All year around its dark and bleak
Inside the secrets are revealed
And riddles just as cards are dealt
The riddle was pretty much simple alright. This round they were supposed to search Hogsmead. The third task. The minister's words went through his head while he and the others waited for the start.
"This task will take form of a race. You have to get to the particular place in Hogsmead that your clue indicated. There will be three ways there. If you get there first you have two tasks to complete. If second, three, and if third four. You will be riddled and you have to give the right answer to the homunculus. The trick is that you are still not allowed to talk to anyone or anything, otherwise you saw what happened to Miss Nemiroff the last time. Which reminds me, there will be not disrespect towards either champion. Is that clear? Good. You will have a couple of minutes to prepare for your race. And remember, no dirty play, we are watching you. When you get the rest of the keys, you have to race here as well. Good luck!"
Harry was worried. He was fast but the other champions were clucking chickens either. He looked at the two of them. The aristocratic Gerard Bonchance was running on a spot and stretching. Looks like he was ready for this. The rock faced Anna Nemiroff looked as brutal as ever. She caught Harry's eye and smirked in a very nasty way. The boy turned away quickly. He waved at his friend looking down at him from the stands and went towards the start. The destination was the Shrinking Shack that was for sure.
"Please prepare yourself for the run. On your marks, get set, go!"
Harry ran. He was a good runner, since Dudley's schooling. He didn't run to fast for now, he kept the rhythm. Nemiroff over took him puffing and huffing but at a good speed. He couldn't see where Bonchance was but guessed that he wasn't far, using the same strategy as Harry did. Anna turned the corner of the gates and was out of sight but he had a feeling he will see her soon. He continued his monotone running strategy. As Hogsmead came into sight, his fellow champion Gerard ran a little faster. Harry didn't change his pace. He saw Anna now. He overtook her and heard her make a low shrieking sound. She was out of breath and wasn't able to keep it with the boys now, although Harry noticed that by her speed actually was greater than his.
Shrinking Shack loomed on the horizon. Harry was about five meters from the Beauxbaton champion. He tried to gain speed but the other boy noticed and ran faster. Harry decided to keep it that way because he realised there was no chance of being first. Well, three or two riddles weren't so much of a difference.
They burst into the house one after the other. There was three shabby doors right ahead, numbered from one to three accordingly. Gerard stopped and looked at Harry cautiously, fearing that the latter might attack him and take the first door, but Harry just shook his head. Bonchance relaxed and stopped to catch his breath for a second, then pushed the door in the middle, where a blue number one was glowing. Harry followed him, taking the right door with a two glowing in red.
It was pitch black inside. The last strip of light disappeared when the door closed. Harry lit his wand saying the spell in his head, just as they were taught in sixth year. His wand lit a small room that reminded him of his old broom cupboard. The rag-like wallpaper peeled to reveal cracked cardboard walls. There was a thick carpet of dust on the floor. There was a woman standing in the middle and smiling at Harry politely. The boy nodded to her in greeting, remembering not to talk just in time. The woman opened her mouth and spoke,
Take prince charming in his armour
And sit him on a female horse
The answer comes to you in hours
When you are vulnerable the most
Harry indicated with his hand to repeat the riddle again. The woman did. Prince charming in his armour could be a knight, that's not hard. Well, obviously he has a horse but why female precisely? And what does it have to do with your most vulnerable hours? Okay, vulnerable hours... Harry remembered Dumbledore telling him about Voldemort getting into his head while he is asleep. So the time when you are most exposed to danger should be night. Okay and when you are asleep, you are dreaming. Is "dream" the right answer? Something told him its not. Well, the prince charming could be a dream, a girl's dream that is, but what does it have to do with a mare? That's it! It's a knight and a mare! Nightmare!
He looked up the woman-homunculus. She was still smiling at him with that polite glazed manner. So how the hell will he tell her the answer? Harry looked around the room for an object that could be associated with a night and a mare and spotted… dust! (No, guys, Harry didn't go mad at this point)
He got on his knees and scribed "nightmare" on the floor. The woman looked at it and became a pile of clay, managing to nod before that. Nothing happened for a minute, but then a trap door with a pop opened right above him and a rope ladder fell on his head. Harry struggle to free him self from its clutches for a moment or two and finally, managing to do so, climbed up.
The same woman that just became a pile of clay stood in the back of the room. Harry walked towards her, as she started speaking,
Moon is a part of me
My cry you hear some night
There is no going back for me
There is no fair fight
Harry frowned. The answer seemed to be on the tip of his tongue. He chewed his lip nervously, looking around. It was the room where he met Sirius, where he realised Remus was… the answer! He wrote "Werewolf" upon the dust. The figure turned to clay and floor disappeared from under him. He slid down a chute biting his tongue not to scream something out loud.
Harry landed with a thud, but fortunately without hurting himself. Another clay figure stood in front of him. He straightened. It spoke.
Here you are allowed to speak but only once
You should pronounce one letter
Ah you have come here
And this step is last
To get your puzzle
You think fast
What word is written in five letters?
But said as if no more then one
On count of three your time will have out run
And the clay woman began to count. Harry wanted to laugh out loud with joy. Just this morning, Hermione, fussing as she usually was made his run through series of muggle logic riddle. This one was there. Before the woman reached three, Harry spoke,
"Q", he said clearly.
The woman smiled and turned into clay. Harry felt something tube-like appear in his hand. The object he was supposed to find this time was a flute. A lit doorway appeared behind the clay woman's remains. Harry stepped inside…
… To collide with someone else.
"Sorry", muttered being completely on autopilot.
The next second his legs locked together, his lips seemed glued to each other. Anna grinned widely. Harry could tell she was planning on it. As Nemiroff was about to take off, still sneering evilly, another door burst open and Gerard jumped out and ran without looking at what was happening. The Durmstrang champion grimaced in furry and ran after the boy, leaving the other one behind.
An iron hand of panic seized Harry's mind. He knew he will be mobile in about two minutes but the other two would be one third of the way there. There will be no point running behind them. well, there will but he will definitely not take the first place.
By the time Harry went back to normal, he had an idea. He walked into the room without numbers, somewhere where the champions weren't supposed to end up. But, hey, no one said anything about not using secret tunnels! He walked down the stony low corridor at a fast pace. At the mouth of the exit he pressed a secret knot, making the tree freeze. And then, he ran as fast as he could. Harry spotted Gerard coming form the opposite direction. He ran at a relaxed pace, thinking he had won. Harry speeded up.
A part of crowd that noticed Harry started to point and cheer in astonishment and admiration. When Bonchance finally realised that they weren't cheering for him, it was too late to gain on Harry, who got there first.
First, first! He won! This time fair and square, without people helping him, without any trap! It felt good. He spotted the furious Durmstrang champion running her last couple of meters completely out of breath. The noises of the crowd were stopped by the booming voice of the Minister.
"Now, now, children, settle down just for a bit, so we can settle all scores! Each round is worth fifty points. Minus five per additional clue and minus the number of extended minutes and plus number of saved minutes. The total score for all rounds is one hundred fifty", he cleared his throat as a paper was passed on to him. "First round. Third place with thirty point- Durmstrang champion, Miss Anna Nemiroff. Two additional clues, ten minutes late. Second place with thirty seven points Mr. Gerard Bonchance. One clue, eight minutes. And first place with forty seven point, as you might have guessed, - Mr. Harry Potter of Hogwarts! One clue, two minute earlier. Bravo, Mr. Potter".
There was loud long cheer for Harry, complete with whistles and whoops. The Ministers smiled and asked for silence.
"Second round. Last place- Anna Nemiroff. Two clues, six late minutes. Total- thirty four points. Second place- Harry Potter. Two clues, minus four minutes. Thirty six".
There was polite clapping with a touch of disappointment in Hogwarts' students. The Minister went on.
"First place- Gerard Bonchance with his forty one point. Minus one clue and four minutes. And the last round, ladies and gentlemen. Third place- Anna Nemiroff, thirty eight. Minus two clues and two minutes. Second place with forty seven points, Mr. Potter. One extra clue, but two minutes earlier. And first place- Gerard Bonchance with his fifty one points! One minute earlier! No extra clue! Very nice!"
"And now it is time to conclude the results. Third place. Hundred two points. Anna Nemiroff. Second place. One hundred and twenty nine points", he paused dramatically.
The only thing you could hear at that moment was birds. Everyone held their breaths.
"Second place. Gerard Bonchance! And first place with hundred thirty points, Mr. Harry Potter of Hogwarts!"
The Minister's last words died in the loud cheer of the crowd. Hogwarts won! Harry was the champion. The crowd, consisting of teachers and students swept over him, each wanting to shake him hand or pat his back or say something at least! After a while he felt himself being pulled away into someone's arms.
Brown smiling eyes. Blush that matched her red hair. A dust of random freckles. Soft lips that tasted like caramel ice cream.
He didn't care if he was a Hogwarts' hero. The important thing that he was her.