After entering the "Underwater Jungle", the journey became more difficult. Visibility was reduced to a minimum, and all that could be seen were the rippling, tangled black water plants in the lake.
As he swam, a dark creature suddenly poked its head out of the water grass in front of him, its sharp claws reaching out in an attempt to hook Ivan's ankles, but before it could touch Ivan, a blinding red light blasted out and split its claws in half.
A pained, high-pitched wail echoed through the Black Lake, and then the strange creature with horns and sharp teeth fled into the water.
"Not another one!" Ivan exclaimed, shaking his head in frustration. He put away his wand and did not bother to chase after them.
This green-skinned, horned water monster was a magical creature that Ivan once read about in a book about underwater magical creatures.
These magical creatures generally preferred to lurk in the thick vegetation, and when their prey passed by, they would hook them with their claws and drag them into the water to feast.
They were arguably the most dangerous creatures that any champion would have to deal with, as they had sharp teeth and a frightening lack of intelligence.
The rest of the journey was fraught with trouble. Ivan killed a four-meter-long giant squid and knocked out two merpeople who tried to stop him.
As the number of stone narrows increased, Ivan caught sight of a large statue of a merman in the distance, the four hostages tied to its tail.
The nearby merpeople guards, upon seeing Ivan's approach, sprang into action, surrounding him in a semi-circle with their shining steel prongs, roaring with terror.
"Stupefy ~ (stunned) Petrificus Totalus ~ (all petrified)"
Ivan had no intention of backing down even in the face of dozens of merpeople. He quickly waved his wand and attacked several merpeople guards with pitchforks.
The rocks that fell on him were all blocked by the Armor Charm.
Just when Ivan thought there was going to be a fight, he saw the remaining merpeople fleeing in panic, screaming and throwing their weapons aside.
This left Ivan speechless. It seemed that the merpeople's fear of wizards was greater than he had imagined, and that they would flee at the first sign of trouble.
However, this saved him a lot of trouble.
Ignoring the fleeing merpeople, Ivan swam all the way to the giant statue, tore off the bindings, and placed his wand on Hermione's forehead to remove the Stunning Charm.
Hermione's closed eyes flickered open a moment later, although she was still groggy, and her memory seemed to linger on the moment before she fell asleep.
When she saw Ivan, Hermione tried to speak, but when she did, the lake water poured into her mouth.
Ivan managed to save her from asphyxiation by casting a Bubble-Head Charm on her.
"Don't be so hasty, Hermione, we have plenty of time, you can talk about it…" Ivan said gently, patting her back.
Hermione painfully coughed up the water in her throat and looked around in confusion, realizing that she was in the middle of a deep lake.
"Are we in the Black Lake?" Hermione asked Ivan, instantly understanding where she was.
"Yes, that's right!" Ivan nodded, then asked, "Do you remember how you got here, Hermione?"
"Professor McGonagall came to me last night and told me that the second match was special and that the champions needed an assistant. She asked me if I would like to help, and I agreed…and then I don't know anymore," Hermione explained in a daze.
Ivan was not surprised. This was pretty much what he had expected.
"Are you in the game now? What should I do?" Hermione asked, regaining her composure after a short spell of dizziness.
"Nothing at all, as long as I get you to shore and the game is over!" Ivan said with a smile, and then, seeing that Hermione still seemed dazed, he went on to remind her. "Have you forgotten the hints in the merpeople's song? The champions need to find their most precious treasures at the bottom of the lake!"
Hermione, naturally, caught the hidden meaning in Ivan's words, and her face, which had been deathly pale after soaking in the lake, suddenly became ruddy, and she stammered, "So I'm…"
"Hogwarts champion Ivan Hals's most prized possession!" replied Ivan primly.
Ivan pointed to the giant statue behind them. "According to the script, you were kidnapped by those merpeople, so I'm here to save you!"
Hermione turned around and saw that there were three hostages tied to the statue, one of which she knew very well.
"Ginny! She's here?" Hermione exclaimed.
"Ginny is Harry's "treasure," Ivan explained, then added, "Well, time is running out, so let's get out of here!"
"What about Ginny and the others?" Hermione asked after a moment's hesitation.
"That's for Harry and the others to do. If I get all the hostages out, no one else will be able to play…" Ivan had no intention of rescuing everyone, as it was technically against the rules of the game, unless a champion voluntarily gave up.
Hermione nodded, still worried but not saying anything.
Given the limited time they had, Ivan did not delay any further. He wrapped his arm around the witch's slender waist and pulled her into his arms.
After soaking in the cold lake for so long, Hermione's body was frighteningly cold, and Ivan's heart went out to her, even though he knew she had Dumbledore's Anti-Cold Charm.
Hermione sank obediently into Ivan's warm embrace, greedily seeking warmth from his body.
Then, as if she had just thought of something, Hermione hesitated for a moment, before kissing Ivan on the cheek.
The gentle touch made Ivan look down.
Hermione ran back into his arms like a frightened rabbit, but he could hear her trembling voice.
"According to the script, this is a reward for the brave!"
Ivan rubbed his cheek, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. He had only been joking, but Hermione was serious.