Anonymous Mask
Wizet held her wand in her hand before unfolding the poster for the All-England Wizard Duelling Competition and pressing down on the red wax coating.
The moment he pressed the sealing wax, he immediately felt a pulling force in front of him, and his vision blurred as if someone was pulling on his navel and dragging him somewhere.
The experience of using the Portkey wasn't great. After a brief period of oppression, Wizet's feet touched the ground, and she found herself in front of a dilapidated castle.
The castle was naturally not as grand as Hogwarts; its walls were already mottled and cracked, and it emitted a strange "whooshing" sound accompanied by cold hair.
The tower atop the castle has collapsed, turning into scattered stones, now covered by a thick layer of withered branches and leaves.
The wooden door had long since rotted away, leaving only Scabbers iron plates connected by hinges, dangling on the door frame. Occasionally, a gust of wind would blow in, making a creaking sound that sent chills down one's spine.
When Wizet entered the castle, he could sense that magic had been cast around him, most likely a kind of Muggle-Repelling Charm to prevent any unexpected events from happening.
The walls were covered with moss and vines, which grew so vigorously that they seemed determined to devour the entire castle.
In the central square of the castle stands a tall human-shaped statue, flanked by thick stone pillars.
The statue depicts a tall wizard, and the details, from the wizard's robe to the pointed hat, are very well done, giving it a lifelike feel.
The sleeves of the wizard statue are much longer, indicating that the statue is quite old and may have existed in the same era as the castle.
As Wizet approached the wizard statue, two flames emerged from the stone pillars on either side of the statue. The flames quickly grew and soon turned into a raging fire, illuminating a large area around them.
Similar to the Gargoyle Statue in the Headmaster's Office, the wizard statue slowly came to life, its arms, which had been resting on its shoulders, reaching forward in a gesture resembling an embrace.
The wizard statue straightened its body, its open arms suggesting it was welcoming Wizet.
Wizet looked at the base of the statue, where the drooping sleeves appeared on both sides of the base, emanating a faint light.
A slight tug came from her fingertips, and Wizet released her fingers. The poster for the All-England Wizard Duelling Competition fluttered up, sinking into the rippled base of the statue like a leaf slowly sinking into water.
Clearly, this ruined castle is similar to King's Cross Station; one only needs to pass through the base of the statue to enter the registration and assessment area.
He was like that poster, his figure submerged in the base of the statue;
After he completely disappeared, the wizard statue returned to its original pose, with its hands crossed over its shoulders once more.
After a brief period of darkness, Wizet appeared in a reception room;
The living room was tastefully decorated, complete with tapestries and armchairs, and a fireplace on the right kept the entire living room warm.
"Mr. Vizet Lovegood?" A welcoming witch stepped forward, holding the poster with sealing wax in her hand. "Welcome!"
He led Wizet to a mahogany table, took out two registration forms, and said, "Mr. Lovegood, you are free to choose which registration form to use."
Wizet looked at the two registration forms and noticed that one of them had obvious magical traces, while the other was an ordinary registration form.
Before he set off, Filius Flitwick had explained to him some important points about the registration process, such as the differences in registration forms and registration fees.
The receptionist witch continued, "This registration form comes with Magic Contract, provided by the Magic Contract of Ministry of Magic, which will do everything possible to ensure that your information is not leaked during the competition."
"In other words, after filling in your real information, you can choose to fill in a nickname or a pseudonym to participate in the ' All-England Wizard Duelling Competition ' anonymously..."
He went on to explain in detail, "We are not only protecting your privacy, but also ensuring your safety. Anonymity can effectively prevent some accidents from happening..."
"Participating anonymously can also reduce your psychological burden and alleviate various external pressures, allowing you to focus on showcasing your magical talents..."
"In addition, adopting an anonymous approach is also to ensure, as far as possible, that all participants can duel in a fair environment, and to encourage more wizards to participate in the competition."
Wizet nodded. "It is indeed a good arrangement."
"Thank you for your recognition!" the reception witch said with a smile, picking up another registration form. "Of course, you can also choose not to remain anonymous..."
"However, you will have to bear the risks yourself. All the above protections will no longer apply. Once you leave the competition venue, we will have no responsibility for any accidents that happen to you..."
She listed many possible accidents, and looking at Wizet's young face, she bent down slightly, picked up a suitcase, and gave her final explanation as she opened it.
"I'm sure you realize that simply using anonymous application forms for protection is clearly far from enough... so we've thoughtfully prepared..."
Wizet took out five Silver Sickle from her pocket. "Madam, all I need is an anonymous application form."
"Anonymous Mask! It can perfectly conceal your face, requiring only ten..." The reception witch was stunned upon hearing Wizet's words. "What did you just say?"
Wizet placed Silver Sickle on the table. "Madam, I only need an anonymous registration form. Thank you so much for your thoughtful protection."
Regarding the mask of Anonymous Mask, Filius Flitwick also talked about his experience participating in the competition;
He believed the wizard who was receiving him and spent a full ten Galleon to buy a mask;
After becoming the Duelling Champion, he kept the mask and would occasionally take it out to show it when talking to his friends about the match.
Until a friend who was skilled in Alchemy told him that the principle of the Anonymous Mask was actually very simple, basically equivalent to a "Peeping Mirror" worn on the face.
Before going on stage, if someone tries to see what the other person looks like, the mask will sound an alarm, thus achieving the purpose of "preventing peeping".
The reason why the "Peeping Mirror" Anonymous Mask doesn't make a sound after entering the duel arena is because there is magic around the arena that interferes with the Peeping Mirror.
In comparison, Magic Contract provided by the Ministry of Magic are far more practical than so-called Anonymous Mask.
"Actually, I've already prepared a mask after Professor Flitwick reminded me..." Wizet took a mask out of her pocket.
"Professor Flitwick ..." The reception witch opened her mouth, then shrugged helplessly and placed the anonymous registration form on the table. "Then please fill in your information!"