Among the eleven students selected for the challenge, Ethan saw several familiar faces.
Gryffindor's Oliver Wood (it seemed Percy Weasley didn't make it).
Slytherin's Gemma Farley.
Hufflepuff's Cedric Diggory. This third-year boy looked at him with a mixture of curiosity and high spirits. If it weren't for Ethan, Cedric would have been the youngest contestant, receiving much of the attention. Unfortunately, with a first-year now in the running, his spotlight was completely stolen.
Additionally, there was Ravenclaw's Penelope Clearwater and... Senior Sean Mike.
Thanks to the excellent skills at the hospital wing, Sean appeared to have no external injuries. However, the internal trauma he suffered seemed significant.
Upon seeing Ethan, he trembled violently, like a mouse cornered by a cat. He stumbled backward against the wall, as if unable to support his own body. His eyes widened, the arrogance and contempt he usually wore completely gone, replaced by utter terror.
His face turned deathly pale, and beads of sweat began to form on his forehead. His mouth opened and closed, uttering only unintelligible syllables.
Ethan Vincent!
This boy was the star of his recent nightmares, the fatal blow to more than a decade of a smooth-sailing life, a strike against both his body and mind. Like a devil roaming outside the rules. Those terrifyingly unpredictable methods left no room for retaliation, like a phantom hidden in walls and shadows that made people want to do nothing but scream and run away.
Why on earth did he ever provoke this thing?!
Sean felt he was too stupid, so incredibly stupid. Immense regret! Even though he ultimately passed the selection, just thinking about participating in the challenge with Ethan made Sean want to bang his head against the wall. Who knew what terrifying things Ethan would do in the competition!
Seeing the senior's transformation, Ethan felt quite regretful.
Where is your pride? Where is the dignity of your noble Round Table Council? Was it all knocked away by that one brick?
Tsk, he still needs more practice.
Thus, Ethan gave Senior Sean a friendly smile. The latter clutched his chest tightly, looking like he was having difficulty breathing and about to faint.
On the other side, Penelope and the other Ravenclaw students couldn't help but roll their eyes seeing Sean's pathetic state. They usually disliked Sean for his superiority complex, stemming from his academic excellence. Unfortunately, Sean had been the top student across all four houses for so long. They couldn't compete with him, so they could only resent him privately and ignore his behavior.
Now, someone had finally taken down Sean's arrogance, and it was their Ravenclaw's strongest genius freshman, Ethan Vincent! They were eager to watch the show, so they certainly wouldn't stand up for Sean.
Poor senior, May you rest in peace.
Besides the five Ethan recognized, the remaining contestants were four from Gryffindor and two from Slytherin. Gryffindor was truly the bravest house. Including Quidditch captain Oliver Wood, a total of five students were selected for this challenge, which was truly remarkable. They uniformly wore black school robes with red collars, with the Gryffindor lion crest embroidered on their left chests. Standing tall, they looked majestic and spirited.
Hufflepuff's only contestant, Cedric, seemed to have something to say to Ethan. But before he could speak, Professor McGonagall, standing at the front of the podium, said:
"Since everyone is here, let's officially begin."
Ethan walked over to the Ravenclaw side. Senior Penelope hesitated, then gently patted his shoulder in a friendly gesture. Ethan looked up, curving his lips into a very cute smile. This softened Penelope's tense expression, and she gently put her arm around Ethan's shoulders.
Ethan had heard that Penelope had a very young brother at home. She was probably unconsciously treating him like her own brother. Ethan didn't dislike this feeling and stood quietly beside her.
Seeing the meeting begin, Cedric had to reluctantly close his mouth, his gaze burning intensely at Ethan, as if he wanted to challenge Ethan to a duel right then and there, using only the intensity of his gaze.
Ethan completely ignored this.
"First, congratulations on successfully being selected for the challenge," Professor McGonagall said. "This represents that you are among the most outstanding students at Hogwarts."
"You are full of courage and honor, and you will represent Hogwarts in battle!"
Ethan noticed that upon hearing this, the Gryffindor students all puffed out their chests. And besides Gemma Farley, the other two Slytherin students showed disdain.
Representing Hogwarts? How ridiculous. If it weren't for the potential benefits, they wouldn't participate in such a dangerous competition.
"First, each of you has the right to choose your guidance teacher. Some of you may have already chosen."
As she spoke, Professor McGonagall's gaze gently glanced toward Ethan.
"Choosing a tutor must be done carefully. Of course, all of us professors are excellent..."
A few soft sneers came from below. The two Slytherin students exchanged knowing glances. Obviously thinking of a certain stuttering Defense Against the Dark Arts professor.
"Quiet." Professor McGonagall frowned.
Only when the classroom was completely silent did she speak again: "Different tutors have different focuses. You must think clearly about what you are best at and what strategy you want to use in the competition."
"Second is the competition time. The Secret Realm Tracking Challenge will be held on the first Friday after the Christmas holiday ends. We will be transported to the competition site via Portkey. The competition will last for a maximum of three weeks."
After the Christmas holiday... that means there are still about two months to prepare.
Ethan thought. This arrangement was like giving a prisoner a good meal before execution. Letting the contestants have one last complete Christmas, because who knew if it would be the last one of their lives.
How interesting. Ethan looked forward to the competition more and more.
"In addition, there is one very important matter," Professor McGonagall said, her gaze sweeping over the students. "That is grouping."
"There are no rules in the Secret Realm Tracking Challenge that require grouping. But based on years of experience, not just Hogwarts, but all schools adopt a grouping strategy to obtain the final honor."
"The intention is for students to cooperate and assist each other. Regardless of who in the group wins, the honor and rewards are shared among the team members."
At this moment, Ethan felt it was necessary to state his position.
"Ahem, excuse me, may I say something?"
The clear voice sounded in the empty classroom, immediately attracting everyone's attention.
Professor McGonagall suddenly had a bad premonition.
"...Is there something, Mr. Vincent?"
Ethan met everyone's gaze and cracked a wicked smile.
He said, word by word: "I will participate in the competition alone, without teaming up with anyone. In fact, you can consider me a competitor."
"I want to enjoy the honor all to myself."
[Chapter Complete]
***
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