The Vanished Compass, Mission Accomplished

Aaron thought of Phoebe Delacour, Compass needle spun rapidly, pointing to a precise direction.

"This time it really is a race against time." Aaron shook his head bitterly, cast a Water-Repelling Charm on the tail of the Merpeople sculpture to separate the lake water, and then added an Iron Armor Charm for Hermione and Gabrielle.

With two layers of protection, he quickly followed the pointer's direction.

Half a minute later, Aaron arrived at a large patch of lush aquatic plants.

A pale red light flickered continuously among the emerald green water plants, and strange, sharp cries rang out from all directions, instantly making him feel uneasy.

Damn it, you actually managed to stumble upon the Grindylow's lair? Your luck is just too good.

Aaron cursed inwardly, but his hands moved with unwavering precision.

With a wave of the Wand wand, the seaweed swarm parted, revealing the Phoebe struggling inside.

She was surrounded by a dense swarm of Grindylow. Every time she waved her Wand, more than a dozen water monsters would be frozen in place, but another wave would pounce on her the next moment, leaving her in a sorry state.

Logically speaking, the Champion' level in the Triwizard Tournament shouldn't be unable to handle these Grindylow, but she was most concerned about her sister's life or death. The hour was getting tighter and tighter, which made her extremely anxious, and she couldn't even use 80% of her strength.

Underwater is Grindylow's domain; the Bubble-Head Charm only allows her to breathe freely, unlike the Water-Repelling Charm which completely protects her from the lake's water.

Even Veela bloodline couldn't support her underwater combat; over time, her limbs would become increasingly heavy, to the point that she couldn't even wield her Wand.

Aaron pointed his Wand straight ahead, took a deep breath, and said, "Incarcerous!"

A rope shot out from the tip of the Wand, extending for dozens of meters, and wrapped around Phoebe's waist several times.

While fighting Grindylow, Phoebe noticed something on her waist and thought it was one of the water monsters that had attacked her. Just as she was about to cast a spell, her body went out of control and moved rapidly to one side.

She heard a buzzing sound in her ears, but the tinnitus didn't last long before it disappeared.

When she opened her eyes again, she was already out of the seaweed, and only then did she see who had saved her.

However, seeing the transparent barrier of the lake surrounding Aaron, she felt a little uneasy.

This magic is far more advanced than her Water Bubble-Head Charm. There's practically no difference between using it in water and on land, and it's even more convenient.

Just as Phoebe was about to express her gratitude, Aaron pulled her into the range of the Water-Repelling Charm, and then quickly headed towards the Mermaid's dwelling place.

"We can talk about it later; there's no time now."

Upon hearing this, Phoebe realized what was happening, her expression changing drastically, "Gabrielle..."

"She's alright for now," Aaron hurriedly interrupted her. "I cast Water-Repelling Charm and Iron Armor Charm on her, so even if the Mermaid wanted to harm them, it wouldn't be so easy."

If you can get there within two minutes, you can take her away.

"Phew!" Phoebe breathed a sigh of relief. "That's good."

Wait, them? Who else?

"I am your dance partner."

Which dance partner?

"Hermione Granger," Aaron said with a grim face, "I had Krum bring Luna Lovegood up with me."

"Oh!" Phoebe seemed to understand something. "Thank you."

"Hehe!

If you want to thank her, prepare a fruit basket for Adrian after you go!

"If she hadn't been one of the referees and hadn't set such difficult requirements for me, I wouldn't have taken such a big risk to save you."

In the last minute, Phoebe untied the ropes binding Gabrielle, and Aaron immediately untied the ropes binding Hermione, pulling her into the Water-Repelling Charm.

"This is the first one," the Merpeople said discontentedly, as they all picked up their spears and aimed them at Aaron.

A group of Merpeople, accompanied by a group of tamed Grindylow, blocked Aaron's path and said fiercely, "Put her down, and you can leave."

Seeing this scene, Phoebe was at a loss for what to do.

"You..."

"Hurry up and move, don't turn your head."

Don't forget, your sister is still here.

Phoebe struggled internally, then nodded to Aaron and led Gabrielle upstream.

"Alright, now I'm the only one left."

"The First Task was like this, and the second project is the same." As Aaron sighed, he glanced at the Compass with feigned seriousness. The black Compass petrified at an extremely fast speed, then turned into sand and sank permanently to the bottom of the lake.

This is just a simple Illusion Magic, which under normal circumstances would definitely not fool a Grand Archmage Dumbledore. However, even Dumbledore can only observe the match through the light screen and would never be able to see through his Illusion Magic.

Indeed, the Thought Form clearly captured the regret and pity in Dumbledore's eyes, and a weight was finally lifted from his heart.

"Let her go," the Merpeople continued to warn.

"I'm sorry, but I'm afraid I won't be able to sleep well if I can't bring her back safely."

"So, could you all please make way?" Aaron said, drawing his Wand. "This is for your own good. If you choose to block my path, you must be prepared to bear the consequences."

"Go!" the Merpeople leader roared angrily, and a large group of Grindylow roared and pounced on Aaron.

"Petrificus Totalus."

Aaron waved his Wand, and a dazzling red light covered a large area of water, bringing the charging Grindylow to a standstill.

"Petrification Spell," the Merpeople leader said hoarsely. "This spell won't last long. He must have used a lot of magic to isolate himself from the lake water. It won't last long."

"Keep going! Get him back!"

"Nonsense." A flash of anger crossed Aaron's eyes. "Sectumsempra."

As soon as he finished speaking, the Merpeople leader let out a miserable howl. His arms were covered in wounds as if they had been cut by countless blades, and his blood uncontrollably dissolved into the lake water.

"How dare you? Hogwarts ' rules..."

"Strictly speaking, I am a student of Slytherin House at Hogwarts," Aaron said seriously. "Students of Slytherin House are powerful, cautious, and ruthless when necessary."

Maintaining the Water-Repelling Charm does indeed consume a lot of magic power, but I have enough left to fight you to the death. Want to give it a try?

"You can only take one. Leave her behind, and we will return her to you after the Second Task is completed," the Merpeople leader argued. "This is an agreement between us and Dumbledore."

"It has nothing to do with me; that was an agreement between you and him," Aaron said calmly. "Tan said I don't trust you. That was just a warning. Don't think I wouldn't dare kill you."

So... make way.

A Merpeople, wielding a spear, was about to thrust forward when the Merpeople leader quickly restrained him before he could make a move.

"You can leave," the Merpeople leader said with a hint of helplessness, and the Merpeople and Grindylow surrounding them all dispersed. "Ai Ai is just a competition event, there's no need to make it so tense."

"Thank you." Aaron breathed a sigh of relief. "The only way to heal your injuries is with a counter-curse. You can go to Professor Dumbledore; he might be able to help you."

After saying that, he took Hermione and swam quickly towards the lake.

A few minutes later, a transparent barrier emerged from the Black Lake, and the last piece of light above disappeared along with it.

The stands were buzzing with excitement, with many people cheering and clapping, and the referees all smiled at Aaron.

Hermione groggily opened her eyes as soon as she left the water. Looking at the spherical barrier separating the lake from the water, her eyes sparkled. "Amazing! Is this the magic that lets you breathe underwater?"

Aaron nodded and then led her to the shore.

Several Champion, including the hostages they rescued, were all here, wrapped in thick blankets. Their gazes toward Aaron were varied, each carrying a hint of shock.

After they came up, they also saw Aaron's performance through the light screen, and they had to admit that this ten-year-old Warlock was indeed amazing.

Luna handed Hermione a blanket. "Go wipe yourself off! Senior didn't get a single drop of lake water on him, while we were soaking in the lake for ages."

"And this too." Luna took out a bottle of red potion. "Potions given by Madam Pomfrey. It can warm you up for a short time."

"Thank you." Hermione opened the bottle a little shyly and drank the Potions. A burning sensation spread throughout her body, and a lot of heat rose from her body, making her feel much more refreshed.

"Um... I think I should apologize to you."

If I had shown up in time for the Christmas Ball, you wouldn't be in such a sorry state.

"It's all in the past." Aaron staggered and sat down on the ground. "Adrian told me that Luna was also prepared."

"Are you alright?" Hermione frowned when she saw his pale face.

"Your magic power is depleted. You'll be fine after a short rest."

"Is it that spell?"

"The Water-Repelling Charm isn't the same as the Bubble-Head Charm. Maintaining this spell consumes magic power every second," Aaron explained with a wry smile. "Although the consumption will gradually decrease as my strength increases, it's still a considerable burden for me right now."

After all, he had been underwater for more than an hour and had several encounters with Grindylow.

"To be honest, if those Merpeople really stick to me, it won't be so easy for us to get back up."

"I should thank you in person," Phoebe said, pulling her sister along. "When we were at the bottom of the lake, it wasn't that I didn't want to help you..."

"No need to explain, I understand." Aaron waved his hand and said, "To be honest, I'm already very relieved that you didn't stay, because at that time I really didn't have the extra strength to save you again."

Phoebe's lips twitched slightly. Was she being looked down upon?

She was, after all, Champion in the Triwizard Tournament, and could be considered a genius among her age. Compared to her, she really didn't know how to refute him.

"Um... if I may ask, I heard that you found me using a precious Compass?"

"That's a magical artifact passed down in our family." Aaron waved his hand dismissively. "You don't need to worry about it. That old relic has fulfilled its mission."

Phoebe's expression was complicated. She had no idea about the colossal lie Aaron had told to the entire audience, and she only felt that she owed him a huge favor this time.