"Over the summer, I did a lot of thinking," Ethan Vincent said, pacing slowly in front of the towering gate of Herpo the Foul's Abandoned Mansion.
The jagged shadows cast by the spiked gate danced across his pale, handsome face, lending him an eerie, almost dangerous air. Even without prompting, the atmosphere grew deathly still, the students gathered before him swallowing hard, their eyes fixed on him with a mix of nervousness, unease, and a flicker of reluctant excitement.
"Last term, under Professor Dumbledore's guidance, I made several modifications to this old mansion," Ethan continued, his voice low but deliberate. "But I kept asking myself: Am I really going to present an incomplete, flawed challenge to all of you? Can a simple test truly satisfy your potential?"
The crowd exchanged glances, a silent agreement rippling through them: No. A simple test is more than enough.
"Ethan's got a bit of an obsessive streak, doesn't he?" Ron Weasley muttered under his breath.
Hermione Granger shot him a withering glare, her eyes then softening with reverence as she gazed at Ethan. In her heart, she made a vow: For this challenge, I've memorized a dozen spellbooks—cover to cover! I'll outshine Luna Lovegood, who's always trailing after Ethan like a lost niffler. A spark of determination flared in her eyes.
On the stone steps, Ethan halted abruptly, whipping his head around to face the group. His voice boomed, cutting through the tense silence. "No! Of course not! I won't allow myself to stoop so low!"
He paused, a sly curve tugging at his lips. The shadow of the gate's spikes fell across his face, stretching his grin into something almost unsettlingly wide. "So, after a week of hard work, I've made a small adjustment to the Ancient City of Sen challenge."
The students blinked, confused.
"I've transformed it into an infinite chase and escape mode."
The crowd froze. Infinite. Chase. Escape. Each word, on its own, sounded ominous—together, they were downright terrifying.
This was supposed to be a challenge, not some deranged survival game! thought Wallace, president of the Gobstones Club, his heart pounding. Where's Professor Dumbledore? Isn't anyone going to stop this madness?
He glanced at Professor Lockhart, who stood off to the side, looking as if he'd rather melt into the shadows than intervene. The professor's scared of a student. This is ridiculous.
Wallace's resolve crumbled. Nope, plan's changed. I'm not sticking around to die.
He backed away from the crowd, unnoticed, and breathed a sigh of relief—until he collided with something warm and furry. So… hot!
Startled, Wallace stumbled back and looked up, only to meet six glowing, lantern-sized orange eyes glaring down at him. Black mist swirled, blotting out the sky, and from within it emerged the massive, looming figure of a three-headed beast.
A Cerberus.
The dark mist stretched over the students' heads, trailing like a living thing toward Ethan's outstretched hand.
"Senior, you're going the wrong way," Ethan said kindly, his voice cutting through Wallace's panic. The older boy had collapsed to the ground, trembling. "This is the starting point. And meet my Hellhound—the monster that'll be chasing you all."
A deathly silence fell.
Ethan's expression turned almost bashful, though his eyes glinted with mischief. "I've always believed that true potential only shines in moments of desperation. So, I'm going to make sure you feel that desperation—like you're really fighting for your lives!"
He snapped his fingers, pointing to the gate. "First group, step forward!"
After a few agonizing seconds, spurred by the Cerberus's low growl, the first group shuffled forward like mourners at a funeral. Cedric Diggory and Hermione Granger were among them.
Cedric, ever the Hufflepuff, was doing warm-up stretches, huffing and puffing with such vigor that the other students instinctively gave him space, wary of the steam rising off him. The Cerberus, meanwhile, loomed at a distance, its three heads twitching with barely contained eagerness.
Ethan raised a hand. "Now, the first group's challenge—begins!"
"ROAR!"
With a bone-rattling bellow, the Cerberus transformed into a black whirlwind and charged toward the gate. The first group bolted, their screams echoing as they scattered like arrows loosed from a bow.
All except one.
Cedric Diggory, steadfast and defiant, didn't run. Instead, he turned to face the Hellhound head-on.
The crowd gasped, stunned bystanders frozen in shock. What is he doing?!
Cedric's eyes burned with resolve "[This is the beast you used to crush the competition in last year's challenge, isn't it, Ethan?]" he shouted. "Come on! audition! Let me slay this monster and redeem myself!"
Ethan's brows arched slightly, a flicker of amusement in his expression. "Oh, wow."
This wasn't the first time Cedric had faced Ethan's challenges, and the memory of last year's defeat clearly MO, clearly fueled his fire.
"HAAAAH!" Cedric roared, flicking his wand. In a flash, it transformed into a gleaming two-handed greatsword—a bold, shimmering weapon that reminded Ethan of an old friend he hadn't seen in years.
The crowd held its breath, watching Cedric's heroic charge.
But then, with shocking speed, Cedric slid forward—straight into the gaping maw of the Cerberus's middle head.
"Ron fell sprawling into the abyss beside the stone passage, his body tumbling into the dark chasm.
"No—!" Justin Finch, another Hufflepuff, wailed, collapsing to his knees. "Cedric, you died so miserably!"
The crowd muttered, He's not dead yet, mate!
At Ethan's command, the Cerberus reluctantly spat Cedric out, leaving him sprawled on the ground, surrounded by his Housemates. The Hufflepuffs crowded around their fallen champion, who, with a trembling hand, scrawled something shaky in the dirt: "I'm not… willing…"
Then his head lolled, and he fainted dramatically.
Justin let out another anguished cry: "No—!"
Ethan's expression flattened. (—_—) Can't tell this thick-browed, big-eyed lad's got such a flair for theatrics.
But Cedric's bold sacrifice hadn't been in vain. His stunt delayed the first group by nearly two minutes, giving them a crucial head start.
"It… it doesn't feel that hard after all!" Ron panted, turning to grin at Harry Potter.
Harry's eyes widened. "Watch out—!"
Before he could finish, a massive pendulum swung from the side with a deafening BANG, sending Ron careening into the abyss beside the stone passage.
Harry shouted, "Ron—!"
No time to mourn. The relentless pendulums kept coming, forcing Harry to focus. Ethan's traps weren't just sharp turns or simple obstacles anymore—they were straight out of the Ancient City of Sen's original design, now enhanced with his twisted flair.
Swish, swish!
From both sides, archers emerged, firing arrows tipped with blunt, suction-cup-like heads laced with Petrificus Totalus. One hit, and you'd drop like a stone.
"Hah!" Harry dodged an arrow with a deft twist, his reflexes honed from years of dodging his cousin Dudley's fists.
But the barrage was endless. Arrows rained down, and Harry had nowhere to hide.
"Evanesco!" he shouted, waving his wand wildly. It was a new spell, one he'd never quite mastered. Either it fizzled, or the effect was pitifully weak. As the arrows closed in, Harry squeezed his eyes shut—
But then, a gale-force wind roared in, slapping the arrows away in a single, glorious sweep.
It worked!
Harry stared at his wand in disbelief, a grin breaking across his face. Ethan's training method really works.
No other professor would push them this far—only Ethan, merciless and brilliant.
But his triumph was short-lived. Behind him, the Cerberus's roar shook the air.
"Diffindo!" Hermione's voice rang out, sharp and precise. With a flick of her wand and a single glance, she struck a statue, which exploded with a crash, collapsing across the passage to block the Hellhound's path.
Before today, Hermione had never known she could aim so true.
"Ten seconds left! Hold on!" she shouted to Harry, breathless but steady.
Only the two of them remained, fueled by the Stamina Potions Ethan had cleverly hidden along the route. Without them, Hermione knew she'd have collapsed long ago.
The more she ran, the more she marveled at Ethan's genius. This wasn't just a wizarding challenge—it was a masterpiece. Transplanted to a Muggle video game, it'd be a global sensation. He's brilliant, no matter the world, she thought, her admiration for Ethan deepening. She wanted to learn from him, to improve alongside him, even if she'd never match his brilliance. She'd chase it with everything she had.
Ten seconds, nine, eight…
"I don't care if I'm Muggle-born—I'm better than the lot of you!" Hermione declared, her voice hoarse but fierce.
Seven, six, five…
"I will pass this test and join Ethan's Enlightenment Society!"
She didn't look back, hurling obstacle after obstacle behind her with unerring precision.
Four, three…
"I must join Ethan's grand plan for Hogwarts' greatest talents!"
But then—BOOM!
A violent shockwave surged from behind, knocking Hermione to the ground with brutal force.
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