Chapter Summaries

Zhang Xiao obtained Yachigusa Tsuki’s map and joined it with Harry and the others’ maps, revealing a song that pointed to an underwater task. The group planned ways to breathe and move underwater, then went to the frozen Black Lake to test their preparations.

• Zhang Xiao questioned Yachigusa Tsuki about divination, accepted her ancient book of Onmyoji legends, and took her portion of the map.
• Zhang Xiao reunited with Harry and the others, and the three map cubes combined to reveal a song mentioning an ancient underwater city and three objectives.
• Harry, Hermione, Cedric, Neville, Ron, and Malfoy discussed underwater dangers, breathing charms, Gillyweed, and the song’s objectives.
• Zhang Xiao suggested testing their underwater preparations in the Black Lake, and the group secretly cut a hole in its ice.
• Zhang Xiao cast Bubble-Head Charms on the young wizards and jumped into the lake first.

Zhang Xiao and the other young wizards tested how to prepare for the underwater Second Round, discovering that gillyweed helped Malfoy adapt to the Black Lake’s cold. They explored the lakebed, tested spells underwater, and visited the Merpeople’s village before surfacing to return.

• After Malfoy suffered cold shock in the lake, Zhang Xiao asked Snape for gillyweed, which gave Malfoy gills, webbed hands and feet, and better tolerance for the cold.
• Zhang Xiao led the young wizards deeper into the Black Lake, used his Dharma Eye to examine the lakebed, and tested how spells worked underwater.
• The group found that underwater spells had reduced range and power, while Zhang Xiao’s Water-Repelling Talisman created a small dry space around him.
• Malfoy towed the group to the Merpeople’s village, where the Merpeople welcomed them and gave them a bundle of fish in exchange for shiny objects.
• Zhang Xiao signaled for everyone to surface when it was time to go back.

Zhang Xiao sought ways to handle the underwater conditions of the second task and learned that the Yi Family’s Water Wight methods could help him. His father secured a copy of their techniques, which Zhang Xiao began to transcribe.

• Hermione asked McGonagall and Flitwick for advice, and McGonagall offered Human Transfiguration lessons while Flitwick recommended potions.
• Cedric volunteered to master Human Transfiguration and transform the group, while Zhang Xiao planned to obtain diving equipment.
• Zhang Xiao contacted his father and learned about Water Wights, families who specialized in underwater work and used inherited methods to stay submerged.
• Zhang Chengdao contacted the Yi Family, who willingly provided their methods in exchange for a favor from Zhang Xiao.
• Zhang Xiao received the projected text titled “Six Water Wight Methods” and prepared to copy it.

Zhang Xiao studied the Water Imp Six Arts and tested them underwater, discovering he could learn Water Immortal Walk quickly with the Golden Light Spell. After finding Flying Fish Thrust too exhausting, he realized he could summon a Patronus that might serve as an underwater companion.

• Zhang Xiao received the Water Imp Six Arts from Zhang Chengdao and read their methods and annotations in the Slytherin Common Room.
• Zhang Xiao broke the Common Room window, entered the lake, repaired the glass, and practiced Water Immortal Walk on a submerged stone.
• Zhang Xiao mastered the basics of Water Immortal Walk, but found River-Turning Palm less useful than spells and Flying Fish Thrust too tiring for regular travel.
• Zhang Xiao considered finding a creature to help him move underwater, then realized he could summon a companion that shared his thoughts and cast Expecto Patronum.

Zhang Xiao tested his intelligent Dragon Carp Patronus in the Black Lake and decided his speed made him confident about the Second Task. After Snape humiliated Harry and Ron in Potions, Malfoy returned with a Water-Walking Potion Snape had developed.

• Zhang Xiao rode the Dragon Carp through the Black Lake and found it fast enough to give him confidence about the Second Task.
• Ron showed Harry, Zhang Xiao, and the others Rita Skeeter’s article praising the Hogwarts Champions and discussing the East.
• Snape caught Ron reading Witch Weekly in Potions, took points from Harry and Ron, and mocked them by reading Rita’s praise aloud.
• Harry and Ron wondered why Snape had ignored Hermione, while Zhang Xiao suspected Snape’s feelings about Lily explained his behavior.
• Malfoy stayed behind to ask Snape about potions, then showed Harry, Ron, and Zhang Xiao a blue Water-Walking Potion Snape had developed.

With the second round approaching, Champions from rival schools sought help deciphering their Golden Eggs, while Hogwarts prepared and boarded a ship for the competition. The ship carried them across the Atlantic, where Dumbledore announced their arrival but left the challenge itself unrevealed.

• Malfoy explained that Snape's Water-Walking Potions improved on Gillyweed, and Hermione defended Snape's skill as a potioneer.
• Uagadou Headmaster Ojuweli used a ritual to learn that hatching the Golden Egg would open it, while Madame Maxime contacted Nicolas Flamel for help with Beauxbatons's egg.
• Headmaster Da Silva used a Fountain of Life potion and a magical plant to question Castelobruxo's Golden Egg, and Champions at other schools also sought help.
• As the second round neared, Hermione grew anxious over preparations, and Zhang Xiao encouraged the Hogwarts Champions to trust their training.
• Professor McGonagall gathered the Champions and led them aboard a large ship, where Dumbledore and other headmasters waited with Ministry officials and uniformed House-elves.
• The ship jolted violently before stopping, and Dumbledore announced that the Champions had arrived in the Atlantic Ocean.

Dumbledore transformed the ship into a platform and explained that the second round would send six-person teams to explore magical ruins beneath the Atlantic Ocean. After Zhang Xiao and the Hogwarts team prepared their diving equipment, the competition officially began.

• Dumbledore revealed the underwater ruins, explained the task and rules, and warned the champions that creatures lived inside.
• Ludo Bagman introduced the second round to a huge audience of wizards eager to watch the competition.
• Zhang Xiao prepared Muggle diving equipment, while the Hogwarts team warmed up, checked their supplies, and packed Water-Walking Potions.
• Malfoy led the Hogwarts team out in wetsuits and diving masks, drawing attention from the crowd.
• Dumbledore fired a signal into the sky, and Ludo Bagman announced that the second round had begun.

Zhang Xiao summoned an Animated Corporeal Patronus and rode it into the Atlantic depths, stunning the audience and unsettling the other headmasters. He reached a ruined underwater city and found an enormous barrier blocking his way in.

• Zhang Xiao cast a Patronus that became an enormous Dragon Carp, then rode it toward the deep sea.
• Ludo Bagman announced that Zhang Xiao had produced an Animated Corporeal Patronus, astonishing the spectators and headmasters.
• Dumbledore told Da Silva and the other headmasters that Zhang Xiao’s Eastern cultivation method amplified his spellcasting, easing their concern about his power.
• Zhang Xiao used the Water-Walking Immortal technique to breathe underwater and withstand the pressure as he descended.
• Zhang Xiao spotted an ancient underwater city with signs of magical protection and widespread destruction.
• Zhang Xiao reached the ruins at a depth of 332 meters but found an enormous translucent barrier blocking entry.

Zhang Xiao reached the underwater ruins but found a barrier blocking the way, while the other schools devised ways to handle the Bubble-Head Charm failing at depth. The champions continued toward the ruins, and the next challenge was the cold.

• Zhang Xiao tested the barrier around the ruins, then swam toward a spot that looked like a city gate.
• Ludo Bagman explained that the Bubble-Head Charm became unstable below two hundred meters and showed the audience how dark the seabed really was.
• Martins and the Castelobruxo team swallowed Kazan Seeds and drank green liquid, growing plant coverings that let them continue without Bubble-Head Charms.
• Uagadou and Durmstrang used partial Human Transfiguration, while Ilvermorny protected its Bubble-Head Charms inside helmets and Beauxbatons used breathing masks supplied by Nicolas Flamel.
• Yachigusa Tsuki summoned black Umibozu masks to supply oxygen, then wore a Merpeople Haori and led Mahoutokoro onward.
• The champions' different solutions drew the audience's attention as the cold became the next challenge.

Malfoy and the Hogwarts Champions created a warm, dry, mobile sphere using an enlarged bubble and the Bubble-Head Charm, then sped toward the Ruins. Separately, Zhang Xiao reached the city’s main gate, found its protective barrier still active, and spotted a possible clue at a statue’s base.

• Malfoy signaled the Hogwarts Champions to stop, and Hermione enlarged a hollow sphere while Cedric and the others cast the Bubble-Head Charm over it.
• The Champions entered the dry sphere, furnished it with beds and other supplies, and explained its protective charm to the spectators through a cue card.
• Malfoy steered the sphere toward the Ruins as Ron, Cedric, and Neville propelled it with water jets from pipes, while Hermione prepared coffee inside.
• Dumbledore praised the Champions’ ingenuity as other headmasters suspected he had secretly helped them devise their approach.
• Zhang Xiao rode the Dragon Carp to the Ruins’ main gate, found its protective barrier still glowing, and searched the area for a way in.
• Zhang Xiao spotted something at the foot of one of the statues and wondered whether it was the clue he needed.

Zhang Xiao discovered the hidden instructions for entering the City of the Sea and lit the statues’ braziers with the Mending Charm. Rather than kneel and offer a fish, he chose to challenge the guards with a sword as the gates stirred.

• Zhang Xiao used the fracture on a stone tablet to identify it as recently disturbed, then cleaned and repaired it to reveal the entrance instructions.
• Zhang Xiao found pictures showing two ways into the city: kneel and offer a fish, or draw a weapon after lighting the braziers; Dumbledore explained that only the obedient and the brave could enter.
• Zhang Xiao caught a large fish with his Dragon Carp and tried to light a statue’s brazier with Incendio, but the fire went out.
• Zhang Xiao used the Mending Charm on both braziers, causing pale blue flames to burn and the statues to turn toward him.
• Zhang Xiao raised the fish, slammed it onto the seabed, and drew a longsword instead of kneeling, choosing to challenge the guards.

Zhang Xiao triggered the underwater challenge by stabbing the sacrificial fish, awakening two gigantic metal statues that attacked him. After discovering his spells could barely damage them, he summoned a giant water form with Heaven and Earth Manifestation, leaving the fight poised to begin.

• Zhang Xiao stabbed the fish with his longsword, activating the brazier and awakening two enormous statue guardians.
• The statues revealed metal tridents and struck the seabed with enough force to blast waves and rocks outward.
• Zhang Xiao dodged their attacks on the Dragon Carp and bombarded one statue with spells, but its metal body resisted his magic and its scorching current forced him back.
• Zhang Xiao dismounted the Dragon Carp and gathered golden light around himself as the spectators watched in alarm.
• Zhang Xiao formed a towering water giant with Heaven and Earth Manifestation.

Zhang Xiao used Transfiguration to become a Water Giant and fought the two stone guardians beneath the sea, impressing spectators with his martial skill and a sword-like spell. After knocking the guardians down with a crescent of energy, he sensed that something had blocked the strike, leaving the fight unresolved.

• Zhang Xiao formed a thirty-meter Water Man and faced the two stone statues as they raised their tridents to attack.
• Zhang Xiao used the Water Man to seize the statues’ tridents and unbalance them, sending both giants crashing onto the seabed.
• Ludo Bagman and the spectators cheered as Zhang Xiao transformed the surrounding water into a lightning-filled sword.
• Zhang Xiao swung the sword and sent a crescent-shaped wave that struck both statues, while Snape recognized the spell as Sectumsempra.
• Zhang Xiao’s senior martial uncles and the Old Celestial Master reacted to the display of sword qi, and the Old Celestial Master reminded them the battle was not over.
• Zhang Xiao ended his enhanced state and realized something had blocked Sectumsempra, so he prepared for the fight to continue.

Zhang Xiao discovered that the colossi’s crystal cores were vulnerable to physical force and used the River-Turning Palm to destroy them. The two giants fell, leaving the spectators stunned.

• Nicolas Flamel recognized the colossi’s intricate mechanisms as a lost alchemical technique and flew the Alchemy Orb closer to inspect them.
• Zhang Xiao realized the colossi’s pale gold crystal layers could be broken by physical attacks after spells failed against them.
• Zhang Xiao discarded his water sword and prepared to use the River-Turning Palm as the colossi charged.
• Zhang Xiao unleashed the River-Turning Palm, sending water dragons into the fissures in the colossi’s chests and causing a massive underwater blast.
• The colossi’s cores went dark, and both giants fell to their knees as the venue fell silent.

After defeating the sea-city’s colossi, Zhang Xiao entered the ruins and discovered the remains of a family who had died hiding from the disaster that destroyed the city. He continued deeper into the ruins, while the other Champions searched for a way through the gates.

• Ludo Bagman announced Zhang Xiao as the first Champion to defeat the colossi, and spectators across the tournament erupted in applause.
• Zhang Xiao recovered from the backlash of his River-Turning Palm, and a rune from the colossi appeared on his hand.
• Hermione organized the other young wizards to search the gates while they avoided the colossi and investigated the ruins.
• The rune on Zhang Xiao’s hand opened the barrier, allowing him to pass through the gates into the City of the Sea.
• Zhang Xiao explored an intact house and found four skeletons—a pair of adults holding two children—huddled in its storeroom.
• Zhang Xiao left the house and continued deeper into the ruined city.

Zhang Xiao was surrounded by Armored Skeletons in the City of the Sea, but his Thunderstruck Wood Wand destroyed them with lightning. Meanwhile, the other schools’ Champions surfaced to recover from the cold, while Hogwarts returned to its underwater room; Astoria Greengrass discovered a door appearing in the Seventh Floor corridor.

• Zhang Xiao was ambushed by Armored Skeletons and their arrows while searching the City of the Sea for the Palace.
• Zhang Xiao’s Thunderstruck Wood Wand unleashed lightning that reduced the surrounding skeletons to ash, and Dumbledore explained the wand’s power to Da Silva.
• Martins refused to let his Castelobruxo teammates surface while they searched for a way to open their gateway.
• Pheobe ordered the Beauxbatons Champions to surface after her teammates showed signs of hypothermia, and Champions from other schools did the same.
• Ludo Bagman announced that the Hogwarts Champions could rest in their underwater Spherical Room, avoiding repeated trips to the surface.
• Astoria Greengrass watched a door appear in the Blank Wall on the Seventh Floor.

Astoria entered the Room of Requirement, where Daphne Greengrass disguised as her had searched for a wicker trunk entrusted to her by Voldemort and found it missing. Underwater, Zhang Xiao collected magical equipment from the ruins, set up a sheltered room, and grilled fish, while the spectators watched and grew hungry.

• Astoria entered the Room of Requirement as hidden House-elves watched her, and Glove Lady continued studying Chinese so she could play Zhang Xiao’s games.
• Daphne Greengrass shed her disguise and searched the warehouse for the objects Voldemort had named, but she could not find the wicker trunk.
• Zhang Xiao tested a rune-marked tube and its bolts, collected the equipment and other relics, and stopped only after the orb warned him not to take anything else.
• Zhang Xiao expanded his Traveling Hut underwater and used Water-Repelling Talismans to keep the surrounding seawater away.
• Zhang Xiao bathed, built a campfire, and grilled a fish with Chinese seasonings, leaving the spectators hungry as they watched.

While Zhang Xiao rested, Hogwarts and the other schools discovered how to enter the underwater ruins, with the other teams receiving secret help from their headmasters. Refreshed after his nap, Zhang Xiao set off to explore the ruins before dinner.

• Zhang Xiao cleaned up after eating, lit the fireplace, and took an afternoon nap while the spectators watched.
• Martins found a hidden message under the stone where he had been sitting, and Dacival’s instructions revealed how to enter the ruins; Champions from other schools also received secret assistance.
• Harry, Ron, Cedric, Neville, Hermione, and Malfoy reasoned that the clue might be on a distinctive stone, and Neville suggested a stone stele.
• The Hogwarts Champions found the stele, offered fish to the statues, received marks on their foreheads, and entered the ruins as the statues opened the gate.
• Champions from the other schools also found their steles and entered the ruins, prompting the committee to declare the competition fair and impartial.
• After waking from his nap, Zhang Xiao checked the time, activated Water Immortal, and swam toward the ruins to clear them before dinner.

Zhang Xiao and the other champions fought through the dangerous City of the Sea ruins, where traps and monsters slowed their progress. Zhang Xiao reached a vast square before finding himself inexplicably back at his starting point, revealing that the next stretch was a maze.

• Zhang Xiao struggled through repeated waves of monsters and reached a large square, where he spotted a grand cluster of buildings beyond it.
• Harry, Ron, Malfoy, Neville, Hermione, and Cedric entered the ruins, defended themselves against a barrage of arrows, and prepared to fight armored skeleton soldiers.
• Other schools’ champions were caught off guard by the ruins’ attacks; one Ilvermorny champion was eliminated when his protective shield activated, while the others retreated outside the gates.
• Yachigusa Tsuki used talismans to defeat skeleton soldiers and urged her Mahoutokoro teammates to keep moving and aim for the top three.
• After entering another stretch of ruins, Zhang Xiao found himself back at his starting point and realized he had encountered a maze.

Zhang Xiao navigated Dumbledore’s underwater maze, escaped a powerful suction trap, and used Void Talisman Formation to clear the water from the passage. As he continued into the maze, the Hogwarts team found the hidden route and fell into the trap.

• Zhang Xiao ruled out a ghost wall, marked the maze’s junctions with waymarker talismans, and discovered a passage concealed by forced perspective.
• Zhang Xiao was nearly dragged into a sudden floor trap but escaped by thrusting his Bright Silver Spear into the walls and holding on.
• Zhang Xiao realized the trap’s force came from seawater rushing into the opening, then used Water-Repelling Talismans to drain the passage and continued onward.
• The Old Celestial Master and Sect Leader Zhou watched Zhang Xiao’s talisman technique, while Dumbledore admired his ingenuity and considered retiring in a few years.
• Harry, Ron, Hermione, Malfoy, and the other Hogwarts Champions reached the maze, searched its routes, and eventually found the concealed passage.
• The Hogwarts team entered the hidden passage and fell through the floor into the trap.