#420 - Chapter 420: Still as Elegant as Before

All eyes turned to the champions, and as they stood up, the hall erupted in deafening cheers and applause.

Some in the crowd shouted Harry's name, others cheered for Krum, some yelled for Fleur, and many young wizards rushed to the aisles, trying to high-five the champions.

Harry took a deep breath, managed a weak smile at his supporters, and exchanged glances with Draco and Cedric. The three didn't say much, but there was a new understanding in their eyes.

Led by Bagman, the champions left the hall in a long line, heading towards the Quidditch pitch.

Sebastian followed, as the safety officer for the event, he needed to enter the maze in advance. In addition, there were some Aurors from the Ministry of Magic, most of whom were responsible for the security of the first level of the maze, after all, the terrain was too complex this time, and Sebastian couldn't take care of everything alone.

Along both sides of the road to the pitch, countless magical lamps were hung. They emitted a soft light in the darkness, not only guiding the way but also adding a solemn sense of ritual to the scene.

In the light, the champions' shadows were stretched long, swaying slowly on the ground with their footsteps.

There wasn't much conversation in the group, it was so quiet you could almost hear each other's breathing. As they rounded the last bend, Draco looked back. The young wizards in the distance had already poured out of the hall, gathering densely along the road. However, the distance was too great, and the excited voices were completely drowned out by the wind.

Draco's eyes scanned the crowd, trying to find his mother's figure. But the night was dark, the figures were blurred, and the crowd was too crowded, so he sighed helplessly and gave up.

As for Lucius, he had received a call about a warehouse fire just as dinner began and had left the school in a hurry. Before leaving, Lucius gave Draco a meaningful look. That look was mixed with reluctance, expectation, and a hint of secret worry.

Although he didn't say it explicitly, Malfoy could guess that his father's departure at this critical moment was likely related to the Dark Lord.

To reassure Lucius, Malfoy simply gave a confident smile: "Don't worry, Father, I will definitely win the championship."

Championship...

The word echoed repeatedly in Draco's mind. He clenched his fist, his eyes becoming more determined.

He must win the championship!

This was not only the glory of Hogwarts, but also the reputation of the Malfoy family, and a farewell to his friendship with Harry.

Thinking of this, he looked up at Harry ahead, whose back looked firm and lonely in the magical lamplight.

Draco's lips curled up slightly, and complex emotions surged in his heart.

Why was he being so sentimental? Harry's situation was clearly more difficult, but he had never complained or whined to anyone.

He couldn't help much, the only thing he could do was to win the Triwizard Tournament championship with him.

If so, then he would do his best!

Malfoy grinned, quickly came to Harry's side, and walked forward alongside him.

The barriers outside the Quidditch pitch had completely disappeared, and so had the familiar pitch and stands.

In their place was a giant structure more than ten meters high, covering an area larger than the previous Quidditch pitch. To the east of the structure was a newly built grandstand with multiple magical screens.

Harry was a little dazed, he felt like he had seen the building in Muggle Studies, it was a bit like the Pentagon in the United States.

"Welcome to the third task of the Triwizard Tournament," Bagman clapped his hands, "The Ministry of Magic has built a pyramid maze on this site for the competition."

"There are three levels in total, what you see in front of you is the first level," he pointed to the ground, "The remaining two levels are underground, and the trophy you are looking for is on the third level."

"There are five entrances in total, A, B, C, D, and E. Each entrance is a simple waiting room, and you will not be disturbed inside."

Just then, a person walked out of the maze, and Harry's pupils shrank. It was Barty Crouch, whom the professor had told him to watch out for.

"Ludo, the trophy is ready, the competition can start anytime as long as the audience is ready."

"Thank you, Barty, this competition doesn't need a referee, and you've even personally taken on the role of safety officer."

"It's all the work of the Ministry of Magic." Crouch nodded, waved to several Aurors, and led them back into the maze.

"As you can see, Barty and those Aurors are the safety officers for the first level of the maze," Bagman pointed to them and said, "As for your old acquaintance Professor Swann, he is responsible for the safety of the second level of the maze. Of course, they will hide themselves and only appear if you send a signal or are knocked down."

"As for the rules of the competition, I won't repeat them, I believe you already know them by heart."

"Finally, let me say a few more words on behalf of myself," he scanned the many champions, "Each of you has experienced extraordinary challenges this year and has made unimaginable efforts for them."

Bagman seemed like a different person, his usual joviality was gone, replaced by a reassuring strength for the champions.

"At the same time, you have also gained valuable growth—not just the improvement of strength, but more importantly the establishment of friendship, the forging of courage, and the refinement of cooperation. The trust between you is getting deeper and the bonds are getting stronger."

His eyes swept over each champion, his eyes full of encouragement and expectation.

"The third task is undoubtedly the most arduous test, but I firmly believe that you can completely overcome all difficulties and give yourselves a satisfactory answer."

The champions were thrilled and couldn't help but applaud softly.

Bagman returned to his usual playful smile: "The audience has arrived, I'm going to host the commentary, the staff will lead you to your respective entrances, good luck everyone!"

With that, he waved to everyone and turned to leave.

Looking at his back, Sebastian raised his eyebrows slightly.

That old man, his demeanor is as good as ever, and his eloquence is still so great. He inspired the champions with just a few words, amazing!

He nodded to the champions, smiled slightly, and turned to walk into the maze.

The staff began to guide the champion team to different entrances, when Karkaroff came over.

"Leave the champions of our school to me, I'll give them a few more words."

"Headmaster Karkaroff, this is against the rules..."

"What rules!" Karkaroff glared, "There are magical cameras in the waiting rooms at the entrances, you can see if they are cheating at a glance."

"Okay... Hurry up."

On the other side, Harry, Draco, and Cedric entered the waiting room at entrance D under the guidance of the Ministry of Magic staff.

The door behind them slammed shut, isolating the cheers and boiling shouts of the audience. The room fell silent, leaving only the echo of breathing and heartbeats.

On the other side of the room, a colorful magical barrier rippled gently like water, with a large golden letter flashing in the center of the barrier: [Entrance].

Cedric extended his right hand and looked at his two companions with firm eyes. Seeing this, Harry and Malfoy did not hesitate to place their hands on top of his.

"Goal: Championship!" A familiar, flamboyant smile appeared on Malfoy's lips.

"Good luck × 3!"