Hey everyone,
This is going to be the final chapter to take place between the Second and the Third Task. I know that I am kind of rushing through this story, but that has two reasons. I want to use really vital events, such as the Tasks, to expand this story. I want this story finished before that blasted article I wrote about last time becomes an actual law – even if I haven't heard anything about it since.
No news is good news, right,

Venquine1990
PS. This story is inspired by the works of DisneyFanatic2364. Check out their works, both fanfiction and Youtube.
Shout-Out To:
Jostanos
Starhoney
WhiteEagle1985

Chapter 26
Discussions And Plans

24th of February 1995
Great Hall, Hogwarts
Luna's POV

"Greetings all. My apologies for disturbing you during your meal time, but I will not take much of your time, of that I assure you. I only wish to deliver messages and important bits of information to those who require to know them." I say as I walk into the Great Hall, using just a small portion of the Royal Canterlot Voice to make sure that I am heard all throughout the room, even at the back where the Head Table is at.
I easily spot disdain and annoyance on the faces of Crouch and Bagman, who have obviously not yet forgotten the insults thrown at them by my godson, yet after hearing the whole story from Discord, Fluttershy and young Amber, do I feel it foolish of them to feel this insulted. I then remember a lesson that Twilight, Celestia and I learned at one point and think: "They could sure learn the same lesson themselves right now."
Yet I focus on my task at hand and reach the Head Table as I say: "First of all, Mr. Bagman and Crouch, grow a conscience and accept that not everything you organize can go brilliantly and that sometimes those under you see things differently from you. But that, just because they are under you does not make them dumber or less observant than you. If anything, when it comes to today's task and the next, my godson is much smarter than either of you.

And I say this as a ruler, not a godmother." The two glare at me over this, but I just stare them down, not at all caring for their hurt feelings. "Allow me to explain exactly where you went wrong with both tasks. When it comes to this one, you made three very unfortunate mistakes in your logic. One, the task was under water. Two, the Black Lake is made of water, not glass, thus not see through. And three, the time limit was one hour.
Meaning that your whole audience, this entire student body here, was supposed to sit in suspension – or better said boredom as they are teenagers, after all – for over an hour, perhaps even longer, considering that there are all kinds of creatures down in the lake that could have cost the champions a lot of time to move past. That is a case of bad planning and proves you did not have your audience in mind when designing this task. And that is exactly what is wrong with the next task as well.
The Headmaster himself, after all, described the maze as gigantic and Applejack has already told me that she can sense the seedlings to have already been planted. Therefore, I can already assure you all that the next task is going to cover the same problem, making it so that, perhaps, only Rainbow Dash and her Pegasi friends will be able to see anything.
Yes, test and trial your Champions all you want – and make your audience so bored they will seek each other out. What a wonderful way to strengthen the connections between these three schools. Princess Twilight is ever so proud of how much you know about friendship and how to create such bonds." I hear quite a few students behind me muffle their snickering and giggles, yet I focus away from them and in front of me.

Bagman is actually red now and looking like he feels quite foolish, but Crouch is just looking away, his face passive and proving he has no interest in hearing any more criticism. I shake my head and mutter: "A good leader knows when to ask for help. A Great leader knows when they have made a mistake and are courageous enough to own up to them. And a Department Head, in probably the eyes of many, is a Leader."
The man glares at me again over this, but I decide to just move onto the other reason I am here. I turn from them to Dumbledore and ask: "Headmaster, I must ask you. Are my friends and I right to assume that the Ministry – or better said these two here – discussed their plans for the task together, put those plans in the Cup and then informed you, making it so that you were no longer able to make any changes due to that whole binding magic?" Yet to this Crouch fails miserably as he shouts:
"YOU CAN'T PROVE ANYTHING!" To which I put my hoof to my muzzle and state: "Apparently, I don't need to. You just proved your own guilt to this act in front of hundreds of students, both national and international. You yourself just proved your own selfish intentions when organizing this Tournament – or should I say this act to boost your own ego and pride?" And while almost purple with rage, does the man seem to hold back.

I roll my eyes and turn back to Dumbledore as I say: "Either way, I will take this knowledge back to Lord Black. He wanted me to find this out and confirm it before he contacted her about the actions that took place in your office last night. And rest assured, Headmaster, young Neville very clearly remembers the look of resignation and concern that was on your face before he was stunned. And he will report this to his gran upon Lord Black meeting her."
The man nods and I turn around, facing the students at last and going back to the softer version of the Royal Canterlot Voice as I say: "Now hear me students of Hogwarts. I and my own have spoken with Harry about this on numerous occasions, earlier last night being one of them, and the events of today's task have only furthered the topic of our discussion. As of this moment, other than his friends, the only thing keeping Harry on earth is the Tournament.
However, allow me to rephrase and clarify that. Other than his friends, the only object keeping my godson in this world is the contract binding him to the Tournament. If not for that, he would have left this world for Equestria, to live with his family and stay with Fluttershy and Discord right on the Halloween Night that Starswirl the Bearded reinstated the portal between our worlds. You all have pushed him that far. And let it be known, the friends I speak of – are now with him in the trunk. They are not here among you."

"HOW DARE THAT NO-GOOD –!" One of the Lions tries to shout, only to meep as I fly up and right into his face, glaring at him until he sits back down. "I thought so. And next to that, what exactly about you – any of you – should encourage him to remain in this world? You can't keep your opinion of him straight, you ignore all he has done for you whenever you so please, you chose his fame over the fact that he was believed to be orphaned for years, you bully him straight into Madam Pomfrey's care when he doesn't live up to your expectations.
You treat him in ways you would never treat your friends, your rivals or even yourself and you expect him to still save your skin, protect you from Dark Magic and entertain your silly little selves on a daily basis. Tell me, if you lived that life for three years and then suddenly got the opportunity to escape it and gain a better life in doing so, would you not take it?" The student that yelled looks down, proving his guilt and his friend stutters:
"But – but – but Potter – he – he never complained or – or objected or – or even reported us." To which I roll my eyes and say: "Seven out of nine bully victims don't report their bullies doing so. They fear the bullies would go unpunished, due to the higher ups favoring them, and that the bullying would get worse after." I turn back to the staff and state: "And seeing how the staff did nothing the two times this happened, I believe my godson had a right to believe this.

And I do not believe I need to bring up the events of my godson's return to the common room that same Halloween night now, do I?" And this time most of the Lion table turns either red with shame or white with fright over remembering that night. I turn to the staff table again and state: "That is exactly the problem here. You as students believed you could go after an orphan, because he had no parents to support him, and the staff proved this by not stepping into Discord or Fluttershy's footsteps. Thus, my godson is done with this world and wishes to leave it.
And before any of you even dare open your mouth, Amber, Hermione, Neville and the other Weasleys all agree with him. They will all use the rest of the year to discuss this with their families and there is a very – and I mean very – high chance that, sometime bet the end of this year and the start of next, they too will move to Equestria, that they will chose their friend over this school. And this is something that is believed by both Applejack and Rainbow Dash, the Elements of Honesty and Loyalty."
And with that do I turn around, leaving a silenced Great Hall in my wake. Yet at the doors do I turn my head one last time, sweeping my gaze over the Durmstrang and Beauxbattons students as I say: "Let me make one last thing clear. Nothing of what I said in regards to negative criticism goes for either of our foreign friends. This was solely on the Hogwarts staff and students." And with that do I leave, a few grateful smiling faces in my wake.

A few days later
Hogwarts Grounds
Cedric's POV

The Hogwarts rumor mill has been running wild with the news that, if not for the Tournament, Harry would have left Magical England permanently months ago. Slytherins have actually been pretty quiet in sharing their two cents about this, except for Draco Malfoy who either boasted about how he played a part in this or bullied others who he considers also responsible for it. Yet this also makes some students try to blame others, even when they know they're guilty themselves.
I've been really coming down on these last kind of students, especially when they are Badgers like me and remind them of two events that more than probably played a role in Harry wanting to leave; the 150 point loss where Harry was bullied without anyone asking how the points were lost and the Heir of Slytherin event where Hermione had to be attacked before everyone remembered she was both Harry's friend and a Muggleborn.
Needless to say that Hogwarts has been abuzz with conversations, discussions and other forms of communications, some of them going so far that they actually continue talking even when in classes, thus earning them a punishment of either point loss or – with the few who are stupid enough to do this – detention from Professor Snape as they try to whisper through his roll-call.

And to my slight intrigue and astonishment do I spot the topic of all these conversations and discussions as I am heading out for Care of Magical Creatures. The small Draconequus is actually standing in the center of the Stone Circle and seems to prepare himself for something. "Ehm, don't the Fourth Years have Charms right now?" My best friend asks and I answer: "Champions are allowed to be exempt from classes in order to prepare for the Tournament."
"Then why aren't you?" One of the female Badgers who isn't supporting either Harry or me asks and I answer: "Sixth year classes are more based on what we have to prepare for when we grow up and my classes are more dedicated to the profession I want to pursue after graduation. Harry's classes are just more based on growing and developing his magic and core, so he has more reason to skip them than I do. Mine also help me devise strategy against the Maze."
The girl nods and I turn back, walking ahead of the others a little and preparing to greet Harry when I suddenly notice him taking a deep breath before he whispers: "Here we go." And after this does he start clicking his horns in rapid succession. And to my own awe and the shocked and amazed gasps of my year and House mates does each click change one of the columns into something else.
Elephants, horses, dogs, cats, birds, hippogriffs, small dragons, stone walls, columns made of ice, trees and bushes and so many more other things are being brought forth, being changed from one into another into the next and the sight of it all awes and amazes me. Then suddenly Harry changes everything back and only pants slightly, hardly buckling through his legs and seems to need only a bit of deep breathing to get his energy back.

I turn to the others, who are just gaping and have wide eyes, and turn back, walking over and calling Harry's name. The young creature turns around and smiles as he sees me as I ask: "What – why did you just do that?" And the boy answers: "It's training. Dad wants me to be able to change these columns into 50 different things in 10 minutes. I'm pretty sure I got somewhere between thirty-five and forty or something." To this one my dorm mates says: "Forty-one."
We turn to him and he says: "I noticed a pattern. You would change the stuff in a clockwise order. When I realized that, it was easier to keep count. There are seven columns and you missed one and did seven runs, so you got a total of forty-one transformations." At this a lot of us smile, yet Harry is all-out grinning and he says: "Yes, I'm getting better. My last was 36 from an hour ago.""You do this every hour?" I ask, remembering just how he looked hardly tired after he was done.

Harry nods and says: "Dad wants me to practice every hour. I've been at this since the day after the Task. Dad did say I could stop and only do it once a day once I reach fifty and of course I have my other training courses. Oh, before I get to my next one, Cedric, would you mind coming to my trunk later tonight? I would like to discuss strategy with you. You know, because – well, we have been becoming friends this year, right?"
At this I smile, even though I know that some of those in my year still see Harry and me as competitors, especially because Harry represents Equestria instead of Hogwarts, and I say: "Definitely, Harry. We are friends, don't worry. Would you like to see me before or after dinner?" Yet to this Harry shrugs and then suddenly Rainbow Dash flies in and asks: "Ready Harry?" The colt nods and says: "See yah tonight, Ced." And he takes off, following Rainbow who speeds up more and more as Harry catches up with her every time.
"You sure about this, Ced?" One of my dorm mates asks and I roll my eyes as I say: "I put my friends above a competition, Carlo. You know I do. Now come on, before Professor Hagrid puts us all in detention for being late." And while some of the others cringe as they must imagine what the half-giant, who was actually outed as one last January, could think up, do we leave for class.

Later that night
At Gryffindor Tower

I feel a little surprised to spot both Viktor and Fleur coming up to the tower from different corridors, but smile at them nonetheless as we have definitely been growing closer than I am sure some of the students of our respective schools would want and there is even the fact that, except for at the First Task, there really wasn't that much of a sense of competition between all of us.
"Harry called you too?""He is younger than us. Perhaps he wants to pick our brains to increase his own chances of survival." Fleur asks and Viktor replies. I nod at this and then tell the Fat Lady: "Harry asked us to come. Can you let us in?" Yet before the portrait can answer, does her frame open and Harry comes to stand in the hole as he says:
"Great, you guys are here. You hungry? Mum cooked. Her cooking rivals that of the House-Elves, let me tell you. They're actually trying to get her recipe for some of her meals. And she's making her specialty for tonight." And just the excitement from the kid makes me smile in excitement myself and the three of us follow him in. I do notice some of the Lions looking shocked and even a little offended, but Parvati Patil glares at all those she herself spots doing this.

We head up a little further into the tower and reach a circular room that has four beds and one trunk set between two windows. Harry heads over and uses his horns to open the trunk before he says: "There's a ladder. See you guys downstairs. The seats are probably already set for you." And he spreads his wings and dives in after this, his Cutiemark glowing slightly being the last thing I see of him.
We walk over and I put my hands and feet on the sidebars of the ladder, sliding down on it and landing in a room that is so bizarre I can only think: "Yeah, this is the home of the Lord of Chaos.""Mon Dieu." Fleur gasps and Viktor's eyes widen as he lands on my other side, before Applejack asks: "You coming? Or do you want to eat cold pasta?" And while I still feel a little out of it and like continuing to just look around, does my stomach rumble as suddenly a delicious aroma waves over.

I move over to the empty seats at the table, which seem to be stationed between Harry and the five mares that came with Fluttershy and Discord. And just from the first bite do I get why Harry loves it so much when his mother cooks dinner and why the House-Elves want some of her recipes as this lasagna with spinach and tuna really is the best kind of lasagna I have ever tasted.
Fleur repeats her words of shock after her first bite and yet little more is said after that as everyone just quietly enjoys their food, the only real sounds coming from anyone being sounds of enjoyment and a lot of mmmmmms coming from them all. And even a few minutes after Applejack, who is actually showing that she is pregnant, does the silence keep up. "Ah, everyone done? Good, then let's get started." And just with those words does the Lord of Chaos change.
Where he had been smiling in enjoyment before speaking, does he now look stern and concerned. "Right, first things first. Cedric, Fleur, Viktor, we found out a few days ago, two days before the last Task, that Crouch Junior isn't dead. They kept him outside of the Hogwarts wards and this allowed him to Apparate away just as the Dementor swooped in."
This horrifies me, especially the fact that this is only found out now when Crouch had been caught and sentenced months ago. The being at the head of the table nods and says: "To make matters worse, did I remember that Voldemort – yes, we do believe that he is alive and behind all of this – does not take kindly to failures. Because of this, do we believe he might have called in another. We just don't know who – yet. We hope to find out before the Task."

At this, while Fleur puts a fisted hand in front of her mouth and Krum fists his own hands on the arm rests of his seat, do we all nod and Harry says: "Look, this whole tournament was designed, originally – or at least in Dumbledore's eyes, originally – to bring our three schools closer together. The best way we can beat Voldemort at whatever he might be planning is to do exactly that. Work together and reach the Cup together.""How will we do that?"
Fleur asks and Rainbow answers: "Through us. Dumbledore already knows that there will be Wonderbolts flying along with each of you so that if you get in trouble, we'll be able to alert the teachers and you won't have to waste potentially precious time throwing up red sparks like they were originally planning. But it won't be just a Wonderbolt flying along."
"Twilight, Trixie and I will be flying along as well, along with Fluttershy. Trixie and I will use our magic to make us levitate above the maze. We will teleport to be above your respective paths after you each enter them and teleport to a staff member, who will be patrolling the maze from the outside, when you get in trouble or believe you will need to forfeit. We will also alert you guys if one of you gets too far ahead of the others, allowing you a chance to catch a break."
"But if the teachers will be patrolling, will you guys really be necessary?" Fleur asks and Harry is the one to nod and answer: "Yes, because of one thing. The staff will have to be constantly moving around the maze, watching out for anything suspicious and probably missing a thing or two. Not to mention that both Pettigrew and Junior know our staff inside out. Pettigrew thanks to his Animagus form and Crouch thanks to his short-term as teacher.
There is also the really likely chance that there will indeed be a third member involved who will probably be hidden somewhere within the maze to make things more difficult for all of you. Yes, because neither the First nor the Second Task was interrupted by Voldemort, Crouch, Pettigrew or whoever this new one might be, we feel sure it's the Third Task where they will strike."

"And what do you suspect they will do?" Viktor asks and Lord Discord growls: "Foalnap him. Voldemort wants him, for reasons only certain individuals are – pardon my words – stupid enough to believe in, not to mention that he wants revenge for all the times that Harry bested and defeated him as well as foiled his plans to return. But for that to happen, he needs Harry alone, away from everyone else. Thus the Cup at the center of the maze."
"The perfect chance to ki-foalnap Harry without anyone being any wiser. The only way anyone would know is if, after Harry gets taken, one of us reaches the center and spots the cup to be gone. We'd try to get back, believing that the winner's ceremony is probably in full-swing already and not get worried or frightened until coming back to the entrance of the maze." I mutter, feeling horrified at the fact that this plan might just work.
"Which is why I'll be casting a dome of specialized magic around the perimeter, to make sure that the Anti-Port-Key wards don't have to be taken down for the sake of the tasks and to make sure that Port-Keys only work within the confines of the dome. Though a dome of that power, especially one that will have to fight the magic of Hogwarts, will make me unable to do anything else after." And just this fact, even without the defeated way the being brings it, is enough to really worry me.

"Lord Discord, you clearly need our help and we are happy to give it. I just have one question. Where is young Amber?" Viktor asks, making my eyes widen and making me feel stupid for not realizing that Harry's special somebody isn't actually here. Harry sighs and says: "She wants nothing to do with this. She fears getting involved in even just 1% of the planning might affect the whole plan negatively once we try to execute it. That damned task undid all of my progress with her."
And as the colt grumbles and mutters words of annoyance under his breath over this, do I feel my own annoyance with Crouch and Bagman grow to a new height. Especially because I was actually walking past the room where Lady Longbottom met with the two and had noticed them hardly changing their tune, actually trying to argue their cause just the other day. "Harry has more than one enemy here, he has three. He needs help." And this thought brings out the badger in me.

Good for you, Cedric.
Okay, this is getting insane. I actually made this ending the perfect way to transition into another time-jump, one that goes all the way to the day of the Third Task. However, I am NOT going to. I actually remembered a little something while writing this chapter and I want that topic to be taken care of BEFORE the Task takes place. Though you can still expect a time jump.
Care to guess,

Venquine1990
PS. This story is inspired by the works of DisneyFanatic2364. Check out their works, both fanfiction and Youtube.