A Professor of Magic at Hogwarts

Chapter 400: Projection Magic

Harry, Ron, and Hermione stayed to watch the entire competition. It was the result of their pleading, as Professor McGonagall had continuously urged them to go to the temporary tent for treatment.

"I'm fine, Professor McGonagall," Harry said. He took a vial of fresh white balm from Hermione and applied it to his wound. The bleeding stopped quickly.

Professor McGonagall pursed her lips and stared at him for a moment. Taking advantage of the moment, Harry quickly lowered his head to cast a Healing Charm on himself—a spell he had learned, one of the spells suggested by Professor Snape for the upcoming school year. He felt a tingling sensation around his wound and instinctively reached to touch it. Professor McGonagall's stern gaze was upon him once again, and he had to retract his hand, while Ron chuckled beside him.

"Alright, now that you've watched the match, you... Harry, you need to go to Madam Pomfrey for an examination," Professor McGonagall said, glancing at Ron and Hermione. Apart from being covered in dirt and looking a bit disheveled, they didn't seem to have any injuries.

After assuring Professor McGonagall multiple times, she finally left. Harry then noticed that his wound had tightened.

"I've never found a spell this useful before," Harry said in amazement.

"Oh, this spell only works for minor injuries. If you intend to become a Healer in the future, you'll realize how much more there is to learn," Hermione said as she put the vial of balm back into her pocket.

"Who would want to become a Healer?" Ron muttered, noticing that both Harry and Hermione were looking at him. "I mean, you'd have to deal with all sorts of weird cases every day... I should've told you, Bill had a pen pal from Brazil when he was at school. Because the pen pal couldn't afford to travel, he sent Bill a cursed hat... Long story short, his ears got all twisted up, worse than a house-elf's, and Mum had to take him to the hospital... I was only five or six at the time, but that memory of St. Mungo's stuck with me."

He scrunched up his face, displaying a disgusted expression.

"A wizard with an extra arm on his chest, a witch who thinks she's a kangaroo and can only hop—really strange stuff. And kangaroos don't even exist in Britain! I also remember a poor bloke who got his chest punctured by some creature. The wound kept bleeding, and the smell during his treatment was unbearable..."

Harry and Hermione listened with some discomfort.

When the match was over, Professor McGonagall's stern gaze immediately turned towards them. Before they could react, she seemed to have Apparated by using the Phantom Step, suddenly appearing next to them. They promptly followed her to the temporary tent.

"Potter," Harry turned around as he heard Professor McGonagall say to them, "and Weasley, Granger... You did splendidly!" She pursed her lips and added with an unexpectedly gentle voice, "Go to the tent, Madam Pomfrey is waiting for you. Maybe you can make it back before the judges start giving scores."

As they passed by the stands, the crowd enthusiastically shouted their names. From the platform above, a massive arm extended down—it was Hagrid. Excitedly, he exclaimed, "You did it! Brilliant, facing those Hungarian Horntails!"

Harry, Ron, and Hermione's faces lit up with smiles. They took turns shaking Hagrid's hand, and Ron floated lightly on his feet, saying, "Well... it wasn't as tough as it seemed..."

At the entrance of the temporary wooden gate, Sirius Black came bounding over, hugging them tightly.

"You lot are the best I've seen!"

...

Meanwhile, on the elevated judging platform, intense discussions were underway. The seven judges were exchanging thoughts about the performances of the six teams.

"Did the Swedish Short-Snout seem a bit weak?" Karkaroff questioned.

"It's not that—" Bagman countered, "Did you see it? Its flames melted the specially made chains of the enclosure. It's one of the strongest dragons in terms of firepower... Felix, as the safety officer, you had the best view from up high. What do you say?"

He looked at Felix. While Felix didn't have the authority to give scores, he was brought over nominally to "provide insights not visible to others."

"Actually, except for the Hungarian Horntail, the other five dragons are fairly similar," Felix scratched his chin and said, "If I had to compare, the Swedish Short-Snout is relatively strong. At least its flames burn extremely hot... What I saw was that each member of every team performed remarkably well in completing their tasks."

"Victor Krum's weather charms agitated the dragon, causing it to become irritable and irrational. It chose to disperse the rain clouds instead of attacking the champions first. That showed its intentions clearly... Roger Davies' timing was quite clever. His Disillusionment Charm wasn't extraordinary, and he remained inactive in the initial phase to avoid detection. But his role within the team was critical—"

Felix smiled and continued, "He played the role of a savior and a signal for the final assault."

"If the dragon went berserk and attacked Cedric, Davies would've had to intervene decisively. And the actual events were commendable. He cast the Blackthorn Bramble as the dragon just took off from the ground... a splendid growth spell... As for Collins Flitwick, her actions might have been few, but you can all see the patience, courage, and trust in her teammates that she exhibited throughout the match. She squatted beneath the Swedish Short-Snout for at least two minutes. There were some minor mishaps, but she managed to escape."

The judges present all had sharp eyes; Felix was merely stating facts.

They quickly finished their discussions and prepared to give scores. Suddenly, Felix spoke up, "The Triwizard Tournament aims to select the finest young wizards from different schools, allowing them to compete and train together. We hope to see them demonstrate the courage admired by wizards in challenging tasks. I suggest, esteemed judges, that while giving scores, you provide brief feedback as well. It will help the champions understand their strengths and weaknesses."

The judges exchanged glances.

"Wouldn't that take up too much time?" Bagman spoke with some confusion, "We haven't planned for this... but then again, it might work..."

"As the headmaster, I do wish to see the champions make progress throughout this year," Dumbledore said with a twinkling smile.

Fawcett hesitated, looking at the other judges. "What do you all think?"

"It's a good idea," Madam Maxime said. She didn't see any issue with it and actually welcomed the suggestion.

"I agree with the proposal. Students from Durmstrang should know their weaknesses, and the same mistakes shouldn't be repeated," the headmistress of Durmstrang, the thin witch, said. She was seated cross-legged on a flying carpet, looking like she had come straight out of a comic book.

In reality, the British Ministry of Magic had already banned the import and sale of flying carpets. However, she was using one herself, and being a foreigner, Fawcett decided to overlook it.

"Your words are wise, Madam Nagi," Felix gave a slight bow.

The judges gradually agreed. They returned to their seats on the judging platform, ready to give scores. Felix left the high platform and smiled at Karkaroff—though he didn't seem particularly pleased.

"Ahem! Quiet, please—" Bagman spoke loudly, and the crowd in the stands gradually hushed. "Next is the scoring phase. To ensure that the champions remember more than just a number, each judge will provide some constructive feedback alongside their scores."

"However, allow me to review the entire match briefly. Many might not have had the chance to witness the entire event due to the sheer excitement of the scenes—they were too overwhelming for the eyes... I will describe it in the order of retrieving the dragon eggs."

"The first team to mention is the Hogwarts champions: Cedric Diggory, Roger Davies, and Collins. They managed to retrieve the dragon egg in the shortest amount of time, defeating the dragon, and emerged without significant injuries.

"The second team that retrieved a dragon egg was from Beauxbatons. Miss Nona Leberth used an impressive transformation spell to carry the egg outside. However, their strategy was somewhat aggressive, leading to one of their members getting trapped by the dragon. An intervention from the safety officer became necessary, which could be a deduction. Despite this, they put on an excellent performance as well.

"The third team to retrieve an egg also hailed from Hogwarts. The youngest among them, only fourth-years, their performance was outstanding. They were one of the two teams to obtain the egg and safely escape from the dragon.

"The fourth team to retrieve an egg came from Durmstrang. Although they only managed to salvage some fragments,

"The fifth team to retrieve an egg was from Beauxbatons. Miss Delacour displayed remarkable courage. At the critical moment, she handed the egg to her teammate, sacrificing herself to secure their escape. However, she encountered trouble, requiring the intervention of the safety officer."

The last team was from Illvermorny. Although they didn't retrieve a dragon egg, it was due to a strategic issue. Their combined magic was still highly impressive..."

Bagman briefly introduced the performances of the six teams, allowing the audience to relive the moments in their minds. Discussions buzzed through the crowd. At this point, the champions began returning one by one. After a short wait, Bagman called out loudly, "Now, judges, please give your scores for the first team!"

Harry squinted at the judging platform. The first judge, Madam Maxime, raised her wand, and a long ribbon-like thing twisted out from the tip, forming the number "10."

Madam Maxime commented, "The Hogwarts team displayed the qualities that a champion must possess—courage, wisdom, loyalty, trust. In just this task, their performance was impeccable. I give them a full ten points."

Her fair judgment earned her a warm round of applause.

"Maybe they'll get a perfect score," Ron clapped his hands and said. The sixth judge also awarded them ten points. "Hopefully, we won't be too far behind. Our performance wasn't bad either, right?"

Harry nodded vigorously while keeping an eye on the last judge, Igor Karkaroff. Karkaroff raised his wand, the silver ribbon twisting into the shape of the number "7."

The crowd was left dumbfounded, unable to believe their eyes. They were prepared to witness the first perfect score, but now it was shattered—all due to that glaring seven.

"Karkaroff..." on the high platform, Bagman hesitated while looking at him.

Karkaroff, in his typical oily voice, said, "You all saw courage, but I saw recklessness. They had no need to stun the dragon; it posed a potential danger..."

Before he could finish his words, a commotion erupted from the crowd. "Nonsense!" came a loud voice, and it was Seamus Finnigan. Karkaroff's icy gaze shifted towards Seamus, but Seamus met his gaze with courage, shouting, "Everyone understands what happened. That was the best choice at the time!"

Echoes of agreement followed his statement.

"I stand by my opinion," Karkaroff said.

"Very well," Bagman hummed, "each judge has the authority to score independently... By these calculations, the Hogwarts team's total score is 67 points, currently in the lead. It's unlikely that the later teams can catch up, but one never knows... Let's continue."

...

In the end, Harry's team received 61 points, securing them the second place. Ludovic Bagman praised the youngest champions and generously awarded them full points. The Vagadorian team earned 53 points, placing third; Durmstrang received 50 points, coming fourth; Beauxbatons gained 48 points, landing in fifth; and Illvermorny got 23 points.

The rankings of Durmstrang and Beauxbatons stirred some controversy. Nobody expected that, amidst the judges awarding six and seven points, Karkaroff would audaciously give ten points, causing an uproar.

Though Bagman had given Harry's team ten points, it was within the context of mostly nines. It might have seemed abrupt, but it wasn't a big issue, implying Bagman's strong bias towards the young and controversial champions. Karkaroff's action, however, was a blatant attempt at cheating.

After the scoring, the champions and judges reconvened inside the temporary tent, awaiting information about the second task. As Felix prepared to leave, Bagman enthusiastically stopped him. "Don't rush, Felix. There are a couple of matters I'd like to discuss with you."

Footsteps continued to pass by outside, the sound of discussions constantly in the air. Harry sat idly, gazing into space. Escaping from beneath the dragon's paw had left him feeling rather lethargic now.

"...That biased old fool! He gave his own school's champion a ten, a perfect ten! Shouldn't there be compensation for the shattered dragon egg?"

"If I were him, I'd be too ashamed to show my face!"

He heard intense conversations outside. He perked up and blinked his eyes twice, recognizing the voices of his two roommates, Seamus Finnigan and Dean Thomas. He wasn't sure if they were intentionally standing up for him, but Karkaroff had only given their group a score of six.

Inside the tent, Karkaroff's face was turning purple, yet he endured the myriad of curious glances directed his way without saying a word.

Felix cleared his throat. "Although it's normal for the headmaster to favor his own champions, this level of 'favoritism' is quite unusual... Maybe the scoring rules should be made more transparent."

"We'll definitely consider that seriously," Bagman quickly concurred.

After a little over ten minutes, the footsteps outside became sparse. Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic, stood up. He patted his belly and polished the gemstone ring on his chubby finger until it gleamed. He warmly said, "Congratulations, champions. I'm pleased to announce that you've successfully passed the first task. I've noticed that some teams didn't perform as well, but there are still opportunities ahead... Now, let me introduce the second task. Originally, Mr. Battie was supposed to present this, but he's taken a leave. I suppose he's exhausted from two back-to-back major tasks. I had to cancel my meeting with the Austrian Minister of Magic as a result..."

No one was interested in his monotonous work log, but he continued for a good ten minutes, from the odd catchphrase of the Austrian Minister to the extraordinary potion master's cauldron-teapot. He seemed to want to inject some humor into his speech, but he struggled to do so.

"Kinsleigh!" he called out.

A tall, dark-skinned man entered the tent, holding two golden eggs in his hands, one in each.

"The second task will take place on the morning of February 24th next year. Until then, you may all take a well-deserved break." Fudge said, "The golden eggs in your hands are the clues for the second task. Do you see the openings? They can be opened, and you'll need to decipher the messages left inside. Honestly, I'm not sure if I'll be able to attend the second task; perhaps Mr. Battie will have recovered by then. However, I might drop by for a little excitement. Being with the world's most outstanding wizards makes me feel young again..."

He waved his hand, and Kinsleigh directed the two golden eggs towards the champions from Durmstrang and Illvermorny.

As Krums and Belles took the golden eggs, their expressions carried a hint of shame. Among the six teams, only they hadn't protected their dragon egg.

"Ludo, the rest is up to you," Fudge said to Bagman. He nodded at the crowd and then nodded towards Felix. "Apologies, I must leave now. The Ministry has a lot of matters to attend to."

After everyone else had left, Ludovic Bagman finally had time to have a private conversation with Felix. He pulled up a chair, sitting beside Felix's single-seater couch.

"I've got two matters to discuss with you," he said eagerly. "The first involves one of your unique spells. I'd like to inquire about its effects, as it might be useful in the second task... The second matter pertains to your 'Future World' company."

Felix blinked, looking at him with inquisitive eyes. "Have you talked to Lemus about it? He's in charge of the company now."

"I have," Bagman's expression was somewhat regretful. "But he says he can't make decisions on his own. I had no choice but to come to you..."

"Are you suggesting that I donate money?"

"Oh, no, not at all. I've heard that Lemus is working on developing projection technology. You know, he's attempting to mimic television functionality, creating something similar. I've heard concepts involving signal towers and extensions, drawing from the reference of magical radios. Progress isn't slow, but I haven't had the chance to ask about the specifics."

"Don't rush to reject it," Bagman said as he noticed Felix deep in thought. "It would make for a fantastic advertisement. Also, the Ministry has promised to provide a rental fee—though, of course, outright purchase is out of the question. My control over the budget is limited."

"If it's a regular business transaction, I can't imagine why Lemus would refuse," Felix said slowly.

"Cough, well, he thinks I'm too chatty and would divulge research progress..." Bagman turned his head away, his expression awkward.

"Alright, I'll ask him for you."

"And the first matter...?" Bagman explained it in detail.

After a moment's contemplation—

"I believe this kind of competition would be much more interesting," Felix said, his arms crossed, his eyes gleaming.

Finished translating, enhancing, and preserving the authenticity of the Harry Potter universe! If you have any more text to translate or any questions about the magical world of Harry Potter, feel free to ask!

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