forward again.
Ron opened his mouth, clearly about to object or suggest they turn back, when suddenly—
"CRASH!"
The thick canopy of branches and leaves over their heads shook violently, showering them with debris. A massive black shadow plummeted straight down through the air!
"MERLIN'S TROUSERS!" Ron screamed at the top of his lungs, scrambling back in pure panic and nearly tripping over his own feet in his rush to escape.
Harry looked up and immediately saw what had landed with such tremendous force: a massive Acromantula, easily the size of a small car had dropped heavily directly in front of them with its eight hairy legs.
The giant spider's eight clustered eyes gleamed with ferocity in the dim forest light, its pincers clicked together threateningly with a sound like scissors, and thick, yellowish venom dripped little bit by bit from its enormous curved fangs onto the floor where it hissed and steamed.
Hermione gasped sharply in shock and terror, quickly raising her wand with shaking hands. "Stupef—"
However, before she could possibly finish the complete incantation, Harry had already acted with lightning-fast reflexes.
"Incendio!" he shouted, his wand movement sharp and decisive.
A dazzling flash of orange-red fire erupted from the air.
A wriggling serpent of flame shot from Harry's wand tip like a living creature, instantly enveloping the advancing Acromantula in roaring, blazing fire that consumed everything it touched.
The spider let out an absolutely piercing, inhuman screech that made their ears ring painfully. Its eight legs thrashed wildly and desperately in the flames, trying to escape or extinguish the fire, before the creature quickly curled into a smoking, charred husk within seconds.
Harry calmly lowered his wand, breathing hard from the adrenaline, then frowned with concern as he looked around. "This isn't where Acromantulas are usually active. Their colony is supposed to be further east. They should never be this far west."
"Never mind analyzing their territorial habits!" Ron's legs were weak and trembling, he nearly collapsed to his knees from fear. "Let's just get out of this godforsaken place right now before more show up!"
Hermione ignored Ron's panicked words, and her mind already started working.
She stared thoughtfully at the spider's still-smoking corpse, her brow furrowed in concentration. "You're absolutely right, Harry. Acromantulas never voluntarily leave their established territory, they're incredibly territorial creatures. Unless... unless something very dangerous drove them out."
Harry suddenly became deeply worried about Bart's safety.
If aggressive Acromantulas were attacking Bart in his territory...
Well, he probably didn't need to worry too much about that specific scenario.
Those relatively tiny spiders, even one this large couldn't seriously handle Bart's massive size and strength, unless their venom was somehow also effective against magical plants.
Bart was essentially a plant, right? Did plant-creatures have blood to poison?
Just then, interrupting Harry's racing thoughts, from deep within the dark forest came a bone-chilling sound that made the hair on their necks stand up, it was like countless legs moving rapidly across fallen leaves and vegetation.
Hundreds of legs, maybe thousands.
The sound grew steadily closer and closer, more and more dense and overwhelming.
"This... this..." Ron's face turned absolutely pale, all blood draining away as he trembled, pointing with a shaking hand toward where the terrible sound was coming from.
Among the shadows of the twisted trees ahead, dozens upon dozens of gleaming crimson eyes were steadily approaching from all directions, it was an entire massive swarm of Acromantulas, each spider looked even larger and more threatening than the one they'd just killed.
Merlin's beard, even in his absolute worst nightmares he wouldn't dare dream of encountering so many Acromantulas at once!
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