A Professor of Magic at Hogwarts

"Oh, look, the two ladies were the first to find the wand, which might be related to the uniqueness of their wands. I see the patterns. Yes, indeed. Let's hope they notice the watches on their wrists soon."

The audience murmured in astonishment. When Collins woke up, undisturbed by the Grindylows or a crab searching for food, she immediately locked onto the Cedarwood wand in front of her—her hand brushed over its surface, and sparks shot from its tip, making Collins gasp.

"Harry's progress is slower. He hasn't found the wand yet," Simon said anxiously.

"Anyone waking up to a creature that can eat them would be startled," Dean said, suddenly laughing. "Look at his face! He's found it!"

...

Harry raised his arm, staring at the watch on his wrist. He assumed the professors put it on him while he was asleep. Instead of showing the time, the dial was a dull, lifeless shade of gold.

Despite the seriousness of the situation, an unrealistic scenario flickered in his mind: Professor Snape strolling in the Black Lake, carrying a basket, casually observing. Then, he reached a clearing, picked up Harry (unconscious, head tilted), and planted him along with his wand into the soil. With a wave of the professor's hand, a protective shield appeared...

Harry shook his head, dispelling the unrealistic fantasy. Suddenly, a voice in his mind spoke, revealing various "challenges" scattered across the lake: purple stages required battle, promising survival items, while blue stages demanded thought, offering useful information.

As for the golden stage, it signified a gemstone that could break the "curse" on him, altering his current stature (Harry wondered what would happen if he collected more). Yet, only upon full restoration could he activate the watch and see his two companions.

Combining the clues from the golden egg, realization dawned on Harry. "Time is of the essence; choices are inevitable," he softly echoed. These two lines didn't pinpoint specific details but rather served as general advice, something Hermione had pondered repeatedly.

She believed they must unravel a puzzle or make choices suited to themselves. "Perhaps everyone faces different challenges," she worried. Ron speculated it might resemble the massive wizard's chess they tackled in their first year. "Maybe sacrificing a person or two will be needed..." he cryptically mentioned.

Now, Hermione's guess seemed closer to the truth, Harry thought.

With time limited, finding the golden gem seemed most valuable, determining whether he'd eventually succeed. The other two ensured survival in the dangerous lake, especially when they were vulnerable at the start.

Knowing the shield would only last an hour, Harry had to act swiftly.

He wracked his brain: wand, wand... How could he maneuver with this thing towering above him?

Approaching it, grateful he hadn't woken up in the icy water, Harry placed his palm on the wand. A sense of connection surged, "Glad you still recognize me," he thought excitedly, "Hope things go smoothly from here."

Taking a deep breath, he ignored the dwindling attacks from the Grindylows outside the shield. Despite their reduced frequency, Harry strained to summon his magic.

His powers felt sluggish, a force continually affecting him—the mentioned "curse." "What curse... probably the influence of professor magic," Harry muttered. Adjusting, learning Occlumency seemed to make maintaining calmness effortless.

"Armor Protection," he whispered, and his wand, made of holly, faintly shimmered, then vanished with two flickers.

Unaffected by the initial failure, he attempted again. "Armor Protection—no, wait—Armor Protection—Armor Protection—Armor Protection—" After several tries, a transparent magical barrier appeared before him.

"Now, I need to shape it," Harry told himself. The Ironclad Curse adhered to his body. It felt like hitting an invisible wall head-on, squishing his nose and eyes against it.

The projections on the shore faithfully recorded this—Ludo Bagman's voice sounded somewhat awkward, "Our youngest champion has successfully used the Ironclad Curse, quite an achievement—though I'm not quite sure of his intention in squashing his face against it... Nevertheless, he's the third to communicate with his wand successfully. According to our security, in this state, they can barely manage their most proficient spells."

"Look! The Uagadou champions are taking the lead in this contest. Their wand gestures are quite magnificent! Some sort of animal transformation? I'm not certain—they don't seem significantly changed, except for two gills on their cheeks... Oh my, what did I just see? Two Uagadou champions have directly abandoned their wands, is that against the rules? Let the other judges discuss—another Uagadou champion is carrying his wand, the weight seems negligible for him. They've begun searching the Black Lake, the fastest progress, while Potter is still fiddling with his transformed Ironclad Curse. Is he planning to suffocate himself?"

Laughter echoed from the audience, finding Harry's performance more entertaining or visually appealing. After watching for a while, they understood his intent. "Seems like he wants to wrap himself up with the Ironclad Curse," Bagman commented belatedly.

"That's the Humanoid Ironclad Curse, an advanced variation of the Ironclad Curse. But it seems Potter isn't as proficient with this magic as Gryffindor," a member of the Magical Scripts Club remarked insightfully, "She's stepped out of the shield."

In the Black Lake, Hermione panted. She dared not stray too far from her wand, the shield acting as her beacon and refuge. Struggling to maintain the Humanoid Ironclad Curse, she cautiously explored the surroundings. Finally, under a bunch of black algae, she spotted a blue light—nestled amidst a group of shells.

A surge of joy flooded her as she swam rapidly, shivering from the cold—casting spells was now challenging due to the "curse" afflicting her. Spells she thought she had mastered, like the Warming and Waterproofing Charms, were suddenly unavailable. She estimated she needed at least one or two golden gemstones to improve her situation.

Navigating through the deep waters, her bushy hair trailing behind, she occasionally glanced back at the distant hazy light—the location of her wand. If she lost sight of it, she'd be helpless. She didn't want to become a hostage, waiting to be rescued.

Drawing nearer, the algae resembled black ribbons, swaying freely under the water's currents. Each strand was three to four feet long, akin to a massive underwater forest. Hiding behind a pebble, Hermione peered and then brightened. Apart from spotting a blue-shell-like house, a quiet, golden gemstone lay nearby.

"Lucky!" Hermione thought gleefully. Suddenly, a dark shadow silently approached. Hermione was knocked away, landing on the sand. Fortunately, the Humanoid Ironclad Curse absorbed most of the impact, but...

Blinking, Hermione watched a black salmon swim away, seemingly intrigued by the blue-shell-like house, attempting to approach but failing.

Quickly deciding, Hermione progressed along the shadow of the lake's rocks. En route, she found a broken strand of algae for cover. She closed in on her target and then

saw a black salmon charging toward her.

Barely dodging, Hermione rolled in the water. The Humanoid Ironclad Curse did its job well, but she wasn't sure if it would endure a few more hits.

With a flick of its tail, the black salmon charged again. At that moment, a faint white glow emanated from Hermione's hand, revealing cryptic runic symbols.

Wide-eyed, she watched the fish's movements, the glow on her hand intensifying. Nervously muttering, "I have an advantage over others, even if I can't use ancient magic. I still know many individual runes. It's like a series of simple spells..."

"Boom!"

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The glowing fist struck the salmon's head, causing its belly to turn white. Drifting along with the lake's current—knocked out by Hermione's Bull Strength Rune.

"Brilliant," Hermione exclaimed joyfully. She thought it would take several tries to succeed.

Ignoring the flopping salmon in the water, she swiftly swam behind the blue-shell-like house, eyeing the golden gemstone. As big as her head, she gently tapped it with her hand bearing the watch. The dim golden dial lit up, and the gem on the ground melted into the watch, slightly illuminating the dim golden dial.

"Huh? Progress reminder? It's somewhat like the coin Harry used while practicing the Patronus Charm. Oh, it belongs to Valen now," Hermione thought cheerfully, turning to face the challenge within the blue house.

>

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