Homecoming from Hogwarts

"Oh!"

Furong clapped her hands and said excitedly,
"This is going to be much more interesting. So, can you guys tell me what you encountered?"

The situation is like this. There are four secret realms here, which should be set up for four teams. After conquering each secret realm, you should be able to get something that can melt the ice.

Therefore, they only need to choose a relatively simple challenge and focus on it.

"So who's going to share first?"

The proposal was adopted by everyone, and Victor became excited and couldn't wait to speak.

"Let's go first--"

Harry also said urgently that he really wanted to figure out how to deal with those two terrible stone giants.

Hermione did not object to Harry. She waved to everyone.

"You can follow us into the secret realm. This way we can explain it more clearly."

So everyone followed Hermione and Harry and walked towards their stone door.

There was a flash of light, and everyone appeared in the duel arena. Even Furong followed in to watch the fun.

"There are two huge stone giants there. Oh, we can go closer and take a look. As long as we don't attack it, it won't move."

Harry said, leading the group closer to the stone monster.

The slippery ice surface made it difficult for Cedric and Luna to move forward, but Viktor and Fleur seemed to be walking on flat ground.

"Oh, this is the environment where we live most of the year."

Facing Hermione's doubts, Viktor explained.

“I’m pretty good at skating.”

Furong raised her nose and said with a smile.

When the huge body of the stone monster came into view, the people who saw it for the first time gasped.

"How do you deal with them?"

Cedric asked in an awed tone.

"This stone monster has two ways of attacking. It will shoot stone eggs at the person who attacks it three times. Then it will lift up the ground and lift up a large ice block to hit the person three times. There will be a five-second interval between each attack."

Harry said, pointing to the taller wall.
"Hermione came up with an idea. We climbed up the wall. This way, the stone eggs can't attack us. And the ice blocks are not difficult to dodge. We just need to pay attention to its movements."

"Then how did you fail?"

Fleur asked curiously.

"We did defeat a stone monster."

Harry frowned and said in confusion,

"But the stone monster quickly recovered and went into a frenzy. In this state, it would continuously lift up the ground and smash people with ice without stopping. After recovering, it began to move, whereas before that it would stay in the same place."

Everyone imagined the terrifying situation when the stone monster entered a violent state, and they all shuddered involuntarily.

"Is there a possibility?"

Victor frowned and said slowly,

"You need to deal with two stone monsters at the same time. I mean, defeat them at the same time?"

Harry's eyes immediately widened with an expression of sudden realization.

"After the failure I just experienced, I did think of this possibility"

Hermione's expression was not surprised. She pursed her lips and her eyes were filled with sorrow.

"Defeat them at the same time. This means that Harry and I need to deal with one each. Considering that we also need to avoid stone eggs and ice cubes, the time left for us to attack will be reduced, and the consumption of magic power will increase. I'm afraid it will be difficult to deal with them within the time it takes to replenish our warmth."

Everyone nodded, agreeing with Hermione.

Victor, on the other hand, took a careful look at the two stone monsters located on the left and right sides of the central axis, with a thoughtful expression.

"So--"

After a while, Victor let out a sigh.
"Go check my level."

Everyone then came to the secret place chosen by Victor.

The teleportation stone gate brought them to a rugged mountain area covered in snow and wind.

Between a pile of rugged rocks and tall cedars, there is a circular area covered with flat stone bricks with a diameter of about fifty feet. There are also several winding mountain roads connecting the square on one side and going deep into the haze filled with wind and snow on the other side.

In the center of the area is a circular stone platform, and in the center of the stone is a lighthouse slightly taller than Cedric, with a lit candlestick on top.

"Oh, don't go!"

Curious Harry wanted to climb the stone platform to take a closer look at the lighthouse, but was pulled back by Victor, "Just climb up the stone platform and they will appear!"

"What are they?" Harry's eyes widened. "What are they?"

"Everything!"

Victor said angrily,

"House-elves, goblins, centaurs, werewolves. Oh, and some that I'm not sure if they're vampires."

Seeing everyone's astonished eyes, Victor hurriedly explained,

"Oh, they're not real. I mean, they're all moving ice sculptures created by Transfiguration. They appear from these paths around the square, in waves, and in increasing numbers!"

"What did they do?"

Fleur asked with interest.

"They will attack the lighthouse."

Victor's eyes were sinister and his tone was depressed.

"As long as the lighthouse collapses completely, the challenge will be considered a failure, the stone platform will sink into the ground, and you will have to wait five minutes before the next challenge can be carried out."

"It seems that you are asked to protect the lighthouse?"

Cedric gave his own judgment.

"That's right--"

Victor nodded.

"But as long as you attack those ice sculptures, just wait and see, they will immediately split some of them to deal with you. Their attack methods are varied. Believe me, it will definitely not be pleasant!"

"But, what does it take to win?"

Hermione asked, frowning.

Victor shook his head, but pointed to the half-burnt candle in the candlestick on the lighthouse.

"I haven't succeeded but I guess, since the challenge began, I have to wait until the candle burns down properly."

Victor then described to everyone the endless number and frequency of the attacking ice sculptures, which made everyone feel a toothache.

There is no doubt that this challenge is absolutely impossible to accomplish by one person alone, and it requires the cooperation of several people. Unfortunately, Viktor is the only one left in Durmstrang. No wonder he would take the initiative to seek cooperation.

"Well, now it's our turn."

Cedric sighed.

The group hurriedly changed the scene again and came to the secret place that tortured Cedric and Luna to the point of ecstasy.

After entering the stone gate, a stone pillar carved with lions, badgers, eagles and snakes first appeared in front of everyone. Floating above the stone pillar was an orange ball of light the size of a basketball.

"I heard that when Professor Blaine was substituting for Professor Lupin in the Defense Against the Dark Arts class last year, when the professor was fighting against Hinckley Punk, he asked you to use a small boat, right?"

Cedric asked Harry and Hermione, and after receiving their affirmative answers, he sighed and pointed to the boat parked on the lake shore behind the stone pillar.
"I think that's it."

They were now at the lakeside. The sky was dark as if it was night, and the lake was also shrouded in darkness. The lighting came entirely from a ball of cyan light suspended on the surface of the lake in front of them, whose outlines were unknown.

This blue light ball appeared at regular intervals, extending to the distance beyond their sight, like a perfectly winding glowing path.

"What do you need to do?"

Harry looked at Luna.

"Oh, that's actually quite interesting!"

Luna said in a brisk voice,

"When we touch the orange light on this pillar, it will float into the lake, and all we have to do is follow it."

"This orange ball of light will move along a fixed route, here—"

Cedric pointed at the cyan light ball that was swaying slightly in the air.

"We have to keep up with the orange light. If we are too far away we will fail. I think the distance is about thirty feet."

"What happens if you fail?"

Harry listened intently.

"The orange light ball will return to the stone pillar, and the ship will automatically return."

Cedric said, noticing Harry's hesitant expression, and smiled weakly.

"It doesn't sound too difficult, right? It's not a big deal to consume magic power to move the boat forward, but if you encounter whirlpools, crosswinds, and attacks from underwater creatures on the way forward, believe me, Harry, it's not a pleasant experience to fall into the water in this kind of weather." (End of this chapter)