I do not own Harry Potter, the Wizarding World, or any canon characters.
Howdy everyone. Hope all are well. Just got back today and here's an early update for everyone, thank you for your patience. Hope you're still interested in the story. As always, thank you for reading and your kind words. It means the world to me. Have a lovely day!
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A Taste of Magic
75th Course – Winners and Losers
"Let me get this straight. You're going to have a maze, full of spells and animals and monsters that are barely contained by bloody hedges of all things, then you're going to have a pyramid in the middle with even more magic and things on it, and you're going to have people watching barely a few hundred feet away, and you thought this was a good idea?"
"Well it certainly did before you described it in such glowing terms," Dumbledore grumbled. He turned and looked at Moody. "Where were you months ago when it was being planned? I could have used such wisdom and support then."
"Someone's prickly in their old age," Moody snorted.
"Also, technically, I believe it is a ziggurat, not a pyramid."
"What's the difference?"
"The ziggurat has tiers and steps on the exterior. Pyramids are smooth."
"It's still a stupid idea."
Dumbledore snorted. "It was worse, if you can believe it."
"Knowing magicals? Yeah, I can. How was it worse?"
"Before there was no structure in the middle and the hedges were even higher. And there were a lot more of a range of obstacles within the Task, with some very unpleasant creature ideas."
"Bunch of idiots," Moody spat. They looked over the pitch, at the tall hedges crossing the length and width of the field. The ziggurat was at the center of the pitch, made of pale stone and ascending high into the sky. The top of it was taller than the Quidditch hoops and there were many levels leading to the top.
"So, was there something else besides casting judgement on the plans for the final Task?" Dumbledore asked at last. "Which, do not mistake me, I am more than happy to indulge in that as well. I had thought things would go smoothly and well but ever since the fourth Champion, it has made everything even more annoyingly difficult."
"Actually, that leads me to one of the reasons I'm here." Moody looked about with his magical eye; his voice dropped into a whisper. "He took something from the school."
"What?" Dumbledore asked, outwardly appearing calm but inwardly was alarmed.
"A tiara, no wait, a diadem, that's what he called it."
Dumbledore hummed to himself. "Where did he get it?"
"That's what kinda bothers me. I saw him leave a room, but when he left, I couldn't find the room anymore."
"Hogwarts still has many secrets," Dumbledore said, half admiringly and half annoyed. "I do not think anyone knows them all. Do you remember where the room was?"
"Yeah, I'll take you later." Moody lapsed into silence for a long moment. "Is there a chance that Quirrell was a Death Eater?"
This time, Dumbledore could not hide his shock at all. He turned and stared at Moody. "What on earth makes you ask that?"
"He said something to me that put me on guard. He said that it would be a shame if I lost my other eye due to observing someone."
"Which is how you lost your eye in the first place," Dumbledore murmured. "Observing a raid that turned into a battle."
"Yeah. So how would he know? Unless he wanted to spook me by shooting randomly, and I know I'm a paranoid bastard-"
"-but that was an incredibly accurate random shot," Dumbledore finished. "No, as far as I know, he was not. He would be too young for it, honestly."
"That's what I figured."
They stood there in silence for long moments. "Thank you for telling me," Dumbledore said.
"Don't worry, he didn't spook me off. If anything, I'm invested now," Moody said.
"Thank you, my friend." Dumbledore rubbed his temples. "As soon as the Tournament is over and things settle down, I will want to do some investigating of my own as well."
Moody nodded. "You want me on the field for the Third Task?"
"I would."
"Fair enough. You're paying me overtime after all."
Dumbledore smiled faintly. "I will ask Harry to pack you a lunchbox."
"Kid's a good cook. I'm fine with that," Moody said comfortably. "He's a good kid."
"He most certainly is," Dumbledore said firmly.
-0-
"Thank you, Harry." Fleur smiled gratefully, accepting a bottle from him.
"Are you okay?" Harry asked, looking at her with concern.
"I am fine, thank you. I just feel nervous." She sipped from the bottle. "Your espresso has gotten much better and I can feel it soothe my nerves."
"You'll do great," Harry said encouragingly.
"What, no kind words for me?" Viktor complained.
"You don't look nervous at all," Harry laughed.
Viktor shrugged and smiled, eating hungrily. "Less people here and watching than my usual Quidditch games. Also less people shouting insults and death threats, so it is not so bad."
"You get death threats?" Lavender asked, eyes wide.
"Oh yes, many." He shrugged again. "Many Quidditch fans can be…how you say…not well in the head."
"Unhinged," Hermione provided. "All sports fans can. You should hear what some football fans say."
"Same with cricket," Padma said.
"Which I never understood because cricket is silly and incomprehensible, so why get so bent out of shape over it," Parvati remarked.
"That's how I feel about Quidditch," Hermione said, smiling sheepishly at Viktor's groan.
"You hurt me," he said dramatically but his smile was from ear to ear. "But not the first time I heard that so I will respect your opinion to be wrong." He swallowed a big bite of eggs. "But yes, it is just another game for me. Only my feet are on the ground instead of in the air."
"Too bad you can't summon a broom or conjure one," Harry remarked as he held his juice cup at an angle to let Hedwig dip her beak into it more easily.
Viktor stopped eating and looked at Harry thoughtfully but before he could say anything, Harry found someone squirming to sit between him and Fleur. "Oh, hello," Harry said, scooting down a little.
"Harry, this is my rude little sister, Gabrielle," Fleur said, making space and giving her a look. "Gabi, at least introduce yourself and show some manners."
The little girl looked very much like Fleur, only shorter. "Bonjour!" she said loudly, looking up at Harry with giant eyes. "Nice to meet you!"
"Nice to meet you too," Harry smiled.
"Aww, she reminds me of my little sisters," Lavender smiled.
"Are they also terrible and steal your things and generally awful?" Fleur deadpanned.
"Yeah, but I love them," Lavender giggled.
"Ah, then we share the same sentiment," Fleur smiled back. "Where is maman and papa?"
"Talking to Madame Maxime," Gabrielle replied. She looked up at Harry. "Did you make any of this food?"
"She wants to know if you cooked any of the food on the table," Pansy translated at Harry's bemused look.
"I didn't," Harry said. He smiled at her pout. "But maybe I can make something for you later. How does that sound?"
"I am sorry," Fleur said weakly. "I wrote home and spoke of you and she has been wanting to try your cooking."
"It has to be good if he can beat Sophie," Gabrielle said.
Pansy translated for her and the others grinned and laughed as Sophie and Gabrielle started arguing. She chuckled as she listened in on the argument. "She has quite the tongue," Pansy said wryly. "Sounds like my little sister."
"You have my condolences," Fleur laughed, "and my sympathies."
-0-
The day passed swiftly. It was the end of the term and most of the instructors went over their expectations for summer homework. When some showed surprise at how much, they hinted that since next year was their O.W.L year, Ordinary Wizarding Levels, it would be in their best interest to start reviewing over the summer. Many found that to be in bad taste, grumbling and muttering. Others, such as Hermione and Padma, looked affronted, as if they would not be doing so in the first place.
Dinner was earlier that day since the Third Task would start at sunset, with all the classes having also been shortened slightly to account for it. Excitement filled the air as the students chatted and laughed, with more than a few people wishing the Champions good luck. Cedric looked eager, as did Viktor and Fleur. Draco looked a little nervous but he hid it well enough most of the time.
"Harry, meet my parents," Viktor said. "Andrei and Tatiana. Mother, Father, meet Harry." It was clear to see that they were blood relations. Viktor looked like both of them together, sharing his father's eyes and his mother's features.
"Ah, you are the boy who cooks then?" Tatiana asked, shaking his hand.
Harry grinned at the difference in title. "Yes Ma'am," he said politely. "Viktor shared some traditional recipes and I'm grateful, they're really good."
"That's good," she said approvingly. "Bulgarian food is solid, makes you strong." She patted him on the shoulder and he stumbled slightly. "You could use some more to get stronger."
"Mother, he is a few years younger," Viktor sighed.
"Bah, that is no excuse," she sniffed. "Eat more, get big and strong like my Viktor."
Vitkor smiled apologetically but Harry was not insulted in the slightest, smiling broadly back. He whooped when he was hugged from behind, after the Krums walked away. He craned his neck back to see Gabrielle there. "Oh hi there, I have something for you," he said. He reached into his bag and pulled out a soup container. "Here you go. It's leftovers from yesterday, is that okay?"
Gabrielle nodded and took it from him excitedly. "Merci!" She popped the top open and sipped it straight from the container. "Mmmm!"
"Gabi!" Fleur scolded, walking up with two others. "What did I say about showing some manners?" She gasped when Gabrielle stuck her tongue out at her.
An older man chuckled richly before extending his hand. "Mister Potter I assume? I am Sebastian Delacour, Fleur and Gabrielle's father. And this is their mother, Apolline. A pleasure to meet you."
Harry shook their hands. Sebastian was shorter and had broad shoulders with an easy smile and warm eyes. Apolline was taller and she had sharper features but her smile softened them. Harry blinked a few times, shaking his head a little when he shook her hand. "Pleasure to meet you," he said.
Apolline sniffed delicately, leaning over Gabrielle. "I know that smell," she said in accented English. "Is that our pot au feu?"
"It is," Fleur said. "It smells just like our home's. I taught him yesterday and he made it better than any attempt that I ever made before."
"Oh? Well I can believe that he has bested Sophie then," Apolline smiled. "It does smell very good. Gabrielle, will you share?" She took the container from a pouting Gabrielle and sipped delicately, looking surprised and Sebastain took a sip as well before she handed the container back to Gabrielle. "Very nice. And you have not made it before?"
"No, but I really like soups and stews and it's a great recipe," he said. "Fleur's a good teacher."
"She never cared much for kitchen craft," Sebastian laughed. "Spellcraft was more her interest. Thank you for befriending our daughter, Mister Potter, despite a bit of a prickly beginning so I am told?"
Harry smiled while Fleur flushed. "You can call me Harry, Sir. And Fleur's been a good friend, after said beginning."
Sebastian laughed. "All the best friendships start with a bit of adversity. I would enjoy making your acquaintance more in the future. I hear you have some interesting relations."
"They're a bit more interesting than me, for sure," Harry said comfortably, making Sebastian and Apolline laugh more. He bid them goodbye, with Gabrielle waving energetically while still eating the pot au feu.
"Look at you, gathering more influential people," Daphne remarked when Harry sat with them at the table. "The Delacours are rather important people in France."
"I don't 'gather' people," Harry protested.
"Entrance, invite, make acquaintance of," Daphne said while others snorted and laughed. "Seduce?"
"Definitely not that," Harry laughed, cheeks red. He looked over at Parvati and Padma howling with laughter.
"Sorry, the idea that you seducing anyone is hilarious," Parvati hiccupped.
"I'm sure Harry could if he tried," Luna said, making others laugh harder and Harry groan louder. "His cooking certainly can."
"Thanks, I think," Harry said ruefully.
Luna smiled brightly and patted him on the hand. "I believe in you."
-0-
The stands at the pitch began to fill. The sun was setting, sending long shadows over the grounds as the light began to sink behind the horizon. Braziers flared into life around the pitch and the maze and the ziggurat, adding to the ambiance. Large mirrors floated into the sky and their surfaces shimmered and glimmered. Students filled the stands with a few ICW guests mixed in, along with the families of the Champions.
"And here we are, the Third and final Task," Dumbledore announced, his voice echoing over the arena. He smiled as people turned to look at him. "As you can see, the Champions will have to make their way through the maze towards the center. Then they will have to climb to the top of the ziggurat and claim the Triwizard Cup." He gestured and a large cup made of silver and crystal shone at the top of the structure. "The first to do so will be crowned the Winner of the Tournament!"
He applauded with the watchers. "Mister Krum will be first to enter the maze, followed by Miss Delacour, then Mister Diggory, and last but not least, Mister Malfoy. Much like the last Task, we will be able to watch them go through the maze via the mirrors and then they will be in plain sight as they ascend the ziggurat. Let us cheer them on as they compete to become the overall Champion!"
The four Champions lined up at the start line, the Head of each school beside them. Dumbledore had approached Draco but Draco had turned away from him, ignoring him. Dumbledore had inclined his head and respected his wishes. He looked over at Quirrell with a calculating look before standing beside Cedric to exchange a few final words with him.
"Remember your goal," Quirrell said softly to Draco.
"Yes, Headmaster," Draco said quietly, focused on the goal ahead of him.
-0-
As the sun sank completely behind the horizon, the braziers flared even brighter and the cup turned incandescent. The great bell of Hogwarts began to toll and then a large gong could be heard, a rolling brassy note that filled the air and rattled the bones. Viktor went running into the maze without any hesitation and the cheers of the crowd spurred him on. A minute after that, Fleur ran in when the gong reverberated again. At the third gong, Cedric went in, leaving Draco standing there alone. He stared up at the hedges stabbing up into the night sky and gulped before steeling himself. On the fourth and final gong, he ran in.
The final Task had begun.
-0-
Viktor dove to one side, just barely avoiding the mandibles of the hissing acromantula. He rolled back and forth on the ground, dodging the giant legs stabbing down at him. He tried to kick out at one of them and grunted in pain. It felt like kicking a tree trunk. The kick allowed him to push off, however, and he rolled and looked up at the bottom of the giant spider's stomach.
With a shout, he cast maximized Bludgeoning Hex and hit the acromantula solidly in the middle. The blow flipped the acromantula over onto its back and it hissed in pain and fury. With a smirk, Viktor conjured a dense layer of webs and stuck the acromantula to the ground. "How does it feel to be trapped in a web?" he taunted.
When the acromantula began to snap the webbing, he dashed off, laughing to himself.
-0-
Draco looked up. The mirrors floated overhead, showing the Champions as they made their way through the maze. They would routinely swap from viewpoint to viewpoint among the Champions. Usually a mirror would reflect the closest Champion. Draco waited for the mirror to turn ever so slightly away from him before he found sections of the hedge maze with a slightly discolored base. He sprinkled something out of a vial on them and hurried away.
-0-
"Go Cedric!" Susan shouted.
Cedric was making his way through a large space in the maze. When he took a step into it, it started to fill with thick gas and he had hurriedly cast the Bubblehead Charm over himself. He was able to navigate through the thick swirling gas and out the other side, escaping the trap.
"You know, this is a lot like what I imagine Bill's job to be," Ron remarked as he watched Fleur dodging flaming projectiles by blasting them out of her way with Wind Blast Charms.
"Is he a gardener for dangerous people?" Parvati asked.
Ron smiled. "I need to make that joke to him later. No, he's a Curse Breaker for Gringotts. He goes all over the world and dives into tombs and old places and figures out traps and things."
"I knew he worked for Gringotts but didn't know he did that," Harry said. "I met him there a few times. He's nice."
"Yeah, he's cool," Ron said proudly.
"Chef told me that he's allergic to crake though. Turned purple and fainted." Harry looked sheepish. "Sorry."
"Oh don't be, I can't wait to rub that in his face," Ron said gleefully.
Pansy winced a little. Draco had walked into an open area with pools of red liquid. Halfway through the area, redcaps burst out of the ground and water and attacked him with clubs and knives. He had fought them off with Curses and Hexes and managed to escape, but was injured in the process. The students that aligned with Sanguis Verus looked proud of their Champion and Quirrell and Lucius looked approving.
"That looked brutal," Millicent muttered.
"I wonder who's going to make it to the ziggurat first," Sue mused. "It's hard to tell who's ahead of the others."
"Hey, look, I think someone is about to get through the outer ring," Padma said, pointing.
People cheered when Fleur stepped into the middle of the maze, able to be seen from the stands and not just from the mirrors. She blinked a few times, looking at the ziggurat before she smiled and started running to it. Cedric emerged from the maze next with Krum on his heels and the two young men immediately started running for the structure too. Draco popped out of a side path and ended up closer to the ziggurat and he ran on.
The Champions began climbing the tiers of the structure, trying to find easier paths and handholds. A gasp rang out when Draco aimed his wand at Cedric and cast a Hex at him. The spell bounced off the stone beside Cedric and the older boy turned and stared at Draco. "What the hell?!" Cedric shouted.
"All is fair!" Draco shouted back and cast another spell, a ball of fire that flew right at Cedric.
Cedric dove, dodging the fireball by inches. He rolled and came to his feet and glared at Draco who sneered back. "Fine! You want to duel? Let's go! Your daddy isn't here to save you now!" Cedric conjured stone discs and launched them at Draco.
Draco blasted two out of the air and summoned a shield to block the others but the shield broke, forcing him to dodge to one side. He slid and slammed against the wall of the tier and he gave Cedric an ugly look. "Trust a Hufflepuff to throw stones in a magical fight!"
"Stones can crush snakes!" Cedric conjured an immense boulder and banished it right at Draco. Draco waited for the last moment before barely dodging it and the boulder crashed into the stone wall behind him.
People gasped at that, crying out, some expecting to see a smashed Draco. Lucius and Quirrell looked on and a small smile began to grow on Quirrell's lips.
"That's shoddy workmanship," Moody snorted, looking up at the ziggurat. "That boulder broke the stone pretty easily."
"It really should not have," Dumbledore said, a sense of unease growing within him.
Cedric looked embarrassed and people laughed at the expression reflected in the mirrors, magnified for all to see. "I didn't banish it that hard," he muttered. Embarrassment became confusion as he noticed the boulder shaking a little. "Wait a second. What the hell-"
He yelped and dove, the boulder coming right back at him. The hole that the boulder left was completely open and dark shapes began pouring out of the hole. They looked like empty cloaks at first, large thick fabric that floated with unsettling ease. Then they looked like they were draped over something bestial and monstrous and they began to spread out. An air of dread followed them and it billowed out.
"Lethifolds!" Remus shouted. "What were they doing in there?!"
"We must contain them-" Dumbledore began before a crash and a roar distracted him. Part of the hedge wall had fallen, exposing the inner maze. Beasts began to pour out of the maze, rushing through the open hole.
"What on earth?!" Maxime gasped, staring in horror.
"Minerva, protect the students! Filius, Remus, contain the outbreaks!" Dumbledore shouted, leaping off the judge's dais. "Fawkes! To the Ministry and summon the Aurors!" Maxime and Karkaroff followed Dumbledore and the professors from the schools jumped in. Remus led others towards the ziggurat to fight the lethifolds with Flitwick leading the charge against the ones breaking out of the maze. McGonagall gathered others to her to wall off the stands and to protect them against the rising chaos.
Remus managed to reach Cedric, Fleur, and Viktor and pulled them back away from the lethifolds. He and his counterparts from Durmstrang and Beauxbatons summoned Patronuses, keeping the dark creatures at bay. Remus looked about for Draco but could not find him and had to abandon the ziggurat entirely.
Draco ran to the other side of the ziggurat but as he descended it, fell through a false floor into a pit filled with grasping tendrils and vicious thorns. He had dropped his wand when he fell and he screamed. Lucius and Quirrell heard him and Lucius fought his way to him while Quirrell protected the rest of Sanguis.
"Where is Gabi?!" Sophie shrieked. She looked around wildly. She and the Delacours and her friends had sat with Harry and his friends but when things erupted, Sebastian and Apolline went to help, entrusting Gabrielle to Sophie. A large rush of running students had separated them and Sophie screamed out for Gabrielle, her voice lost in the sea of noise.
Harry heard her though and he and a few of the others looked for her.
"There!" Hermione shouted, pointing. "I see her!" The little girl was cowering against the base of one of the stands, eyes shut and hands over her ears.
"Oh no!" Lavender screamed as a lethifold came diving out of the night sky, plunging down towards her.
Harry's teeth chattered, feeling cold and heard a very familiar scream. He gasped as he recognized the sensation and the flicker of silver light far in the distance around the ziggurat confirmed his thoughts. He leapt over the rail and ran to Gabrielle and pointed with his wand. "EXPECTO PATRONUM!"
Argent light grew at his wand tip as he thought of his friends, his found family, the people he wished to protect. The positive feelings in his chest grew until he felt his chest grow hot and they blended with his magic, giving form to his Patronus. The silver snowy owl came flying out of his wand and it shrieked a war cry. She slammed into the lethifold and the dark creature wailed as it was driven back. The silver snowy owl slashed with her talons, forcing it away from Gabrielle.
Sophie had jumped after Harry and she ran to Gabrielle, scooping her up. "You can cast a Patronus?!" she gasped, staring at Harry.
"Yeah, go! Get her back," Harry shouted and Sophie did not need more urging, running back to safety with her cousin in her arms. He was about to run back too when he saw another lethifold come down towards the students, long misshapen cloth limbs grasping and clutching. He aimed with his wand and the Patronus turned back to fight this new threat, also beating it back.
The first lethifold would not be denied. It folded itself into a narrow shape and went back after the Patronus left it alone. It released a horrid rattling noise as it dove for other students, billowing wide and revealing a swirling ink-black interior that spoke of teeth and primordial hunger.
Harry knew his Patronus was too far away to stop it and with all the chaos, none of the professors had noticed. Harry aimed his wand and tried to cast all the spells he knew but they glanced off the dark creature, having no effect. Incensed, the lethifold came for Harry, eager to consume him
He stood his ground and aimed his wand at it, feeling the malaise drowning him and that terrible feeling of dread wash over him. He fought against the darkness in his mind and shouted, a wordless cry of defiance. His wand burst into brilliant silver light and he felt the warmth rise and collect and explode once more.
A second Patronus shot out of his wand, another silver snowy owl. She too screeched angrily and dug her talons into the lethifold and flapped hard, pulling it back. A third explosion of argent light lit the air and a third Patronus came out and joined the fray. They beat the monster back, screeching and keening, making it wail and flee. The two new Patronuses flew to the first one and between the three of them, they tore the lethifold to pieces, slashing with their talons until scraps floated in the wind.
Weakened by the spell and the effort to maintain it, Harry felt woozy and fell to his knees, losing consciousness. His three Patronuses began to fade and all too soon, they winked out of existence. More lights lit the sky. Aurors ran onto the grounds and spells were shot and cast, and order began to reassert itself.
Quirrell stood over Harry, seething. He looked around at the Aurors and the professors reasserting control, taking down the creatures and repairing things. He had spent a lot of magic and time protecting the Sanguis students and helping Lucius rescue Draco. He had then rushed over but saw one lethifold be destroyed and the other chased away. For a moment, no one noticed him standing there over Harry. His eyes shifted and Voldemort looked down at Harry's form with unconcealed hatred.
"You have foiled me three times," Voldemort hissed. "Three times too many! There will not be a fourth." He raised his wand. A keening cry caught his attention and he looked up.
Hedwig slammed into him, digging her talons into his face and she kicked as hard as she could, raking and screeching. He howled in pain, trying to fend her off with his hands since he dropped his wand when she made impact. She finally disengaged, kicking him away and she landed over Harry, wings mantles and eyes blazing. She screamed again, daring Voldemort to come close.
"I will kill you!" Voldemort screamed back, he scrabbled for his wand. He took a step forward and aimed his wand again, a Curse on his lips. A shimmer appeared between him and Hedwig and Harry and he took a step back as magic manifested as a cloud of blades, creating a barrier between them.
"Back off!" Dora ran up, wand up and out. "Back the fuck off, now!"
"I was trying to help!" Voldemort shouted, clutching his torn face. "The owl attacked me!"
"Better work on your sales pitch because I'm not buying it! She won't attack you if you mean well." Dora's hair turned midnight black and long and her eyes a deep sapphire blue. "I won't say it again, back off!"
"Bella?" Voldemort gasped, red eyes wide.
Dora stopped. "What did you call me?" she asked, deeply confused.
Others appeared. Dumbledore arrived with Aurors and professors behind him. He took a look at everything all at once. "What happened?!"
"I found him over Harry with his wand out," Dora said, her wand still there and the cloud of blades floating there. "Hedwig was protecting Harry from him!"
"I was trying to help him," Quirrell shouted, clutching his face. "The owl attacked me unprovoked!"
"And she won't attack anyone that legitimately means well," Dora spat back.
"He saved my daughter!" Sebastain pushed his way through the crowd. "My niece informed me! His Patronus saved her!"
"I saw them, they were owls," Remus said firmly. "He protected the students here. I have seen his Patronus before."
"Tonks, drop the barrier and escort Harry and his owl to the Matron or a medic," Amelia ordered. "Do you need to see a Healer as well?" she asked Quirrell.
"No need," Quirrell said coldly, tapping his face with his wand and hissing as the skin reknit itself. He glared after Dora leaving with Harry and Hedwig. "I am removing my Champion from this, and my students! It is clear that the assurances for the safety of the students made by Hogwarts were nothing but lies! Hogwarts has fallen into disgrace!" He turned and walked over to Lucuis, Draco, and the others waiting to one side. Soon they left the pitch altogether.
"How absurd," Maxime sniffed. "Hogwarts was not completely responsible for all this. The Ministry and the ICW had a hand in preparations."
"Thank you, Olympe," Dumbledore said heavily. He rubbed his eyes. "I do fully intend on getting to the bottom of all this."
"Don't worry, we will," Amelia growled.
-0-
Harry groaned, blinking slowly. "What happened?" he asked, voice raspy and tired.
"Harry!"
He found himself surrounded by people and he looked up at his concerned friends. "What happened? Are you all alright?"
"Are we alright?" Lavender tearfully. "We're fine, are you okay?!"
"I think so," he said shakily. "I feel really tired."
"You exhausted your magic once again," Pomfrey said, smiling down at him looking half-proud and half-exasperated. "You summoned your Patronus and pushed yourself beyond your limits, summoning more than one."
"I didn't even know I could do that," he said. He blinked when he realized Hedwig was sitting on his stomach and was giving him a remarkably similar look of pride and exasperation. He poked her belly and winced when she nipped his finger hard. "Okay, you're the real Hedwig."
"How did you know to cast the Patronus Charm?" Pansy asked.
"Those things felt like Dementors," Harry said. "And I saw Remus, er Professor Lupin cast a Patronus way out by the ziggurat thing and figured to do the same."
"Well reasoned." Dumbledore appeared and looked down at Harry. "Harry, are you okay?"
"I think so. Right?" He looked up at Pomfrey.
She snorted gently. "Aside from exhausting yourself, yes, you are."
"We have you to thank," Dumbledore said. "Your actions saved your fellow classmates and your friends, as well as Miss Sophie BeauSoleil and Miss Gabrielle Delacour."
"Oh thank goodness," Harry groaned. "I hoped they were okay. Is everyone else okay?"
"Luckily there were only injuries and light ones," Pomfrey said.
"Rest easy," Dumbledore said. "The Aurors are examining things and we will make a formal announcement soon. Thank you, Harry. As always, you are an incredible young man." He bowed sincerely and left. Pomfrey left to go check on the other people who were injured, leaving Harry with his friends.
Face red, Harry whooped when Dora hauled him up and hugged him hard. "Hi Dora," he wheezed.
"Don't do that!" she scolded, her hair short and grey. "Scared the life out of me when I saw you lying senseless on the ground!"
"Sorry," Harry said. He felt touched by her concern and hugged her even harder.
She sniffled a little and shook her head, her hair turning black and messy. "I gotta get back and help. Remember: me thrilling heroics, you stay safe and look pretty. And cook me things." She hugged him again and let him go gently, rising to her feet. "I'll see you later. Good job Hedwig." She held her hand out and Hedwig bonked it with her head, hooting softly. With a wave, she left.
"Must you always do that?" Pansy asked, giving him a look. "Jumping in like that?"
"He's a Gryffindor, of course he does," Blaise said, shaking his head.
"I just couldn't let that happen to a little girl," Harry protested. "Who would I be if I could've done something but didn't? She's just a little kid." He shrugged sheepishly. "I didn't want to let her get hurt."
"Of course you didn't," Parvati said softly. "But that's what makes you, you."
"When did Hedwig get here?" Harry asked, hugging her as she cheeped at him.
"We don't know. When Dora brought you over to be checked, she was with you," Hermione said. "Everything was mad and we didn't know what was going on after you hopped the rail. So we sort of went to where the medi-magicals set things up thinking you'd show up eventually, one way or another."
"I do end up going to the Infirmary every year, don't I?" Harry sighed.
-0-
"Ladies and Gentlemen," Dumbledore said, his voice magically enhanced, "it is with great relief that I can report everything has been restored to normalcy. Well, as normal things get at Hogwarts." He smiled when there was some light laughter at his words.
"After investigating, it was determined that the lethifolds were in fact in an earlier draft of being a part of the Third Task, but when they were determined to be removed for being too dangerous, the wrong draft of the plans were used and they were still included." He frowned mightily at that. "Further investigations will try to determine how that miscommunication persisted. Also, it appears that parts of the hedge maze were weakened by the venom of some of the denizens in the maze, causing the collapses.
"I am happy to report that due to the actions of the professors working together as well as some students, there were few injuries and all are healed back to full." He clapped his hands and everyone followed suit. "Timely arrival by the Aurors helped prevent further damage and injury and most of the creatures are being removed as we speak."
He hesitated for a moment. "The Headmaster of Sanguis Verus has removed his Champion from the Tournament." Murmurs and mutters greeted that statement. "We have convened and the three remaining Champions have decided they still want to try and bring a proper finish to the Triwizard Tournament. So they will be set at the boundary of the inner circle and will compete for the cup and the title of overall Champion."
Dumbledore looked over at Fleur, Viktor, and Cedric. "Champions, are you ready?" He smiled when they nodded and held their wands up, the tips shining with light. "Then, let the final race for the cup recommence. On your marks, get ready, go!" He flicked his wand and a boom filled the air.
With the cheers of the students behind them, the three remaining Champions dashed for the ziggurat once more. Half-way to it though, Viktor stopped and held his wand high and shouted loudly. The crowd roared as they saw a broom come zooming to him, flying through the air. He grabbed it and mounted and pushed off in one smooth motion, flying up towards the summit.
Fleur, having climbed onto the base of the structure, turned and saw him flying up. She flourished her wand and sent a large blast of wind at him, knocking him off course. Cedric did the same and Viktor fought to remain on course. He eventually jumped off the broom and landed on a tier higher than the other two and pushed on. The others raced to catch up, climbing as fast as they could. However the lead he had from flying up there was too great and he was the one to reach the summit first, touching the cup.
Fireworks flew high as he held the cup over his head, shouting in victory under the colorful lights and explosions. People cheered and applauded, filling the air with their accolades, warring with the booming fireworks. Cedric and Fleur had stopped climbing when he reached the top, looking tired and dejected. However, when Viktor gestured with one hand, they continued to climb and they too finally reached the top. Viktor took their hands and thrust them into the air and for a long moment, the three Champions stood on the top of the world as lights and sounds surrounded them.
"Gracious in victory," Fleur shouted over the tumult.
"We all earned this," Viktor shouted back. "We are all winners this day." He grinned. "I am the first winner though."
Cedric threw his head back and laughed. "I'll take it," he smiled.
The three Champions descended the ziggurat together and although Fleur and Cedric did not win, they were still Champions and the three of them smiled and waved to the others, together.
-0-0-0-
AshokaTheGreat - Chopped is one of my favorite shows, it's so fun to watch. Glad you liked the chapter. I was really happy with it. It's been a bit since we had just a pure cooking and food chapter and it was fun to show Harry being challenged by a peer like that from a different culture.
odonnellzoo99 - This was a fun one to write too. I did a bit of research on the different chicken dishes and even plan on making them myself soonish. It was fun to have Harry cook against a peer too. Probably, but it must be adorable to watch them act like that to someone.
Hands Off MY Wolfie - Yeah, I tried to show here that the tastes of the judges are an important factor. You can make something perfectly but if a person doesn't like the flavor or some of the ingredients, they still might not like it at all which is fair. And definitely, seasoning can be the final difference. I've seen some really nice episodes of Top Chef where it came down to just the difference in seasoning. Hedwig always gets her share. Thanks for reading. It was a nice trip overall.
DOOOOOOOM Lord of Waffles - Hope today's chapter makes up for the wait.
alix33 - Probably not right now but maybe he will eventually.
poka - It was nice to write a chapter like that again. Need them here and there. Just fun and food.
- Thank you.
No Vigilance - I recently discovered the early seasons of it on youtube and have been so happy to know they are there. When I was little, I used to love going to stay at a hotel because it had cable and I could watch food network and that show especially.
Aura-Guardian1999 - I'm glad you like my other works too. Hopefully you enjoy the others while this one gets updated.
Jah Ith Ber - I'm glad you like his one.
totalsolution - I usually update 2 to 3 times a week. This last week I was away, hence the delay. Glad you are enjoy the story.