chsdbacks Chapter 198 Unity of Knowledge and Action 1 A Mind as Clear as a Mirror
Chapter 198 Unity of Knowledge and Action 1 A Mind as Clear as a Mirror
Chapter 199 (6.2k long chapter): Unity of Knowledge and Action, a Mind as Clear as a Mirror
Picking up where we left off, Maxim, though criticizing Dumbledore, had eyes like steel needles, piercing straight at Harry.
Dumbledore smiled and said, "Does Harry have a problem, Mrs. Maxime?"
"A knife, a magic glove, and a magic bracer." Maxim crossed his arms and pointed at Harry, saying, "There are three items that are clearly visible."
"I don't recall any of the tournament rules saying that weapons other than wands could be used!"
Before Dumbledore could speak, Harry stepped forward and shouted, "What's all the fuss about!"
"These weapons have been with me ever since I entered this family, never leaving my side even in my bed. How is that a taboo?"
"Once we step onto the arena, we'll dismantle them all and let the magic wand be the true test!"
These words were quite forceful, and Maxim's expression softened slightly. He snorted and gave his consent.
But the wind wouldn't stop blowing, and Karkaroff took out a book from his pocket—Hogwarts and the Chamber of Secrets.
"That's not enough."
"My student gave me this book a few days ago. It says that Harry Potter's left arm contains a deadly poison, which can be considered a weapon other than a wand."
Harry didn't reply, and immediately took off his black gloves. Without turning around, he slammed his hand against the stone wall beside him.
No sooner said than done, a stream of dark green poisonous mist burst forth from his palm, condensing into a palm print the size of a winnowing basket, which slammed into the stone wall.
The poisonous palm melted upon contact with anything, silently spreading out and instantly creating a translucent hole in the wall. The surrounding bricks and stones still hissed and crackled as pus dripped down.
Harry then rolled up his sleeves, beckoned to Karkaroff repeatedly, and sneered:
"Come and get it! Come and get it! I'll see how you, you scoundrel, handle the snake monster's venom!"
Upon hearing the name "basilisk monster," Maxim's expression shifted repeatedly.
Karkarov was so shocked that his face turned ashen. He hurriedly flipped open the book in his hand, glanced at it for a moment, and then retreated several feet by stepping backwards in a seven-star formation.
She then put on a warm smile and gently advised, "Never mind what I said, Mr. Potter, you should put your gloves on now."
"It would be bad if innocent people were affected."
Maxim, ever the opportunist, had long since abandoned any notion of "fairness" and hastily chimed in:
"In fact, an arm is part of the human body and cannot be considered a weapon."
Both men were filled with apprehension, fearing that the scarred man might suddenly lose his temper and unleash the venomous snake, causing a devastating destruction.
Observing his actions these days, this fellow is truly capable of such a suicidal act.
He immediately put on a smiling face and comforted Harry with kind words for a while before Harry's expression gradually softened.
At this moment, Ollivander approached shakily, looked around, and said with a smile, "So, who would like to go first?"
Cedric glanced at Harry out of the corner of his eye, then strode forward. "Check mine first, Mr. Ollivander."
"Ah, this is my creation." Ollivander took the staff and exclaimed cheerfully, "The core is made from the tail hair of a male unicorn, isn't it?"
He flicked his wrist and shook it lightly, and a perfectly round smoke ring suddenly shot out from the tip of his cane, rising into the air.
Ollivander nodded in satisfaction and returned the wand.
Krum strode forward and handed over an ebony staff. Ollivander examined it intently, then suddenly his features contorted in a grimace.
"Tsk...Grigorich's work..."
"Hornet wood contains the tendons of a dragon's heart, tsk tsk tsk..."
"Flocks of birds!"
He suddenly shouted, and the magic wand immediately exploded with a thunderous sound, like a musket exploding, and the tip of the wand shot out a multitude of birds that flew through the room and out the window.
Without Ollivander saying a word, everyone could see that the staff was unharmed.
"Please take a look at mine." Before Ollivander could return the wand, Fleur gracefully stood up and presented her wand with both hands.
Ollivander fiddled with it for a moment, then his expression suddenly froze, and he exclaimed in surprise, "My God, the core of your staff is—"
Before he could finish speaking, Furong readily replied, "That's right, that's my grandmother's hair."
Harry, who was overhearing this, was startled and blurted out, "Human hair can be used as a wand core?"
"Oh, Mr. Potter, wizard hair isn't very good at conducting magic—in fact, no part of the human body is suitable as a wand material."
Ollivander glanced at Fleur, a hint of hesitation in his voice, "It's just Miss Delacour's grandmother..."
Fleur didn't flinch, looking Harry straight in the eye. "My grandmother is a Veela."
"Ah! That's right. There's a bond of family in this strand of hair."
Harry was secretly startled, thinking to himself: This old man Delacour is quite the scoundrel, he even dares to lay hands on those magical creatures, could it be that he has a particular taste for them?
Just as he was pondering this, Ollivander suddenly stretched out his hand. "Your turn, Mr. Potter."
Harry didn't hesitate and handed over his wand.
Ollivander examined the wands with unusual care, taking an extra half an incense stick's time compared to when he had previously examined the three wands.
Finally, he lightly twirled his wand, conjuring a glass of amber wine out of thin air, before returning the wand to the user.
"Very excellent, but you need to take care of it."
"Every wand has its own little temper. If it feels neglected, it may not be able to unleash its full power."
Harry burst into laughter. "Sir, you worry too much! So what if this stick breaks? I'm covered in treasures to subdue dragons and tigers!"
As he spoke, he began to demonstrate the sword at his waist.
As Ollivander watched him exert all his strength, his eyes twitching wildly, his chest heaving like a bellows, he felt dizzy and his body swayed twice before he almost collapsed.
Dumbledore had already sensed something was wrong, so he quickly took out a potion from his sleeve and helped the old craftsman drink two mouthfuls.
Ollivander grunted twice, and his face gradually regained its color.
"Mr. Potter! I seem to recall telling you that a wizard only needs a wand!"
"Look...look at all! What are all these?!"
"You scumbag! How dare you use your magic wand!"
Harry was annoyed when he heard him bring up these outdated rules again, and simply waved his hand dismissively.
"I clearly asked you to forge a staff in the first place. If you had complied with my wish earlier, why would I have needed to go to that demon to forge a knife?"
Ollivander's anger intensified at the mention of fairies.
"That damned, despicable, cunning vixen! She actually opened an arms shop in Diagon Alley!"
"Still right across from me!"
Do you know what his tagline is? A good wand deserves a good weapon!
"Good heavens!" Ollivander cried out, raising his arms to the sky, "Are we really living in the twentieth century?!"
"If you ask me, we should just replace the wooden wands with bone wands, which have lower magic transfer efficiency, are more uncomfortable to hold, and are heavier!"
Ollivander grew increasingly agitated, but Dumbledore gently comforted him:
"Oh, my dear Ollivander, you're talking about something from before the Middle Ages; that's a wand from the Classical period."
After much persuasion, Dumbledore finally managed to get the old craftsman to leave. He then turned to Rita and said cheerfully, "Miss Rita, would you please take a picture of these four warriors together?"
Upon hearing the instructions, Rita quickly picked up her camera.
Maxim and Karkarov began arguing over who should be in the center, neither willing to give in, and the quarrel grew increasingly loud.
Seeing this, Ludo quickly stepped forward to mediate. After much deliberation, the three finally reached an agreement.
Teacher Fleur sat upright in the chair, with Krum, Harry, and Cedric, the three heroes, lined up behind her from left to right.
Furong turned around and looked at the three men behind her, feeling a sense of unease.
Rita shouted that she was going to press the trigger, and Furong immediately turned her head and straightened her back.
After the photo was taken, everyone scattered like startled birds in the forest, each going their own way.
Seeing that no one was around, Lockhart took out the item Rita had given him earlier from his sleeve—a note.
After finishing reading, his expression shifted between light and shadow. He hesitated for a few moments, then stealthily made his way to the Gryffindor Tower.
Upon reaching the top of the tower, instead of entering the lounge, they climbed the suspended ladder and flipped over, landing right on the eaves of the main castle.
But then he glanced down, his legs trembling, hurriedly shrank back, crouched down, and took three or four steps before finally calling out:
"Rita, I'm here."
"Aren't you going to come out?"
Before he could finish speaking, he suddenly felt a chill down his spine as something sharp pressed against his back.
Then a series of sweet, cloying laughs drifted into my ears.
"Don't move, Gilderoy, I can't guarantee what kind of spell my wand will cast."
Lockhart hurriedly raised his hands above his head, allowing Narita to search him thoroughly, her wand already snatched from his waist.
He licked his lips. "Rita, why don't we meet at the Leaky Cauldron and chat over drinks?"
"There are quite a few people in the bar, aren't you afraid of letting something slip?" Rita turned to face him, saying smugly, "My dear Master of the Oblivion Charm, Mr. Lockhart."
Seeing that he had nowhere to retreat, Lockhart swallowed hard for a long time before finally pleading:
"Please let me go."
Rita covered her mouth with her hand, giggling incessantly, her words like honey laced with poison, "How do you expect me to let you go, Gilderoy?"
Lockhart looked up and sighed, letting the cold wind tousle his blond hair, and said wistfully:
"I didn't have a choice before, but now I want to be a good wizard."
Rita's face darkened instantly upon hearing this utter nonsense, and all her previous sweet talk vanished.
"You didn't have a choice before?! How dare you say that!"
"Did someone force you to steal someone else's deeds? Did someone force you to fabricate stories? Did someone force you to teach at Hogwarts?"
With each question she posed, she pushed him further, until Lockhart was practically glued to the roof, speechless.
She suddenly took a deep breath, a rosy smile spreading across her face, and lightly traced the Merlin Order badge on his chest with her fingernails.
"Let's do it the way we always have. You continue to build your glorious legacy, with the Daily Prophet promoting you, while you hand over the inside information you've gathered to me. How about that?"
"Gidero, how about I let you and I—no! I'll make you and me create a lifetime of big news, okay?"
Lockhart's Adam's apple bobbed several times, and after a long pause, he finally stammered, "But...hasn't this been how it's been for most of my life...?"
"No way! It's a lifetime! Even a year, a month, a day, or an hour less, it's not a lifetime!"
"And you haven't given me any inside information about Hogwarts for over a year!"
Seeing Rita acting like a mad tiger, Lockhart sighed, "Rita, you're really getting crazier and crazier."
He placed his hands on Rita's shoulders and said sincerely, "When you were fabricating things, did you ever think that you were originally just a little girl who wanted to become a famous reporter?"
As the saying goes: "Courtesy first, then force." Seeing that her gentle words had failed, Rita immediately dropped all the sorrowful expression on her face, a cold glint flashing in her eyes, and said in a sinister tone:
"You think you can clear your name by clinging to Potter? What if he knew what you'd done before..."
Lockhart shrugged. "Actually, Harry already knew."
Upon hearing this, Rita was taken aback at first, then her eyes lit up with surprise.
"He can even accept a conman like you?!"
Lockhart's heart skipped a beat; he knew something was wrong and quickly cried out, "Miss Skeeter, don't do anything rash! Harry was telling me just a few days ago that he wanted to go to the newspaper office and kill you!"
"Ha! I think you're just afraid I'll take your place!"
Rita shouted as she took two steps back in three quick steps.
Lockhart hurriedly caught up, his shoes scraping against the roof, and said anxiously:
"Okay! I'll create big news with you for the rest of my life, alright?"
"Let's talk this out—don't force me to report you to the Ministry of Magic as an illegal Animagus!"
However, Rita had no intention of continuing the argument. She threw his wand down from the beam and leaped into the air.
A flash of white light appeared, and the figure transformed into a beetle, flapping its wings as if to fly away.
Just then, Lockhart suddenly raised a finger and shouted, "Forget everything!"
The curse landed squarely on the beetle, which swayed three times in mid-air before plummeting to the ground.
When it landed, Rita's true form appeared. She sat there blankly, as if she had lost her soul.
Lockhart cautiously stepped forward, placed his index finger on Rita's forehead, and used all his skills to make her forget everything that had ever happened between them.
Then, she planted a false memory deep in her mind, making her firmly believe that someone as filthy and despicable as herself would never be worthy of the discerning eye of the upright and honest Harry Potter.
After casting the spell, Lockhart finally felt relieved and shakily withdrew his finger.
Looking at Rita, whose eyes were lifeless, he suddenly grinned, raised his index finger high into the sky, and burst into laughter.
"Ha! I knew I could master staffless spellcasting!"
"I, Lockhart, am a genius!"
Poems as proof:
He was once known far and wide for his incompetence, but now he casts spells without a staff.
Mo is very much by Porter's side, while Xi Jinping is three parts upright and righteous.
After examining the wand, Harry put all the troubles, including the undead Moody and the three-way conspiracy, out of his mind.
He practiced diligently every day to prepare for the three-way championship.
He had previously said that this competition was not particularly dangerous and was quite boring. But if he really lost, wouldn't he be ridiculed by the heroes of the martial arts world? He couldn't afford to lose face as the top dog.
Hagrid seemed to have read his mind, and about a week before the first competition, he suddenly sent a secret letter through Snow White.
The letter instructed him to meet at the hut at 1:45 AM to show him something important. It also repeatedly emphasized that this was a confidential matter and must not be leaked.
In the past, Harry would have definitely called Ron and Hermione to come along. But now that the Invisibility Cloak had become part of his blood, there was no longer any way for the two of them to hide.
That night, Harry dressed himself up, concealed his presence, and headed alone through the moonlight towards Hagrid's residence.
Upon arriving at the house, Harry didn't go through the door; instead, he leaped through the window like a hawk darting through the forest.
He then revealed himself, clasped his hands in a respectful greeting, and said, "I am late, please forgive me, brother."
Hagrid's guard lifted when he saw Harry, and the iron hammer in his hand slammed to the ground with a thud.
"Harry, you really startled me. Next time, just knock."
After quickly finishing their preparations, they instructed Harry to conceal himself, and the two quietly exited through the front door.
Hagrid, carrying the dynamite lamp, led the way, meandering along the edge of the Forbidden Forest.
Before he had taken more than ten steps, he suddenly heard a shout from behind: "Lu Bo, where are you going?"
The two turned around quickly, only to find that Maxim was already standing a few feet away. His imposing figure was as silent as a ghost, and they didn't know what kind of stealth technique he had used.
Hagrid and Maxim were both half-giants, so they should have been close.
To everyone's surprise, Hagrid's expression tightened, and he took three steps back, saying in a muffled voice:
"Good evening, Mrs. Maxim. What can I do for you?"
"Ah, I just had some trouble sleeping." Maxim moved gracefully, smiling, and said, "The same goes for you? Want to take a walk together?"
This woman was indeed very skillful; her every word and smile exuded a thousand charms. Harry, hidden in the shadows, watched with great interest.
Just as they were about to see the three of them together, they noticed that Hagrid remained wary.
"I'm sorry, Mrs. Maxim, but I have some rather private matters to attend to."
"If you have trouble sleeping, I do have some sleeping pills here."
Seeing that he kept refusing and couldn't let go of his principal status, Maxim found an excuse and turned away.
After Maxim left, Harry crossed his arms and laughed, "Brother, you're so clueless! A beautiful woman by your side is far better than me, a reckless man. Why are you making excuses?"
Hagrid puffed out his cheeks and spat, "She just wants to get information out of me."
"Would I fall for a woman's tricks?"
The two walked along the edge of the Forbidden Forest, chatting and laughing. Harry asked several times where they were going, but Hagrid just pretended to be mysterious.
After traveling for a long time, they suddenly saw flames shooting into the sky ahead, turning half the sky crimson.
Upon closer inspection, what a commotion!
It turned out that the four fire dragons were bound by iron chains as thick as an arm, and were howling lewdly at a free female dragon not far away.
This mother dragon isn't Norbeta, but which one?
The girl tilted her head to examine her fellow dragons, which caused a great stir among them.
A dozen or so dragon tamers stood around, each holding a magic wand, as if facing a formidable enemy, fearing that the beasts might wreak havoc.
Harry was puzzled and asked, "How did Norbert get here?"
"She's grown into a young woman," Hagrid said, rubbing his nose. "You have no idea how strong her urine stench is now; even Blasttails avoid her."
Harry felt as if he had been enlightened by these words.
He found a small earthen slope, squatted down, put his hands in his sleeves, and clicked his tongue, saying, "Brother, how elegant! You called me in the middle of the night to watch this dragon pairing business."
"No wonder Maxim wasn't invited along; few women would find it acceptable."
Upon hearing this, Hagrid nearly choked on his own saliva and waved his hands repeatedly, saying:
"Oh! Harry, you misunderstood. I wanted to call you to watch the first event of the Triwizard Tournament!"
Harry was taken aback for a moment, then frowned, while Hagrid continued to chatter on and on.
"You know, although I don't have a certificate, I can definitely be called a master when it comes to raising dragons."
After a long pause, seeing that Harry hadn't uttered a word, Hagrid's heart tightened, and he called out:
"Harry?"
Harry sighed and patted Hagrid on the back. "My brother really screwed me over."
"I act with integrity and uprightness; I wouldn't be afraid even if ghosts knocked on my door at night. If word gets out that you're secretly communicating with me, won't I become a laughingstock among all the heroes of the world?"
Hagrid paused for a moment, then said, "But Harry, dragons are very dangerous creatures."
"Even in death, one must die honorably!"
Hagrid, upon hearing this, was speechless. After a long while, he took off his felt hat, scratched his bald head, and said dejectedly:
"Sorry, Harry, you're right, I was being petty."
Seeing his expression, Harry laughed and said, "Brother, you're mistaken! As the ancients said, even heroes can't resist the charms of a beautiful woman. If you were to do this for me, you would see beauties as mere skeletons, which is exactly what a hero does."
"Distinguishing between close and distant relatives is in accordance with the Five Relationships; how can it be considered petty? None of us are saints or sages; who can be without fault?"
These words gradually dispelled the frown on Hagrid's brow, and the burly man suddenly became serious and said:
"I'm sorry, Harry, this is my fault. I will explain it to Professor Dumbledore and the organizers."
Harry waved his hand and said, "How could I not know my brother's good intentions? How could I let you suffer?"
"Don't worry, I have my own plans."
Seeing that he said this, Hagrid stopped talking, and the two turned and left.
After walking a few steps, they saw a dark figure peeking out from the shadows; it was none other than Karkarov.
Harry shook his head inwardly and sighed: "They talk about fairness and justice all the time, but they're only interested in worldly fame and fortune. It's really disgraceful."
They pretended not to see each other and went off with Hagrid under the moonlight.
The next day, before dawn, Harry was about to go find Dumbledore when Colin came running up to deliver a message that the headmaster had invited him.
The two ideas collided, and Harry didn't refuse, so he followed him to the foyer.
Upon arriving at the small room where the wands were examined, they saw five judges sitting in a row, and three warriors standing in order.
Five pairs of eyes, like eagles and falcons, surrounded him, but the scarred man was not intimidated. He dragged over a chair, sat down, and leaned back, saying:
"Why have you summoned me here?"
His sudden change of heart surprised everyone in the upper seats, and even the warriors in the lower seats were stunned.
Crouch straightened his robes and said in a deep voice, "Mrs. Maxim believes that the content of the first event of the Triwizard Tournament has been leaked. According to the rules, the referees need to question the warriors."
Harry realized that Maxim had never figured out what the first project was about, and guessed that some other warrior must have figured it out, so he wanted to drag everyone into the water.
Nakarov glanced at her sideways, grinning with a mouthful of yellow teeth, and said, "Your paranoia seems to rival Moody's, Maxim."
"Aren't you confident in the secrecy surrounding the Triwizard Tournament?"
Maxim scoffed. "What's your problem, Karkaroff?"
"Of course not, it's just..." Karkaroff leaned closer and whispered, "Who would be willing to tell the truth? Warriors aren't fools."
"Alright, alright, let's get down to business," Ludo gruffly called out. "So, you four warriors, does any of you really know the details of the first task?"
"Please rest assured, we will not use any methods to manipulate your mind, and of course, truth serum is also prohibited..."
Before the other three could react, Harry stepped forward and answered:
"Excellent! The first project I know of is slaying a dragon!"
"As the saying goes, 'If the source is muddy, the whole pond will never be clear.' Now that the secret has been revealed, the content of this opening competition must be changed!"
The saying goes: A hero's actions are as clear as the bright sun; his courage and integrity are as radiant as the moon in the sky. He doesn't learn from those who deceive in secret, but chooses to be upright and honest; after all, his reputation spreads throughout the martial world, and the Scarface Gentleman's character is truly admirable. To find out what happens next, please read the next chapter.
(End of this chapter)