Do not try, and the situation will remain unclear.
The truth is indeed the truth, everyone knows it. Neville may have already prepared to sacrifice himself, hoping that they could pass this test through his sacrifice.
Cedric's lips trembled as he wanted to say something more to persuade Neville not to rush in, but in the end, he said nothing.
Because some sacrifices are inevitable.
"I will go with you."
After a moment of silence, Harry suddenly said.
"It's not necessary, Harry--"
Neville was surprised.
"Only one of us is needed. We should first see what will happen, and then you can figure out how to deal with it."
"Can't we take advantage of you, can we?"
Harry said happily,
"We can't just let you make the sacrifice, Neville. Moreover, if we both go together, we can help each other in case of danger, so the chance of survival will greatly increase."
Hermione bit her lip. Deep down, she didn't want Harry to take such a risk, but Harry was right. It wouldn't be very fair to let only Cedric's assistant take the gamble.
"If that's the case,"
Ron spoke slowly,
"It would be more appropriate for me to go."
Harry and Hermione understood Ron's meaning. He thought that they were both better than him, and as the one being tested, he was clearly more cost-effective.
"I have already decided, Ron."
Harry said calmly.
"There are two glass plates here. Perhaps Professor Brain's meaning is to let two people go up together."
Well, that does have a bit of logic to it.
So, Neville and Harry stood at the edge of the platform together, while the rest of them stood behind them, respectfully gazing at the two pioneers.
"If an attack happens once you step on the glass plate, don't move around--"
Hermione drew her wand, solemnly watching Harry and Neville.
"We will help you block the attack, and then you can climb back immediately."
"We will also help."
Fleur and Victor nodded in agreement with their eyes, and Fleur stepped forward to say.
The air was filled with a oppressive and tense atmosphere. Everyone on the platform had pulled out their wands, keeping alert for any possible attacks, while Harry and Neville slowly sat down, with their legs dangling outside.
Even after many big scenes, Harry couldn't help but feel nervous. When his nerves were stretched to the limit, he could almost hear the fierce roar of the dark abyss beneath his feet.
Neville's expression also wasn't as relaxed as it had been earlier; he was biting his lips tightly, and sweat was beading on his forehead.
"Are you ready, Neville?"
Harry swallowed.
Neville nodded, squinting as he scanned the calm and empty space. The light from two shooting stars cast a pale glow over his face.
"Then, I'll count to three, and we'll jump together."
Harry said.
Neville nodded, while the people on the platform were on high alert, guarding all directions.
"Three, two. One!"
Crack!
For a moment when their bodies became weightless, fear roared in Harry and Neville's hearts. However, when their feet touched the glass plate, that fear vanished.
The glass plate was very stable, and there was no wobble when they stepped on it.
Harry let out a breath, quickly looking around.
The boundless space remained peaceful as usual, with no one appearing from the desolate void to launch a violent and relentless attack without warning.
It seems that they have no intention of attacking immediately.
Harry thought this was normal, after all, he and Neville had not yet left the range of protection of their companions on the platform.
If they were to launch an attack now, there would be no way to harm them.
Harry straightened up, wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, and looked at Neville.
Neville gave a similar performance, also wiping the sweat from his temples with his sleeve. Seeing Harry's gaze, he returned Harry's look with a knowing smile.
Crack!
Just then, a sudden, eerie crackling sound made the slightly relieved crowd's expressions freeze!
The moment the strange noise entered his ears, Harry felt his scalp prickle, and his hair roots stood on end. He was horrified and looked down at his feet. Fortunately, it wasn't the sound of glass shattering beneath his feet.
"Hurry up, Neville!"
But immediately, Hermione's ear-piercing scream caused Harry's heart to jump to his throat. He quickly turned his gaze, catching a glimpse of Neville's helpless smile at the corner of his mouth before——
Splash!
Amidst the chaotic shouts of many people, Neville's glass plate shattered into powder.
Harry hadn't had a chance to reach for him, Neville had already fallen into the abyss, swallowed up by the surging dark waves and disappearing from everyone's sight.
Harry watched in shock as Neville disappeared from his sight, his mind going blank. Before he could react, a hand grabbed the back of his collar and pulled him back onto the platform from the glass.
Harry turned to look back and saw that it was Cedric who had pulled him up.
"Thank you--"
Harry said in a dull tone, while Cedric just helplessly shook his head, looking gravely at where Neville had disappeared.
"Damn it!"
Fleur's scream drew everyone's attention, and they saw her violently waving her wand.
"Right when that boy fell, I was going to use a rope to catch him. But my wand wouldn't work!"
"Wand doesn't work?!?"
This is truly a bolt from the blue!
Even Harry, everyone tried to wave their wands quickly. Soon, they discovered that Fleur was right; no matter how hard they tried, their wands could only emit a few faint sparks.
"Even magic can't be used,"
Ron collapsed on the ground, his face ashen.
"Now we're done for."
Wands are the last resort for warriors. Suddenly losing magic, everyone fell into an uncontrollable panic.
"What on earth is Amortentia playing at!"
Fleur angrily put her wand back in her pocket, walked to the edge of the platform, and angrily looked down. In one glance, her brow furrowed.
"Harry, the glass plate you were on didn't shatter!"
Fleur's reminder did not stir the majority of people.
They all knew that Harry's glass plate beneath his feet did not shatter. Otherwise, Harry would have been eliminated along with Neville.
But Hermione quickly understood Fleur's reminder. She stopped looking at Harry and rushed to Fleur's side, frowning at the glass plate Harry had just stepped on, as well as the two remaining intact glass plates ahead.
"Neville, he."
Harry came back to his senses after several seconds, his eye twitching. He grabbed Ron's hand.
"Is he definitely not dead?"
"What foolish words are you saying, Harry?"
Ron looked at Harry strangely.
"If you fell and died, why would Professor Brain go to all this trouble? He could just cast a spell to send us all to meet God. But Neville definitely got eliminated, oh, how lucky for you, Harry, your glass plate didn't shatter!"
Huh.
Harry slowly nodded. He did not explain to Ron. When he saw Neville fall off the glass bridge, he recalled the scene of watching Ron and Hermione get hit by the Killing Curse at the graveyard where Voldemort was resurrected.
"This seems..."
Harry's breath just calmed down, and Fleur slowly pulled back her gaze. Her eyebrows furrowed slightly.
"Amortentia has prepared us for a... uh, game of bravery?"
"What do you mean, Fleur?"
Vigorish hurriedly asked,
"Do you see anything?"
Fleur did not answer the question; instead, she looked at Hermione, who was deep in thought.
"What do you think?"
"It's the same as yours."
As everyone's attention turned to Hermione, she bit her lip.
"Professor Brain seems to have been planning for this."
Hermione pointed at the glass bridge, speaking with a somewhat uncertain tone, "It seems that the glass plates were intentionally set up to break at different times, and there's no magic to help us get back on them."
"There's no doubt that this glass bridge leads to the glowing object we need to retrieve. There are two plates of glass at each step, one of which is sturdy... just like the one Harry chose earlier."
"And the other one will shatter if you step on it, causing people who step on it to fall down, just like Neville."
Everyone looked back at the glowing object that they couldn't precisely measure the distance to, speechless.
"How are we supposed to play this?!"
After a long silence, Ron let out a scream of horror.
