"Are you ready for this, Harry?" Wally called out, checking his ropes one more time.
"Oh yeah! It'll be like riding a bike... up a pillar."
Harry, Jasmine, Cedric, and Wally had ended up on the same pillar while Gary, Iris, Fleur, and Viktor had another. There were flags marking the boundries of each of their sections, ensuring that one champion didn't interfere with the other. They'd been given one final run-through of the equipment by Grant before being left on their own, each of them dangling a few yards above the icy water. In the sky above them the Headmasters along with a selection of Aurors, Hoods, and Kalos Paladins (brought in my Cynthia after Missingno's attack and the events of the First Task) circled above them on their Pokémon, ready to swoop down in there was any danger. It was clear none of the schools were going to allow a repeat of the Gauntlet Arena to occur.
"Don't get cocky!" Jasmine called out, having swung over to the very edge of her section. "This is all a test of endurance... we have yet to see if you can last!"
Harry merely smiled, deciding that not saying a word would drive Jasmine more nuts than if he came up with a clever retort. He was glad that the thrill of competition had helped her work through whatever issues she'd had over the last month that left her acting like a blushing beauty whenever she was around him. Instead he checked over his harness, a coy little grin forming on his lips as he heard Jasmine sputter and snarl in outrage that she was being ignored.
Ludwig, his harness on, floated around their egg and made sure it was perfectly nestled in place. There were tiny hover discs on the bottom of the egg that would click off the moment the contest began and Ludwig wanted to make sure the egg was perfectly safe before it was left solely in their care. It didn't matter that the egg wasn't real; in Ludwig's head the egg was his own baby and he was going to protect it.
A flying camera drone moved around Harry and he smiled at it before going back to his prep work. He'd been told that the task was being broadcast live back at Hogwarts and all the students would be watching it in the Great Hall, along with anyone who happened to be watching the Task via the Holocaster. He knew his friends were rooting for him... though he did wish he could see their faces when they saw what he had planned.
~MC~MC~MC~
"So, are you rooting for Cedric or Harry?" Ginny asked.
Hermione frowned. "What are you talking about?"
"Who are you rooting for? Your boyfriend or your best friend?"
"I am rooting for both," Hermione stated firmly, Celebi sitting on her lap. After the events of the First Task, when she'd failed to bring Celebi with her, Hermione had decided to never go anywhere without her special Pokémon. Celebi was quite happy to be out of her Pokéball and cooed as Hermione ran her fingers along her head. Several students from the other regions, especially Johto and Kalos, had stared in shock at this but the Avalonians treated it as just another Tuesday.
"Lame," Ron said, rolling his eyes before tossing a Poketreat to Emolga.
"Excuse me?" Hermione complained.
"It's lame," Ron said again. "Pick a side and stick with it!"
"I am not picking a side! Yes, Harry is my close friend and one of my best friends-"
"Just not your bestest best friend," Luna said sweetly... before holding up a spork, "or else."
"-and Cedric is my boyfriend. Why can't I root for both?"
"Because it is lame," Ron stated again.
"It is kinda lame," Neville said with a shrug.
"It's not lame it's being respectful to everyone!" Hermione growled.
"Twenty bucks says Potter wets himself halfway up!" Draco called out with a laugh, the rest of his friends braying with him.
"See, now that is disrespectful and lame," Hermione stated.
Ron glanced over at Luna; the blonde Gryffindor had her tongue stuck out as she focused on her dex, fingers rapidly flying over the keys. "By Merlin, someone stop her!"
"Uh... why?" Neville asked as Ron tried to dive over him to snatch away Luna's dex.
"Because when she has that look on her face that means pain and suffering!"
Hermione, Ginny, and Neville all looked at each other before making a mad grab for the dex.
"Too late!" Luna said with a grin. "Already sent the message!"
"And what message was that?" Ginny asked nervously.
"Jasmine Kenway texted me... she needed a cunning quip to make to Harry concerning a new gadget of her's. I came up with the perfect one." She pointed to one of the screens which was currently showing Jasmine looking over at Harry and calling out something. The winds were making it hard for the drone's microphone to pick it up.
Hermione looked over Luna's shoulder and read her dex. "Tonight I dine on turtle soup?" The bushy-haired girl looked back at the tv. "What does that-"
Her words were cut off when Jasmine held up on of her wrists, reveaing a bracer... which extended two wicked-looking blades on either side of her hand.
"HOLY-!" Ron cried out in shock.
"Jeez," Neville said in surprise.
"Jack," Clair growled somewhere to their right. "Let go of me, Diantha, I am going to fly there and kill my husband! I told him not to let Jasmine design any more tools!"
"Tools?!" Ginny squeaked. "She calls that a tool?!"
"Well Luna, at least you gave her a good- Luna?" Hermione looked around, startled to find that her friend was no longer sitting next to her. "Luna? What the-?"
"My word!" Lee Jordan, who was once more doing color commentary, exclaimed on one of the TVs. "It appears to be a disturbance on Headmaster Kenway's Bravairy!" The drone flew over to reveal a startled Jack... and Luna, who was sitting in front of Jack and grinning in delight.
"How?" Ginny screamed, gesturing wildly at where Luna had been sitting not moments before. "HOW?!"
"I can show you the world!" Luna sang, arms spread wide. "Shining, shimmering, splendid!
Tell me, Jackie, now when did you last let your heart decide?"
Jack shrugged. "A whole new world!" he sang, joining her in song.
~MC~MC~MC~
The siren went off signaling they could begin and Jasmine was off to the races. When Grant had said they could bring in their own tools and equipment beyond the required vest Jasmine had known that now would be the perfect time to try out her newest invention.
When she had first come to live with at the ancestral home of the Kenways the little orphan had found it a strange and almost magical place. Much like the Kenways themselves their home, Rogue's End, was eccentric: a mix of old world workmanship and modern day design along with a dash of eccentric flare. Even before her da had become a Speaker Pokémon were allowed free reign of the estate and it wasn't uncommon for little Jasmine to find a Girafarig or a Rhyhorn stumble upon where she was playing and want to join in. Her Uncle-turned-Grandpa Kent was, of course, the Safari Zone Warden and loved to see Pokémon roaming free.
Another thing he loved, and it was something he passed down to his sons and later Jasmine herself, was to create new and interesting inventions and tools. Dark Iron, named after the Dark Mountains and one of the main sources of Johto's wealth as well as its top export, could be found in strong supply in Cianwood and there was always plenty on hand for the Kenways when they wished to tinker with it. One of the chief metals used in Pokéball making, Dark Iron was strong even when pound razor thin and was highly conductive to the miniaturization process. It made for the perfect material when one wanted to make a unique tool or weapon.
Jasmine had watched her Grandpa Kent spend hours laboring over the metal, his deep yet pleasant voice explaining each step along the way. Dark Iron had been used to make her father's Escrima Sticks, her Uncle Jonas' Buster Sword, and her mother's Dragon Staff. Jasmine herself had come up with all manner of ideas and designs but her mother had refused to allow her to go wild in her Grandpa's workshop; it had been a battle just to allow her to make her fighting daggers.
But over the Solstice Break Jasmine and her Grandpa Kent had snuck away, Grandma Marie distracting Jasmine's mum as grandfather and granddaughter created the tool that would replace her fighting daggers and be her signature weapons: Her Bracers Blades.
Forced from Dark Iron, the Bracers were thin and flexible, allowing her to easily rotate her wrists without the metal cutting into her skin. To do this she'd been forced to sacrifice the built-in Pokeball Firing Mechanism her father, mother, and uncle all had in their weapons; her balls currently locked, in miniturized form, into the Bracers but had to be removed by hand. By simply squeezing her hand and flexing her forearm muscles she triggered the hidden blades and grab-bar to swing out and lock into position. This not only gave her a surprise fighting weapon but also protected her arms from attacks while also making it neigh-impossible to disarm her.
The Dark Iron Blades were sharp yet strong and Jasmine proved this by slamming them into the Pillar's face. Handholds were forgotten as Jasmine scaled the stone face, allowing her to carve a direct path to the top. She called out to Xena, using a simple 'right, left, right left' command to keep them in sync. The two moved in tandem up the Pillar, and Jasmine allowed herself a moment to look over at the other champions to see how they were doing.
It was clear that this was an event the girls were going to win hands down. Fleur was an utter natural, easily swinging from one handhold to another, her Greninja keeping pace with her trainer as the two of them hurried along. Their egg bounced a few times but Jasmine could tell that Fleur would be getting high marks for speed and decent marks for protecting her egg when all was said and down. Iris too was speeding along, her feet finally healed from the First Task and thus allowing her to climb barefoot (even in the cold weather!) up the Pillar, her long toes gripping footholds as she scaled her way up and up. Her Haraxus dug deep gouges into the pillar's stone face and Jasmine for a moment pittied the team that would come the next day to repair all the damage the champions were causing. The three ladies were neck and neck, hurrying up their Pillars with only a few bumps to show for their trouble.
The gentlemen weren't doing so well.
Viktor was speeding along but one look at his poor egg spoke volumes to how low is score would be. Once more he was trying to rush his way through, treating this like a Gauntlet Match where bursting through any obstacle would net him a win. Wally's Gallade from what Jasmine could see (as she could only spot him when he or his Gallade swung into her line of sight) was moving well but had to constantly stop to wait for Wally to catch up; the Hoenn champion was being too cautious. Of course, part of that might have to do with Cedric having tumbled down 10 feet, putting him behind all the rest of the champions. Gary was simply moving at a conservative pace, choosing a balanced approach. He had decided that this was an event he couldn't win but he could, at least, rack up as many points as possible. Jasmine grinned, climbing up another five feet before looking to see how Harry was doing.
Her jaw dropped.
He was still below her by ten feet, so she had the lead in height, but his strategy left Jasmine cursing her own stupidity. The rules had stated that the champion had to climb the wall and they would be tethered to their Pokémon... it said NOTHING about the Pokémon needing to climb!
Like a true Marauder Harry had decided to obey the letter of the law while taking advantage of all loopholes: Thus Ludwig floated directly BEHIND Harry, balancing the egg between the two of them as far away from the wall as possible. The golden egg bobbed as Harry climbed but never came even close to bumping the wall. While all the other champions had been battering their eggs against the Pillars Harry's was leisurely dangling behind him under the watchful eye of Harry's Lampert!
Jasmine cursed and doubled her efforts to reach the top; even as the wind blew against her she heard several other champions cry out in anger when they saw what Harry had done. The youngest champion didn't even bother to acknowledge them as he continued up the Pillar.
Jasmine neared the top, growling as her egg once against banged against the Pillar. She had no chance of beating Harry when it came to the egg but she could, at least, cement a MUCH faster time to the finish line than him.
~MC~MC~MC~
"This is truly incredible, ladies and gentlemen!" Lee proclaimed on the TV screens. "Jasmine Kenway, Iris Hinum, and Fleur Delacour-Malfoy are neck and neck with only Harry Potter challenging their lead!"
"Potter should be disqualified!" Draco blasted. "He's cheating!"
"No, he's using his head," Daphne Greengrass snarked before any of Harry's friends could speak up. "The rules state that the champion must climb and he has to be attached to his egg and Pokémon. That's it."
"Both of them are supposed to climb the Pillar!" Pansy countered, trying to back up her boyfriend.
Blaise rolled his eyes. "And they are! Only Harry has to be touching it!"
"I still say Potter is cheating!" Draco growled.
"What's wrong, Draco?" Ginny called out, unable to help herself. "Mad that Harry is behaving more like a Slytherin than you?"
"What did you say, you little piece of gutter trash?" Draco roared.
"She said Harry's more Slytherin than you," Luna said helpfully, causing Ron to yelp in shock as he knew that, seconds ago, she had NOT been sitting in her chair. "Are you going deaf? Should I yell louder?"
"Miss Lovegood, I would ask you not too," McGonagall said dryly as she walked between the Gryffindor and Slytherin tables. "But you are right... bending the rules to achieve your goal is a very cunning thing to do and is quite Slytherin."
"Well, he is the Heir of Slytherin," Hermione pointed out, smiling as she watched Draco turn several different shades of red. She thought about going back in time with Celebi but not altering anything JUST so she could rewatch Draco get shown up.
"And Iris Hinum is off on her Dragonite!" Lee called out, drawing everyone's attention back to the TV. "As you may know Iris received her Dragonite during the year off she took from her studies. A rare wild Dragonite, it is not connected to the famous Blackthorn Dragonites but Iris' is certainly proving itself quite skilled. With Jasmine Kenway on her Skarmory and Fleur Delacour already having a commanding lead with her Swanna, it appears this will be an all-female- wait! What is Harry Potter doing now?!"
~MC~MC~MC~
"Alright, Orion, I think that is stable enough!" Harry called out as he finished removing his egg from his harness. Ludwig had already been recalled and Harry was racing towards the edge of the Pillar, juggling the backpack he'd been wearing over his harness as he hurried over to the Prinplup. While he had been finishing part one of the task Orion had been starting Part 2 and he could tell from the way the headmasters were circling overhead that he was shocking every single one of them.
It had hit him seconds after Grant had finished explaining the rules of the Second Task. Using Ludwig to protect the egg had ensured he got a perfect score for that part but here Harry, while most likely too far behind to overtake Fleur, Jasmine, and Iris, would be able to, at the very least, make the race part close. The second half of the task seemed straightforward enough: fly to the finish line as quick as you could. His time merging with Hedwig had taught him to understand the winds however and he had quickly realized that most of the champions would overestimate the ease of the second half and think it a mere glide to the finish line. The problem was that the winds were coming off the cool Eastern Sea, creating tricky updrafts and cold fronts that would play havoc with flying Pokémon. Worst were the pillars themselves, which created channels of air that swirled around them and made it even harder to fly in a straight line. The champions would have to weave and dip to get to the finish line safely, costing them valuable time. That's why Harry had decided to take a more direct approach.
He had Xeno Lovegood to thank for his brilliant idea. During the Solstice Holiday the Lovegoods had taken Remus, Sirius, and him into the northern hills; they'd spent the day sledding, skiing and tubing. It was one particular event, however, that Harry had decided to replica here:
Sleddless Bobsled.
Orion stopped firing his Ice Beam and admired his handiwork. Shooting down at a near 65 degree was an ice tube big enough for Harry to slip into. The crystalline structure dove straight towards the finish line, the angle decreasing to 30 degrees near the end to ensure he didn't drive himself directly into the ground. Harry pulled out the thin body skates Dobby had retrieved for him and strapped them to his arms and legs before angling himself at the mouth of the tube, his arms stretched over his head so Orion could rest on his biceps and forearms. The Prinplup settled himself in, locking his feet into the body skates, his head facing back towards the pillar.
"Okay... Aqua Jet."
One moment Harry was stationary and the next he was a human rocket. Orion's Aqua Jet fired him into the tube, the Gryffindor screaming in delight as they shot down through the icy tunnel. The ice was too thick for Harry to see anything and thus he was plunged into utter darkness, his body sliding to the right and the left as he worked to ensure he didn't do a 180 and end up slamming into face into the ice tube. The frigid air in the tunnel burned his face as he raced down but the thrill that was running along his spine made him ignore the discomfort and cry out with utter glee; he wondered if they'd let him go down again once the task was done.
After what felt like both forever and only a few seconds the tunnel lightened and his descent began to level off. The tube grew lighter and with a final whoosh he burst out of the tunnel and raced along the flat runway Orion had built for him. His Prinplup had long stopped the Aqua Jet, allowing gravity and momentum to carry them, and Harry laughed as he rushed past the finish line. He caught quick glances out of the corner of his eye of Jasmine, Fleur, and Iris standing off to the side but they were gone before he could even wonder what their reactions were. Knowing that he was finished he bent elbows and legs into the 'snowplow' position, slowing down as he hit the end of his ice runway and began to skid across the grass. He soon came to a stop about 20 feet past the finish line, a grin on his face as he looked up at the cloudy sky.
"So, how badly is Remus going to kill us for this?" He asked Orion; his Prinplup merely laughed.
"What... what the hell?!" Jasmine screamed, as she raced towards him. Harry slowly got up, holding out a hand and motioning for them to stay back until he could safely remove the skates.
"Mad I tried something like that... or you didn't think of it first?" Harry asked with a grin.
"...the second," Jasmine admitted.
Iris was practically vibrating in glee. "Oh, I so want to try next!"
"Please, Harry, distract mere and maman so I might take a turn!" Fleur pleaded, an almost manic gleam in her eyes.
Wally, Cedric, Viktor, and Gary soon joined them and forgot all about their scores and placing as they were too busy asking Harry all about the ice tube and wanting a chance to try it themselves. Harry merely grinned, basking in their delight and thrilled that his fellow champions were almost as bad when it came to being thrill junkies as he was...
"HARRY JAMES POTTER!" Remus screamed.
"...crude," Harry muttered, his good humor coming to an end as an enraged Remus stomped towards him.