"Gathering in the hospital wing in the middle of the night… someone must have been injured," Sean muttered while studying the Marauder's Map.
At that moment in the hospital wing, Mick was lying on a bed with his left arm wrapped in bandages. Fresh blood was soaking through the white cloth.
"That was reckless. What exactly were you trying to do?" Dumbledore demanded sternly.
"You're lucky Firenze brought you back and handed you over to us," Hagrid said, still shaken. "Otherwise you would've died in the Forbidden Forest."
Mick had been struck by an arrow. His face was pale, and his lips were completely drained of color. He looked extremely weak.
Dumbledore had entrusted the scepter to the centaurs for safekeeping and warned them that no one—except himself—was allowed to approach their territory to retrieve it.
Not even Hagrid.
Tonight, Mick had entered the centaurs' territory without permission.
Although Firenze recognized him, he still honored his agreement with Dumbledore.
The centaurs fired an arrow as a warning.
But Mick ignored it and tried to force his way through.
The result was an arrow wound and a humiliating return—carried over Firenze's shoulder back to Hagrid's hut.
The centaur arrows were coated with a special poison. Once it entered the body, it would slowly erode the victim's magical power.
Fortunately, Hagrid managed to obtain an antidote from the centaurs.
Otherwise, the consequences would have been disastrous.
"I don't trust leaving the scepter there," Mick said weakly. "I need to take it back."
"Are you joking?" Snape snapped mercilessly. "You were nearly killed by the centaurs, yet you're still worried about its safety? You think the scepter would be safer with you than with them?"
"I still stand by my judgment," Mick insisted stubbornly.
Snape's eyes narrowed like a venomous snake.
"Were you the one who entered the Forbidden Forest last night?"
"No," Mick replied immediately. "Which is why I say the scepter isn't safe with the centaurs."
Snape said nothing more. He simply flicked his sleeve and left the hospital wing.
"Listen, my boy," Dumbledore said gently, his tone softening. "If something happened, you can tell me."
Mick shook his head.
"My instincts tell me the scepter isn't safe there."
"Firenze has already confirmed that both the scepter and Fluffy are unharmed," Dumbledore replied calmly. "You should try to relax."
But Mick remained unconvinced.
Even with the facts in front of him, he refused to let go of his suspicion.
He still believed the centaurs could not protect the scepter.
"Professor McGonagall, Madam Pomfrey," Dumbledore said, "I'm afraid you'll need to watch over him tonight."
Normally, Madam Pomfrey alone would be enough to care for a patient.
But Dumbledore had deliberately asked McGonagall to stay as well.
Clearly, he wanted someone to keep an eye on Mick in case he tried something reckless again.
Sean watched as Snape, Hagrid, and Dumbledore left the hospital wing on the map.
Although he was extremely curious about what had happened, the most obvious conclusion was that Mick had been injured.
With McGonagall guarding the hospital wing, sneaking over to investigate was no longer an option.
"Forget it," Sean muttered. "I'll ask Hagrid tomorrow."
To Sean, Hagrid had practically become a walking intelligence source.
And a free one at that.
Sure enough, the next afternoon Sean managed to get the information out of Hagrid without much effort.
"I think Professor Snape's suspicion makes sense," Sean said thoughtfully. "What if Mick tried to steal the scepter himself? The first time he got away with it, and the second time he got caught."
"'Steal'? That's not a very fair way to put it," Hagrid said with a frown.
Sean froze.
Then he realized that Hagrid himself was one of the guards.
By accusing Mick, he had indirectly accused Hagrid as well.
"Sorry, Hagrid," Sean said quickly. "I didn't mean it like that."
"Mick would never do something like that," Hagrid said firmly. "He and Quintus risked their lives bringing that thing to Hogwarts. If he wanted the scepter, he could've taken it during the journey."
Sean fell silent.
Hagrid had a point.
But if that was true, then someone else must have entered the Forbidden Forest the first time.
And Mick's anxiety about the scepter being stolen would make sense.
More than two months had passed since Sean applied for a Time-Turner.
The Ministry of Magic still hadn't given any response.
Instead of a Time-Turner, the next thing that arrived was the second event of the tournament.
On December 15th, the second match of the Four-School Friendship Tournament began at the Quidditch pitch.
Since the participants for this event were submitted to the referee at the last moment, no one knew who their opponent would be.
Because of this, the second event was also known as the Battle of Luck.
Hogwarts' participants had already been decided long ago.
First round: Zach.
Second round: Penelope.
Third round: Percy.
The rule was simple.
Within ten minutes, contestants had to either knock the opponent's wand away or render them incapable of fighting.
The second and third events used a knockout system.
Two teams would face off. The team with the lower score would be eliminated.
Then the two eliminated teams would compete again.
The loser of that match would take fourth place and enter the Valley Forest last.
The remaining three teams would continue competing under the same elimination system until first, second, and third place were determined.
Before the second event began, the professors drew lots to determine the matchups.
Professor McGonagall returned to the Hogwarts tent with a piece of parchment in her hand.
"Professor, which team is it?" Charlie asked nervously.
McGonagall held up the parchment she had drawn from Crouch's bag and handed it to him.
Under the gaze of the other five teammates, Charlie slowly unfolded it.
"Ilvermorny," he read aloud.
"Our opponent is Ilvermorny!"
"Ilvermorny, huh," Sean said thoughtfully. "Dean Winchester already competed in the first event. The ones we really need to watch are the Daywalker, Craven, and their captain, Egilbert Fontana."
"I think those two will definitely be saved for the team battle in the third event," Theo said, stroking his chin.
Although the second event's matchups were based entirely on luck, the fights themselves were anything but random.
Zach, Penelope, and Percy had been designated for this event since September.
The professors had trained them individually ever since.
Even if their strength couldn't improve dramatically in a short time, they had learned many practical combat techniques and strategies.
"Contestants for the first round of the second event—Hogwarts and Ilvermorny—please enter the field."
Crouch's voice boomed across the stadium through a Sonorus Charm.
"I can do this… I can do this…" Zach muttered, clenching his fists.
Seeing how nervous he was, Sean walked over and patted his shoulder.
"Relax, Zach. Think about it—your opponent might be a second-year. She's the one who should be nervous."
Zach nodded.
"You're right. If it's not the Daywalker or Fontana, I shouldn't be afraid of the others."
"Exactly. Go get them," Sean said.
Under the watchful eyes of the entire school, Zach walked slowly onto the field.
At the same time, a small figure emerged from the opposite entrance.
"Merlin's beard," someone muttered. "Did Sean bless his mouth with magic or something?"
Ilvermorny's contestant was Joanna Brady, a second-year.
A small, adorable girl.
"Zach, go easy on her!" Roger shouted from the stands.
The students around him shot him disgusted looks.
Clearly they had no respect for his shameless gallantry.
"What a character," Sean muttered helplessly.
A fifth-year Zach versus a second-year Joanna.
On paper, it looked like an easy victory.
But what happened next would leave Sean thoroughly surprised.
"So this is how the second event works…"
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