HP: The Dropout Who Saved the World

The final task of the Triwizard Tournament was soon on the agenda.

Yawning and with dark circles under her eyes, Jane Yu arrived at the Quidditch pitch to join the champions, only to find it had been transformed into a maze. It was tightly enclosed with hedges, appearing as a stretch of deep green twenty feet high from the outside.

"Go, Yu!" "Take first place, beat them!"...

Even though they knew they were about to watch another match where nothing could be seen, the students' enthusiasm still ignited the scene.

Facing the cheers from Daphne and a group of Slytherins in the stands, Jane Yu regretted that she probably couldn't fulfill their wishes.

She had already devised a speedrun plan. As she had thought before, once she entered the maze and reached the required time, she would fire sparks and be carried out.

By then, Harry would surely be able to showcase his prowess and win the championship under the protagonist's halo!

This would also forcibly bring the plot back to an important step in this book.

She smiled, satisfied as she looked at the champions, but then noticed something amiss—

Her two Hogwarts companions looked like two salted fish, one already marinated to perfection, the other fully covered in salt.

Harry's face showed a big "gloom," looking sullen and dejected; Cedric also appeared quite tired, leaning against the maze's hedge.

What on earth happened to them?

Were they, like her, not getting enough sleep? Why did they both have a look of being utterly exhausted?

Jane Yu looked puzzled, then turned her gaze to the other two.

What she saw shocked her—Durmstrang's champion, Krum, looked like an angry salted fish.

His face was as dark as could be, his demeanor expressing immense displeasure, with a low-pressure aura swirling around him, as if he could explode and hit someone at any moment.

Only Fleur seemed to have a decent spirit, but due to nervousness, her expression wasn't very pleasant either.

What on earth happened to these salted fish... these people?

Faced with the glaring question in her eyes, Harry soon provided an answer:

"Uh... Yu, although I think you probably don't care about these... given your grades... but for us..."

He looked even more dejected, exuding a sense of despair:

"Originally, champions didn't have to take final exams... but now, because the tournament was moved up... we have to..."

At this, Cedric's expression also turned sour, and he said with a wry smile:

"And those group assignments, originally champions could extend the submission time to the end of the term... but now..."

"Although I don't want to complain, I had to finish my part yesterday... even though my teammates gave a lot of help... but..."

Jane Yu's smile vanished, and she joined the ranks of the salted fish.

After being disturbed by mermaids for days, her sleep and biological clock were still not adjusted.

And knowing she had to take finals and submit group assignments early only made her situation worse.

A wave of fatigue suddenly surged through her, making her want to return to her dormitory and sleep.

For a moment, the atmosphere among the champions was filled with the melancholy of living fish and the resignation of dead fish.

"As for Krum..." Harry glanced at him sympathetically and whispered, "Headmaster Karkaroff suddenly ran away."

Even though he tried to keep his voice low, Krum's sharp ears caught it, and he shot a fierce look.

Harry's forehead broke out in sweat, and he looked resigned, thinking he was about to get beaten.

Seeing Krum's expression as if he wanted to eat someone and his clenched fists, Jane Yu couldn't help but feel a bit nervous for him.

But to her surprise—

"That irresponsible person!" Krum growled softly, clenching and unclenching his fists, "He suddenly claimed to be sick and resigned, leaving all the students in Britain before the Triwizard Tournament even ended!"

He didn't seem at all angry at being exposed, all his fury directed at the fleeing Karkaroff:

"There's one less judge for the tournament, and we have to sail back to Durmstrang ourselves... even though he never did anything, just made us work!"

His fists made cracking sounds, and his words remained straightforward:

"If he stood in front of me, I'd definitely punch him!"

Jane Yu was a bit surprised.

If she remembered correctly, Karkaroff was a former Death Eater?

Suddenly claiming illness and fleeing, perhaps he sensed something unusual?

"Ahem." Bagman, looking awkward, stood in front of the champions with Minister Fudge, interrupting Krum's words. "Due to a small emergency, Headmaster Karkaroff has handed over his judging position to Minister Fudge."

Compared to the last time they met, Fudge looked thinner. The suit that used to fit him snugly now had room for his limbs to move, his face like a rock under cloudy skies, showing a stubborn and gloomy expression.

He nodded casually, fiddling with his untied tie.

Several professors also joined them, their faces showing a bit of unease that Jane Yu could sense. Professor McGonagall spoke:

"We will be outside the maze. Ten minutes after you enter... you can fire red sparks."

"We will come in to help you, but that also means your match is over."

"We've set the trophy as a Portkey. The first person to touch the trophy will be transported back in front of the audience."

Jane Yu found it hard to describe her expression. It was more like a hope that "this whole farce ends soon" rather than encouragement.

"Perhaps we shouldn't participate! Knowing we're facing such dangers!" Professor Moody's shout suddenly rang out. Due to his nervousness, his mental illness seemed to flare up again. "At this critical moment! Damn it! Why are we still holding the tournament—"

Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick escorted him away from both sides, but his words cast a shadow over the hearts of the champions present.

Jane Yu realized that perhaps something related to Voldemort was happening that she didn't know about.

"Good luck to you all." Bagman said hastily, "Yu Jane, you're first."

"Oh, I almost forgot." He slapped his forehead, "Headmaster Dumbledore wanted me to tell you that the Fire-Making Spell is ineffective in the maze."

The champions looked at each other in confusion.

They didn't understand why this rule suddenly appeared.

Innocently caught in the crossfire, Jane Yu pouted.

Why be so petty, targeting her specifically?

Besides, her goal was different from others!

Moreover, she's not stupid. Setting a fire in a maze without barriers, what if she and the other champions were all wiped out?

Did this extra rule have any use at all?

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