Chapter 577 "Champion Jerry Carmen"

"Let's go as well!" Jerry watched Hagrid and Maxime walking away with the Beauxbatons witches struggling to keep up, and he waved his hand, creating a portal back to the castle.

"Portal magic is incredibly useful, but it's so complex!" Harry and Ron gazed in admiration at the portal Jerry had conjured.

While the convenience of portal magic was evident, its theoretical foundations were challenging, especially for Harry and Ron, who were more adept at practical magic than theoretical knowledge.

Despite their talents in combat, their understanding of magical theory was somewhat lacking.

Portal magic required not only theoretical knowledge but also an understanding of space magic.

Even most adult wizards, who relied solely on books and self-study, might never fully master this magic in their lifetime.

Jerry's version of portal magic was an amalgamation of his own insights and the Kamar Taj magic system from the Marvel universe, making it even more challenging to comprehend.

This was why, despite Jerry's magical innovations, only a select few famous, long-practiced wizards in the wizarding world could barely grasp portal magic. Even then, they couldn't conjure portals of the same size and duration as Jerry.

Hermione, who had been guided by Jerry, had mastered portal magic during the school year. Still, she couldn't use it within the Hogwarts castle.

Hermione whispered to Jerry as they traversed the portal, "Why can't I use my portal magic in the castle?"

Jerry explained with a smile, "The castle has Anti-apparition spells and magical circles that restrict space, which were initially created by the school's founders and later reinforced by previous headmasters. When you gain a deeper understanding of this magic, delve into space magic, and grow more powerful, you'll be able to use portal magic within the castle."

Thanks to her dedication and the advantages of meditation techniques, the Time-Turner, and the magical power-boosting necklace, Hermione was far more advanced than her book counterpart, surpassing many adult wizards.

She had mastered the complex portal magic under Jerry's tutelage in under two months.

Yet, despite her abilities, she couldn't perform portal magic within Hogwarts.

She believed it was the castle's magical constraints.

However, Jerry's teleportation abilities seemed unaffected both in the morning and now.

"It's a matter of strength!" Jerry explained. Hermione's eyes dimmed as she understood that the castle was only part of the reason.

The primary factor was her relative weakness, which limited her compared to Jerry's versatility within the castle's magical boundaries.

Jerry reassured her, "You're already very accomplished, so don't worry about it." Passing through the magical circle, he added, "You're doing great. If I hadn't submitted my name to the Goblet of Fire, it might have selected you as one of the champions to represent Hogwarts."

While Jerry tried his hardest to comfort her. Still, a hint of sadness could be seen on her face once she knew again how big of a gap that truly separates Jerry and his peer... Especially her.

In Jerry's defense, although she doesn't have the physical or magical prowess to make her one of the unbeatable witches in a duel, she still is one of a fast learner!

Hermione, while not excelling in combat, possessed a remarkable magical aptitude and a broad knowledge of spells, surpassing that of most seventh-year wizards.

Jerry had been instrumental in her magical development, providing guidance and advice to enhance her spellcasting.

In a wizarding duel, even the most skilled combatant would struggle against Hermione's utilization of advanced spells taught to her by Jerry.

Her mastery of the Fire Dragon Spell and Occlumency could easily leave her adversaries in despair.

Protego might withstand a single Fire Dragon Spell, but how could they withstand ten or a hundred?

Despite her exceptional abilities, her extensive magical discussions with Jerry occasionally misled her into believing she was inadequate.

She simply just couldn't help but forget the boy in front of him is no ordinary wizard...

It is Jerry Carmen who has already achieved a lot compared to his young visage.

Akin to an ancient wizard with their great knowledge, Jerry stood right next to them in terms of ability... He might even could take the Founder of Hogwarts altogether by himself alone at this point.

However, Jerry didn't view this as a significant issue.

He knew that as Hermione continued to face various challenges and exams, she would inevitably regain her self-assurance when compared to her fellow young wizards.

---

The atmosphere in the auditorium during the Halloween dinner this year appeared markedly different from the usual excitement and enthusiasm.

Most attendees hurried through their meals, eager to move on to the announcement of the Triwizard Tournament champions after the banquet.

Only Jerry appeared relatively relaxed.

He already knew the candidates chosen to represent the three schools and had no expectations.

The dinner concluded, and Snape, the Headmaster of Hogwarts and host of the tournament approached the relocated Goblet of Fire on the podium.

Silence filled the hall as everyone held their breath, eagerly awaiting Snape's announcement.

Even Karkaroff and Maxime, the Headmasters of the other two schools, seemed tense.

While they had their preferred candidates in mind, they understood that the Goblet of Fire's decision could change the course of the tournament.

Even with an 80% chance, sure it would be the right candidate chosen; if the Goblet says otherwise, then such things would happen.

Unlike Snape and Dumbledore, who are 100% sure the Goblet would definitely choose Jerry Carmen as their Warrior.

"The Champions who hear their name, you shall go and wait in the small room over there while waiting for further guidance." Headmaster Snape began by providing instructions for the selected champions, asking them to wait in a nearby room for further guidance.

Snape, with his characteristic impassive demeanor, addressed the assembly before reaching the Goblet of Fire.

He then gracefully swept his wand, extinguishing all the enchanted candles throughout the auditorium.

As the magical candles vanished, the sole source of illumination became the Goblet of Fire, its flames a mesmerizing blend of blue and white.

The hall was cloaked in semi-darkness, focusing everyone's attention on the Goblet.

In that anticipatory moment, the initially azure-white flames underwent a dramatic transformation, morphing into a brilliant shade of red, accompanied by sizzling sparks that filled the air.

In a striking display, a fiery tendril leaped skyward, carrying with it a charred parchment.

Snape, with an almost imperceptible but undeniable trace of pride, retrieved the note and proclaimed in a resonant voice:

"The Hogwarts Champion – Jerry Carmen!"