"This place is a lot less crowded now that most of the school has gone to Beauxbatons," stated Helena as her and Katie traveled the empty Halls.
"It'll be crowded again when everyone gets back and the Champion is chosen."
"Yeah, I wonder what the three tasks are going to be. Bow down to the Dark Lord?"
"Probably, I wouldn't put it past them," laughed Katie.
x
Later that day there was a clue to what the First Task was.
To pass to the next Task
You must preform a deadly task
Death lurks underneath a mask
If one was to go far beyond the ask
One, you have your wand
Two, you have your opponent
Three, unfair at first glance, but on further inspection, the war is nothing more than a draw
Stick your ground until the end,
And you shall find Devil's Snare
If you pass your task,
I shall unveil my mask.
"A duel?" asked Helena. "Seriously?"
"I wonder how long'll you have to 'stand your ground'?" stated Katie.
"Until the ground falls and you'll be in Devil's Snare, I suppose."
"Light beats Devil's Snare."
"Sounds easy enough."
"It depends who you're dueling though."
"True."
x
Students came back in early November, and the Champion was a Fifth year boy named Sam Roberts.
He seemed quite excited to do it, though he was strong but as dull as a door nail.
Helena had little hope for him solving out the clue, so someone'd better tell him what it was about. But Helena wouldn't do that. It was not in her place to tell him.
The First Task will be in two weeks time. And Helena hoped it didn't have catastrophic results.
x
The Champions were lined up and Voldemort announced their Task.
"You each have ten minutes and in which, you must stand your ground in a Wizard Duel -"
"I told you," Helena said to Katie.
"And if you fail before your time is up, then you must not pass to the next Task. You will be trapped in the Battling Chamber forever."
"No pressure," stated Katie. Helena laughed.
"If you defeat your opponent before the time is up, then you will succeed. The first Champion to enter will be Rosalie Firth."
Cheers came from Beauxbatons students.
"The second Champion will be Coen Hagan."
Cheers came from Durmstrang students.
"And finally, the last Champion will be Samuel Roberts."
Cheers came from Hogwarts students, and Helena had no reason to not cheer.
"At the sound of the canon, the first Champion shall enter the Battling Chamber."
"I have to admit, this is a little exciting," said Katie honestly.
"I agree, yet it is wrong."
"Well yes, but -"
The canon set off, drowning out Katie's sentence.
Rosalie Firth entered the Battling Chamber, which was made from grey stone and rusted iron bars. You could see into the Chamber, and the door slammed behind her. She looked intimidated.
Her opponent appeared.
Helena couldn't believe her eyes.
Bellatrix Lestrange stood in the Chamber, looking at Rosalie coldly and eagerly.
"Let the Task begin!" said Voldemort, smiling cruelly.
"This is suicide," said Helena bitterly. "She stands no chance."
"How can you tell?"
"Bellatrix is absolutely lethal and sadistic, her power is substantial and I bet Rosalie can hardly think of a decent spell to stop her."
Just at that second, Rosalie sent a powerful Stunning Spell at Bellatrix and Bellatrix fell unconscious to the ground.
"I stand corrected," said Helena, surprised.
Then, Rosalie fell through the floor as it opened up beneath the Battling Chamber.
She screamed, then the floor closed.
"Devil's snare," said Katie.
"Is afraid of sunlight."
After a few minutes, Rosalie rose from underneath the ground. She was clutching a piece of paper in her right hand, her wand clenched in the other.
"Well done to Rosalie Firth, the first Champion to pass into the next Task!" announced Voldemort, slightly surprised. "Next to enter, Coen Hagan."
Coen looked excited to go in the Battling Chamber. Durmstrang students were cheering for him immensely. He was clearly popular.
He entered the Chamber and the door slammed shut behind him. He immediately drew out his wand, ready to draw. He looked very determined.
Antonin Dolohov was his opponent.
"Wow, this should be fun to watch," remarked Helena, astonished.
"Why?"
"One, Dolohov is one of his longest serving Death Eater's, amongst the most violent and cruel. Two, Coen is from Durmstrang, they've been taught Dark Magic ever since they first opened."
Helena was right to say, it would be a fun duel. As Coen and Dolohov both sent various pieces of Dark Magic.
"I have to admire their knowledge and usage, though," admitted Helena.
"Only you would be," sighed Katie.
Dolohov then did a purple spell at it hit Coen directly at his chest and he fell to the floor with an
"Oh!"
Shouts and boo's came from Durmstrang.
"Hang on," said Helena scowling.
"What is it now?"
"That spell looks like it's more powerful when spoken, not non-verbally."
"You think he took mercy on him? Because that looks lethal," said Katie.
"It is lethal. I think he's under instruction not to kill."
"Coen Hagan has failed his Task," boomed Voldemort over the boo's of Durmstrang students. "He will be locked in the Chamber forever. Final Champion, Samuel Roberts, please enter the Battling Chamber."
Cheers came from her fellow Hogwarts students. Helena wasn't cheering now.
The door slammed behind Samuel, and Helena was surprised to who the Death Eater was.
"Lucius Malfoy," she muttered.
Before Samuel even did anything, Lucius just dropped his wand intentionally.
Helena's mouth was gaping wide open.
"Holy shit, he just didn't do that."
"What did he do?" asked Katie, confused.
"He just defied the Dark Lord. Look at him, he's furious," she nodded in Voldemort's direction.
His red eyes were glinting furiously.
Samuel fell through the floor, like Rosalie. And the exact same thing happened.
He came out clutching a piece of paper.
"What just happened?" asked Katie.
"I believe he won," Helena muttered.
"But he didn't do anything."
"That's why the Dark Lord is so furious. He wants to see us fight and destroy one another. But Lucius denied him that chance. So Lucius will probably be tortured and killed."
"Just for dropping his wand?"
"That's openly defying him, though not a lot of people would've noticed. They would just say that Lucius let him win because he's from Hogwarts."
"Wow."
x
A few days later...
"Did you enjoy the First Task, Helena?" asked Voldemort.
"Oh yes," she said automatically. "Especially when Lucius Malfoy dropped his wand. Am I mistaken or did he openly defy you?"
He glared at her dangerously.
"What's wrong?" she asked. "Upset that I can't participate in the Tri-Wizard Tournament because I am not in my fourth year?"
"I will make sure that you will enter the Tri-Wizard Tournament and make it as difficult for you as I can!" he snarled.
"Good luck with that, maybe you can get some ideas over the next two to four years and decide what Tasks I must face."
"Don't push your luck, Helena. Catastrophic things could happen."
"Like I'd have to duel Dolohov and get struck by a curse that should've been verbal, but wasn't," she snapped at him.
"Oh, so it was noticeable?"
"Noticeable that you were restricting him to kill? Yes."
"It was in the clue, or didn't you read it?"
"Of course I read it."
"Then why are you so surprised that he didn't kill him?" he sneered.
"I don't know because he's sadistic and he's a follower of you."
"And you're not a follower of me?"
"Why would I be?" she asked.
He laughed.
"I admire your courage, Helena."
"I'm being serious, you know."
He smirked at her.
"Obviously."
And he went away.