What Idiot Came Up With This Competition?

It was dusk.

Ron was still in the library, staring at the Golden Egg, completely at a loss.

He felt like he was trapped in a nightmare and could only hope for a miracle.

But he knew even better that even if a miracle occurred and he discovered the secret of the Golden Egg, it would be difficult to find a solution overnight.

How did things get to this point?

"I was so stupid, really. I only knew that becoming Champion would make me the center of attention among all the students; I didn't know that every challenge would be this difficult..."

Ron couldn't help but think about it.

If he had studied the Golden Egg earlier, or paid attention in class—perhaps one of the teachers had mentioned how to crack the Golden Egg.

He's just like a student frantically studying the night before an exam. But he doesn't even know the exam scope, how can he possibly study?

"Maybe I should just confront the referee tomorrow... I can't do it, I can't do it, I can't unlock the Golden Egg, I really can't do it!" Ron thought.

Well, he had no idea where the second competition was held, let alone how to find the referee.

Ron couldn't help but cover his face, groaning in pain, and banging his head against the table.

The students around were all startled.

Everyone thought Ron was practicing some kind of evil magic through self-harm.

Get far away immediately.

As time passed, Madam Pince began to use a feather duster to shoo the students back to the lounge.

Ron went to the bathroom, changed into Harry's Invisibility Cloak, and evaded the search.

He quietly slipped out after Madam Pince had left.

Ron never imagined he'd one day be defecating in the library like this!

And... what about Harry?

He clearly said he would help me, but he's been gone for so long and hasn't come back yet!

Forget about him, I can only rely on myself now.

Using the faint light from the tip of his wand, Ron slipped into the bookshelves and pulled out one book after another—books about dragon eggs.

He pulled out any book that might even mention eggs in the slightest.

He moved all the books to a table, buried himself in reading, and painstakingly searched for information using only the faint light of his wand, occasionally glancing at his watch...

Nine o'clock at night... ten o'clock... the only thing that kept Ron going was telling himself over and over again:

The secret is in the next book... in the next book... the next book...

Ron felt extremely tired.

He yawned and decided to take a short nap on the table. He would only nap for a few minutes before continuing to read.

Just a few minutes later, snoring began, banging against the library window.

Ron had a dream that he won the Triwizard Tournament.

Harry congratulated him, Malfoy knelt on the ground and sang "Conquer," and the girls all looked on with envy, wanting to date him...

Ron woke up groggily, wiped the drool from his mouth, and glanced at his watch... It was only 9:30...

Take another five-minute nap.

Just five minutes.

"Aaaaaah... It's 9:30!!!"

A heart-wrenching wail echoed through the library. The sound was so loud that even the water in the cup rippled slightly.

The screams were mixed with grief and despair, as if what they had missed was not just a game, but their... wedding!

But no one heard Ron's cry from his soul.

Because all the students, along with Madam Pince, were gathered by the Black Lake, waiting for the second competition to begin.

The seats that surrounded the fire dragon field last November are now arranged in tiers on the opposite bank of the lake, completely full, and their reflections are mirrored in the lake below.

The referees sat by the water, next to a table covered with a golden tablecloth.

The Champion stood side by side around the referee's table, like lackeys.

Madame Maxime rested her chin on her hands, gazing blankly at the lake.

After a moment, she suggested softly, "Should we wait a little longer?"

However, she knew it was pointless to ask, because the suggestion wouldn't be adopted.

Sure enough, Karkaroff immediately jumped out and coldly objected:

"I don't think it's necessary! A competition is a competition. Why waste everyone's time for one Champion?!"

"Is it Professor Dumbledore?"

Karkaroff is in a bad mood now; this is intelligence he paid for. He wants fairness!

"What do you think, Barty?" Dumbledore didn't answer, but looked at Crouch.

"No, according to the competition rules, we have to start the match now," Crouch said curtly.

"Being late disqualifies you; no one can violate the rules!"

"Alright," Dumbledore some regret. "Have you found Ludo?"

There were supposed to be five referees, but Ludo isn't here, so there are only four left.

"I've got some leads... I think I'll find him soon." Crouch's eyelids drooped. "Don't worry."

"I hope he's alright," Dumbledore said softly.

"I think... we've already wasted a lot of time."

Karkaroff rudely interrupted Dumbledore's stalling tactics.

"Hey, Ron Weasley hasn't shown up yet!"

The second competition ended with Li's voice, which echoed throughout the arena, carrying the distinctive features of a two-dimensional ape.

"I regret to inform you of the referee's decision."

According to the competition rules, Ron Weasley was disqualified from the Second Task.

A commotion arose from the crowd, with people whispering amongst themselves about why Ron hadn't shown up.

"Perhaps he forgot today is match day..." Li guessed.

"Or perhaps he hasn't discovered the secret of the Golden Egg yet. Of course, maybe he's already slept in it, who knows?"

The students burst into laughter.

"Alright, our Champion are all in position. I'll blow the whistle, Second Task will begin."

They had a full hour to reclaim what had been stolen.

When I learned the competition was being held at Black Lake, I thought it would be a diving competition or a swimsuit show... I'm sure everyone wants to see it...

"Li, get started now!" Professor McGonagall said with a dark expression.

"Okay, I've received death threats. Maybe I should learn from Ron and oversleep... I'll count to three."

One two three!"

A sharp whistle echoed in the cold, still air.

A burst of cheers and applause erupted from the stands.

With a wave of her wand, she cast a Bubble-Head Charm on herself, then jumped into the half-deep water and headed towards the middle of the lake.

Cedric, meanwhile, was using his wand to Human Transfiguration.

He had been practicing for a long time recently, and soon transformed into a monster with the upper body of a fish and the lower body of a human.

Everyone was clapping and cheering for him.

Krum was the same; he wanted to turn himself into a shark.

George then pulled out a strangely shaped alchemical artifact, which looked like a respirator, and hung it on his face.

This is the respirator he conceived and, under William's guidance, was made.

Malfoy then pulled out a large bottle of Polyjuice Potion. It contained octopus tentacles, making the Polyjuice Potion pitch black, like silt from the bottom of a river.

Malfoy forced himself to swallow the Polyjuice Potion, suppressing his nausea.

He trembled all over, slowly twisting and turning into a monster that was half human and half octopus.

Malfoy's head transformed into an octopus face, with tentacles flailing wildly, making it look exceptionally... exciting.

Drinking Polyjuice Potion containing animal hair or body structures will not turn you into an animal, but rather into a half-human, half-animal.

Snape looked at Malfoy with satisfaction.

There was no other way; he couldn't learn the Bubble-Head Charm, so this was the only method he could use.

The other students cast spells on themselves, then jumped into the water and swam towards the center of the lake.

But Hermione was not like that.

Before everyone's eyes, she actually took flight.

"Wow, amazing! Granger is flying in mid-air!" Lee exclaimed.

There is almost no magic in the Wizarding World that allows wizards to fly, at least not like Hermione's flying ability.

In the first competition, Cho and Cedric used flying brooms.

But Hermione seemed to have taken off into the air without any assistance.

No one noticed her black robes. In the Wizarding World, no wizard had ever seen Flying Cloak before.

Hermione fluttered like a butterfly, lightly treading the water, leaping five or six meters in a single bound, soaring high over the shallow waters and flying to the center of the lake.

She finished a bottle of her homemade Gillywater Potion, threw it high into the lake, and then leaped into the water like a fish.

Her posture was incredibly graceful.

It captivated everyone who watched.

Soon, all the students entered the Black Lake, and the lake became completely quiet.

"Anne, what are we watching for the next hour?" Ginny couldn't help but ask from the audience.

"Read... read a book."

Anne was prepared; she waved the notebook in her hand, which contained Hermione's insights on handling magical materials.

Soon, the students all noticed this.

The Champion entered Black Lake, and the spectators couldn't see anything, just sitting in their seats... feeling the cold February wind!

We still need to blow it for another hour!

Who was the idiot who came up with this competition format?!

(Please vote for me with your recommendation tickets and monthly passes, everyone!)