HP: It's a snake, not a badger.

Chapter 142, Third Match

"Minerva, is there something you want to tell me?" Severus didn't understand why McGonagall kept glancing at him, and why Sprout next to him did the same.

"Oh, it's nothing, I just think you look good lately, Severus."

"?"

"Thank you for the compliment?" Severus turned to Sprout. "And you, Pomona?" The two sisters, unsure of what was going on today, looked at him together.

"I think your outfit looks good today." Sprout's reason was even more inexplicable; she looked at Severus with a smile.

Severus was helpless with these two former professors who were now colleagues. He could only accept the praise with a puzzled look and take out the snacks that Emeric had made for him, trying to distract the two men.

But to his surprise, the two witches exchanged a glance, their faces bearing strange smiles. Whatever they were thinking, as long as they weren't staring at him, Severus slowly exhaled.

"Ding ding!"

"I have something to announce," Dumbledore said, glancing around and tapping his silver cup lightly until everyone was looking at him. "Our third match is about to begin. All you warriors, stay. The rest of you may leave."

The third match this year was a bit dangerous. He needed to remind each child to know when to give up and not to risk everything for honor. Plus, Wormtail was still at school, which was too dangerous.

Harry stood beside Cedric, who had been kind to him and had been refuting the rumors that had started circulating at school. He took out a box of cookies and gave it to Cedric as a thank you for defending him.

Emeric has been sending out cookies lately, and he guesses that Severus is tired of them, otherwise he wouldn't be sending him so many of these special cookies.

Emeric stood in a small corner outside the Great Hall, intending to bring Harry something. They still hadn't caught the mouse, and he felt uneasy about the last match. He was even considering bringing in a few cats; if humans couldn't catch the mouse, surely cats could, right?

"Harry, come here." Emeric called to Harry, urging him to come with him. This place was crowded and noisy; if someone with ulterior motives saw them, they wouldn't be able to explain themselves no matter how many mouths they had.

"Take these, one for you and one for Cedric," Emeric handed him two gems, then continued, "These are two protective shields, each capable of holding three people. Crush them if you encounter danger. I've tested them; they can withstand at least three Killing Curses. Normally, Dumbledore should arrive by then. Also, these two can send me their location when they shatter, so don't be afraid to crush them if you're in danger."

"Thank you, Brother Ellie." Harry nodded obediently, preparing to deliver it to Cedric in a little while. He took out a small box, looking a little embarrassed. "These are pumpkin pancakes that my mother and I learned to make. I'm giving them to you." After saying that, he ran off.

Emeric carried the small box back to the cellar. He tasted it; it wasn't sweet. Severus would probably like it. On the way, he met Evelyn and earnestly offered his suggestion, "Seriously, why don't we bring in a few cats?"

"My young master, don't make things worse. Aren't you afraid he'll do something rash? Go away, don't cause trouble." Evelyn had a headache and was afraid that Emeric might do something bad in a moment of anger, so she pushed him towards the cellar. "Don't add to my workload. I still need to rush to set up the competition venue."

"Alright~" Emeric shrugged in agreement, it was a pity that such a good suggestion was not adopted.

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Harry was pulled out of bed early in the morning by Hermione. He was completely dazed and hadn't woken up yet. His mind was wandering, and he only came to his senses after washing his face with cold water.

"I can't eat this..." He refused the sandwich Ron offered him, not to mention he usually couldn't finish such a large one. He casually picked up a waffle from the basket. "This will do."

Ron shoved another chicken wrap into his hands. "One waffle won't be enough. Eat some more. What if the match goes on until the afternoon? What if you faint from hunger on the field?" He also poured Harry a glass of milk, making sure he watched him finish it.

"I'll eat this, it's enough, don't take any more." Harry quickly stuffed the food into his mouth, afraid that Ron would give him more.

"Alright boys, hurry up and eat, we're leaving." Hermione checked the time and tapped the table to remind them to eat quickly.

When the three arrived at the competition venue, there was still half an hour before the match started, which gave Harry time to calm down. The two of them chatted with him for a while.

Four enormous screens were erected in the center of the competition area. These were Evelyn's creations, used to monitor every part of the maze and prevent anyone from sneaking around and doing bad things.

Emeric found a sheltered spot to sit; since there was a big screen to watch on, it didn't matter where he sat. Galian sat next to him, with a small coffee table between them, laden with a large pot of hot tea and a pile of snacks.

As Crouch's voice faded, Harry and Crom entered the maze first, separating at the entrance. Harry gripped his wand tightly, wary of any monsters that might suddenly appear. The protective gem Emeric had given him was in his sleeve; he would crush it for safety should he encounter any danger he couldn't handle.

The four large screens outside the arena split into smaller sections, displaying the entire maze. Emeric stared at the screen in the lower right corner, where Harry was fighting with the Blasttail. He was somewhat gloating, because the Blasttail smelled particularly strong; he figured it would take washing off its skin to get it clean.

When Emeric saw the Dementors, he calmly sipped his tea. He had previously given Harry special training with the Patronus Charm, and if Harry were attacked, Severus would deduct 20 points from his score.

Lily, watching from a distance, seemed a little nervous. When she saw that Harry's Patronus was a stag, she was momentarily stunned. Then she slightly turned her gaze to Severus, because no one else could bring themselves to teach Harry.

Harry appears in the upper left corner of the screen, then in the upper right corner. He has explored almost the entire maze. This is what it means to have no sense of direction: you can always find your way by following one path to the end.

They met Cedric on the way, and the two set off together. Cedric, feeling he was a year older, deliberately took a half-step ahead of Harry to block his path. Harry didn't argue; he just needed to protect their backs. With their roles clearly defined, they headed towards the center of the maze.

They quickly reached the Goblet of Fire. Harry told Cedric to take it, believing Cedric could win the championship even without him. Cedric, however, thought that without Harry, he would likely have been attacked from behind and wouldn't have made it this far.

Unable to convince each other, the two agreed to share the championship, splitting the prize money and honor equally, and reached for the trophy together.