Zhang Xiao turned sideways, letting a spell slip silently past him. He watched a figure flash into view some distance away, then shook his head helplessly.
The road to the stadium was never going to be easy. Zhang Xiao felt he had prepared himself thoroughly for that.
He had tried taking a taxi, but the driver had suddenly driven straight into the water with him inside. The instant the taxi hit the water, the driver had escaped by Apparition.
He had also learned just how good wizards were at playing dirty, such as Confunding police officers into treating the Champions as robbers.
Every form of transport he took suffered some kind of breakdown. Some attackers even trapped people in illusions, much as Dumbledore had done when teaching his nephew a lesson.
They were nowhere near Dumbledore's level, of course, but they were still remarkably good.
Mind over matter really did defy all reason!
In short, the attackers used every means available to make life difficult for the Champions. Eventually, after even walking into a crowd brought inexplicable hostility and attacks from the people around them, all the Champions were forced to take less crowded routes.
The Aurors lurking in the shadows smiled in satisfaction. This was exactly what they wanted.
Only in places with little foot traffic could they conveniently attack directly.
It was time to show these youngsters just how wide the gap was between an outstanding student and an Auror!
Zhang Xiao deflected another silently cast spell. These Aurors struck and immediately withdrew, never lingering long enough for him to retaliate.
Their spells were exceptionally tricky, and their timing was equally ruthless.
Unlike most young wizards, who pursued more powerful spells, these special forces of the Wizarding World had already begun controlling the strength of their magic.