Hogwarts: Harry Potter's Return from the Witcher World

Ludo raised his hand and pointed toward the nearby headmasters and professors.

McGonagall adjusted her hat, a wide-brimmed wizard's hat adorned with a large red star. The other headmasters wore similar ones—even Professor Snape had put on a hat for the occasion, something he hadn't done in a long time.

Hagrid was the only exception. Instead of a hat, he had embroidered a red star on the back of his vest. There wasn't a hat large enough to fit him, and he wasn't used to wearing one anyway.

"Ludo has said a lot," Professor McGonagall said sternly. "But I hope that before you value honor, you first value your own safety."

"No matter who you are—including you, Mr. Potter."

"You are the greatest treasures of your schools, far more important than the Triwizard Cup itself."

"If you encounter something beyond your ability to handle, don't try to be brave. Just send up sparks, and we will come to your aid immediately."

Maxime and Karkaroff, unlike their reaction to Ludo earlier, didn't scoff or sneer this time.

They respected McGonagall—this woman, far more reliable than Dumbledore, had kept Hogwarts in perfect order.

Ludo cleared his throat, his eyes settling on Harry. "If, and I'm only saying if, in the maze, you attack another champion and manage to knock them unconscious—"

"—You must send up sparks immediately. The maze is dangerous even when you're awake, let alone unconscious."

"Being knocked out means automatic disqualification."

Maxime and Karkaroff glared at him, gritting their teeth.

What did he mean by that?

Was he encouraging Potter to take out their champions?

McGonagall opened her mouth, hesitated, then sighed. In the end, she chose to trust Harry. A Gryffindor lion would never be as shameless and underhanded as Ludo.

"Alright, let's head out and prepare for tonight's competition!"

Ludo clapped his hands, his voice full of enthusiasm. He couldn't wait to embrace the lovely Galleons waiting for him—most of the money he had won from the first two rounds had gone toward paying off debts, leaving him nearly penniless.

The champions were practically shoved outside.

The professors moved toward the maze's perimeter while Ludo and the others took their seats at the judges' stand.

"You've all waited long enough—the final round of the Triwizard Tournament is here!" Ludo cheered before the others had even sat down.

The audience erupted in cheers.

Fireworks burst in the air, displaying portraits of the three champions, along with lions and griffins.

In the special seating area, the Dursleys looked around, overwhelmed.

This was their first time witnessing a wizarding event.

"First, let's review the scores from the previous two rounds," Ludo said, waving his wand. A firework landed in his hand, and with a tug, it exploded in mid-air.

"First place—Hogwarts' Harry Potter! Ninety-one points from the first two rounds!"

A shimmering screen displayed an image of Harry standing before the judges.

"Potter!"

"Potter!"

The young wizards of Hogwarts chanted his name.

Vernon Dursley glanced around, muttering, "That boy's quite popular, huh?"

Hermione lifted her chin proudly. "Of course! Harry is the best student in the entire school—and the best Seeker in Quidditch. You could think of him like a football striker."

"Like Baggio?" Dudley's eyes lit up.

Hermione shook her head. "I don't know much about football, but if Baggio is a world-famous star, then yes, something like that."

Dudley stared at the screen, watching his cousin. It was hard to believe—Harry, a star like Baggio?

Ludo flicked his wand again. Another firework exploded, revealing Krum's face.

"Second place—Durmstrang's Viktor Krum! Sixty-two points!"

Another screen lit up, displaying Krum's sharp, brooding features.

"Ninety-one versus sixty-two?" Vernon, who had a decent grasp of numbers, immediately caught the massive gap. "That's a huge difference!"

"Harry is excellent!" Hermione boasted.

Ron chimed in, "And Krum is also an incredible Seeker. He's the most famous Quidditch player in the wizarding world."

Petunia nodded, her posture straightening with pride.

Dudley's eyes widened. "So Harry isn't just Baggio—he's Maradona?"

Ron and Hermione fell silent.

They had no opinion on that. The cultural gap was too big.

Ludo continued, lighting another firework. Fleur's image appeared.

"Third place—Beauxbatons' Fleur Delacour! Fifty-eight points!"

Fleur's beautiful face filled the third screen.

Vernon couldn't help but comment on how stunning she was—before Petunia pinched him hard, making him yelp in pain.

Ludo reiterated the rules while the young wizards eagerly awaited the start of the competition.

"But before we begin," Ludo cleared his throat, "we must extend our gratitude to Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes for their support in making this final task possible!"

In the stands, George and Fred stood up, bowing and tipping their hats gracefully.

"This final task is incredibly dangerous. Even the most elite Aurors would struggle to navigate the maze safely. Initially, we decided against broadcasting it live."

"But thanks to the Weasley twins, we now have the means to see and hear everything in real time!"

Molly and Arthur stared at their sons in surprise.

These troublemakers—were they actually capable of something like this?

"Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes will provide the finest magical products in the wizarding world!" Ludo declared. "Located next to Ollivanders in Diagon Alley—also available via owl order!"

George and Fred launched fireworks, sending their faces into the sky.

Ludo raised his wand, firing a red spark.

"Now, Mr. Potter, please step up to the maze entrance. Wait for my whistle."

Harry walked forward.

"Three, two, one—"

Ludo blew the whistle.

Harry stepped inside.

A powerful enchantment surrounded the maze. The moment he crossed the threshold, the sounds of the cheering audience vanished. All he could hear was the scuttling of unseen creatures.

His vision darkened.

Raising his wand, he whispered, "Lumos."

White light illuminated his path. He didn't rush forward. Instead, he sniffed the air, trying to detect any traces left by the wizards who had built the maze.

But Dumbledore had accounted for this. To ensure fairness, he had erased all traces of the maze's construction, preventing Harry from using his heightened senses as an advantage.

Harry turned left and moved forward.

The Triwizard Cup?

He wasn't in a hurry to grab it. He could take his time exploring the maze—who knew, he might find some useful ingredients along the way.

Outside the maze.

A minute later, Ludo sent up another spark and blew his whistle for Krum to enter.

Krum stepped inside, cast "Lumos"—and then remained completely still, standing at the entrance.

Karkaroff slammed his fist on the table, furious.

They were already at a disadvantage. Why was Krum just standing there like a turtle? Had he given up already?

A minute later, Fleur entered. She immediately noticed Krum by the entrance, took a deep breath, and whispered, "Are you not going in?"

"Let's work together," Krum said bluntly.

Fleur hesitated.

"Potter is strong," Krum said firmly. "We've both seen it in the first two tasks. Did you hear? He solved the golden egg's puzzle the day after he got it."

Fleur nodded.

Of course, she had heard. Unfortunately, Gryffindors had kept their mouths shut about it. Even using her Veela charm, she hadn't been able to extract any useful information.

"If we fight him alone, we'll lose," Krum continued. "And he'll probably find the Cup before us."

Fleur narrowed her eyes. "So your plan is to wait for him to retrieve the Cup—then ambush him?"

The audience heard every word.

Hermione clenched her fists. "Despicable!"

Ludo, in the commentary booth, made no effort to hide his bias. "The weak joining forces to trap the strong."

"But if they wait at the entrance, they may be wasting their time—after all, even a dragon couldn't stop Potter!"

Inside the maze, Harry calmly picked some herbs.

Ludo nearly shouted, "At a time like this—he's gathering ingredients?"

The maze wasn't just filled with dangers—it also replicated the deep ecosystem of the Forbidden Forest, meaning there were useful plants within it as well.

Harry had just plucked a sprig of dittany and tossed it into the Sorting Hat.

He truly wasn't in any rush. He moved forward at a leisurely pace.

A faint scent lingered in the air—a mix of sulfur and something fishy.

Blast-Ended Skrewts.

Harry followed the narrow path.

Ever since these creatures had reached adulthood, Hagrid had stopped allowing younger students to care for them, leaving them as a study subject for sixth and seventh years.

It had been a while since Harry had seen one.

Now fully grown, the Skrewts had shed the disgusting, rotting, and sticky appearance of their juvenile stage. They now resembled massive scorpions, with the pincers of an Acromantula and the shell of a giant hermit crab.

Their dark cyan exoskeleton gleamed with an oily sheen.

In a way, they did have the "handsome" quality that Hagrid had always insisted upon.

Ludo's voice narrated over the scene:

"Harry Potter has encountered his first real challenge inside the maze!"

"This is a new magical creature, bred by Hogwarts' very own Care of Magical Creatures professor, Hagrid. It has been officially recognized by the Ministry of Magic!"

"It does not violate the Ban on Experimental Breeding law."

"After review by the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, its danger rating has been temporarily set at XXXX. However, this does not mean it is only a XXXX-level creature—its parent, or perhaps its mother, is none other than a XXXX-rated Manticores."

"Once Hagrid publishes his research in Fantastic Beasts, we will be able to learn more details about them."

"Now, let's see how Harry Potter will deal with it."

Inside the maze, Harry observed the creature carefully, his gaze lingering on its massive, venomous tail.

It was highly toxic.

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Powerstones?

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