Author's note: Guys, please… if you can spare some power stones, I'd really appreciate it.

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The platform came to a steady hover in the center of the pentagon stadium, waiting for the judges to announce their final evaluation of the champions.

Moments later, the cameras zoomed in on their seats, capturing them lifting their wands and revealing their scores simultaneously for all to see. At the same time, the commentator's amplified voice echoed across the stadium, and the crowd slowly fell silent.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the first evaluation concerns the Durmstrang School of Magic. Unfortunately, Mr. Morozov had to be rescued ten times during the task, which disqualifies him from remaining a contender in this round. As such, only Mr. Victor Krum's performance will be evaluated and counted toward the school's overall score."

"But fret not, young man," the announcer continued as the cameras zoomed in on a somewhat burly boy sitting reluctantly beside a healer as he received treatment. "This does not mean you are out of the competition. In the third round, work harder and prove to the world why you were chosen as a champion for the Triwizard Tournament."

The crowd rose to their feet and offered the boy a brief round of applause. It had been a difficult challenge, everyone knew that, and he was by no means lacking in talent. He had done his best, displaying remarkable skill before the world, but unfortunately, skill alone was not enough. Luck simply had not favored him today.

"As for Mr. Victor Krum, his scores are as follows. First, twenty points shall be deducted for the two times Mr. Krum had to be rescued during the trial. Then, from the Headmaster of Hogwarts he is awarded 23 points out of 25. From the Headmistress of Beauxbatons, 22 points. From his very own dean, 24 points. And finally, from the Ministry of Magic, 21 points.

"The concluding remarks from the four judges state that it was an exceptional display of magic, preparedness, and quick thinking, especially the bold decision to strike against the competition when the opportunity arose. Although it may not have worked out as Mr. Krum intended, the panel agrees that his decision deserves recognition."

The crowd cheered, thunderous applause echoing through the stadium as the cameras zoomed in on Krum's figure atop the elevated platform at the center of the arena. His head was lowered as if deep in thought. No doubt he wasn't pleased with the final score, but the rules were the rules, and no matter how impressive his performance had been, it could not change the fact that he had been saved from danger twice.

Meanwhile, above the stadium, the sky burst into fireworks, and two large fiery characters appeared in the air for all to see, displaying the number 70, followed by Krum's name and the school he represented.

Another wave of applause rolled through the stands. On the champions' platform, Harry and Cedric remained silent as they listened, while Fleur and Elodie clicked their tongues.

After a moment, Krum raised his head and gave a simple nod, accepting the outcome. In fact, he had expected the score to be much lower and had even worried that his decision to attack might draw penalties. It turned out he had been overthinking.

"Next, the champions from Beauxbatons School of Magic, Ms. Delacour and Ms. Elodie. They successfully rescued their teammates and returned to the surface before the allotted time. Highlights of their performance include recognizing the situation early and joining forces to overcome the challenges, besting the dangerous sharks with skilled magic, and keeping their teammates safe even while under attack. The panel awards Ms. Delacour 83 points and Ms. Elodie 71 points."

"Congratulations!" the two witches exclaimed in their native language, embracing each other in celebration. But their excitement was soon cut short by the announcer's next words.

"...however, since they too had to be rescued multiple times during the task after getting too close to danger, points will be deducted accordingly for each occurrence."

After a brief pause, the commentator continued, "Therefore, the final scores for the Beauxbatons champions are as follows: 31 points for Ms. Elodie and 53 points for Ms. Delacour. Please give a round of applause for the two witches representing Beauxbatons Academy of Magic. Despite everything, they gave it their all, and it was without a doubt a brilliant display of courage, talent, and magic."

"Only 31 points? That means even our scores combined are only a little higher than Victor's final score."

"There's no use complaining now. We'll just have to be ready for him next time."

"Or we could take the initiative and gang up on him... what if we team up with the Hogwarts boys in the finals?"

The two girls switched to their native language so the others would not understand their conversation. Especially Krum. When he glanced sideways and saw the two witches murmuring to each other, he had a feeling they were saying something about him, and not in a flattering way.

"And finally, the host school of this year's tournament, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry." He continued without suspense, though his tone rose with clear excitement. "Harry Potter and Cedric Diggory demonstrated exceptional mastery of spells, strong adaptability in changing situations, and excellent overall awareness..."

"Individual highlights include Mr. Diggory's brilliant awareness and quick thinking from the very beginning. While none of the other champions chose to do so, he was the only one who attempted the task using a simple Disillusionment Charm, allowing him to successfully avoid many obstacles. After accounting for the single time he was rescued by the security team, the panel awards him 72 points."

"I thought you stayed invisible from the start?"

The crowd applauded for Cedric while the displays zoomed in on his face, showing him grinning widely as he waved at the crowd. Even when Harry leaned over and asked quietly, Cedric's expression did not change. Perhaps he had been born for the spotlight.

"It happened once. Just bad luck, nothing I could do..."

Harry chuckled and gave a small shrug. His turn was next, and he was barely keeping a straight face.

"As for Mr. Harry Potter, in recognition of his exceptional mastery of spells, especially the difficult and complex magic he executed under pressure, and considering his outstanding performance, particularly during the final moments of the competition and the sharp decisions he made, the panel has decided to award Mr. Harry Potter a total of 96 points..."

"...After deducting ten points for the one rescue during the task, the final score..." the last words were practically screamed from the bottom of the announcer's lungs, "...is 86 points."

At the same time, resounding applause erupted from the stands. Especially from the Hogwarts side, where students began throwing their hats and scarves into the air. It was the highest score so far for an individual, perhaps even in the history of the tournament for a single task.

"Fantastic!" Ron and Hermione exclaimed together, hugging the Boy Who Lived from both sides. The other champions also joined in the applause. Despite the envy in their eyes, the recognition was there without a doubt.

"Congratulations, Harry Potter. You deserve this win, I'll admit that. But in the final round, I won't let you take it so easily."

"Thanks, Victor." Harry took the hand offered by Krum and both of them subconsciously tightened their grips, their eyes meeting in a competitive staredown.

"Hey, although I'm a big fan of yours, we won't be playing nice, you hear me? You better watch your back."

"I don't normally take the initiative to provoke first, but I'll be making an exception today. Like Ron said, we will give it our all..." Hermione crossed her arms and added.

Flanking Harry, she and Ron looked ready to jump at him on the spot.

Krum gave the two a brief glance, then turned his attention back to Harry and withdrew his hand. He chuckled. "Then war it is..."

"Then war it is..." Harry repeated, a confident smirk curling on his lips.

After the final scores were announced, Hogwarts led by a wide margin in the combined standings and also claimed the highest individual score.

"The third and final task will take place at dusk on the twenty-fourth of June," the announcer concluded. "The champions will receive notice of what awaits them one month in advance. Thank you, ladies and gentlemen, for your continued support. We hope to see you all again in four months."

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Author's Note:

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