Hogwarts: I Am an Exemplary Wizard

Chapter 566: Chapter 564: The Maze

This Care of Magical Creatures class went smoothly; by the end, no one was injured.

After leaving Hagrid’s paddock, everyone walked back laughing and chatting.

As they arrived at the castle entrance, a group of first-year students happened to walk out. Judging by their direction, they were probably heading to Flying Class.

Speaking of flying... this time of year was when Quidditch players were most nervous, as they had to prepare for the final match. All four teams wanted to use every spare second for training.

The pitch always had someone there, never empty.

But because of the Triwizard Tournament, the Quidditch matches were canceled, and what used to be the busiest time suddenly became free. For a moment, Kael found it a bit hard to adjust.

Cho was also finding it hard to adjust, but not because of the Quidditch matches, but for another reason.

One weekend, she mysteriously said, ”Have you noticed that a ghost seems to be missing in the castle lately?”

”No way...” Fred squinted and thought for a moment, shaking his head, ”I feel all the ghosts are here.”

”Nearly Headless Nick... Peeves...” George counted them one by one, ”And Moaning Myrtle on the second floor, she’s no longer satisfied with staying in that little bathroom. I’ve seen her a few times in other places.”

”Not them, it’s Ravenclaw’s ghost, Ms. Grey...”

Cho said, ”She used to appear at six every day in our common room, standing in front of a statue in a daze, but she hasn’t shown up at all recently.”

”I see.” Fred nodded, but he wasn’t too interested in the topic, merely responding perfunctorily, ”Maybe Ms. Grey doesn’t want to go anymore.”

”Just like Nearly Headless Nick.” George also said, ”He used to like being in the towers, but in recent years, he’s preferred staying around the busier corridors.”

”No, we’ve searched everywhere, but Ms. Grey is nowhere in the castle.”

Cho shook her head. ”Do you think ghosts might just disappear into thin air?”

”Theoretically, it’s possible.” Cedric said seriously, ”But as far as I know, it has never happened. According to ’Hogwarts: A History,’ these ghosts have been around for hundreds of years, and not one of them is missing now.”

While they were talking, Kael stood by silently, not saying a word.

He knew where Ms. Grey was.

The Room of Requirement—since the Easter holidays, she had been there, along with the diadem.

But he had promised to keep it secret, so he couldn’t tell the others.

Fortunately, Cho wasn’t particularly concerned, just curious about not seeing her house ghost suddenly.

Before long, their conversation shifted to the final task of the Triwizard Tournament.

Everyone was curious about what the final task was and how the champion would be chosen.

Kael truly didn’t know, the only thing he could guess was that a Hippogriff might make an appearance in the event.

...

After the holidays, the weather got warmer, and everyone started shedding their thick robes.

So it went until the last week of May when Professor McGonagall asked Kael to stay after Transfiguration Class.

”Meet at the Quidditch Pitch tonight at nine.” Professor McGonagall said, ”Mr. Bagman will be there to inform the champions about the third task... good luck.” She rarely smiled.

So, that evening at half-past eight, Kael left the Hufflepuff Common Room on time.

”I have to ask, why are you following me?”

Walking through the empty entrance hall, Kael suddenly said as if talking to himself.

”Because we’re curious, of course.” Came a voice beside him—it could have been Fred or George.

Their voices were more similar than their looks, making it difficult even for Kael to tell who was speaking without seeing their faces.

”Exactly, we’ve spent half a year learning the Disillusionment Charm, and this is the moment we’ve been waiting for!”

There was a ripple in the air, but it quickly vanished.

”Oh, Cedric, you stepped on me.”

”It wasn’t me, I’m over here...” Cedric’s voice came from the opposite side of Kael.

”Fred, that was your doing!”

”Hey, I didn’t mean to.”

...

As they passed through the hall, Ms. Maxime and Fleur happened to walk over from the other side of the grounds.

Fred and the others immediately quieted down and stopped following Kael further.

”What do you think it might be?” Fleur suddenly asked while they walked together in the cloud-covered night, ”I think it might be an underground tunnel where we have to search for treasures.”

Ms. Maxime glanced over as if wanting to say something, but in the end, said nothing, merely quickening her pace, moving ahead.

”That would be easy.” Kael said, ”Perhaps we could borrow some Nifflers from Hagrid and leave the job to them. Those little creatures might even sniff out the Triwizard Tournament Cup.”

They made their way across the dark lawn towards the Quidditch Pitch, then went through the entrances and into the pitch.

”Oh, how magnificent.”

The pitch was no longer flat—someone had laid countless winding and twisting hedgerows there.

Mr. Bagman was walking from the center of the pitch, chatting with Dumbledore, with Chris and the long-unseen Barty Crouch nearby.

”Oh, poor old Barty, that investigation really took a toll on him.”

As Kael and Fleur approached, they overheard Mr. Bagman speaking quietly to Dumbledore: ”He didn’t want to deal with this anymore, but we thought since he contributed a lot to the Triwizard Tournament, he should be involved a bit.

”Of course, there won’t be any changes to the judges; in his current state, he’s not fit for scoring.

”Oh, hello.” He noticed the two approaching and quickly changed the subject, ”How do you feel about it all? Quite a bit of progress, isn’t it?

”In another month, Hagrid will have them grown to twelve feet tall... oh, Krum has arrived as well.”

Bagman’s tone became much more cheerful.

”Alright, I suppose you can guess what we’re doing here.”

”Maze,” Kael said.

”Exactly right,” Bagman said, ”The Triwizard Tournament Cup will be located at the center of the maze. The champion who reaches it first will become the winner... pretty simple and clear, isn’t it?”

Bagman said enthusiastically, ”There’ll be plenty of obstacles in the maze—Hagrid provided a bunch of magical creatures, Pomona provided many plants, and there are some spells that must be lifted... should be a lot of fun.”

”Wait, getting the cup means winning?” Krum asked gruffly, ”So our previous scores don’t matter?”

”Of course not, the leading champion will enter the maze first.” Bagman grinned at Kael, ”Mr. Krum, you will go second, and Miss Delacour will go last.

”Of course, the lead is only temporary; whether you can claim the Triwizard Tournament Cup in the end depends on your ability to overcome obstacles...

Alright, if there are no other questions, let’s head back to the castle... it’s getting a bit chilly here.”