Harry saw that as soon as Professor Delfino announced the start of the competition, all members of both teams immediately disappeared, as if an invisible eraser had wiped them away.
Disappearing with them were the luminous cloaks, flying broomsticks, and special wands floating above their heads.
The faint red and blue glow in the valley attracted the young wizards' attention. As Professor Delfino had said, these contestants were distributed in the roughly rectangular "Mist Valley," at opposite ends of its longest diagonal.
"The suspension bridge is also part of the competition ground. For a better view, we need to change location—"
Professor Delfino said with a smile.
A withered vine wrapped around the suspension bridge suddenly flew up. Under everyone's gaze, the vine extended and twisted, forming a huge enclosed platform—like an octagon cage used for fighting.
Clang—
The iron door of the floating octagon cage opened, and a set of stairs automatically extended down from the doorway.
Professor Delfino walked up the stairs first, followed by the young wizards.
When everyone had entered this huge octagon cage, the cage vibrated slightly, crossed the air barriers on both sides of the suspension bridge, and floated steadily in mid-air.
This triggered some frightened shouts, but the students soon calmed down. One by one, they leaned against the vine fence, looking down at the "Mist Valley" below.
So—
"There's an invisible wall here, can't pass—"
The "Respawn Point" for the United Houses Team was located below in Mist Valley.
It was an irregularly shaped circular clearing, about half the size of a Quidditch pitch. The muddy, damp ground was potholed, with puddles of water and overgrown weeds.
Ernie flew his broomstick to one side of the clearing and knocked on the wall formed by what looked like steaming water vapor. On the other side of the wall was a sparse pine forest growing in a marsh.
"Don't worry about that, can't pass anyway... You are, oh, Ernie—"
Ron studied the red luminous cloak tied around his neck with interest for a while, then said to Ernie.
He glanced at Neville—Neville, whose face was dotted with sweat, was being comforted by Parvati and looked like he was about to faint—Ron thought the captain's hat was indeed cool, crown-style, almost two feet high.
"We need a tactic!"
Ernie flew back from the map wall. He flew a bit higher, looking towards the Slytherin "Respawn Point" diagonally across the Mist Valley—they hadn't started moving either, a group of small figures glowing blue gathered together, the captain's movements unclear.
Ernie scanned around again—there were three paths from their location. One went up the hillside, leading to the suspended bridge high above where they had just been. Another led to a canyon... behind the canyon was unclear.
The last one was a muddy water path fifty or sixty feet wide, leading to another clearing... This path was also bordered by marsh, but clearly, it was space outside the map.
There was a glowing silver-green flag on this clearing. A similar flag floated in the middle of the suspension bridge, blue... As for the last one, Ernie thought it should be behind the narrow bend—invisible for now.
"Top Lane," "Middle Lane," and "Bottom Lane"—the team members had a rough understanding now.
"Come on, Longbottom, nothing to be afraid of!"
After comforting Neville for ages, seeing him still looking like a coward about to faint, Parvati lost her patience a bit. She said sharply:
"You are the captain, Longbottom. Just stay here. Whether it's dealing with the Nogtail or killing the Slytherin captain, you won't be needed!"
"So that's our tactic?"
Terry Boot flew around the clearing with great interest, testing the broomstick's performance—he flew averagely, but at least unlike Neville, who sat motionless on the broomstick and still swayed.
"Longbottom stays in our base—the Respawn Point, and the rest go to kill the Slytherin captain?"
"There must be a group accompanying Mandy to guard the field while she deals with the Nogtail, to prevent Slytherin from snatching it."
"I think so too. Someone should accompany Brocklehurst to deal with the Nogtail, and someone needs to stay here to protect the captain," Ron said.
Ron seemed to be the most skilled with the flying broomstick among this group, and Parvati obviously noticed this.
Although Parvati was determined, she clearly wasn't a young wizard with commanding talent.
After hesitating for a while and discussing with the team members, she made up her mind.
"Ron, Terry, Susan, you accompany Mandy to deal with the Nogtail under the green flag first. Don't let the other side harass Mandy, beat Slytherin to it...
I think speeding up the broomsticks is most important. Ernie stays with Neville. My sister and I will go to the opponent's Respawn Point to find Malfoy... Although the captain can take 10 hits of red light damage and team members only 5, I believe we can take care of Malfoy!"
So, the action began.
The Patil sisters took the path through the bending canyon—they didn't like the high suspension bridge, too narrow... Parvati thought even if Malfoy wanted to escape, he probably wouldn't choose that path.
Ernie stayed at the Respawn Point with Neville.
Ron's "largest" team also set off.
Two boys and two girls took the Bottom Lane, heading towards the other clearing behind the marsh waterway, intending to escort Mandy to capture the Nogtail under the green glowing flag.
Almost as soon as they split up, the Slytherin team on the other side of Mist Valley also moved. Three of them were heading towards the clearing on the Bottom Lane!
"Here they come!"
Susan, with her baby face, said in a calm voice that didn't match her appearance.
"There are three... they fly faster than us!"
Once moving, everyone realized a fact—even with the same broomsticks, some people just flew faster and some slower... obviously related to personal flying skills.
"Blue captain's crown... Malfoy is coming this way too!"
Terry shouted with excitement.
"What does this mean... Has Malfoy mastered the Trip Jinx, and the other two are escorting him to snatch the boar?"
Too excited, Terry didn't notice he even got the Nogtail's name wrong!
"I think something's wrong, Terry—"
With confrontation imminent, the flush on Ron's cheeks faded, turning pale.
"Only two people protecting the captain... the risk is too high. If I were arranging it, I would demand everyone move together... Oh, the Patil sisters will have to run extra; they flew into the canyon, can't warn them Malfoy has left the Respawn Point!"
Ron's group continued to speed up towards the green flag on the clearing. Malfoy and his two companions, approaching at a right angle, were also getting closer... In nearly two minutes, they were close enough to see each other clearly.
"Quick!"
A vague unease lingered in the minds of all members of the United Houses Team's "Monster Fighting Squad," but nervousness blocked their thinking, and no one realized the problem.
Since Malfoy is coming head-on, can we "kill" Malfoy here?
The thought flashed through Ron's mind.
However, he quickly dismissed it himself.
The captain can take 10 hits, ordinary members only 5... The captain's combat power should be stronger.
Priority is still helping Mandy secure the Nogtail!
After a brief hesitation, Ron made up his mind.
"You've been tricked, Ron! Turn back quickly!!!"
Mist Valley was shrouded in eerie fog everywhere, and this fog seemed to block sound transmission, so Ron couldn't hear the warning at all.
"Turn back, Ron!"
Harry, possessing the "God's perspective," was sweating profusely, shouting "heart-wrenchingly" at Ron below.
"Slytherin doesn't intend to fight the Nogtail at all! They split into three groups to kill Neville!"