Chapter 618: Morgan the Prodigal and the Beginning of the Third Task

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Just thinking about Morgan’s demands gave Grindelwald a headache.

The Witch Queen still couldn’t leave the study space and return to life right now, but that hadn’t stopped her from planning ahead. She’d already tasked Grindelwald with gathering materials and building her a manor.

And not just any manor. The scale she had in mind rivaled Hogwarts and Durmstrang.

The list of magical materials she wanted was even more outrageous. The quantities looked so absurd that Grindelwald suspected she’d made a mistake with the units, and he’d gone out of his way to confirm it.

"Kid, do you really think I, Morgan le Fay, would make that kind of rookie mistake?"

She hadn’t even bothered to look at the paper before flicking it back to him with magic. "That’s only part of it. Start by collecting those, and we’ll talk later. I’m not going to waste any of it. If you run short on money, go ask Tom. As payment, I can give you a few more lessons."

They were colleagues, technically. Morgan had every reason to pass on what she knew to Tom, but she wasn’t obligated to teach the others for free. Trading labor for knowledge suited everyone just fine.

To be fair, exchanging a pile of resources for Morgan’s guidance was a bargain most people would kill for.

The problem was the scale. Gathering everything on that list would drain manpower and resources on a massive level.

And he couldn’t just send people all over the world to collect things however he liked. That would draw Dumbledore’s attention, not to mention the International Confederation of Wizards and the various Ministries. None of them would sit quietly and let him do as he pleased.

So now Grindelwald was stuck. He couldn’t afford to offend Morgan, but he also didn’t want to stir up global trouble. And if things escalated, Astra Abyssum would be dragged in, and petty Tom would definitely come knocking.

It felt like being squeezed from both sides.

Andros’s jab really hit right where it hurt.

With that frustration weighing on him, Grindelwald left Berlin for Hogwarts.

Partly because the third task of the tournament was about to begin.

And more importantly, because Tom had asked him to.

He was there to keep Dumbledore in check, to make sure he didn’t run off to Sudan and interfere.

News of the ruins was spreading fast. From the British Isles to Africa wasn’t far—just a few hours by plane. Plenty of fringe wizards from across Europe had already gone to try their luck, hoping to pick up scraps.

That was fine. But Dumbledore couldn’t go. He’d scare Voldemort off.

The same went for Tom and Grindelwald. The three of them needed to show up at Hogwarts regularly, even make appearances in the papers, to convince Voldemort it was safe enough to investigate the ruins himself.

...

..

"Mr. Jauncey? How are you doing?"

On the 23rd, the day before the match, Rita Skeeter showed up again to interview the champions.

"How about you go keep your sister company this time? Don’t worry, I won’t let my Quick-Quotes Quill ruin our relationship again."

Jauncey didn’t say a word. The moment he saw her, his face went pale, and he quickly found an excuse to take the day off, disappearing without a trace.

To him, this woman was a demon in human skin. Like how she had asked him about Dumbledore, and he’d carefully replied, "Dumbledore? Well... he’s a great wizard. Very approachable, always smiling."

And what had she written?

"Dumbledore? He’s senile and grins foolishly at everyone. I’m not even sure he can still tell the difference between his own students and those from other schools."

So yeah. The wizarding world had gained another man who feared the press—and was thoroughly terrified of Rita Skeeter.

...

..

Meanwhile, the little fox, Kamio, finished her interview and was promptly carried off by Tom.

Back in her fox form, she enjoyed a very thorough "massage."

He said casually, "Once tomorrow’s match is over, we can begin what we agreed on."

His hand paused for just a second as he stroked the fox’s fur. She lay there with her eyes closed, blissfully unaware of the strange look in his eyes.

A divine creature... he had actually found one.

The little fox in his arms was proof. Her lineage was no joke. Somewhere in her ancestry, there had clearly been a being on the level of Tamamo-no-Mae.

But her divinity was far too faint right now. Maybe when she grew to five tails... or maybe seven... she would meet the requirements of the trial.

He wasn’t about to walk some twisted path where you sacrifice someone you love just to gain power. That kind of thing was beyond cruel. Not his style.

Still, every time he sensed that faint trace of divinity in her, his mood turned a little complicated.

"When you sleep," he said, "do you sleep in human form or fox form?"

The little fox pulled a very human expression, even giving him a flirtatious glance. "And what does that have to do with you?"

"If you’re in fox form, then I’ll sleep with you. Holding you is pretty comfortable."

"Hmph!"

"Don’t ’hmph’ me. Are you coming or not?"

"Coming where?" She wriggled deeper into his arms. "I’m not leaving at all. I like being a fox."

...

..

February 24th—

Tom finished breakfast and headed straight to the Quidditch pitch and surrounding areas to set up the broadcast equipment.

When the students found out that today’s match would be held in the school, a lot of them were disappointed. They’d been hoping for another trip to the Dream Arena. And if they could see that magic city called Dalaran with their own eyes, even better.

The champions, meanwhile, were called into a room next to the Great Hall. They’d been here once before, months ago, when they were first selected.

Ludo Bagman paced the room, nodding at each champion as they entered without saying much. Only when everyone had arrived did he clap his hands to get their attention and begin explaining the rules.

"Today’s competition will take place in the Black Lake."

No one looked surprised. They’d already cracked the clue hidden in the golden egg. Even if they didn’t know the exact details, they’d all guessed this round would involve water.

"...Looks like everyone’s well prepared." Bagman grinned, clearly not surprised.

After two or three months, if they still hadn’t solved something that simple, they wouldn’t deserve to be champions.

"This round is called the Underwater Treasure Hunt."

Treasure?

Daphne’s eyes lit up. She loved treasures.

Bagman went on enthusiastically, "You’ll have two hours. That means you’ll need to stay active underwater for the full duration. Of course, you can give up at any time, but you’ll receive zero points for this round."

"If you last the full two hours, you’re guaranteed fifty points. Any additional points... depend on the treasures you collect."

That rule immediately improved the champions’ moods. Some of them even glanced sideways at the judges.

After all, the scoring so far had been... questionable. Certain people had been far too generous when it came to their own students.

Fontaine’s face darkened.

What are you all looking at me for? If there were a shamelessness ranking, I’d be at the very bottom that day. Did no one see Dumbledore and Grindelwald? And that damn Bagman and Crouch? I’d say I was the most fair-minded person there... hmph~

Bagman, oblivious to the silent exchange, continued, "There are thirty treasures hidden underwater. Once you get close enough, the magical seals on them will glow and guide you to their exact location."

"Each treasure is worth ten points. If you’re strong enough—and lucky enough—you could earn up to three hundred and thirty points in this round."

Strong enough?

Jauncey, Quinta, and the others felt their eyelids twitch. A bad feeling crept in.

Bagman’s grin widened. "Champions are allowed to attack each other underwater and steal treasures. However, you can only take one treasure from the same person at a time. After that, you’ll need to wait ten minutes before targeting them again."

The atmosphere in the room instantly grew tense, thick with the promise of conflict.

.

.

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