THE POTTER TWINS AND THE TRIWIZARD TOURNAMENT:
CHAPTER 15:
AUTHOR'S NOTE: PLEASE LEAVE YOUR COMMENTS...
"The points being..." Ludo Bagman was now announcing the marks and points of the champions.
Ludo Bagman's magically magnified voice boomed out beside them, making them all jump, and causing the crowd in the stands to go very quiet. 'Ladies and gentlemen, we have reached our decision.
"Mer-chieftainess Murcus has told us exactly what happened at the bottom of the lake, and we have therefore decided to award marks out of fifty for each of the champions, as follows … 'Miss Fleur Delacour, though she demonstrated excellent use of the Bubble-Head Charm, was attacked by Grindylows as she approached her goal, and failed to retrieve her hostage. We award her twenty-five points.'
Applause from the stands.
'I deserved zero,'said Fleur throatily, shaking her magnificent head.
'Mr Cedric Diggory, who also used the Bubble-Head Charm, was first to return with his hostage, though he returned one minute outside the time limit of an hour.' Enormous cheers from the Hufflepuffs in the crowd; Harry saw Cho give Cedric a glowing look. 'We therefore award him forty-seven points.'
'Mr Viktor Krum used an incomplete form of Transfiguration, which was nevertheless effective, and was second to return with his hostage. We award him forty points.'
Karkaroff clapped particularly hard, looking very superior.
'Mr Harry Potter, appearing as the single champion from the Potter twins, used Gillyweed to great effect,' Bagman continued. 'He returned last, and well outside the time limit of an hour. However, the Merchieftainess informs us that Mr Potter was first to reach the hostages, and that the delay in his return was due to his determination to return all hostages to safety, not merely his own.'
Ron and Hermione both gave Harry half-exasperated, half-commiserating looks. Hazel put his arm around Harry, She was hopeful,
'Most of the judges' – and here, Bagman gave Karkaroff a very nasty look – 'feel that this shows moral fibre and merits full marks. However … The Potters's score is forty-five points.'
There you go, Harry!' Ron shouted over the noise. 'You weren't being thick after all – you were showing moral fibre!'
Fleur was clapping very hard, too, Harry hugged Hazel, he was feeling weak. So was she.
"Are you okay?" Ron was now looking at Hazel.
"Fine!" She said slowly. She pointed to other people standing around, as Professor Moody moved them away.
Madam Pomfrey began herding the champions and hostages back to the castle to get into dry clothes …
it was over, he had got through … he didn't have to worry about anything now until June the twenty-fourth …
Next time he was in Hogsmeade, he decided, as he walked back up the stone steps into the castle, he was going to buy Dobby a pair of socks for every day of the year.
"Potter!" Snape stopped him after class,
"Yes?" Harry stopped in front of him, Hazel stood outside waiting from him.
'You might be labouring under the delusion that the entire wizarding world is impressed with you,' Snape went on, 'but I don't care how many times your picture appears in the papers. To me, Potter, you are nothing but a nasty little boy who considers rules to be beneath him.'
'So I give you fair warning, Potter,' Snape continued, in a softer and more dangerous voice, 'pint-sized celebrity or not – if I catch you breaking into my office one more time –' '
I haven't been anywhere near your office!' said Harry angrily, forgetting his feigned deafness.
'Don't lie to me,' Snape hissed, his fathomless black eyes boring into Harry's. 'Boomslang skin. Gillyweed. Both come from my private stores, and I know who stole them.'
One more night-time stroll into my office, Potter, and you will pay!'
'Right,' said Harry coolly, turning back.
"Get out!" Snape said quietly with his eyes stared in to Harry's.
Harry came out of the dungeon,
"It was me!" Hazel said quietly.
"You?"
"The Gillyweed!"
"But Dobby brought it to me."
"Yes, I know, I told him to." Hazel told him everything, from the kitchens to the Snape's office, to obliviating his memory.
"If you told Sirius this, he would laugh the hell out of himself!" Harry told her.
"I know, I have to tell you, I told McGonagall I'll be participating in the third task."
"Why? I can do it! harry started to display a concerned brother act. "You'll get hurt!"
"Don't be stupid, Harry," Hazel shook her head impatiently. "I'll get hurt anyways."
The start of the summer term would normally have meant that Harry and Hazel were training hard for the last Quidditch match of the season. This year, however, it was the third and final task in the Triwizard Tournament for which they needed to prepare, but they still didn't know what they would have to do. Finally, in the last week of May, Professor McGonagall stopped them as they came out of the Dungeons.
'You are to go down to the Quidditch pitch tonight at nine o'clock, Ms. Potter,' she told Hazel. 'Mr Bagman will be there to tell the champions about the third task.'
"Hazey...I'll do this." Harry interjcted.
"Harry, you know, I was supposed to be in Ravenclaw," She reminded him, "So naturally if I do this, there is a chance, we get hurt less." She smiled mischievously.
Harry watched her leave the Great hall, as her red hair bounced on her back. She really was fearless.