A/N: And we are moving on to year four!
Disclaimer: Don't own Harry Potter and company, they all belong to the lovely J.K. Rowling!
Year 4
The Dashing Knight, the Beautiful Princess, and the Magical Tournament
Once upon a time, there was a magical kingdom that decided to host a contest. It was called the Triwizard Tournament and three different countries sent their best warriors to participate. The reward for winning was not only fame and glory but the opportunity to court a beautiful princess. An item called the Goblet of Fire decided the three champions but was protected by different magical spells so only those worthy enough could participate. On the night of All Hallows Eve those who had entered gathered together to witness the naming of the champions. The first was a famous Quidditch player, the second a well to-do and good-looking knight many admired and looked up to and the third a knight that no one knew. The only remarkable feature about him was his emerald green eyes.
The first task the champions faced was a test of daring and courage. They had to retrieve a golden egg from a nesting mother dragon, which in turn would be their next clue. The Quidditch player faced up against a Chinese Fireball and shot a spell into its eye to confuse it. He managed to get his golden egg but many of the actual eggs were lost as well, giving him 40 points. The well-known knight was going against a Swedish Short-Snout. In an attempt to distract the dragon he Transfigured a rock in the arena into a dog. It worked for a while but just as he managed to grab his egg the dragon lost interest and burned him. It cost him and he earned only 38 points. The small knight surprised everyone as he faced the Hungarian Horntail. To the audience's delight he flew to retrieve his egg. He teased the nesting mother until she reared up on her hind legs before diving and snatching the egg from her nest. His only slip up was that her tail grazed his shoulder but he was awarded 40 points, tying him with the famous Quidditch player.
Before the second task came around, there was a ball to be had. It was hosted on Yule Tide and the three champions opened the ball by dancing first. While they all brought their own partners each was given the opportunity to dance with the princess who they could court should they win the tournament.
The second task required cunning to figure out what the clue hidden inside the golden egg was. The champions discovered that if they listened to it underwater a riddle was sung to them.
Come seek us where our voices sound
We cannot sing above the ground
And while you're searching, ponder this
We've taken what you'll sorely miss
An hour long you'll have to look
And to recover what we took
But past and hour-the prospect's black
Too late, it's gone, it won't come back
Upon solving this riddle each champion had to determine a way to swim to the bottom of the lake bordering the kingdom's castle and retrieve something hidden there. The Quidditch player used an incomplete form of Transfiguration to make his body that of a shark. The well-known knight used the Bubble-Head Charm while the lesser-known knight ate gillyweed. All three retrieved their friends that were placed at the lake bottom. The Quidditch player was awarded 40 points, the well-known knight 47 points and the lesser known knight 45, tying the two knights up. However, for the third task the points only gave the two knights a five minute head start from the Quidditch player.
The third task was a maze full of different magical creatures with the Triwizard Cup in the very center. There were also different enchantments up to confuse the champions and test their knowledge. The lesser-known knight ran into a boggart, a spell that made the world seem as though it turned upside-down, a Blast-Ended Skrewt (which was enormous) and a Sphinx. Through the Sphinx was the quickest way to the Cup but to do so the knight had to answer a riddle.
First think of the person who lives in disguise
Who deals in secrets and tells naught but lies
Next, tell me what's always the last thing to mend
The middle of middle and end of end?
And finally give me the sound often heard
During the search for a hard-to-find word.
Now string them together, and answer me this
Which creature would you be unwilling to kiss?
He thought and he thought and he came up with three parts: a spy, the letter 'd' and the sound 'er'. Put them together and a creature you wouldn't want to kiss would be a spider. His answer was correct and so the Sphinx let him pass. He thanks the Sphinx and hurried down the path. Just ahead of him he could make out the center where the Cup sat. However, before he got there he was ambushed by an Acromantula that bit him on the leg. He managed to kill the spider but had to hobble to the Cup, which he claimed, thereby winning the tournament.
The princess was very impressed with how well he did in all three of the different tasks. The two courted for the following year before being married. Together they ruled the kingdom with a fair and just hand and peace reigned.
