Back when Mrs. Flamel said she was going to help find outside reinforcements, Link had already made some guesses.
In his view, once Mrs. Flamel cut ties with the Flamel family's influence, the only outside support she could find would probably be his maternal grandfather's connections in Germany.
But according to Link's investigation, his grandfather's family had been hit hard during the purge that followed Grindelwald's downfall. At present, whether in scale or foundation, they were far inferior to the Flamel family.
So to be honest, Link wasn't really that concerned about the reinforcements Mrs. Flamel had brought.
Just a few old wizards whose combat ability barely rivaled Snape.
Within the Flamel family, such strength wasn't uncommon. Those well-equipped magical beast hunters might not be on par with the professors of Hogwarts in other respects, but in sheer combat ability they were terrifying enough.
Besides, even if these reinforcements were really powerful, could they possibly be stronger than Dumbledore?
Still, even if he didn't think much of these reinforcements, Link was deeply moved.
After all, considering Mrs. Flamel's relationship with the German family, she must have paid a heavy price to bring help from them this time, maybe even endured a lot of humiliation.
Smiling as he accepted the dragon-fang pendant, Link took Mrs. Flamel straight into their planned sightseeing trip.
Throughout the journey, both Mrs. Flamel and Link appeared genuinely happy, as if they had forgotten the great event about to unfold that evening.
It wasn't until the sun gradually dipped westward that Mrs. Flamel's smile finally faded, her expression returning to its original icy coldness.
And just then, Emily, who had been missing for almost the whole day, finally arrived late, appearing before the two of them.
"You child, what were you doing? Why did it take you so long?"
Mrs. Flamel's tone was half-scolding, half-concerned.
Link also wanted to step up and ask with concern, but Emily shot him a glare that instantly shut him up.
"Nothing much. Just a few little things within my ability."
Hearing Emily's casual explanation made Link's scalp tingle. Just from the way the corners of her mouth were turned up, he could tell Fleur must have suffered miserably.
Sure enough, when the three of them arrived at the champions' gathering point outside the Forbidden Forest, Fleur looked terribly weak, while her mother and Gabrielle were constantly fanning her and wiping her sweat.
Krum and Harry didn't look much better either; their conditions also seemed awful.
There was no doubt this was Emily's handiwork.
Taking advantage of the chance to get back at Fleur, she had conveniently tried to help Link by expanding the range of damage to every champion except him.
Thankfully, though no one knew what exact method Emily had used, the other three champions didn't seem to realize they had fallen victim to her. At the very least, when they saw Link and his group come in, they still greeted him kindly.
"Damn it, the food sanitation at your Hogwarts is really garbage. We just ate one lunch in the Great Hall and ended up like this!" Fleur complained.
At her words, Harry and Sirius glared angrily at her. But Link actually let out a sigh of relief. While smiling and nodding at Fleur, he even felt a trace of gratitude inside.
What Fleur said sounded like an insult to Hogwarts. But in reality, she had instantly redefined what could have blown up into a major poisoning scandal as simply a problem of unsanitary kitchen conditions.
Link didn't believe for a second that Fleur didn't know this was Emily's revenge.
Which meant Fleur had only one reason to do this, she was afraid the matter might affect Link.
Still, Link had another question in his heart.
At such a critical moment, if a champion's health failed, they would certainly be sent to Madam Pomfrey for treatment.
So where on earth had Emily gotten such a powerful poison, one that even Madam Pomfrey couldn't cure?
Fortunately, Link's doubt was soon answered.
Because not long after, Snape's dead-serious, gloomy face appeared in the champions' rest tent.
"I've brewed the antidote. Quickly, drink it."
"Thank you!"
Fleur's mother was the first to step up and accept the potion, followed by Krum's parents.
But when it came to Harry and Sirius, things grew awkward.
The two of them were so stubborn they insisted Snape's potion must be poison. Snape himself also seemed unwilling to give it, deliberately putting on a face of "This really is poison, pity you won't drink it," until Sirius nearly started a fistfight with him.
In the end, it was Hermione who rushed into the tent and forced the potion down Harry's throat.
Watching everyone's faces gradually regain color, Link quietly sidled up to Snape and whispered, "You shouldn't have let Emily mess around like that. If Harry had really withdrawn because of his health, all our arrangements for tonight would have been wasted."
"You're teaching me how to do my job?" Snape glared and snapped back.
"If not for little Emily stopping me, I'd really want to make you taste that kind of potion! You'd better behave yourself. If I hear you've bullied Emily…"
Snape didn't finish his sentence, but the threat in his tone made Link involuntarily shrink his neck.
Fortunately, Snape had no further intention of scolding him. Straightening, he announced loudly to the others in the tent, "Champions, it's time to enter the arena. As for the families…"
His gaze swept to Sirius Black. "Find your own seats in the stands!"
"What Professor Snape means," Link quickly stepped in to explain, "is that Hogwarts has already arranged a VIP section. Everyone can head there directly."
Only then did Sirius give up on picking a fight with Snape.
Five minutes later, Link and the other four champions followed Snape into the enclosure outside the Forbidden Forest.
The place had been transformed so much that Link almost didn't recognize it.
A massive magical screen faced the fan-shaped spectator stands. Once the competition began, it would broadcast in real time the footage transmitted by alchemical hummingbirds and wolf-fish.
For now, though, it was looping advertisements for the industries owned by Hogwarts' board members, one of the perks of being both governors and investors.
The enormous stands were already filling up. The arrival of thousands of students filled the air with excited chatter and a jumble of footsteps.
The lively scene stood in sharp contrast to the tranquil, clear deep-blue twilight sky above.
Professor McGonagall, leading Flitwick, Hagrid, and the other professors, entered the arena and walked toward Snape and the champions.
Today, unusually, none of them wore wizard robes; instead they had changed into hunting gear, looking heroic and full of vigor.
"Once the competition begins, we'll be patrolling around the arena," Professor McGonagall said, sweeping her gaze across them.
"If you encounter difficulties you cannot handle and want rescue, send up a red flare. We'll come to help. But note, once you fire a flare, it means you forfeit this task. Understood?"
The champions all nodded.
Link nodded especially hard.
He knew very well the professors weren't just patrolling. They would also enter the arena themselves to lie in wait for possible Death Eater appearances.
"Thank you for your hard work."
The event host, Bagman, bustled over, ingratiatingly addressing Professor McGonagall and the others.
Unfortunately, McGonagall didn't bother to respond, simply directing the professors to split up and scatter around the arena.
Snape was among the patrol group. As he passed by Link, he gave his shoulder a discreet pat and murmured, "Good luck, Link."
Before Link could react, Snape had already vanished.
'Tch! Such a tsundere fellow!'
"All right, ladies and gentlemen, the final task of the Triwizard Tournament is about to begin!"
Bagman eagerly cast a Sonorus Charm on his throat. His magically amplified voice boomed throughout the venue, "Before the official start, let me report the current scores!
First place, with full points, is Link Flamel, Hogwarts!
Second place is Harry Potter, also from Hogwarts!"
Thunderous applause and cheers erupted from the stands, so loud they startled flocks of birds out of the Forbidden Forest.
"In third place, Viktor Krum of Durmstrang! And fourth, Fleur Delacour of Beauxbatons!"
At that, Durmstrang's students stayed calm, but the Beauxbatons students were so ashamed they wanted to crawl into a hole.
Dead last, utter humiliation.
But Hogwarts students were magnanimous. Instead of mocking Fleur and Krum, who seemed destined to lose, they shouted encouraging cheers.
Fleur, delighted, kept waving at the stands, drawing more applause and whistles.
When the audience finally quieted down, Bagman brought Link to the starting line.
"Link, are you ready?"
Link flashed him an OK gesture.
"Then," Bagman re-activated the Sonorus Charm, "Link, listen for my whistle! Three, two, one!"
With the short blast of the whistle, Link, already dosed with Polyjuice and a series of buff potions, merged with his Animagus bat form into a blur of shadow, vanishing from sight in an instant.
"Uh… what?"
Bagman muttered dumbly.
Harry, Krum, and the others were just as stunned.
Link's speed was simply terrifying.
Even Krum, usually the most confident, now felt a pang of doubt.
'Against a monster like that… can I really win?'
Not that their thoughts mattered much. Bagman's muttering had been magically amplified, echoing to every ear in the stands.
At once, the quiet stands erupted again.
"Whoa!"
"Hogwarts!"
"Hogwarts!"
The roar pounded Harry's eardrums. His face turned pale, his steps unsteady, even his hands trembling slightly.
Just then, he felt a large hand grip his arm.
Startled, he realized it was Bagman.
"Harry, your turn!"
"Ah? Oh!"
Still dazed, Harry was dragged to the starting line.
Then Bagman's countdown rang in his ears again.
———
Meanwhile, having truly entered the Forbidden Forest, Link slowed his pace.
Although the arena had been modified, the theme remained the same, a maze.
Because both the vast Forbidden Forest and the Black Lake were enormous natural labyrinths.
Especially the Forbidden Forest.
Its dense woods could trap any intruder forever.
"Whew!"
Fully aware of this, Link let out a long breath, then pulled a larch wand from his secondary holster.
"Guide me!"
The wand flashed blue, then floated from his hand, its tip steadily pointing northwest.
Understanding, Link gripped both wands, picked up speed again, and shot toward the Black Lake like a phantom.
As countless tree shadows streamed past, the rustle of dense leaves filled his ears, mingled now and then with the heavy thud of hooves.
Link knew this was Professor McGonagall and the centaurs following him for protection. Yet he felt no sense of safety, only greater alertness.
Others might think the Death Eaters' target was only Harry. But Link and Dumbledore both understood, to Voldemort and the Death Eaters, Link's blood might be even more tempting than Harry's.
Suddenly, several squat, dark shapes leapt out ahead of him.
With his Occlumency and Heightened Senses active, Link immediately recognized them, Hagrid's Blast-Ended Skrewts.
Thanks to Hagrid's careful breeding, these revolting creatures had become extremely dangerous.
Their lobster-like shells had hardened into full armor, and their sticky tails could explode with the force of TNT.
Especially when they swarmed in groups, their suicidal blasts could give even Hagrid headaches.
But Link stayed calm.
With just a flick of his ebony wand, thick banks of mist enveloped all the Skrewts.
In the next moment, the mist froze solid, leaving lifelike Skrewt ice sculptures scattered in the forest.
And that wasn't all.
The yo-yo at Link's neck shot forth as a shadow, shattering all the ice statues as he darted past.
Yet this was only the first obstacle set up in the forest maze.
Before he had even fully cleared the ice sculpture zone, more rustling noises rose from all around.
"So annoying!"
Link frowned in irritation, his illusory form halting as he hunched forward into a slashing stance.
"Diffindo Maxima!"
Shing!
A sharp blade-like sound rang through the dense woods.
As Link swung the ebony wand, a massive circular arc of razor force spread outward from him in all directions.
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