AN/ Hey guys! I'm really excited cause I'm going on a trip to Columbia, SC to go to this conference thingie! Anyways, here's chapter 23 & 24, I'm doubling up on the chapters so I'll finish faster:) YAY for finishing! So have a nice read and I'll update as soon as I get a review:)

Love From,

MotherCrumpet

PS I'd really like to thank Authoressinhiding once again for her dedicated reading & reviwing! It really means a lot to me! THANKS!

Chapter 23: The Second Task

"Calm down Riley," Celeste urged me as we sat eating breakfast on that Friday.

"Calm down?" I replied nervously, my whole body shaking like Jell-O, "How do you expect me to calm down with the Second Task being today?"

"You'll be fine," Celeste rolled her eyes.

"Easy for you to say, you aren't the one in it," I said smartly.

"Riley, listen to me, you are going to be okay," Spencer said soothingly though it didn't really help.

"Miss Potter you need to go down to the tents by the lake now," Professor Delacour said.

"Okay, Professor," I choked out.

"And Miss Potter, good luck," Professor Delacour turned and walked away.

"Mother of Macaroni and all things Cheesy," I muttered getting up.

I was greeted with a chorus of 'good luck' and 'you'll be fine' from my friends and 'don't choke' and 'Potter's a Rotter' from the Slytherins. Spencer got up to walk with me down to the lake. I didn't know if I'd make it that far.

"Hey, Wood, I just want you to know, in case I die and everything, that I really missed you when we weren't talking," I wanted to say something better but I was lucky to get that to come out of my mouth.

"Riley," Spencer replied as I braced myself for something really sweet, "You will be fine."

"That was profound," I replied sarcastically kissing him for what I hoped was not the last time.

"Good luck!" he called after me as I walked into the tent. I just waved to acknowledge I had heard him and kept walking.

I walked out into the fenced area on the banks of the lake. I was extremely nervous, I had never even seen a hippogriff before let alone ride one. I faced the half-horse half-eagle creature feeling a little bit nervous. Okay, a lot bit nervous! I waited for the signal to start, which came as one short whistle.

I bowed and prayed that Buckbeak would bow back. (Yes, I got Buckbeak, the same hippogriff that my dad rode a billion times and helped to escape with Sirius Black.) Thankfully Buckbeak bowed and I hurried to climb onto his back.

We were to fly an obstacle course around the lake. The course consisted of many different sizes of hoops and about a million different floating obstacles. The goal was to have the fastest time while going through the most hoops and avoiding the most obstacles.

I took a deep breath before urging Buckbeak to start going. He immediately started running to get a good take-off. I found I preferred flying on a broomstick since it wasn't even half as bumpy.

Nudging Buckbeak to avoid all of the obstacles, I swerved left, right, left, up, down, left through that ring, circle and hit that ring, faster and faster until I appeared a blur to those sitting and watching in the stands. I flew through the final ring and landed smoothly on the ground right on the far side of the finish line. I had passed with flying colors! (Sorry about the puns, they were soaring quite unintentionally.)

"Riley, are you sure you're okay?" Lauran asked me. I had woken up to find myself in the Hospital Wing; apparently I had thrown up and then passed out, oops.

"I'm fine, I didn't even know I had over done it," I reassured her.

"You got the best time, way to go," Celeste said walking up, "No one else even came close to your time."

"That's lovely," I replied, not listening to what anyone was saying.

"Riley, did you even hear what I said," Celeste asked.

"Yes, well, no," I corrected at a look from her.

"You have the most points out of anyone. That means you get a head-start or something on the Third Task," Celeste explained.

I responded offhandedly, "That just means I can die faster."

"You have a one track mind," Lauran commented exasperated, "We can all go now, there's a party in the Common Room."

"Let's go, I like parties!" I felt a little off after that bump on my head, oh well, you can't win them all.

Chapter 24: Disaster Zone

"I'm tired," I commented one night in the Common Room.

"Great," Lauran replied, we were bored out of our minds, nothing was happening.

"What in the world?" I said running over to the window, "Look at that, it's not normal."

It was early February and there was snow covering the ground, yet Durmstrang students were scattered throughout the lake just swimming along.

"It's like below freezing out there!" Lauran exclaimed, "Look there's Celeste and Colby."

The happy couple was on a date; you couldn't go anywhere off grounds legally so they were just walking around and talking together, oh, and snoging I'm sure.

"Oh, look at that," I commented, "He's leaning in and, oh what'd she do that for?" Celeste had just nailed Colby in the face with a snowball.

"Don't you two have anything better to do than watch them snog each other?" Spencer asked rolling his eyes.

"Honestly, no," I replied turning away from the window, "What are we supposed to do?"

"Anything," Spencer said exasperatedly.

"Hmm, I got nothing," I sighed.

"You could turn someone else pink," Lauran suggested half-heartedly.

"No, some first-years tried to imitate that yesterday; they only succeeded in turning themselves pink," I was completely out of ideas, school was getting boring.

"You could do my homework," Spencer suggested.

"I think not. Finish your own homework!" I exclaimed.

"I don't want to. Let's go outside instead," Spencer threw his books into his bag and pulled on his jacket.

I pulled on my cloak and threw my scarf around my neck. Lauran and Dean followed suit. Then we all trekked down the halls of the school and out the front door. It was frigid outside and I was already cold.

"Ouch!" Lauran cried as I pegged her with a snowball, "Don't do that!"

"Do what?" I asked innocently, "Do you not want me to do this?" I pelted her with another snowball.

"Stop it!" Lauran yelled, not really meaning it, as she hit me with a snowball.

"Oh, touché," I replied picking up another snowball and hitting Spencer with it.

"Hey, leave me out of this," Spencer exclaimed wiping snow off of his front.

"Why?" I asked scooping up another and preparing to throw it.

"I may have to do something about it," He replied raising an eyebrow.

"I'd like to see you try," I taunted as I hit him with the snowball.

"You asked for it," Spencer ran right at me and I didn't even have time to think before he had scooped me up and was holding me above the ground.

"Put me down," I said threateningly.

"Why should I?" Spencer asked teasingly.

"Because I have another snowball," I replied hitting him in the face with aforementioned snowball.

He dropped me quickly and I fell into a huge snowdrift. I had snow in my hair and all down my front. I was half-buried in the snow and it was too deep for me to pull myself out.

"Hey, I'm stuck," I called.

"How lovely," Spencer called back.

"Would you get me out?"

"Yes, but only because I'm a generous and forgiving person," Spencer said offering me his hand.

"Thanks," I replied grabbing his hand and pulling him down into the drift too.

"Mmahwahoolawoo," Spencer mumbled with his face still in the drift.

"What did you say?" I asked as he struggled upright. He had snow clumped in his hair and I pulled it out.

"I said maybe I shouldn't have tried to help you," Spencer repeated, glaring at me.

"Maybe, but then I wouldn't have been able to do this," I replied kissing him.

"Do what?" he asked pretending not to have gotten the picture so I'd kiss him again.

"You're a dork," I teased but I kissed him again anyway.

"Yeah, but I'm a cute dork," Spencer pulled himself up and then took my hand and helped me out of the drift. I had snow all over me but I didn't really care.

Lauran and Dean were walking around the corner together. I didn't bother to say anything to them. I shivered, but I wasn't cold.

"What's wrong?" Spencer asked, "Are you cold, because we can go inside."

"No, I'm not cold," I replied. I didn't know what was making me shiver, but I couldn't shake the feeling that something was going to go wrong.

"Then why are you shivering?" Spencer jerked me out of my thoughts. He put his arm around me.

"So you'd do that," I answered, pulling his arm tighter.

"If you don't stop shivering then we're going inside," Spencer wouldn't let the subject drop; though I have to admit that he was cute when he was worried.

"Oh, you're worried, are you?" I asked turning to look at him.

"Yes, I am," He responded honestly.

"That's sweet of you," I commented putting my arms around his neck.

"No, it's really just common consideration," he replied smartly, pulling me closer.

"Riley, you have to see this, NOW!" Someone yelled from behind me. I spun around.

"What?" I called irritated.

"JUST HURRY!" Logan was screaming from the front doors to the school. He turned and went inside.

I was curious as to what was going on so I took Spencer's hand and sprinted to the school. As soon as I got in I felt al of the air inside of me deflate. The school was a disaster zone!