How to survive the Tri-Wizard Tournament

Photo by Craig Grobler

In the magical realm, the Triwizard Tournament is a huge event of entertainment and games. The tournament is held between the three largest wizarding schools of Europe- Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, the Durmstrang Institute, and the Beauxbutons Academy of Magic. Accordingly, the very first tournament was held in 1294, and has been a huge part of the magical realm ever since. The Triwizard Tournament tests a single Champion from each school in challenges designed to test magical ability, intelligence and courage, which the Headmasters or Headmistresses of the competing schools will judge them on. Although the Tournament is extremely dangerous and it has been the downfall of some competitors, the winner will be given the Triwizard Cup and a grand prize. Will you be competing in the Triwizard Tournament?

1. Get Picked
If you did not yet know, you must be seventeen to compete, muggle. You could possibly pull a Harry Potter and have some evil villain randomly put it in for you, but chances are, that won't work too well. Each school competing may have one student compete for their school and the Goblet of Fire, is the judge. The Goblet of Fire picks the best student who has entered their name into the Goblet if it thinks they could handle the Tournament. If you're a wimpy, scared kid, the Goblet will probably think lowly of you and choose a wiser, more level headed student over you. It's just a known fact.

2. Use Your Wits
If there is one thing that will keep you alive and winning is using your wits. You will need to be both book and street smart when it comes to potions and spells. If you have wits, you might as well have won the Triwizard Cup already. If you don't know how to transfigure or how to make gillyweed, you're not getting anywhere in the tournament. Also, you have to know what you're doing. If you just walk into the challenge ready to wing it and don't have a game plan, don't even bother coming in 1st place because I guarantee that will not happen. Another thing is that you should pace yourself. If your next challenge is a maze, don't break out into a full run. I know you're a wizard and you can use magic, but that doesn't stop you from getting tired. You can run out of breath and be too weak to do a spell. It's just common sense.

3. Survive the 1st challenge
Obviously, this is a no-brainer. Apart from just staying alive, you need to get finished with the challenge first and show talent while doing so. The more spells and magic you show the judges, the more points and steps you get to winning the Triwizard Cup. If you are forced to pick something out of a bag, pick first! Don't be afraid to shove someone out of the way and say, "Sorry, I have to go first. My religion calls for it." While rummaging through the bag, avoid all pointy things and go for the smallish, smooth things, because if it's a dragon, and you're forced to pick the spiky one, it will probably be the dreaded Hungarian Horntail. Just saying. So go for the dragon, if dragons, with a soft touch because it will most likely be a Swedish Short-Snout, a Common Welsh Green, or a Chinese Fireball, which aren't as ferocious compared to the Horntail. Once that task is complete, you're ready for the next challenge.

4. Survive the 2nd Challenge
The second task in the Triwizard Tournament is even deadlier that the first. Alike the first challenge, you must work to impress the judges. If your second challenge is to dive deep into the Black Lake to retrieve something that was stolen, your best chance is to follow Step 2. Some potions such as gillyweed are easy to make and give you gills and webbed feet, if you're not afraid to steal materials out of Professor Snape's cabinet, of course. Or, you could use the Bubble-Head Charm which allows you to breath underwater, which is also quite simple if your fond of spells. I would personally choose to transfigure into a shark because if those horrid merpeople wenches try to attack you, you could bite them, which seems fun because I don't like them. Just stay aware of your surroundings and do not, under any circumstances, take someone else's possessions. You will get attacked by hundreds of ugly mermaids.

5. Final Challenge
The last and hardest challenge yet has approached. You've made it this far, so what's one more challenge? Don't be such a Squib, it isn't that bad. Just make your way to the Cup with caution and you're good as home. If you're in a maze, all you have to do is keep heading forward, stay alert, and never look back. Your best best is to go north, since the maze is likely to be in the middle. If you happen to bump into another champion, run away as fast as you can because alliances are bad. If you do though, and you both reach the Cup and you so happen to touch it at the same time, I wish you luck on your visit to the Dark Lord. If you listen, though, and you keep yourself paced and avoid all dangers, you will reach the Cup before the other champions.

I hope you enjoyed your time in the Triwizard Tournament, I really do. Glory, fame, and fortune are just a few of the perks of surviving the Triwizard Tournament.