A Professor of Magic at Hogwarts

Chapter 485: The Maze Castle (3) - The Trophy Within Reach

"Is the next part a free-for-all?"

"Only three people made it up. Nona got the trophy, I—I stopped her, then Viktor came up, and finally, Cedric. We used the sixth-level maze as our battleground for the final duel."

"I understand."

Silence enveloped them. "Professor—will you really be okay? I saw it with my own eyes—"

"Ah, sorry to worry you. The new abilities I've gained recently, I haven't told anyone about them."

"But—side effects from the potions—?"

"Not a big issue, just a bit of weakness for a while, but," Felix hesitated, "I might be asked for a chat."

"A chat?"

"It means cooperating with an investigation. My suspicion's too high, whether it's the theft of the time-turner or what's going to happen tonight... Fudge finally got a chance."

"But that's not your fault at all!"

"Don't worry too much, Miss Granger. I've made some preparations in advance. If things progress as normal, Fudge will have to stay in that position for a while longer. Tonight is a test for both him and me; if he chooses wrong, he'll be ousted."

"Oh—alright. What can I do then?"

"Work on improving your skills quickly. Even though Voldemort is destined to fail, there'll certainly be a lengthy war because of the Horcruxes. You know, in troubled times, strength matters the most. And also, help me with a small favor."

"What is it?" the voice from the hat was eager.

"I've stashed some contraband in a ring. To avoid the Ministry's confiscation, I need you to keep it safe for me."

"No problem, Professor, I'll make sure to hide it well."

"The contents aren't overly important, just a bit sensitive... I've deliberately left some magical documents; you can take a look. Just in case..."

"In case of what?" The hat moved uneasily.

Felix fell briefly silent before smiling, "Of course, in case of danger during my absence."

Just then, Felix lifted his head. "Someone's coming." He stood, pointed his wand at himself, and his body blurred, becoming transparent, melding into the surroundings. He silently moved to the corner.

A sleek figure dashed in, incredibly fast. In the well-lit seventh-level maze, Nona Leberth spotted the glittering trophy at a glance. She transformed into a cheetah, agilely turned, grasped the handle of the trophy with her mouth, and dashed out like a gust of wind.

The sixth-level maze no longer had the twelve-foot-tall hedges almost reaching the ceiling, now replaced by clumps of waist-high shrubbery trimmed into elongated shapes.

Harry eyed a stone statue, having spent a while on the sixth level. Except for encountering a group of disguised big-brained creatures and rabbit-sized cloak squirrels, they hadn't faced much danger.

It was their first real encounter with these big-brained creatures. Initially, they thought these "round stones" were part of the maze until the trio's inevitably lowered spirits triggered Harry's mental closure, making him realize the issue.

Harry cast the Cutting Charm; his wand emitted a golden stream, shaping into a longsword. He used the flat of the blade on those stones; they immediately bounced up, their shiny gray heads bouncing around, and when they moved, their hairy bodies became quite conspicuous.

Ron also shook off his despondency, kicking the last lagging stone creature. These one-foot-tall beings had poor balance; a nudge made their huge brains tilt forward. After trying a few times, the stone creatures simply curled up and rolled away like stones.

"Weird creatures, hard to believe Scamander's kettle noises scared them off." Ron remarked.

Later, they encountered cloak squirrels standing on statues, a rabbit-sized magical creature resembling a squirrel. Initially, this critter's appearance clashed with Hagrid's taste: its rabbit-like furry head and long ears were red, while its soft "collar" gleamed in a dazzling gold, appearing both adorable and friendly.

The first time Harry saw it, he almost fell for its cute looks. The consecutive challenges kept him in a tense state; cautiously approaching, these cute creatures immediately turned, displaying their extended tails—a cloak of numerous spikes, emitting a threatening sound.

"Don't provoke them; getting stuck with these things is a nightmare. Compared to them, goblins and kneazles are friendly," Ron said disgustedly.

"Do you know about them?" Harry asked.

"Fred and George caught one," Ron wore a pained expression, "they wanted to extract the spikes from it, those you see... Though not poisonous, once affected, it can make you wish you'd passed out."

He shook his head, firmly pulling Harry away. Harry didn't inquire further; he guessed it'd lead to a dismal tale.

At that moment, Hermione recalled their details.

"Cloak squirrels, renowned for their cute appearance and dangerous tails. They have two ways of attacking: one is when strangers approach, they whip their tails abruptly. Many first-timers, out of curiosity, lean closer, with obvious consequences... Their spikes enhance pain and can make one utterly miserable. The second attack method involves wrapping their bodies with their tails, becoming a ball of thorns that shoots like a missile—these creatures possess astonishing bouncing abilities."

Harry shivered slightly, unable to resist looking back at the cloak squirrel, which had already withdrawn its tail, two small hands clasped in front, ears flicking cutely.

"These little guys hold grudges and are a bit neurotic. Once provoked, they'll chase and attack until the spikes on their tails fall off before they flee. But don't worry, those spikes will grow back in a while..."

"Thank you, Hermione, for reminding me of that." Ron said gloomily.

"Oh, um, we better avoid them," Hermione fidgeted, looking around, "speaking of which, the sixth-level maze seems like a blend of a chessboard and a garden, filled with bushes and statues. It's much brighter..."

"It is peculiar, why replace hedges with low shrubs?" Ron was equally curious.

"This is a natural battleground," Harry suddenly spoke.

Ron and Hermione turned frightened faces. "The light provides visibility, stones can serve as barriers, the shrubbery creates maneuvering spaces... Yes, that's what I believe." Harry said, his eyes suddenly brightening, darting off in a direction.

"What's happening?"

"I saw Nona Leberth!"

Ron and Hermione chased after him swiftly. They witnessed a figure swiftly jumping among the shrubbery. Agitated cloak squirrels curled up, attempting to attack Nona, but she had already left.

One dizzy cloak squirrel charged towards Harry. "Stun!" Harry's spell hit the squirrel, and it fell from the air, bouncing twice on the ground.

They ran several steps, and ahead, it opened up. It was a circular plaza, steps at the center connecting to the upper level—the seventh level where the trophy was stored.

"She's emerged!" Ron yelled.

A cheetah agilely leaped from the steps. Harry, Ron, and Hermione raised their wands simultaneously.

The cheetah glanced at them, then turned and fled in the opposite direction. Just then

, she tripped and tumbled despite the urgency, and Harry found the action somewhat comical.

"Is she out of energy?" Harry guessed as he immediately ran after her.

The next moment, he knew the answer. A colossal voice reverberated through the entire maze castle. All the champions instinctively looked up, listening to the deafening sound, "Fearless warriors, forge ahead! No matter how many difficulties arise, they can't knock you down... To win courage and honor, I'll await you at the finish line, brewing up a pot full of love potion..."

"Oh my goodness!" Hermione covered her head.

Harry cast a muffling charm for himself; the thunderous noise diminished. He pushed through the discomfort and approached the trophy. But Nona was in trouble; her teammates obviously hadn't blocked her hearing. She looked dazed, constantly shaking her head.

Finally, the song stopped.

The magical creatures, cloak squirrels, and bouncing grass depicted in this chapter were submitted by readers from the "Mothman" community and brought fascinating elements to the story.

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