Once Dumbledore announced the start of the game, three small balls floated in front of the three champions.
These were three Portkeys that would randomly transport the champions to different locations in the Forbidden Forest.
The champions had to collect the fragments with only a wand at the start and rely on what they could find. Each of their moves would be transmitted on the three screens on the field. The guarantee promised by the Ministry of Magic was the special Portkeys in front of them, which would allow them to return to the Quidditch field by touching the Portkeys. Although theoretically returning wouldn't deduct points, it would significantly interfere with the progress of collecting.
Under the expectant gazes of everyone, the three champions grabbed the Portkeys in front of them and disappeared instantly. The giant screens began to broadcast in sync. Lee Jordan, a Gryffindor student, was chosen to be the commentator for the Triwizard Tournament. Meanwhile, Durmstrang and Beauxbatons also found a student each and stood together on the commentator's podium, each with an amplification spell in front of them.
Cedric stood firm. Moments ago, he was in the center of the field, but now he found himself in a dense forest.
"Where am I...?" Cedric felt a bit confused. He knew he had to head for the Whomping Willow, but the first step to going somewhere is knowing how to get there.
Unfortunately, Cedric didn't know how to get to the Whomping Willow. But fortunately, there was a spell that could help him.
"Point Me!" Cedric drew his wand and cast a spell. His wand spun and pointed to the southeast.
It was pointing in the direction of the Whomping Willow.
Just as Cedric was about to set off, he wrinkled his nose. Why was there an unpleasant smell?
Wait, this smell... Cedric had a sudden reaction and began to understand something.
At that moment, the trees behind him rustled, and the smell in the air grew even stronger and more pungent. Then, a tall figure came into Cedric's view.
A tall body, grayish skin, a small head, and holding a huge club...
It was a troll! To be precise, it was a mountain troll that inhabited the forest.
Cedric felt a chill run down his spine. Wizards feared close encounters with large, thick-skinned creatures like this. The troll's skin was similar to a weakened version of dragon skin, with some magical resistance, and common wizards really struggled to break through its defense. If the troll didn't move slowly, it would surely be a top-level wizard hunter. When they meet, they teach the wizard to behave directly, making him understand one thing: beyond seven steps, the wizard cannot defeat a troll, and within seven steps, the wizard not only cannot defeat it but cannot escape.
"Impedimenta!" Cedric shouted as he cast an obstacle spell and then ran away.
The troll roared furiously, trying to catch the young man in front of him, but he was held back for a few seconds by the obstacle spell. Cedric disappeared among the trees in the blink of an eye.
Cedric's encounter left the young wizards astonished, especially when the troll appeared, many even felt the unpleasant smell coming from him.
"Come on, bets are open! Who will find the first fragment, and who will be the first to return? Does anyone want a fake wand?" Fred and George wasted no time and moved like two Golden Snitch Seekers among the crowd.
Compared to Cedric's experience, Fleur and Krum had a bit more luck. Their "starting points" didn't have any monsters, just an endless forest.
However, Fleur provoked an Acromantula after passing through some bushes and had to fight hard to defeat it, but she was lucky because this Acromantula was hunting alone. If she had encountered a group of Acromantulas, she would have already used the Portkey.
Fleur's battle didn't attract the attention of other students, as everyone was focused on the screen broadcasting Krum.
Compared to Cedric, who was playing hide and seek in the forest with the troll, Krum was much luckier. He didn't encounter any obstacles on his way and even found a treasure chest, from which he obtained a shield that was enchanted with an additional Protego Charm. Krum was enjoying a streak of good luck and finally arrived at the Whomping Willow after a trouble-free journey.
If Cedric knew what happened to Krum, he would definitely shed tears. The difference between people is simply too great! Why am I not so lucky?
But what's honey to one, poison to another, Cedric's good luck turned into pure misfortune for Krum.
It all began a few minutes ago...
After Professor Sprout left Tom near the Whomping Willow, she went to take care of other volunteers and, following Dumbledore's instructions, also placed some traps on the way. So she missed the little surprise that Tom prepared.
After Professor Sprout left, Tom opened the package of supplies he had received, wanting to see what was inside.
He untied the package's string, and from it fell a parchment, a glove, and a small sphere.
The parchment was a map of the area with some points marked on it. Tom assumed they were the locations of alchemical items or fragments of the magical bracelet. The glove was even more extravagant; it was an anti-spell glove that he had crafted himself...
It was clear that Dumbledore had obtained it from the Department of Magic.
As for the sphere, it was even more interesting: it was a Stink Bomb! When thrown, it would release a foul odor that would scare off any pursuer.
It seems that Dumbledore was a loyal customer of Fred and George. Tom set aside the improved dung bomb and then opened the survival supplies package.
Inside, he found a tent and a bunch of food.
"Looks delicious." Tom sniffed the sandwich inside the food package and thought it must taste quite good.
Once he unpacked everything, Tom took out his precious treasure, which he had been crafting for several months: an alchemical armor.
[Alchemical Armor (four stars): made of magical silver, coated with gold dust, with enchantments of elasticity, Protego Charm, and levitation spell, fits perfectly to the body and reflects most spells]
In addition to the armor, he also took out his staff, but this time, he didn't embed it in the ground. Instead, he placed the fragments of the magical bracelet on the end of the staff. How was he going to attract the brave if he didn't show something valuable?
"Come here, sit still." Tom approached Buckbeak, who was searching for mouse burrows on the ground.
Buckbeak: ???
"I'll give you something nice to wear~"
"No!" Buckbeak refused.
After all, he was a noble hippogriff. How could he allow his beautiful feathers to be concealed?
Seeing Buckbeak's lack of enthusiasm, Tom didn't force him and put on the armor himself.
Once the armor was in place, it began to adjust automatically, finally merging with Tom's body and completely enveloping him in golden armor.
In the sunlight, Tom seemed to become a radiant sun.
Beneath his golden armor, Buckbeak's feathers bristled with interest.
Buckbeak: !!!
If it's something like this, maybe it's not so bad.
Buckbeak's attitude began to soften.
Tom, seeing this, smiled. He had already anticipated that the majestic hippogriff would like this style, so when he made his armor, he also prepared a similar set for Buckbeak.
As for the size, it didn't matter; magic could make the armor automatically adjust to the right size for Buckbeak.
Soon, Buckbeak also turned golden, with armor covering his entire body.
Tom mounted Buckbeak, becoming an armored knight, and patrolled around the Whomping Willow.
So when Krum arrived near the Whomping Willow, what he saw was a fully armored golden statue. Even the knight's face was covered by the armor, making it hard to see his face. The knight's armor had dazzling golden patterns that reflected the sunlight. The knight's mount was also adorned in golden armor. The sunlight shone upon both of them, turning them into living golden statues.
Krum: ...
It seems I'm looking at something I shouldn't mess with. At first glance, it's not very clear...
I'll go... wait a moment! Krum, as one of the world's top Seekers, had eagle-like sharp vision. Therefore, he immediately noticed the inconspicuous fragment at the end of the knight's weapon.
"A fragment of the magical bracelet!" Krum's gaze became intense instantly.
Krum knew that these fragments were crucial in the competition. Finding one so early was truly a stroke of luck. However, when Krum saw that golden statue, he couldn't determine if his luck was good or bad.
He looked at Tom, who was under a tree in the distance, and began to analyze the situation.
Krum thought that the purpose of the competition was not to play tricks but to test the skills of the brave. So, Hogwarts wouldn't place unbeatable enemies, which meant that this giant in front of him should have weaknesses.
"No magical attacks?" Krum stroked his chin; the knight didn't seem to be very skilled in magic. At that moment, Krum's eyes landed on the knight's wand and shield.
Since Tom's crafted armor completely covered his face and torso, Krum didn't realize that it was the same Tom Yodel who had worried him so much. He thought it was a puppet created by the competition organizers. This led his analysis to be fundamentally flawed.
Maybe... I should give it a try. Krum's heart started beating faster, fresh blood flowed to his brain, giving him a burning sensation.
If he could defeat this puppet, the benefits obtained wouldn't be limited to just that fragment; there would likely be other objects with special functions...
Krum was already thinking about the rewards after success.
Unlike Krum, the Durmstrang students were anxious and worried.
"This guy looks really strong; why didn't Viktor avoid him?"
"Because he wants to challenge that big guy; he is our Durmstrang champion, after all."
"I'm not very sure, but he is Viktor Krum. Maybe he can create a miracle..."
Even Krum's fellow students had a somewhat pessimistic attitude toward him.
As a professional Quidditch commentator, Lee Jordan wouldn't let his excitement fade at this crucial moment. He tightly gripped the microphone and said, "It's clear that Krum is eager to challenge the Golden Knight, but I highly doubt he can succeed. It's said that the Department of Magic has provided complete protection. We'll see soon."
The Beauxbatons commentator, a petite witch, adopted a more diplomatic attitude: "Obviously, Krum faces a very serious challenge. I just noticed that the Golden Knight isn't riding a common horse but a hippogriff..."
Unlike the neutral attitude of the Beauxbatons commentator, Lee Jordan displayed a clear bias in his words, which was his characteristic style. In the past, during Quidditch matches, he had openly supported Gryffindor in front of the entire school.
Lee Jordan's words angered the Durmstrang commentator, who cleared his throat and said, "I need to remind you that Krum is a great Seeker; this challenge is nothing to him..."
"But this isn't a Quidditch match; let me share some interesting knowledge. The Bulgarian team Krum plays for lost this summer with a score of 160 to 170."
"Aren't you worried about your students?" While the two commentators argued heatedly, Madame Maxime glanced sideways at Karkaroff, who was sitting next to her. "That person under the tree, I suppose that's Tom Yodel. I don't know where he got that armor from."
Madame Maxime recognized Buckbeak under Tom, and by combining this information with the hippogriff, she knew who was under that armor.
Karkaroff remained impassive. "I trust my champion."
This statement earned him only a scornful look.
Madame Maxime was eager to say: "Trusting Krum is useless. Dumbledore also believed Chamberlain could bring peace!" But in the end, she swallowed those words.
Anyway, the problem now isn't Fleur. We're just going to enjoy the show!
All eyes were focused on Krum's screen. Not even the distraction of Cedric being chased by the troll or Fleur opening a treasure chest could divert the spectators' attention.
When Krum saw Tom, Tom also saw him. Seeing Krum not running away but attempting to attack, Tom let out a cold laugh.
Let me allow you to test my new armor!
He guided Buckbeak, spun his "horse," and charged toward Krum at full speed.
Buckbeak cooperated perfectly, taking quick strides and leaving a blurry shadow. At the same time, he spread his two wings, raising his presence to the maximum in an instant.
Krum: !!!
Before, when Tom was standing next to the tree, Krum felt no problem; it was just a statue. But now that it was moving, Krum realized that the approaching knight and the motionless knight were completely different species.
Like an infantryman, Krum felt overwhelming pressure in the face of the knight's charge.
Krum instinctively raised his shield and cast the Protego Charm in front of him.
Meanwhile, as Buckbeak reached its maximum speed, Tom wielded his staff and struck the shield in Krum's hands.
Boom!
Krum was sent flying.