A/N: 50,000 hits! Oh yeah! Also I'm going to start posting the Monkey D. Haru series on AO3... since I'm updating this by the way... so yeah...
Chapter 20: It Approaches
Haru couldn't get rid of his bad feeling. After all they found someone who clearly needed help clearly delirious.
It also halted his plans in trying to get Krum a friend.
Because he was more worried about what was going on than that…
But Crouch was safe for sure, he was in the hospital but still out of it.
He didn't know what was wrong with though…
He did try to ask Dumbledore… however…
"I'm sorry Mr. Monkey… I know you're worried about him, but what happened to him must be kept secret…" he explained.
"Fine…" pouted Haru knowing that it was indeed something that should be a secret.
Things slowly returned to normal, but things were starting to ramp up after all.
Because it would not be long until the final event in the tournament.
"So you do think it will be something we can see this time or what?" asked Hina.
"Who really knows…" said Maya.
"Yeah…" said Hina.
"I'm sure it will be fun either way…" said Haru.
"Hopefully they won't have go along a weird list to find someone for you to rescue again…" said Hina.
"Can you please not bring it up." Said Maya.
"There won't be hostages the third one." Said Hermione.
"She's right…" said Haru.
"Whatever it is I'm sure it will be fun for you." Said Hina.
"I can't wait for whatever it is!" said Haru.
And soon enough there was a meeting of champions and the various teachers to talk about the next event.
"Here we are at the site of the next event!" said Ludo.
"Is it Quidditch?" asked Haru.
He did that it appeared that they were goring something in the field, but was kind of the mood to troll them.
Ludo just sighed.
"Any way this will be the site of the next event! And it not be a Quidditch Match!" he explained.
"It better not be…" pouted Fleur.
She was the only one of the three to not be a quidditch player, in fact she hated brooms.
"As you see we have started to prepare for the next even in a month." Said Ludo, "It will be a hedge maze."
"Oh cool!" said Haru, "We will sit navigate the hedge maze or will there be things in there… or will it just be the hedge maze attacking us, because hedges aren't scary…"
"Don't worry there will many things in the maze that will challenge you." Said Ludo.
"All right!" said Haru, "IU can't wait!"
"Just remember you're not allowed to use your Devil Fruit ability." Said Ludo.
"I know… besides it would be so boring if I did." Said Haru rolling his eyes, "I'm doing this for fun, not glory… I don't need any more glory."
Everyone stared at Haru unsure how to respond to what he just said.
"Anyways… you have a month to prepare for the next event." Said Ludo, "There will be plenty of challenges during the maze."
"Now do any of you have any questions." Said Dumbledore.
Haru raised his hand.
"If it's about Crouch, he won't be healed by the time…" said Dumbledore.
He noticed that Krum was also interested in that fact.
After all he had helped find the man as well.
"I still can't talk about his condition, I am sure you understand." Said Dumbledore.
Haru sighed while Krum nodded.
The other two Champions looked at each other and shrugged .
Of course Haru told his friends about the next event.
"So it's a maze filled with monsters?" asked Hina.
"Oh yeah!" said Haru.
You got this." Said Ron.
"Yeah! You're not like dad when it comes to directions so…" said Hina.
"What?" asked Hermione.
"Don't ask…" said Haru and Hina at the same time.
"And you're also not like Zoro… so there's that too." Said Kaien.
Everyone nodded in agreement at that, after all they all knew that Zoro did lost on a regular basis.
Over the course of the next month, Haru looked into what could be in the maze and thought of battle strategies that didn't involve his Devil Fruit Power.
Also Haru thought out about living Hedges just in case they did decided to pull that, but it was very unlikely after all.
And soon enough it was the day of the Task.
Sometime before the task, Haru was told to meet with his family.
"What?" he asked.
"I know you see your family all the time…" said Pro. McGonagall, "But in this case, it's part of the coemption to meet with the family."
Haru just shrugged knowing it was fine.
Of course it was his parents and Sirius there to visit with him.
"So it's a tradition…" said Sirius.
"I know… but I doubt any other champions parents ever lived at the school with them." Said Haru.
"You're probably the first." Said Luffy with a laugh.
"I don't know… chances are good that there have been some that lived in Hogsmeade before." Said Sirius.
"Oh yeah…" said Luffy realizing he was right.
"You're not worried at all about it." Said Sirius.
"Nope!" said Haru.
"Considering everything he's gone through I doubt he's sacred." Said Hancock it a smirk.
"Just remember mazes are something you can easily get lost in… and you won't be able to tell which reaction you need to go in." said Luffy.
"I know dad…" sighed Haru.
He looked at his mom who had a look on her face about it…
Sirius who didn't know exactly what Luffy bizarre sense of detection was like was just confused by what they were talking about.
Sirius looked at the other parents in the room, he noticed that he was getting some weird looks after all.
"It's been a year and people are still getting used to the fact I'm innocent." Muttered Sirius.
"I know your innocent…" said Haru giving him a hug.
Sirius was confused but then saw the look he was getting the Diggory family.
"You're messing with them aren't you?" asked Sirius.
"Oh yeah!" said Haru.
Sirius gave a big grin from this.
"Good lad." Said Sirius .
And indeed it was the day of the final task… what no one knew at the time what was going to happen during or how things were going to change because of that task.
Next Time: It's time of the task and Haru... is having a pretty easy time... but things get compacted in the maze... what will happen? Find out next time!