The officials gasped.
"Sir," one breathed, "what kind of challenge is this?"
The leader remained silent for a long moment. Then, his gaze swept toward the horizon.
"We are going to witness something unprecedented," he declared.
The color drained from the faces of the officials.
"Unprecedented?"
The leader waved a hand dismissively. "Prepare yourselves. The Changbai Mountains will be the site. If we do not take this seriously, there could be significant consequences."
"But with so many civilians present—won't they be affected?"
The leader offered a wry smile. "That has already been considered. We have one month. Prepare contingency plans; we require cooperation from all departments."
The officials nodded and departed to arrange the logistics, leaving only one senior official behind.
"Sir," she asked softly, "are you well?"
"I am fine," he replied, though his tone was weary. "We have been presented with an opportunity."
"Is it because of the Dragon-Locking Pillar?"
The leader nodded. "I do not know where he learned of it, but he clearly intends to use it. When the ancient practitioners worked with such forces, they warned that the Pillar's reappearance heralded significant events. You know this as well as I."
"The plan remains unchanged?"
"We are already taking a calculated risk," the leader sighed. "What is one more? Prepare for what comes. We face forces whose nature is not yet fully understood."
Meanwhile, deep within the Changbai Mountains, the four schools were actively searching for the stone pillar and the activation tools.
All understood the difficulty: the terrain was vast. This challenge was designed to showcase their unique strengths.
The exchange students immediately produced specialized compasses upon entering.
Sunny Finch raised hers, scanning the needle. "The Changbai magnetic field will disrupt these slightly, but they provide a general direction. For now, we shouldn't encounter anyone else. Pair up, spread out, and follow your compasses."
Without another word, the group dispersed.
At Hogwarts, Charlotte also ordered her team to split into pairs. They lacked such specialized tools, but they had their own method: using magic to penetrate the ground, searching for anomalies. It was a labor-intensive process, but effective when cast over wide areas.
At Beauxbatons, Fleur Delacour demonstrated a startling technique. The audience watched in awe as she utilized her Veela heritage to command a flock of birds, directing them to scour the canopy. While humans could not speak to beasts directly, the Veela aura allowed for a rough understanding.
The crowd realized that magical creature bloodlines offered unique applications, provided the wizard knew how to wield them.
The three schools employed their strategies.
All eyes turned to the final school: Durmstrang.
The audience expected little, but what they saw made them burst into laughter.
The Durmstrang students were on their hands and knees, scouring the earth manually. They utilized no magic, no shortcuts—only brute force.
"This is ridiculous!" someone shouted from the stands. "They're looking for a needle in a haystack!"
"They're determined," another commented. "It shows their work ethic, if nothing else."
Then, a sharp-eyed spectator pointed at the screen. "Wait. Someone's missing."
The crowd leaned in. The Durmstrang feed showed only nine students.
Krum was gone.
"Where is the Seeker?"
"Did he break away from the team?"
"Is this a strategy?"
The broadcast was live, fed directly by the Cavendish family's enchanted devices. A signal loss was impossible.
"Is there a glitch in the feed?"
"I want to know where Krum is!"
On the commentary balcony, Old Tom appeared. "This is not a technical issue on our end," he said smoothly. "As for Krum's whereabouts... I suspect we will all find out soon enough."
The crowd quieted, their curiosity piqued.
High above the canopy, Krum flew.
His speed was unnatural—faster than any student should be capable of. He moved through the dense forest with terrifying precision, his path unwavering. He had a destination.
Below, in a clearing, Harry Potter and Cedric Diggory were working together, casting detection spells.
"Harry," Cedric panted, his wand arm trembling, "I'm nearly out of magic. We need to rest."
Harry glanced at him. "No need. Step back."
Cedric blinked. "What?"
Before Harry could answer, a shadow dropped from the trees, landing between them with the force of a wrecking ball.
Krum stood there, his face dark.
"Finally found you, Harry Potter," Krum rasped, his eyes gleaming. "The lucky survivor. The boy who escaped death."