Ch. 441Crossing the Lake (III)

Harry and Ron used magic to speed their boat across the Black Lake and reached a floating island with locked chests. Unable to open one, they hauled it aboard and continued with their lead intact.

  • Harry and Ron used their wands to propel their boat past the other teams and around a cliff.
  • Harry and Ron found a floating island with seven chests marked with dragon pictures and chose one bearing a Blue Thornback Dragon.
  • Harry tried Alohomora, the Light Saber Charm, and fire, but none opened or damaged the chest.
  • Ron urged Harry not to waste time, so Harry and Ron carried the heavy chest onto their boat and prepared to keep moving.

Ch. 442Crossing the Lake (IV)

Harry and Ron opened the magical chest by speaking the Blue Thornback Dragon’s name in Ancient Runes, then discarded it to lighten their boat. As Nanyang Magic School closed in and the other teams raced toward the floating island, Hogwarts remained in the lead.

  • Ron noticed that Nanyang Magic School’s boat was gaining speed, while Harry said their Champions had likely figured out how to propel their boat with magic.
  • Ron suggested the dragon design might be the key to the chest, and Harry spoke the Blue Thornback Dragon’s name in Ancient Runes to open it.
  • Harry emptied the chest and threw it into the lake, making the Hogwarts boat lighter and faster.
  • Carlos Blanco and Qin Gardner of Castelobruxo set off as the Ilvermorny team waited, while Corvinus rowed alone and began closing on Beauxbatons.
  • Bagman reported that Durmstrang had overtaken Beauxbatons and reached the first floating island, where Krum struggled to open the chest.
  • Bagman announced that Harry was the first to open a chest, then joked that the discarded chest might hit the Giant Squid.

Ch. 443Crossing the lake (V)

Harry and Ron left Yi Qianqian and Lei Kaiming to recover their sunken chest after stealing its contents. Yi Qianqian worked out how the chest might be opened, and Lei Kaiming retrieved it, while the Durmstrang champions arrived and learned what Harry had done.

  • Harry and Ron sped toward the next floating island after taking the contents of Yi Qianqian and Lei Kaiming's chest.
  • Yi Qianqian guessed that speaking the dragon's true name in Ancient Runes might open the chest, and Lei Kaiming used a bubble-like spell to dive into the Black Lake.
  • Lei Kaiming found the chest, but his attempt to open it with Ancient Runes failed, so he used the clue spells to lighten it and carried it back up.
  • Julianne Sirtute and Krum arrived at the island and found Yi Qianqian alone beside the empty chest.
  • Yi Qianqian told the Durmstrang champions how Harry had taken the chest's contents but kept quiet about their own discoveries.

Ch. 444Crossing the Lake (6)

Nagudinnaf, Beauxbatons, and Castelobruxo began using magic to speed their boats, prompting Nanyang Magic School to do the same. At the second Floating Island, Sturt concealed that the chests had been pushed into the water, hoping to delay her rivals.

  • Horton and Shen Yalan used a current-making spell to propel Nagudinnaf past Castelobruxo and Beauxbatons.
  • Beauxbatons and Castelobruxo used magic to accelerate their boats, though neither caught Nagudinnaf.
  • Lei Kaiming and Yi Qianqian left the second Floating Island, and Nanyang Magic School suddenly sped away with magic.
  • Meng and the others found Sturt alone beside an open chest, while Krum and Jacob were still approaching.
  • Sturt claimed the chest had been open when she arrived, concealing that the magical chests were underwater.

Ch. 445Crossing the lake (VII)

The Champions realized the chest was underwater, and Krum retrieved it while Sturt used magic to speed their boat across the lake. At the second floating island, Meng Yuchen transformed into an orca and plunged into the water to retrieve the next chest.

  • Julianne Sirtute cleaned and warmed Krum after he emerged with the chest, and he hurriedly dressed under the gazes of Gardner and Shen Yalan.
  • Sturt used magic to propel her boat, explained the other teams were doing the same, and sped away with Krum.
  • Corvinus admitted he was not capable of going underwater, and Meng Yuchen volunteered to retrieve the chest.
  • Meng Yuchen leaped into the lake and transformed into an orca, astonishing the Champions from Castelobruxo and Nagudinnaf.

Ch. 446Crossing the Lake (Part Eight)

Harry and Ron reached the fifth floating island and identified the chests’ contents as parts for a pair of magic puppets, though a central bearing was still missing. Harry pushed the last chest into the lake before Lei Kaiming could stop him, leaving Nanyang Magic School behind as its champions retrieved it.

  • Harry and Ron reached the fifth floating island, where Ron recognized the collected objects as parts for a pair of magic puppets shaped like an unusual dragon.
  • Ron explained that they could not assemble the puppets because the central bearing was missing.
  • Harry pushed the final chest into the lake just before Lei Kaiming could get within striking range.
  • Lei Kaiming cursed Harry, while Yi Qianqian urged him to stop wasting time; Lei then entered the water to retrieve the chest.
  • Spectators watched the setback, and the narration described how wizarding status depended on strength and family reputation.

Ch. 447Crossing the lake (9)

Harry and Ron assembled the magical automaton while Nanyang Magic School’s champions struggled with the pieces. Ron’s skill impressed the spectators, who learned that he was already highly sought after as a Quidditch keeper.

  • Professor McGonagall saw Lei Kaiming push the remaining box into the lake, and Principal Li Jinglong looked awkward as spectators laughed.
  • Harry and Ron worked together to assemble the automaton, with Harry following Ron’s instructions.
  • Ron quickly assembled a rough form while the Nanyang Magic School champions struggled to fit the pieces together.
  • Spectators recognized Ron Weasley’s knowledge of magical automata and discussed recruiting him.
  • Allen Xilieikesi explained that European Quidditch clubs were pursuing Ron as a keeper, and others recalled his flying in the First Task.

Ch. 448Beneath the Black Lake

Harry and Ron completed their Magical Automaton, which transformed into a dragon suited for underwater travel and revealed an opening in its back. Meanwhile, Nagudinnaf's Champions could not finish their automaton because they lacked the parts from a box they could not open, and they were refused help by rival schools.

  • Nagudinnaf's Champions discovered they could not open one box because Shen Yalan had failed to obtain the corresponding Golden Egg and learn the dragon's true name in Runes.
  • Horton and Shen Yalan asked Corvinus and Jean Gardner to trade boxes, but both Champions refused.
  • Harry followed Ron's instructions as they assembled their Magical Automaton, while Nanyang Magic School continued to struggle with its build.
  • Harry and Ron finished the automaton, and Ron used a spell to transform it into a blue, underwater dragon.
  • The dragon plunged into the water, surfaced with an opening in its back, and Harry climbed inside after Ron wondered if they were meant to enter.

Ch. 449The Second Task draws to a close (part one)

Harry and Ron retrieved the golden Seashell from the Giant Squid and became the first team to finish the Second Task. As they waited at the finish, Ilvermorny’s Corvinus and Meng set off as the next team.

  • The Giant Squid handed Harry and Ron a golden Seashell, which the Strange Dragon carried back to Harry.
  • Harry and Ron reached the finish first and realized the spectators had watched everything they did on the screens.
  • Harry asked the Tournament Committee if he could keep the Strange Dragon as a souvenir, but the committee refused.
  • Ilvermorny became the second team to set off, with Corvinus rowing alone fast enough for Meng to relax.

Ch. 450The Second Task's closing stages (part two)

Beauxbatons recovered from its slow start and finished its Magical Automaton in third place, while the other schools continued the task. Nagudinnaf remained stuck with missing parts, leaving their chances in the Tournament in doubt.

  • Elizabeth Xilieikesi and Fleur Delacour assembled Beauxbatons’ Magical Automaton and entered it, earning Madame Maxime’s approval.
  • Harry teased the Beauxbatons Champions about the Giant Squid, then flirted with Qiu while Hermione noticed Ron and Lavender sitting close together.
  • Nanyang Magic School finished fourth, and the Beauxbatons Champions reached the Giant Squid, where Delacour screamed in fright.
  • The Champions from Ilvermorny, Beauxbatons, and Nanyang Magic School reached the finish, and Krum and Sturt completed Durmstrang’s automaton next.
  • Castelobruxo neared completion, but Nagudinnaf remained unable to open its box after missing parts and clues from the First Task.

Ch. 451Scoring

The Nagudinnaf pair finished the Second Task last, while the judges debated and then scored the champions individually. Ron scored higher than Harry, and both boys celebrated with kisses from their partners as the crowd cheered.

  • Horton and his Nagudinnaf teammate finished the task after threatening Castelobruxo for the final parts and arrived last.
  • The judges argued over the champions’ performances before reaching a scoring consensus.
  • Harry received forty-two points, with several judges penalizing him for helping Ron assemble the Magical Automata.
  • Ron received fifty-three points, and Lavender kissed him as the Viewing Screen broadcast their embrace.
  • Harry pulled Qiu close and kissed her while the crowd cheered.

Ch. 452Meeting again

Harry and Ron struggled to decode the Seashell clue from the Second Task while Champions from Nagudinnaf and Castelobruxo appeared to have solved theirs. As Valentine’s Day approached, Harry considered buying flowers for Qiu, whose relationship with him was now public.

  • Harry, Ron, and their friends tried soaking, burning, and prying open the Seashell, but it stayed sealed.
  • Harry and Ron noticed that Nagudinnaf and Castelobruxo’s Champions seemed to have deciphered their clues and begun preparing.
  • Anthony Goldstein warned Harry not to lose to the Australian schools, while Harry admitted they had no leads.
  • Harry considered buying flowers for Qiu for Valentine’s Day after their kiss following the Second Task had been seen by the spectators.

Ch. 453An old acquaintance

Harry recognized Allen Dismask’s distinctive voice as belonging to the silver-masked Club King from the deadly battle he had witnessed in his third year. Dismask noticed Harry’s recognition and the group’s Occlumency, while remaining unaware of exactly what Harry knew.

  • Allen Dismask introduced himself to Harry and Ron as a fan of their Triwizard Tournament performances.
  • Ron questioned Dismask, while Harry and Qiu reacted with alarm and suspicion.
  • Harry recognized Dismask’s voice as that of the silver-masked Club King who had led the Wizards that killed the Australia Wizards.
  • Harry used Occlumency to regain his composure as Dismask tried to probe his mind with Legilimency.
  • Dismask noticed that Harry, Ron, and Qiu had Occlumency protections, while the girl beside Ron did not.

Ch. 454Why Draw a Line Between Us?

Harry and Ron told Qiu and Lavender what they knew about Sirius and Professor Babbling, prompting the girls to speculate that they had once planned to elope. Harry pointed out that Sirius had stayed in Britain, then recalled that he joined Dumbledore's resistance after graduating.

  • Harry and Ron turned their dates with Qiu and Lavender into a group conversation about Sirius and Professor Babbling.
  • Harry and Ron explained that the professor and Sirius had known each other as students and seemed to have made some kind of agreement.
  • Qiu theorized that the Black family would have opposed Sirius marrying Professor Babbling, so the pair must have planned to elope; Lavender and Ron agreed.
  • Harry objected that Sirius had not left Britain and remembered that Sirius joined Dumbledore's resistance against Voldemort after graduating.

Ch. 455A midnight meeting

Harry met Sirius by fireplace at midnight to ask about Allen Dismask. Sirius revealed Allen’s ties to Harry’s family and his dangerous past, leaving Harry to keep his own knowledge of evil gods secret.

  • Hermione told Harry and Ron that she, Ginny, and others had found no leads on the Triwizard Tournament.
  • Harry waited in the Gryffindor Common Room at midnight, and Sirius appeared in the fireplace.
  • Harry asked Sirius about Allen Dismask, and Sirius asked why Allen had approached him.
  • Harry explained that Allen had sent him a message through Elizabeth Xilieikesi during the Yule Ball.
  • Sirius said Allen was dangerous and described his family’s friendship with the Potters, his teaching at Durmstrang, and the Diessmask family’s mysterious disappearance.
  • Sirius avoided explaining evil gods to Harry and recalled that Harry had continued studying Runes, unlike Lily and Lupin.

Ch. 456A Clue Comes Knocking

Sirius told Harry that Professor Babbling had clashed with Dismask and had learned ways to counter people who pursued deity powers. The next day, Cedric privately approached Harry and Ron, saying he had something serious to discuss about the Triwizard Tournament.

  • Sirius explained that Babbling and Dismask had come into conflict while researching deities, and that Babbling had mastered techniques effective against deity-power seekers.
  • Sirius warned Harry to be careful because Dismask had set his sights on him, and Harry agreed.
  • Harry and Ron attended lessons despite being champions, then encountered Cedric waiting outside a classroom.
  • Cedric led Harry and Ron to a deserted corner and said he wanted to discuss the Triwizard Tournament.
  • Ron asked whether Cedric had wheedled information out of Yi Qianqian.

Ch. 457Hermione's troubles

Harry and Ron copied the unfamiliar writing from the seashell but could not decipher it, and the other schools’ champions and professors were equally stumped. Lei Kaiming thought he had seen similar writing and sent a copy to his family, while Harry and Ron turned to Hermione for help.

  • Harry and Ron copied the writing on the seashell and confirmed that neither they nor the prefect could read it.
  • The Ilvermorny and Nanyang Magic School champions and their professors examined the writing but could not identify it.
  • Professor Hohenheim said he knew many scripts but had never seen anything like the writing.
  • Lei Kaiming thought the writing looked familiar, copied it, and sent it by owl to family members in the United Kingdom.
  • Harry and Ron sought Hermione’s help, but she disappointed them.

Ch. 458Fish script (part one)

Hermione, Harry, and Ron searched the Library for clues about unfamiliar writing, but found nothing before it closed. That night Harry touched another silver star in his mental world, suffered a violent episode, and realized the stars were likely remnants of Neil’s shattered soul that could strengthen him.

  • Hermione searched the Library with Harry and Ron for clues about the writing, but none of them found anything.
  • Harry entered deep meditation and touched a silver star for the third time.
  • Harry was thrown from his mental world and convulsed on his bed, waking his dormmates.
  • Ron and the other boys rushed to Harry, and Ron checked on him as he recovered.
  • Harry concluded that the stars were remnants of Neil’s shattered soul and that absorbing them increased his soul and mental power.
  • Harry reflected that he seemed to keep getting caught up in bizarre trouble.

Ch. 459Merpeople script (part two)

Hermione recognized the Merpeople script on the clue platform beneath the Giant Squid, explaining why she had a faint memory of it from the Second Task. Hagrid identified the writing and described Merpeople languages, while the chapter explained how Harry’s actions had caused the Champions to overlook the platform and why Ron called Merpeople “Fish-Folk.”

  • Hermione remembered seeing the writing on the platform beneath the Giant Squid during the Second Task.
  • The chapter explained that Harry’s repeated actions had driven the Champions and spectators away from paying attention to the underwater scenery, so they missed the platform’s clue.
  • Hagrid explained that different Merpeople groups used different kinds of writing.
  • Hermione reminded Ron that she had previously told him Merpeople had their own civilization, and Ron vaguely remembered.
  • The chapter explained that Ron’s use of “Fish-Folk” reflected his upbringing in an old wizarding family, while “Merpeople” had grown more common among wizards.

Ch. 460The underwater task

Hermione deciphered the Seashell’s Mermish clue, and Harry, Ron, and their fellow Gryffindors discovered that it played a song underwater. The song suggested the third task would involve searching underwater for something taken from them, and Hermione began interpreting its rules.

  • Hermione deciphered the Mermish phrase and opened the Seashell, which released a piercing screech that left the Gryffindors reeling.
  • Dennis Creevey tried Hermione’s pronunciation of the phrase and toppled over when the Seashell screeched again.
  • Harry, Ron, and Hermione put the Seashell in water and heard its screech become a song describing an underwater search with a one-hour time limit.
  • Hermione concluded that the third task would involve going underwater to find something the Fish-Folk had taken and hidden.
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