The Competition That Turns Into War… Again – Part 3
"Those bastards…"
Corvin Carrow walked out of the hotel with a face full of fury, turning around to glare at the magnificent structure before him —a kind of modern castle, both majestic and defiant.
His gaze fell upon the statues decorating the walls. At first glance, they looked like stone knights, but he knew very well what they really were… and the true reason he had taken the opportunity to come here, hoping to gain something useful.
"Tsk… Two years of research, and they're still falling behind a bunch of brats," he muttered angrily. "And on top of that, they use such technology for silly games!" he added, his irritation growing by the second.
He had spent a fortune trying to replicate that technology, though not with the same purpose as the young inventors. He wasn't interested in playing with golems —he wanted to create an impenetrable defense force. Golems had existed for centuries, yes, but most were simple stone creatures: clumsy, slow, and useless against a skilled wizard.
However, the brilliance of those children surpassed any known model. Despite their small size, the golems' mobility was extraordinary. If larger versions could be made, many wizards wouldn't even stand a chance against an army of them.
And the best part… was the possibility of controlling them.
Controlling them all at once.
An entire army moving under a single will.
Who wouldn't dream of something like that?
Corvin let out a frustrated huff and left.
…
Meanwhile, in the combat arena, the atmosphere was charged with euphoria and anticipation. The spectators cheered excitedly at the sight of the new golem models —more magical, more powerful than ever.
The referee hadn't given the signal to begin yet; instead, he approached Wendel and Xenophilius, who were chatting animatedly. Even Lupin came closer, clearly intrigued.
Draco glanced at Daphne and the twins, while Neville stood beside him, visibly nervous about being the center of attention.
"How did you end up teaming up with them again? The last time didn't go too well. I think Aunt Selene was furious when you used that potion," Draco commented, arching a brow at Daphne before looking at the Weasley twins, who were beaming, clearly enjoying the spotlight.
"Them? I found them outside," Daphne replied casually, as if it were nothing unusual.
…
A couple of minutes earlier…
The Weasley twins were standing in a corner, whispering to each other. In front of them rested a small, battered chest, open wide. In their hands, they held a golem —just as worn down— while Fred tried to polish it up a little to improve its appearance.
"Ah… we spent too much on this second-hand golem. We don't even have money left to buy it decent armor or a weapon. If we don't make it far, we're losing big," George said, staring at the poor automaton with dismay.
It was a first-generation model released two years ago. Visibly used, but they had managed to convince its former owner to sell it cheaply. Still, it had been a huge investment for them: fifty galleons, nearly half their father's monthly salary.
"Well, what's done is done. If we at least make it to fifth place, we could win five hundred galleons. We'd recover our investment and even make a bit more," George added, sounding slightly more optimistic.
"Even so, this thing is really beat-up. I think we might've been scammed," Fred muttered, inspecting the golem, which looked ready to fall apart at any moment.
George stared at it with concern. "Should we withdraw and enter one of those kids' tournaments?" he asked hesitantly.
The so-called "kids' tournaments" were events where golems weren't destroyed during matches —gentler fights designed for children or teenagers who couldn't bear to see their creations smashed to pieces. However, the prizes were much smaller: first place earned only a hundred galleons, while fifth place in the real competition was worth five times that.
Risk big, win big —or lose everything.
"If we can beat our first opponent, we could try convincing them to sell us one of their parts. Their golem will be wrecked anyway," George said, laying out his plan seriously.
"That's if we can beat anyone with this," Fred sighed, looking at their fragile machine.
"Hoho… I found my mercenaries," a familiar voice said behind them.
Both turned around. Daphne was leaning casually against the wall, arms crossed and a playful smile on her face. At her feet rested a golem chest.
"I've got a mission for you. And it seems like you could use some equipment for that golem of yours," she said, glancing at the small automaton in Fred's hands. Then, with a light kick, she tapped her own chest —it opened instantly, revealing a full suit of gleaming armor that looked brand-new.
The twins looked at the chest, then at Daphne… and finally at each other.
"We accept," they said in unison, without even asking what they were getting themselves into.
…
Back to the present.
Fred and George admired their golem proudly. It now wore a full set of light armor and a pair of enchanted fire gloves. They grinned as if they had already won.
"Ah, sorry for the delay," said Wendel from the arena in his commentator tone. "We were discussing the rules. While there's no specific rule about enchanted items, we didn't expect anyone to actually enchant such small weapons. It could create a huge power gap between competitors."
Draco and Daphne exchanged uneasy glances, fearing they might be disqualified before even fighting.
"Therefore," Wendel continued, "we can't allow them to compete in the main category."
A collective groan of disappointment swept through the audience; everyone had been eager to see the match. Even Daphne and Draco frowned in frustration.
"But… that doesn't mean we'll deny the crowd something so exciting, right?" Wendel added with a grin. "So we'll let them fight —not as part of the official tournament, but as a demonstration match!"
The crowd erupted into cheers, while Daphne and Draco sighed in relief.
"Wait… we'll still get paid, right?" asked the twins, looking at Daphne.
"Yes. A hundred for participating and two hundred for winning," she replied quickly, flashing them a thumbs-up with a confident smile.
The twins exchanged looks, their enthusiasm burning as brightly as the fire enchantments on their golem's gloves.
The twins exchanged looks, burning with enthusiasm—almost as much as the flaming gloves of their golem.
"But since we don't have a set schedule to follow," Wendel announced with a grin, "we won't just have those two teams fight. We'll also include the other two who upgraded their golems. All four at once! A free-for-all battle—the last one standing will be the winner!"
The crowd erupted in excited murmurs. After all, if those two teams were already present, it meant the other two couldn't be far away. Lupin, ever efficient, had already gone to fetch them.
He didn't take long to return, entering with Luciel, Harry, Hermione, and Fleur—who, to everyone's surprise, was practically being dragged along by Hermione, looking utterly confused about what was happening.
And indeed, that was exactly what had happened.
While Katrina and Fleur had been cheering Luciel on before the match, Hermione—who still hadn't found a partner to control her golem—had taken advantage of the hallway chaos to "kidnap" Fleur just as Lupin was leading her and Harry toward the arena.
"Well… I expected this problem," said Harry calmly, watching his friends and their respective golems—or rather, those meant to control them.
"Eh? You want me to fight for you? You're insane! I'm terrible at controlling those things. I tried it once with my cousin's golem, and I was awful," protested Fleur, staring incredulously at Hermione, who was still trying to persuade her.
"Don't worry. You just have to follow my instructions," Hermione said in a firm yet kind tone.
Meanwhile, Luciel remained composed, wearing his usual serene smile. When he lifted his gaze toward the stands, a single charming smile and a gentle wave of his hand were enough to send a chorus of screams from the girls in the audience.
Luciel, as always, knew exactly how to handle attention.
From her seat, Katrina rolled her eyes in resignation. "As always… my charming boyfriend," she muttered with a sigh, though she couldn't quite hide a small smile.
Luciel placed his golem in the ring—a light model, equipped with two short swords. Both the blades and the boots glowed faintly white, revealing their enchantment.
Meanwhile, Fleur continued to refuse, frowning and crossing her arms.
Harry, observing the scene from the sidelines, approached with a teasing smile.
"You're already here. Don't you think running away now would be even more embarrassing?" he said mockingly.
"I don't care. That's still better than making a fool of myself," she replied seriously.
Hermione, unsure of how to convince her, looked pleadingly at Harry. He let out a small sigh before leaning closer.
"How about this—if you help Hermione, I'll owe you a favor," he said quietly.
Fleur narrowed her eyes. "Are you sure?" she asked suspiciously.
"Take it or leave it," Harry replied, shrugging.
"Fine. I accept," she said at last, taking Hermione's chest. With a graceful motion, she drew the golem from inside and set it on the ring.
Hermione beamed, thanking Harry happily, while Fleur could only sigh in resignation.
Hermione's golem was also a light-type, but its weapon was unusual: a crossbow. However, its design was peculiar—sleeker, more refined, with an additional mechanism on top resembling an automatic reload cartridge.
Harry, Draco, and Daphne exchanged knowing looks.
It was unmistakable.
A repeating crossbow—a relic of the past.
And enchanted, no less.
Hermione smiled proudly upon noticing their surprised expressions, then turned to Fleur, excitedly beginning to explain every detail of its design.
"My, these kids always overdo everything," Wendel commented from his position, once again taking up his role as commentator. Then, with cheerful enthusiasm, he added, "By the way, that curly-haired little one is my dear Hermione!"
The comment made Hermione blush furiously, wishing she could disappear on the spot. She was used to her father's experiments, but not to his boundless enthusiasm behind a microphone.
"So, is everyone ready? These kids always bring something incredible, so I hope you are!" said Wendel with a wide grin as the audience roared in excitement.
In the VIP box, the mothers watched with amused smiles, shaking their heads fondly.
Astoria and Luna leaned over the railing, waving and shouting encouragements to everyone alike.
Tonks, meanwhile, approached Narcissa with a bright, hopeful expression.
"Auntie, please ask Draco to make something for me too!" she said eagerly.
Narcissa glanced at her briefly… then elegantly ignored her, turning her attention back to the ring, intrigued to see what exactly the children had created.
"Then let it begin!" Wendel shouted at last, and the entire stadium exploded in cheers.
The roar of the crowd filled the arena as the four golems advanced toward the center, and the long-awaited battle was finally about to begin.