Herpo the Foul's Abandoned Mansion.
It was an off-white, vintage building situated in the heart of a swamp.
All around it stretched a bottomless mire where no one could safely tread.
Like a gaping maw, it swallowed any creature that carelessly stumbled into its depths.
Figuring out how to enter the mansion successfully was one of the key challenges.
But this clearly posed no problem for Ethan.
"Rip."
With a faint sound like tearing cloth, a pitch-black, square portal appeared beside the mansion.
Ethan strolled out of it as casually as if he were taking a leisurely walk in his own backyard, glancing around with a relaxed demeanor.
His gaze carefully swept over the mansion's peculiar windows, boarded up with wooden planks; the crumbling cracks in the brick walls; and the withered climbing vines that clung to it like bandages on a corpse.
Then, he nodded in satisfaction.
Meanwhile, on the other side, Auror John watched Ethan's actions in stunned silence from his hiding spot in the dense forest.
What was this bizarre sense of déjà vu, like the owner returning home? He had been assigned to monitor Ethan—and at the same time, clean up the mess the boy left in his wake.
All the Ilvermorny participants were scattered about in disarray, and a Slytherin student had accidentally tumbled off a cliff.
Tonight, St. Mungo's was bound to be a sleepless one.
At first, everyone had assumed this young wizard was just here as cannon fodder.
Was Hogwarts really that short on talent?
How could they send a first-year student to compete?
But after witnessing that kind of monster—a being that shouldn't even exist in this world—their opinions shifted dramatically.
Hogwarts, you're truly ruthless!
Who knew Dumbledore had it in him!
To secure a spot, he's dropped all pretense!
He unleashed a naturally wicked, supermodel-level kid who completely twisted the challenge into something unrecognizable!
A insane battle royale, where the last one standing claims the prize, huh?!
How on earth did he pull off that magical, overwhelming power?
It seemed like an entirely different system from standard spells!
It defied all normal imagination!
It was as if he were resurrecting the golden age of ancient magic straight out of the history books.
Chasing after him the whole way, John had Apparated so many times he felt like he might splinter apart.
And this wretched weather.
The downpour came down like a heavy curtain, making him feel as though some massive boss was about to make its grand entrance.
Ugh~ So miserable TAT
Still, thank goodness this ordeal was nearly over.
As soon as he entered the mansion and grabbed the key, Ethan would wrap up the competition!
John watched with hopeful anticipation as Ethan approached the front door.
Then, he saw Ethan raise his hand and knock politely on the empty doorframe.
"Knock knock."
The worm-eaten door panel produced a hollow echo that reverberated through the swamp.
Naturally, there was no response.
John shivered involuntarily.
This young wizard was far too sinister.
He watched as Ethan stepped through the door, then finally exhaled in relief, his taut nerves unwinding.
It's finally over...
Once that young wizard gets teleported out, everything will go back to normal, right?
The real show is just getting started, Ethan thought.
Standing in the foyer, he narrowed his eyes.
He drew in a deep, appreciative breath, savoring the dust and mold that hung thick in the air.
Potent stuff.
Ethan transformed his umbrella back into a wand and cast a Drying Charm on himself.
He glanced around with curiosity, proceeding step by step down the corridor.
The rotting floorboards creaked under his feet, and the wall plaster flaked off like shedding snake scales, revealing bricks etched here and there with magical runes and incantations that radiated an eerie chill.
The mansion's interior was vast, with ceilings soaring tens of meters high, and it appeared to span three floors.
In the dilapidated cabinets, various discarded artifacts were stowed away.
One glass jar even held a humanoid skull with three eye sockets.
Ethan idly picked up a mortar and sniffed the dried, dark red residue inside.
He made a face, then dropped it with a thud.
Too contrived.
So lacking in style!
It was straight-up industrial horror, like paying for a ticket to a cheap haunted house where every scare was prefab and predictable.
Ethan could tell from one whiff that the potion residue in the mortar included rhodiola roots, used for invigorating the mind and sharpening focus.
Way too amateurish!
It was basically insulting top-tier competitors like them!
Ethan frowned, a twinge of disappointment hitting him.
"If the other students saw this, they'd be so let down and think the organizers have no respect for them."
"Luckily, I got here first, so there's still time to fix it."
"I'll spruce up the mansion with my paintings."
"To give everyone a better experience."
Ethan flashed a pure, innocent smile.
He reached into his robe, fingering the leather pouch enchanted with an Undetectable Extension Charm.
Late at night.
"Found it."
Viktor Krum narrowed his eyes.
His keen gaze cut through the thick, glassy sheet of rain, landing on the model-like white house ahead.
"That's fantastic, Viktor! We must be the first ones here!" his teammate shouted excitedly.
They'd been incredibly fortunate to draw the first entry slot into the forest.
And with Viktor—a Quidditch star—boasting such spot-on directional sense and vision, they'd hardly veered off course, aside from a few unavoidable detours, and made it straight to Herpo the Foul's Abandoned Mansion.
Krum led the way, his bear-like build physically warding off any lurking beasts.
His eyes locked on the white house, brimming with unyielding determination.
A magical barrier shimmered overhead, deflecting the relentless downpour.
At the swamp's edge, Krum raised a hand to stop the team, lifted his wand, and intoned gravely:
"Just like in training—the back row handles freezing the swamp to create an ice path, while the front row repels beasts and clears the route!"
"Yes!"
Spell lights flickered amid the misty rain.
Creak, creak.
Aided by the rain and chill, the swamp froze over with ease.
"Buzz!"
Mosquitoes the size of dogs swarmed in, their razor-sharp proboscises jabbing toward the wizards!
"Reducto!"
A red beam lanced from Krum's wand, and the mosquitoes it struck burst into fragments instantly.
Spells zipped through the air, explosions ringing out nonstop.
The insects' remains rained down.
The wizards coordinated flawlessly and reached the mansion without a hitch.
The front door loomed right before them!
"Open it, Viktor! You're about to claim first place!" his teammate urged, voice taut with excitement.
Viktor Krum's five-person squad was Durmstrang's cream of the crop.
Though one had unfortunately been eliminated en route, four remained.
They were dead set on locking down the top four spots in this event!
Krum nodded, his heart racing beneath his composed facade.
He stepped up, extending a hand to push the door—in the next instant, he plummeted into darkness.
"Viktor, you—Ah!!"
"Don't drag me down, damn it!!"
"What's going on, hey, hey, hey?!"
Krum's eyes bulged in shock.
He stared in disbelief as his elite teammates tumbled into the void alongside him, like dumplings plopping into boiling water.
It was nothing fancy—just that the trap had been laid in such a deviously clever spot.
He'd braced for dangers inside the door and was ready for them.
But who could have guessed the trap was placed right in front of the door?!
Directly on the ground beneath the doorknob?!
How do you even guard against that?!
What kind of nerve does the organizer have to pull something like this??
For the first time since the competition started, Krum couldn't help but swear aloud.
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