Out of sheer curiosity, Sunny Finch gave it everything she had.
Her massive hammer whistled through the air with every swing, eventually striking the giant square construct. A dull thud echoed across the arena. Force is always reciprocal; despite her immense strength, Sunny Finch was thrown backward.
The British students reacted swiftly, catching her before she could crash. Sunny Finch let out a soft grunt. "It's sturdy! Especially against physical strikes. Charlotte, what are you waiting for? Try a spell!"
Charlotte nodded, flicking her wand to send a curse hurtling toward the construct. It struck, but the dark surface repelled it instantly.
"No luck," Sunny Finch muttered. "Even magic deflects off it."
Fleur Delacour frowned. "It's highly resistant to both physical and magical attacks. What's the plan?"
Krum stepped forward, his voice gruff. "No defense is absolute. We need to hit it with everything we have—ranged attacks, incantations, everything. We need to find a weakness fast. Those white-armored figures won't hold out forever."
The white-armored constructs were indeed faltering under the black giant's relentless assault. The others nodded in agreement.
"Let's try it," Charlotte commanded.
Spells from the West and magical energy from the East converged on the dark construct. Spectacular effects exploded against its surface, and for the first time, scars appeared on the giant's hull.
The construct let out a cry of pain—mechanical and distorted.
Charlotte's head snapped toward the other champions. "It's working! But we've drawn its attention!"
Sure enough, the black giant swatted the white-armored figures away like flies and turned its massive frame toward the champions.
Harry Potter blinked, momentarily bewildered. "What do we do?"
Sunny Finch rolled her eyes. "Run, obviously! Get out of its range. That thing could flatten you with a single step. Charlotte, you really need to drill the basics into these kids. Back home, someone like that would get corrected daily."
Charlotte let out an exasperated sigh, and Harry finally snapped out of his daze, scrambling to retreat with the others.
Fleur panted as they ran. "We can't keep this up. It's exhausting, and we'll fail the test if we don't end it!"
Sunny Finch looked at Charlotte while sprinting. "You've got a contingency plan, right? I don't believe Erwin would set this up without giving you an advantage."
Charlotte cast a glance backward, slowing the giant with a well-placed curse. "In this situation, we rely on ourselves. Our goal is to bring that thing down."
"With what?" Sunny Finch argued. "We just saw it—physical and magical defense is exceptional."
Just then, Penelope Clearwater shouted, "Look! The white-armored figures are doing more damage than us!"
They turned. Penelope was right. Where the white-armored constructs struck the black giant, deep, visible wounds opened. Their attacks were far more effective than the champions' spells.
Charlotte and Sunny Finch exchanged a look.
"I see," Charlotte said, her mind racing. "Restrict its movements. Its defense and power are immense, but its size is a liability. We play support—control, slow it down—and let the white-armored units deal the damage."
No one present was a fool. Even Krum, while direct, was a top wizard from Durmstrang. Harry, having worked with this group for some time, caught on immediately.
They abandoned offensive magic and focused entirely on restriction.
Impedimenta. Levicorpus. Even Eastern ice magic.
They unleashed a barrage of slowing effects. While the black giant shattered through their defenses, the constant barrage bought crucial seconds. It was enough.
Seizing the opening, the white-armored constructs swarmed the giant, striking with precision.
Charlotte's team fought tactically, using every technique to restrain the construct. If the giant could speak, it would have been cursing their methods.
With every blow from the white-armored warriors, the giant's wounds multiplied, and its aura waned. Outside, on the white jade dragon sculpture, faint lights began to pulse, growing brighter with every passing second.
A smile touched Erwin's lips. Charlotte hadn't disappointed him.
He glanced at the assembled spectators. Hopefully, it wouldn't come to needing their help.
On the battlefield, the white-armored warriors pressed the advantage. The black giant's body began to dissipate into wisps of black energy, its form shrinking rapidly.
The champions intensified their assault, sensing the end.
With a final, defiant roar, the black energy surged—and then vanished completely.
In the instant the giant disappeared, Charlotte and the others were abruptly ejected from the simulation. They blinked, finding themselves standing exactly where they'd started, as if waking from a vivid dream.
The white jade dragon sculpture had transformed. The faint glow was now a blinding, brilliant white light. Beside it, the platform holding the Goblet of Fire lay exposed; the protective barrier was gone.
The Cup sat there, silent and waiting.
Krum and Fleur tensed, their eyes locked on the prize, instinctively wanting to move. But Charlotte and Sunny Finch stood frozen. They didn't even glance at the Cup.
The champions of the four schools stood rooted to the spot.
No one moved an inch.
The audience watched in tense silence, utterly baffled. What were they waiting for?