[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-starting-at-hogwarts-logging-into-elden-ring":3,"chapter-starting-at-hogwarts-logging-into-elden-ring-starting-at-hogwarts-logging-into-elden-ring-chapter-245":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Starting at Hogwarts, Logging into Elden Ring",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1496369,1944,"Chapter 245: Harry’s Itchy Fingers, and Barty Crouch Jr. Caught","starting-at-hogwarts-logging-into-elden-ring-chapter-245",245,"\u003Cp>Harry's Blasting Curse slammed into the Blast-Ended Skrewt, and its guts burst out through its exposed underside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The stench of rotten fish and decayed shellfish instantly spread through the air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Harry clapped a hand over his nose, muttered a quiet apology to Hagrid under his breath, and hurried away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He apologized because last December, Hagrid had complained to him—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That these skrewts were far too fond of killing each other.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Back then, only ten were left from the batch Hagrid had raised.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now Harry had taken one more out, and Harry had no idea whether Hagrid would be heartbroken.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In reality, Hagrid was heartbroken.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because the one Harry killed… was Hagrid's last remaining skrewt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The other nine had already died in brutal infighting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Hagrid saw the scene through the magical Recording Stones, the man cried like a three-hundred-kilo child.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course… Harry didn't know any of that yet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He continued deeper into the maze, completely unaware that danger was creeping closer with every step.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, Hermione was still strolling along like she was taking a leisurely walk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had already cut through obstacle after obstacle and arrived at the very center of the maze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And there, in the most obvious location, sat the Triwizard Cup.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Hermione didn't reach for it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because touching the Cup meant the match ended.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And she hadn't forgotten why she'd entered the Triwizard Tournament in the first place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She wasn't here for a trophy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was here to fight Voldemort—to test her strength against him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Cup was just a bonus.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before the match, Arthur had told Hermione that if she wanted to find Voldemort, she simply needed to follow Harry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So after confirming the Cup's location, Hermione turned and left the center.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now she needed to find Harry's position—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before she missed the battle she'd been waiting for.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Up in the stands, the audience couldn't understand what they were seeing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Cup was right there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So why wasn't Hermione taking it?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only \"Moody\" watched Hermione's retreating direction with growing alarm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because that direction… was exactly where Harry was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, \"Moody\" stopped caring about the risk of exposure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He drove Krum straight toward Harry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Harry spotted Krum and was about to greet him—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only for Krum to attack without a word.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Moody\" didn't intend to kill Harry with Krum.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He needed to herd Harry toward the Portkey—the fake Triwizard Cup.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So every spell Krum cast avoided lethal intent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Harry didn't know that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under the pressure of Krum's relentless barrage, Harry could only flee—running blindly toward whatever lay ahead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the same time, \"Moody\" manipulated the maze's traps to obstruct Hermione.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He needed to keep her from arriving and helping Harry break free.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hermione dealt with the traps snapping at her from every direction, all while thinking grimly—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her cousin had been right.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment she showed even the slightest intention of heading toward Harry, the obstruction began.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Voldemort really was planning to strike Harry at this moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hermione quickened her pace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had to reach Harry before Voldemort made his move.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To make the coming spectacle easier to enjoy, Arthur sent Hermione a message through their mental link—telling her to take a Recording Stone with her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hermione obeyed, plucking one from the side of the path and pinning it to her chest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That single action forced \"Moody\" to rein himself in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a Recording Stone on Hermione, he couldn't keep using traps so openly against her without being seen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So he turned his attention fully to Krum—continuing to drive Harry onward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By now, Harry had started to realize something was wrong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn't know Krum well, but he'd heard enough about the famous Quidditch star's character.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Krum wasn't the kind of person who fought dirty for victory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He certainly wasn't the kind who attacked relentlessly like this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Krum's assault was too dense, too suffocating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Harry had no time to think.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All he wanted was an opening—any opening—to get away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After rounding a corner, Harry realized Krum hadn't followed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Relief washed through him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he looked up—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And saw, not far ahead…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A Triwizard Cup.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Harry didn't know it was fake, but he immediately sensed something unnatural.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why had Krum vanished the moment they reached this area?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The audience was equally confused.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because now they were seeing something they shouldn't have been able to see.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two Triwizard Cups.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The location \"Moody\" had chosen for the fake Cup had been a blind spot—one without any Recording Stones.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Hermione had arrived wearing one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So the fake Cup was now broadcast in full view of the stands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some spectators, misunderstanding everything, even assumed Hermione had \"seen through\" the Cup in the center and realized it was fake…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not knowing the truth was the opposite—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The one in the center was real.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This one was the trap.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Following Arthur's instructions, Hermione didn't reveal herself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She observed from concealment, then quietly asked through her mental link, \"Cousin… what's going on? Why are there two Triwizard Cups?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Arthur replied, \"That's Barty Crouch Jr.'s plan. The one Harry's seeing is the Portkey.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hermione's eyes brightened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So if I touch that Portkey… I can go straight to Voldemort and fight him now?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Don't rush,\" Arthur said. \"Voldemort's still a wraith. Let Harry go first—then you follow the spatial disturbance with Apparition.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Also—hide yourself properly. If you're careful, you can give everyone a live broadcast of Voldemort's resurrection.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hermione didn't even hesitate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That sounded fun.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She agreed instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Neither of them bothered to consider what would happen if Harry didn't touch the Cup.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because they knew Harry far too well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That boy had a real weakness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Itchy fingers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If there was something in front of him, he wanted to touch it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Examples?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Second year—he touched Dumbledore's phoenix in the headmaster's office.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only for Fawkes to choose that exact moment to burst into flame and be reborn.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Harry had nearly panicked himself into a heart attack, convinced he'd killed the headmaster's bird with his hands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then there was the second Triwizard task not long ago—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Harry had been fascinated by the protective barrier around Hermione and poked it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Hermione had been using Bubble-Head Charm instead, Harry might've popped it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even in the original timeline, when Harry and Hermione used the Time-Turner to go back—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Harry had been so curious he'd wanted to twist it a couple times.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hermione had smacked his hand away for it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So yes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sometimes, Harry's hands really were… a problem.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was why Arthur and Hermione weren't worried at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Harry would touch it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And sure enough—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even though Harry sensed something was wrong, he still approached the Cup.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maybe his brain hadn't even caught up yet…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But his hand moved first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His fingers landed on the metal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And in the next instant—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Harry and the Cup vanished from the spot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The stands exploded into noisy confusion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>People shouted over one another as panic rose through the crowd.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In that chaos, Barty Crouch Jr.—still wearing \"Moody's\" face—made a subtle motion, trying to slip away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Arthur had been waiting for that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A single spell—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And \"Moody\" froze mid-step.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A full-body bind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He couldn't move at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn't a standard Body-Bind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was Arthur's own creation—an improved binding spell that combined the strengths of the Full Body-Bind Curse and an eastern immobilization technique.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It locked the entire body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And it lasted far longer than either original method.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It solved the Full Body-Bind's weakness—only restricting certain movement patterns—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And also solved the eastern technique's weakness—its short duration.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now \"Moody\" was frozen in place, unable to twitch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He knew he'd been exposed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he wasn't afraid.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His master's orders had already been completed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The only regret left in his heart…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was that he might never see his master again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Arthur rose from his seat and vanished—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Reappearing beside Dumbledore.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sudden arrival nearly startled the old headmaster.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dumbledore hadn't seen Arthur move at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In truth, Arthur had used Apparition—an improved version, yes, but still Apparition.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The reason Dumbledore failed to notice wasn't because the spell was unfathomable—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was because Arthur's understanding of space had risen to a terrifying level.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the Kunlun incident, Arthur realized his own shortcomings in spatial arts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So he spent time learning from Ranni—absorbing her knowledge of space.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By now, Arthur's spatial attainment had reached roughly forty percent of Ranni's.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Forty percent might not sound like much—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Ranni's depth and accumulation in the Path of Space was something very few in the Lands Between could compare to.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And Arthur had studied under her for less than half a year—without even using the Zen Garden's time-flow advantage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even with extraordinary talent, he couldn't possibly reach her level so quickly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet even at only forty percent…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was enough to make Dumbledore fail to sense Arthur's movement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Which, in itself, proved just how terrifying Ranni's mastery of space truly was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Advance Chapters Available on Patreon\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>patreon.com\u002FWhiteDevil7554\u003C\u002Fp>",1484,"2026-06-06T04:19:46.381Z",1,"novelbin.me","8c2e5651b291f9ec826da3083a3cec90b56f7c394479362089b5bf9f4d72b886","starting-at-hogwarts-logging-into-elden-ring-chapter-246","starting-at-hogwarts-logging-into-elden-ring-chapter-244",281,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fstarting-at-hogwarts-logging-into-elden-ring-cover.jpg"]