25 Ch. 25: The Final Endeavor
The strategy had unfolded seamlessly thus far. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, Harry was poised to glean the details of the impending challenge from the golden egg. Upon deciphering the riddle, he discovered that the song held the key to the next task. It hinted at a precious object hidden in the lake's depths, guarded by merpeople. This revelation was pivotal for Harry's triumph in the tournament. Following this, Harry would face the ultimate task: locating the Triwizard Cup within the labyrinthine maze.
Jon's plan hinged on Harry's victory in this competition. However, this final task was one Harry had to conquer alone, without Jon's assistance.
The second task was imminent. In this round, the contestants were required to plunge into the water, where their loved ones were held captive, guarded by mermaids from the sea's abyss. They had a mere five minutes.
Yet, the true test was not the rescue mission within the five-minute window, but the ability to hold their breath underwater for the same duration.
To overcome this, Harry utilized a magical plant known as gillyweed, which allowed him to sprout gills and navigate the water like a fish.
Harry not only accomplished his task but also saved Fleur's sister, an act that was beyond his assigned duty. Despite being the last to emerge, he tied for first places with Diggory in this round.
***
Days later, the third task commenced as planned. The maze's entrance was teeming with spectators, and Jon, appointed by Dumbledore to oversee Harry, was required to accompany him into the arena.
At the maze's entrance, a small platform was surrounded by the champions and their mentors, with Dumbledore at the center. He gestured for silence, but his voice was drowned out by the crowd, rendering his words inaudible to the audience.
"Silence!" He bellowed, casting an Amplification Charm on himself.
Once the crowd quieted, Dumbledore announced, "Earlier today, Professor Moody placed the Triwizard Cup deep within the maze, its exact location known only to him!"
Jon nodded in agreement. Alastor Moody, a man Dumbledore deeply trusted, had confidently entrusted the Triwizard Cup to Jon.
Jon had subsequently tampered with the Cup, casting a teleportation spell on it. Originally, the first champion to touch the Cup would be teleported to the podium. However, after Jon's interference, the champion would instead be transported to the Riddle family's cemetery.
Barring any mishaps, Harry would emerge as the final victor, and he would be teleported to the designated location, where Wormtail would use him to resurrect Voldemort.
"Due to Mr. Diggory tying for first place with Mr. Potter in the previous task,"
Before Dumbledore could finish, the Hogwarts students erupted in eager cheers.
"They will enter the maze first, followed by Mr. Krum, and Miss Delacour!"
Students from the other two schools joined in the cheering.
"The first to touch the trophy is the champion! Faculty and staff are patrolling the surrounding area. If any player wishes to withdraw from the competition, they need only to fire a red spark."
Dumbledore turned around, descended from the stage, and beckoned, "Champions, gather here, quickly!"
Once the four contestants approached, Dumbledore whispered, "The maze may not house of dragons or water monsters, but it presents a greater challenge. It can alter one's perception. Strive to find the trophy! But beware, do not lose yourself in the process."
After his speech, Dumbledore took two steps back and commanded, "Prepare yourselves!"
Amidst the crowd's cheers, the contestants approached their respective entrances. Jon stood beside Harry, ready to guide him into the maze.
"I'll count to three!" Dumbledore announced loudly, "One,"
Boom~!
Before Dumbledore could finish counting, the clumsy Filch accidentally set off the salute. Dumbledore merely shook his head and signaled the start of the competition.
Jon patted Harry on the shoulder, encouraging, "Go on, boy!"
Harry nodded, slowly venturing into the dark maze. After a moment, he glanced back at Jon, who gestured in a specific direction, indicating the path to take.
Harry smiled, then proceeded in the indicated direction.
However, this subtle exchange did not escape Dumbledore's notice. He said nothing, merely shooting Jon a stern look before departing.
Once Harry was inside, Jon began to survey the surroundings. He planned to slip away at the opportune moment, after Voldemort's resurrection and the summoning of all the Death Eaters, but before their departure. This was the ideal window to apprehend them all.
Jon seized the moment when everyone's attention was on the contestants yet to enter the arena, and discreetly slipped away.
He found himself in a deserted area, preparing to apparate.
"Halt, Mr. Moody!"
A stern voice echoed behind Jon. He turned to see two figures slowly approaching, wands at the ready, seemingly prepared to confront Jon.
"Dumbledore, and...Professor Snape?" Jon queried, "Shouldn't you be maintaining order in the field?"
Jon looked at the two men, a sigh escaping his lips, "So, my cover has been blown, after all?"
"We have faculty members on duty, we need not concern ourselves with that! Mr. Moody..." Dumbledore began slowly, "I asked for your assistance in looking after Harry, not to aid him in cheating. The real Moody would never stoop to such actions! And you suspiciously leaving the field after the test began, the real Professor Moody would never abandon his post at such a critical juncture!"
"So, where is the real Professor Moody?" Dumbledore's gaze bore into Jon.
Jon sighed, then replied, "The real Professor Moody is alive and well. In fact, I assumed his identity to infiltrate Hogwarts, with his consent, of course."
"You're lying!" Dumbledore's voice was stern, "The real Professor Moody would never operate behind our backs, let alone trust an individual of unknown origin like you. Tell me, who are you truly? What is your objective? Does it involve Voldemort?"
"Yes, it indeed involves Voldemort, but I am not his ally. On the contrary, I aim to eliminate him!" Jon stated calmly.
Dumbledore and Snape furrowed their brows, clearly skeptical of Jon's claims.
"You must have heard about the individual who escaped from Azkaban recently!" Jon continued.
"You are him?" Dumbledore questioned.
"Indeed, and you should also be aware that I eliminated over a dozen Death Eaters within!" Jon declared.
"Even so, we cannot trust you. Why would Professor Moody trust you, a man of unknown origin?"
"Because I demonstrated my power!" Jon's voice was firm, "My strength is sufficient for him to believe that I have no need to deceive him with such falsehoods, and the same applies to you. You don't stand a chance against me!"
"Enough!" Professor Snape interjected coldly, clearly irked by Jon's arrogant tone.
"I have a method to verify your claims!" Snape produced a potion bottle, stating, "This is Veritaserum. If you're willing to consume it and repeat your previous statements, we will trust you. What do you say?"
Jon shook his head, replying, "I don't have time for your games!"
With that, Jon turned to leave.
"Stop, Petrificus Totalus!"
Seeing Jon about to depart, Snape swiftly cast a Full Body-Bind Curse at him.
Jon spun around, his wand appearing from a device on his arm, which he used to deflect Snape's spell.
"Petrificus Totalus!"
Neither of them had seen how Jon's wand materialized in his hand, nor were they quick enough to react.
Jon uttered the spell, and the blue light struck Snape and Dumbledore. They instantly stiffened, falling to the ground like statues.
"My apologies, gentlemen, it's nothing personal!"
After uttering these words, Jon turned to leave, but then seemed to remember something. He turned back around.
"Carpe Retractum!"
As the words left his lips, Dumbledore's wand lying on the ground flew into Jon's hand.
Examining the new wand in his possession, Jon smiled slightly, "I've helped you avert the Voldemort crisis, so I suppose borrowing this as my reward isn't too much to ask!"
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