Hogwarts had reached precisely the same calculated tactical decision as the other competing teams.
Charlotte efficiently activated her terrain-detection tool, systematically assessing their immediate surrounding area with grim professional focus.
They genuinely couldn't afford wasting even a single precious second at this critical juncture.
It was officially the final day—or more accurately, strictly speaking, only approximately half a standard day remained before conclusion.
The genuinely decisive moment was this final morning period. By lunchtime, all surviving contestants would be systematically led out of the Forbidden Forest regardless of combat status.
If teams weren't completely wiped out through total elimination, ultimate victory would be awarded to whichever delegation possessed the highest accumulated point tally.
After confirming a rough directional bearing, Charlotte paused briefly to consider their strategic options.
She retrieved three distinctive golden cards from her storage pocket, examining them thoughtfully.
They had successfully secured three legendary-tier cards in total: one originally acquired during the chaotic clash with Durmstrang, and two additional cards obtained from separate nighttime encounters with Cavendish operatives.
Charlotte's analytical gaze shifted to Harry Potter with obvious concern. "Harry, take this particular one for personal defense." Her voice dropped to low, deadly serious tone. "If my tactical assessment proves correct, the Kunlun delegation almost certainly knows the specific vulnerability location in your enchanted robes. This remains merely hypothesis, but better absolutely safe than catastrophically sorry. Use it when the critical moment arrives—don't waste the opportunity."
Harry nodded with appropriate solemn understanding, carefully tucking the precious card away in his innermost robes.
Charlotte handed the second golden card to Cedric Diggory for safekeeping and retained the third card for her own tactical deployment.
With their final preparations thoroughly complete, Charlotte led her assembled group away from their temporary position.
Just before disappearing into the concealing tree line, she deliberately paused, her eyes narrowing with sudden sharp suspicion as she carefully scanned a particularly low-lying patch of dense grass.
She felt it distinctly—a persistent prickling sensation on the back of her neck.
Someone was definitely watching from the concealing shadows.
Deep in the Forbidden Forest's perpetually darkened interior, where the impossibly tall canopy hung so thick that not even a single ray of direct sunlight could pierce the oppressive gloom, a group of Beauxbatons students had gathered around Fleur in tense anticipation.
A strange, distinctive manticore-skin prop lay at her feet—an eavesdropping artifact of considerable sophistication.
As Fleur completed her careful inspection and deactivation of the spent item, her companions immediately crowded around with obvious curiosity.
"What intelligence did you successfully intercept?" one asked urgently.
Fleur methodically brushed accumulated dust from her hands. "I cannot visually observe their current movements directly, but I successfully overheard sufficient conversation. Both Kunlun and Hogwarts delegations are moving to engage enemy forces immediately. I strongly suspect they've successfully located Durmstrang's current position. In this particular terrain, maintaining effective concealment proves extremely difficult."
She paused, her expression shifting to thoughtful analysis. "According to the specific conversation fragments I intercepted, Kunlun currently holds three golden cards, and Hogwarts possesses an identical number. We retain one in our possession. That necessarily leaves Durmstrang with only a single golden card remaining."
"That represents terrible strategic position for Durmstrang," a student murmured with genuine sympathy. "But we ourselves only retain one golden card as well."
Fleur glanced down at the progressively crumbling eavesdropping artifact on the forest floor. It had been the very first powerful item she and her team had secured—an object permitting them to eavesdrop on competing teams for five continuous minutes.
Its function remained singularly specialized, and some tactical analysts might consider its "golden value" rating somewhat too low for a legendary-tier item.
However, Erwin had consistently maintained throughout their training that in this particular kind of strategic information warfare, such intelligence-gathering tools ranked among the strongest assets available.
Individual combat strength mattered considerably less than effective teamwork coordination and actionable intelligence.
Knowing enemy movements and intentions beforehand represented a massive multiplicative advantage. With sufficient fortune, one might even overhear fatal flaws in an opponent's developing plan.
After all, absolutely no one expected to be actively spied upon during private tactical discussions.
"Fortune proved somewhat unkind; I didn't successfully overhear extensive detail," Fleur admitted with mild frustration. "But I did successfully ascertain the immediate movement intentions of both Kunlun and Hogwarts delegations, as well as extremely valuable hints regarding their retained trump cards and deployment strategies."
"What do we do then? Simply hide here and wait?" another girl asked with obvious uncertainty.
Fleur shook her head decisively. "Hiding passively won't work strategically. When the final comprehensive scoring occurs, the judges count not merely successful hits absorbed, but also attacks launched and general combat participation. If we sit completely idle, our final accumulated score will be absolutely abysmal regardless of survival."
She outlined her developing strategy with growing confidence. "We possess a unique critical advantage: we know with certainty that Kunlun and Hogwarts are both actively hunting Durmstrang's position. Unless Durmstrang's retained items prove absolutely overwhelming in power, they face inevitable elimination. Then, the two remaining dominant delegations will inevitably clash directly. That represents our perfect opportunity window."
Fleur continued her tactical analysis. "Kunlun apparently knows the specific weakness location in Harry Potter's defensive enchantments, and Charlotte has almost certainly laid some kind of counter-trap in response. The inevitable fight will prove absolutely brutal and fraught with extreme danger for both sides. Meanwhile, we remain completely outside the developing conflict—the patient opportunist waiting for the cicada to fall exhausted."
The assembled girls nodded with growing understanding and enthusiasm.
Since risking absolutely everything to secure the Cavendish family's supply airdrop, their collective luck had proved genuinely impeccable.
They were armed comprehensively to metaphorical teeth, even though they only possessed one remaining golden card.
If Kunlun and Hogwarts fought each other seriously, neither side would rationally hold back their devastating trump cards.
"Let's move immediately," Fleur decided with renewed purpose. "Heading east."
The entire group abandoned their concealed hiding spot and began creeping eastward with practiced stealth.
Elsewhere throughout different sections of the Forbidden Forest, all three remaining competitive delegations were systematically closing in on Durmstrang's unfortunate position through different approach vectors.
Back in Dumbledore's administrative office, Headmaster Igor Karkaroff's weathered face had become an absolute thundercloud of frustrated rage.
He nearly turned completely away from the viewing screen, genuinely unable to continue watching the developing disaster.
What is fundamentally wrong with this entire tournament structure? Why does it always seem to be Durmstrang who suffers the absolute worst fortune?
It wasn't even targeted malicious intent from competitors—just cruel, random coincidence and terrible tactical luck.
Durmstrang had simply found themselves positioned within the detection range of two aggressively hunting teams simultaneously.
Still, they weren't entirely without desperate hope. Karkaroff's eyes gleamed with remembered knowledge as he recalled the specific golden card in their possession.
The "Kunlun Formation."
Just reading its detailed description had sent genuine chills down his experienced spine.
Perhaps complete defeat isn't entirely inevitable yet.
At that precise moment deep in the forest, the Durmstrang students sat in a tight defensive circle. They had just systematically cleared their immediate vicinity of threats, efficiently gathering scattered supplies, and were now debating their next tactical movement.
Viktor Krum sat prominently atop a moss-covered rock, idly fiddling with their retained golden card while considering options.
"This card's described effect is absolutely terrifyingly powerful," he stated with growing confidence. "Genuine shame we only successfully located one, but with this particular advantage... I genuinely feel like ultimate victory is already essentially ours."
The other burly students nodded eager agreement. The card represented a genuine relic from an ancient historical era—a formation array from the legendary Eastern Dynasty.
Its description alone proved sufficient to make them shudder with anticipation of deployment.
Krum stood decisively, tucking the precious card securely into his robes. "This one card is sufficient. Time is rapidly running out, and I have an increasingly bad feeling—we might be targeted again very soon. Everyone, maintain absolute sharp vigilance! No repeats of previous humiliation."
The athletically-focused students nodded with grim determination.
Once bitten, twice shy. They had suffered humiliating defeat before; they absolutely wouldn't permit it happening again.
They were fully prepared mentally, maintaining vigilant watch against any potential sneak attack.
It had to be acknowledged—these students possessed certain practical cunning despite lacking sophisticated education.
It wasn't profound strategic intellect necessarily, but in genuinely crucial moments, even modest application of brainpower could prove remarkably effective.