Author's Note: Looks like this website is messing up email notifications again. Be sure to check if you've missed any chapters in the passed couple of weeks, and your story alerts for other fics you follow.

Chapter commentary: This is easily one of the longest chapters I've written. Had a lot of fun writing this one. There isn't really a trigger warning for this chapter; but, if you're the sensitive type, don't translate the spell incantations.

Early on a cool, overcast morning, a large assembly of students marched out to the grounds where they were greeted by Hagrid, Professor Torrero-Ramirez, and a pair of unfamiliar adults. The groundskeeper looked visibly nervous, yet the professor spoke to them with a rare smile.

"Good day, students. Welcome, and thank you for agreeing to take part in this Defence Competition. Here you will showcase your skill, your knowledge, and your daring when faced against the dangers of this world. Joining us today are Cordelia Murphy of the Dark Force Defence League and Louis Thoreau of the Federation of European Duellists, who will be acting as judges and scouts in the day's events."

Melissa could practically feel Roberta vibrate with excitement. She, too, regarded the judges with intrigue as the group gave light applause. "There will be three challenges over the course of the day. The first, as you may have guessed, will take place in the Dark Forest."

Nervous whispers broke out at that pronouncement. Torrero-Ramirez continued her speech.

"In the forest, we have hidden several small chests, each containing items needed for the next challenge. Your objective is to find one, and only one, of these chests and bring them back here in 90 minutes. Your full team must be present on your return for the task to be considered complete." She gave a warning scowl. "Any team that attacks other students will be disqualified from the task. Additionally, heavy penalties will be incurred for those that damage their trunk, or kill the creatures guarding them."

Creatures guarding them? The children shot nervous glances at that.

The act brought a smirk to the woman's face. "Yes, you heard correctly. At each site you will find the trunks guarded by a team of acromantula." Yelps were heard as she pressed on. "For those unaware, acromantula are giant spiders, spanning several metres. They are a Class XXXXX creature who possess great intelligence and use a powerful venom. Keep those facts in mind as you navigate the forest; and, once again, you will receive penalties if the acromantula are killed."

"Right. Best ye be careful wiff 'em," Hagrid cautioned. "If things get bad, their Da won't be 'appy 'bout tha'!"

All but one of the students were notably confused by Hagrid's warning. As, too, were the judges.

"I, along with Mister Hagrid, Miss Murphy and Monsieur Thoreau will be monitoring your progress. Should you come to challenges too difficult for you to overcome, you are to fire sparks in the air so that we can assist you. Your time starts in five minutes. Best you organise yourselves now."

The students scrambled to discuss strategies with their teammates. Garrick's team, having been cautioned by their seer, already had certain strategies at the ready.

"Acromantula are known to keep webs high up in the trees," Willamina informed them. "That's where we should be looking. We should summon our brooms and search above the canopy."

"Yes, but not now," warned Roberta. "Best we wait for the start time. Groups with Gryffindors will run straight in, so they won't hear us. Even if groups with Ravenclaws hear us, I doubt many would have left their windows open before coming here."

"Or hid them on rooftops," Melissa chuckled, thinking of her stashed school-borrowed broom.

Garrick hummed thoughtfully. "We may get the most points if no harm comes to them. Perhaps we can lure them away from the chest?"

"I can transfigure some fake animals," Cedric offered. "Maybe they'll leave their nest for a tasty meal?"

Melissa gave a knowing smile. Some people really don't change. "Just make sure to make it big and appetising enough. Also not a fast-moving one, so that they think they have a chance for a quick meal before getting back to guard duty."

Cedric nodded. "That won't be a problem."

The trouble with stealth missions is that loudly casting a spell is the absolute opposite of stealth.

"AHH!"

"It's got Cedric!"

"Someone get it off!" Cedric shouted. He was gripping onto the end of his broom for dear life, while using his feet to hold deadly pincers at bay.

A trio of wands raised against it, yet spells stuttered on their lips upon hearing a command, "CHILD OF ARAGOG, STOP!"

Witches and spiders alike halted their movements. All but Cedric, who used the opportunity to sever the webs that caught onto his broom.

A series of syllabant hisses passed Melissa's lips, before English followed. "I speak the tongue of your enemy, the one whose name you dare not speak! Harm my humans and I shall summon your enemy to unleash her terrible eyes against you!"

A series of nervous clicks erupted from the acromantulas. "You're lying!" One shouted.

The other four magicals shot up in alarm, having not expected human speech from them.

Melissa gave a dark, dramatic chuckle. "I have seen her poison-green scales, I have visited her dark lair. She calls me friend, and I call her mine. Do you really want to test my honesty, children of Aragog? Would you endanger your whole family just for a taste of human flesh?" She gave a haughty and triumphant smile as the acromantulas cowered nervously. "We will take your treasure and leave you unharmed; and you will do the same in return, or witness her petrifying gaze. Is that understood?"

"Yes!" a pair of them cried. "Yes! Mercy from the Great Enemy!"

"Good," she said with a decisive nod. She signalled to Roberta, who then flew down and cut out a golden chest from a thick dome of web. The group moved higher from the trees, and Melissa took a moment to look over her shoulder. "Best hope we never meet again, Children of Aragog."

They flew off. Nervous and relieved sighs broke out from the group. Then, when they got far enough away, Melissa broke in loud, nervous laughter. "Holy shit, I can't believe that worked!"

"What was that?!" Willamina shouted.

"You know how our training room is a secret place?" Melissa answered through the wind. "With an animal none of you have ever seen?" A few nervous yeses followed those questions. "Well, turns out spiders are super freaked by that animal."

"Okay…" Roberta's voice strained. "And what was all that Child of Aragog stuff about?"

"Oh, that? Hagrid had a pet acromantula named Aragog as a kid, and I once saw a future where a couple of Gryffindors are chased by giant spiders before they get saved by a flying blue car; so I figured those two things were related."

Varying levels of exasperation were met by that explanation. "You're unbelievable, Bennett."

"But good thing those animals did believe her," Cedric said. "Otherwise I'd be spider-meat!"

"Yes," Garrick nodded, "good work, Melissa."

"Thanks!" Melissa released a shaky breath. "Let's hope the next task goes as smoothly."

They were the first group to return, much to everyone's surprise. Luisa offered her a knowing but proud smile, and advised them to rest before she flew back to the forest. As time passed, they watched as groups returned triumphant or sparks beckoned rescue. There were five bite victims in total, but the judges already had anti-venom in preparation for such an event.

When everyone returned there was a brief rest before they were brought to another section of the grounds. There, they were met by an unusual site. An assembly of potions labs were set up at various stations. It was weird to see such things outdoors, but it was even more strange to see Snape standing at the edge of them appearing in an unusually good mood.

"I trust all is ready, Severus?"

"Everything is exactly as you requested, Luisa."

"Good." She turned to face the students. "Alright, everyone, one group per station!" At that bark, the groups moved to pick their stations. They all seemed identical, so there was only brief confusion and little competition to stake their spots. When the selection was done, Luisa called out again. "You may now open your trunks and follow the instructions within."

Now curious, Roberta used the unlocking spell and opened up the golden chest. They all peered over her shoulder, noting that it contained 5 phials and 2 words: Drink Me.

Willamina took one and unstoppered it. "Well, bottoms up."

Roberta and Cedric followed suit. Garrick looked to Melissa, who shrugged helplessly. They took the remaining phials and cast a couple poison-detection charms. Finding them clean of ill-intent, they took their drinks.

Then Roberta fell to her knees.

More bodies dropped, and their professor's voice shouted out. "You have three hours to identify the poison and make a cure. Good luck!"

Snape's smile suddenly made too much sense.

"Fuck! What do we do?!"

"Grab her phial!" Garrick shouted to Willamina. "We may be able to identify the poison. Melissa, look for a bezoar. Cedric, what are her symptoms?"

Cedric was at her side at once. "Dilated pupils. Her skin feels hot. She's panting a lot. Roberta- can you tell us anything more?"

"Wa- water. Need water."

"Extreme thirst, then," Garrick muttered. He took the phial from Willamina. "It was silver, right? Same as ours?" At her nod, he cast a poison-detection charm. Smoking grey wings appeared briefly over the phial and, in a rare showing, he swore.

"She drank Angel's Trumpet Draught!"

Cedric looked up in alarm. "That's fatal, isn't it?"

"It can be, if the cure isn't given within six hours." His eyes widened, "But the effects don't usually start until a half hour after ingestion! This draught is working much faster than it should!"

"No sign of a bezoar!" Melissa shouted.

"They gave us a copper cauldron," Willamina added.

He looked over the supplies and made a quick calculation. "I know how to make the antidote. Cedric, we need graphorn horn in as fine a powder as possible. 'Mina, crush the fire seeds and chizpurfle carapace. I'll gather the rest. Melissa, keep her hydrated and monitor any changes. If she starts getting aggressive or disoriented, let us know immediately."

"Got it!"

Their station fell mute, yet loud from pounding pestles and sharp knives as they worked on a cure. The other groups were oddly quiet, too. Not just quiet, but silent. After giving Roberta a conjured cup of water, Melissa looked about the grounds. People were openly weeping or shouting, from the looks of it, yet she couldn't hear them at all. She twisted to look at the edge of the stations, where Luisa, Snape, Thoreau and Murphy were watching and mutely commenting on the proceedings with interest.

Her eyes narrowed. We can't help each other. They've made it so that it's every group for themselves. That's cruel.

That's also survival. The thought nearly caught her off guard, yet she considered it further. If people are trapped, with no hope of escaping to St. Mungo's or getting outside help, they need to learn to think on their feet and find a solution. That's what this is really about.

A fire seed exploded at one of the other stations.

And dodging firepower. That, too.

Roberta whimpered in pain. Her skin was awfully dry for someone with a fever. Unable to find a cloth, Melissa cut off a section of her robes and used it as a damp cloth to keep the girl cool and hydrated. "Hey, don't worry, Roberta. The others are already working on a cure. Just you wait…"

The cauldron was bubbling by that point. Garrick got to work on the first ingredients while the others worked tirelessly on the ingredients. Copper cauldrons work at a faster pace; which, while it can result in making the cure faster, it meant that their window of opportunity to add ingredients was precariously short. "We need exactly three grams of crushed calabar beans. Melissa, can you grab the scales and any weights?"

"Got it!"

"Isn't that too much?" Cedric asked. "I remember it being two grams."

"That's for a normal dose of poison. With how fast it's working, we have to counterbalance with-"

Melissa didn't hear the rest. She had grabbed a set of scales, only to release it as the metal heated and seared her skin. "AHH!"

"Melissa?! Are you alright?!"

"-Fine! I'm fine! Just- ack!" The scales, once red-hot, turned back to its normal state. Her arm shook with pain. "-more to this round than I thought." Trying to steady herself, she conducted a curse-identifying spell while fighting back a wince. "Okay. I know the counter to that one." With a muttered spell, the counter-curse fell on the scales, the heat flashing once- then dissipated into the ether. She gingerly touched the scales, then grabbed it once it proved safe. She tested the weights, too, before putting them beside Cedric.

He noted her hand with concern. "We likely have everything needed for a burn-healing paste."

"Later," she said. "Focus on the cure. Leave the heat-managing to me."

With another cut of cloth, Melissa returned to Roberta's side and wrapped her hand before giving the girl more water. She used small breaks to gather ingredients for a burn-healing paste; but otherwise stayed diligent as the others worked on a cure.

As Garrick warned, things got worse about an hour into the brewing. With the prolonged exposure, Roberta started to panic and become volatile as she shouted at the group for help. Garrick cautioned them that these were side-effects, rather than normal behaviours. Melissa felt doubt at that, since being poisoned ought to panic any reasonable person. However, as she spied other groups having to restrain certain members from attacking the rest, she realized that her doubts were likely unfounded.

It was another half hour before Garrick shouted, "Done! 'Mina, get a dose for her and extras, just in case."

"I'll get to work on the burn-healing paste," Cedric said, heading over to Melissa's collected ingredients.

"How are we for time?" Willamina asked.

Garrick glanced at his watch. "One hour left."

"We should have enough time, then," said Cedric. "Let's get started!"

*One hour later*

A cacophony of sound erupted as the silencing wards were removed. Moans, wails, angry shouts and bubbling potions, all and more could be heard; but the Professor's voice was loudest of them all. "TIME! ANYONE WITHOUT AN ANTIDOTE, RAISE YOUR WANDS FOR OTHERS TO BRING YOU THEIR COMPLETED POTIONS."

At her side, Snape was making note of each group with a raised wand. Meanwhile, Garrick's group and a few others went around administering antidotes. With a flask in hand, Melissa walked over to a nearby group of familiar fifth years. "Hey, Sierra, here. How's Stephanie holding up?"

"Not well; but this'll help. Thanks, Mel."

"No problem."

"The fire seed exploded," Fred explained. "Which, while wicked, really messed things up."

"Had to start all over again," George added.

"That sucks." Melissa looked over at the other stations. "The fourth years are having it rough."

"Makes sense," Corin mentioned as he approached the group with a flask. "We learned how to brew this in third year, right? It's fresh in their minds, and we've been doing O.W.L reviews. The fourth years, on the other hand…" Others hummed in assent as he looked around. "You guys are cured?" On hearing their answers, he invited Melissa to walk with him to the next station.

"How did your group manage?"

"Pretty well, actually. Eloise got the poison, but Cyril's a master at this kind of stuff. He guided me, Rachel, and Dom on making the cure." He handed an antidote off to one of the fourth years as they continued on. They arrived at the next station, and stopped short at the sight of a filled phial. "Isn't that the poison?"

"It is," Amy purred, walking past them and re-entering the station.

"You made it again?"

"No," she said simply. "Jacqueline's phial reacted to a poison-detecting charm. So, obviously, she didn't drink hers." She looked down at Melissa's hand. "Nice burn-healing paste."

"Let me guess," Melissa drawled, "you cast detection spells on all of the equipment before starting?"

"Well someone had to. I have Gryffindors on my team, after all."

"Excuse me," Alicia interrupted. "You say that like Angie and I aren't the ones that chased the acromantulas from their nest."

"And I respect your skillset," Amy replied with a tease, "but I will point out that you two drank your phials straight away. Imagine if one of you had grabbed the poisoned one."

Yeah, Melissa thought with a sigh, imagine that.

Once everyone was cured, Professor Torrero-Ramirez gave them leave to take their lunch break. After the insanity of their morning, it was very much needed. The whole Great Hall was in a buzz as competitors explained the challenges and how each group faced them. Those that weren't a part of it listened in rapt attention as the stories unfolded, and many then decided to follow after lunch to spectate.

When their own meals ended, Garrick's group left early to do a quick conference. "Only one challenge left today. Melissa, any ideas as to what it can be?"

Melissa's eyes stared off into nothing. A myriad of stories and scenery passed through her mind's eye. Future scenarios were compared to the present, a handful being 'checked off' from what they've already faced. When finished, very few options remained.

"Two possibilities," she blinked herself into a space between mind and reality. "One, a maze to be navigated. A test of terrain and creatures. Something to do with water?" She shook her head, it wouldn't do her good to sound uncertain. "Two, fighting against the other groups to survive."

"Those are pretty different," Cedric commented. "Are you sure your Sight's working right?"

She shrugged. "That's what I got. Sorry I can't be much help."

"That's alright," Garrick answered. "I'm sure there's a reason for it. We'll prepare for both, just in case."

"Maybe it involves the giant squid?" Willamina suggested. "If it involves creatures in the water. Anyone here know how to move through water easily?"

"The bubble-head charm would work," Cedric suggested.

"Or gillyweed," Melissa added.

"Do any of you know how to use the bubble-head charm?" Roberta asked. A chorus of cringing silence answered her. She gave an annoyed sigh. "I'll ask one of the upper years who isn't in the contest. Garrick, Cedric, think you can persuade Snape or Sprout for some gillyweed?"

"We can try," Cedric offered.

"Better than nothing."

On arrival they were directed to a different section of the grounds. There they saw a large circle of numbered flags- each gapped by great distance- decorating the field. Wards hummed in concentric circles on either side of the flag-circle. The innermost ward had a strange colour to it, like the iridescence of a bubble. They could see the flags on the other side, yet the way was clearly blocked.

The judges greeted them from a raised dais. "You have ten minutes to select a flag-pole along the border of the marked bounds," the professor announced. "At the bell, you have thirty minutes to construct a fortress around that flag. There will be a countdown for the end of those thirty minutes. When that happens, the ward blocking access to the central field will dissipate.

"Your goal is to capture as many prisoners from the other teams as possible." She smirked darkly as those words registered in the students' minds. "Teams lose when all of their members are captured and brought to a fortress. To prevent confusion, those teams will be announced by their flag number and escorted out of the wards as the game continues. The task ends when only eight teams remain.

"Before you go, there is one more thing. …When the central field dissipates, you'll find there is more to this challenge than meets the eye." She gave a pregnant pause before raising her wand into the air. "Your time starts NOW!"

At a silent signal made during the speech, Roberta marked to lead the charge as their group raced to the far side of the circle. No one argued against her judgement. They were too busy running to waste their breath. When they arrived at Flagpole 17, Cedric exhaled a realization. "It's both, isn't it? We're duelling and going through a maze!"

"Exactly!" Roberta shouted. "So we have to work fast."

"We can bring up the dirt and transfigure them to stone walls," Melissa suggested. "Oh! That could make pitfalls- with spikes at the bottom!"

"That's a bit harsh," Cedric commented.

"But useful, especially if any creatures try to attack us, too," Willamina commented

They got to work on their fortress. A combination of summons of items from their side of the circle, plus transfiguration, charms, and rune-work to get everything set up. Construction was well underway by the time they even got neighbours. Those neighbours eyed their growing fortress with calculating and malicious eyes, but the team ignored them. After all, if this is a maze, they won't be seeing those teams for quite a while.

Ten minutes into their start-time, a summoned branch bounced off of nothing instead of reaching Garrick's hand. "We're trapped!" He announced. "Nothing will get in or out anymore."

"Guess we'll just have to continue with what we got."

*Thirty minutes later*

Three sides of the fortress were enshrouded with darkness. On either side, an opaque ward blocked sight of their neighbours. Before them, the inner bubble burst, revealing a continuation of those wards, and a mass of varied terrain in the distance.

"Love it when I'm right," Melissa commented quietly to herself. "Should we map out the terrain?"

All five walked forward, keeping an eye out for any early arrivals. At the sight of a dark, shimmering surface, Garrick gave a smirk. "And there's our water. Not enough to need gillyweed, though. It's short enough to swim across."

"Don't be so sure," Melissa murmured. She knelt close to the water and dipped the tip of her wand inside. "Lumos maxima!" A burst of light blew across the water, and dark shapes screeched and fled the searing light.

"Grindylows," Cedric noted.

"Well, if nothing else, our fortress has a moat."

"It also," Willamina's hand brushed over the opaque ward, "gives us another passage."

The attack was sudden. The group of sixth years, having just made a bridge across the water, were suddenly hit with stunners and yanked from the bridge and dragged under. Their lungs struggled to breath, but it wasn't long before they resurfaced. Ropes bound them; then, quickly, beautiful air filled their lungs.

"Another full set!" Willamina crowed. She poked at one of nine rope-bound students with her wand. "Alright you lot, start marching!"

The sixth and third years tried to protest, yet discovered that their voices had been silenced. With mute grumbles, the group was led back to the fortress by Garrick, who would remain there to literally hold down the fort. The others, meanwhile, stole the sixth years' bridge and attached it to their side of the short pond before releasing the captured grindylows. Not long after they crossed it, the Professor's voice shouted for the removal of Teams 16 and 18.

"We'll have more room for prisoners," Melissa commented.

"Yes," Roberta said, "but people will also suspect it was us."

"Eh. Maybe they'll keep their distance, then. After all, we don't know what numbers the other groups took, right?"

"Fair." Then she stilled. "Something's coming."

*30 minutes later*

The group escaped from the sandstorm in a giant leap, crashing against rocks that were previously obscured. Melissa pushed away from them with a groan. "Luisa's really going for a four-elements thing, isn't she?"

"As long as we don't face any dragons," Cedric muttered.

"Don't jinx it, Ced."

Just above their heads, a spell crashed into the rock wall. They cried out in surprise and moved for cover from the enemy's magic. However, no more spells headed their way. Instead, they found Stephanie's group duking it out with… some sort of desert-dwelling creatures. Melissa wasn't sure what it was. Though her attention was less on the animals and more on the team. Stephanie, Sierra, and Lee were working one-on-one against the beasts, while the twins were taking on a team of beasts at once! They moved like a well-oiled machine as animal attacks were blocked and retaliated against with precision. They stunned four of the animals before Lee had managed his first. That, and it looked to Melissa that George was using both spoken and wordless spells at once.

Her musings were broken at the sound of syllabant voices.

"These humans are down. They'll be easier prey."

"Yes. Let's tell our brothers."

Melissa twisted backward to look at the voices with a start. "Azerwal? Aghilas?"

The horned serpents paused in their retreat, reacting as if not having noticed her before. "Lissa," they greeted, "Are you hunting these humans, too?"

"These are my humans," she explained. Their team worked hard to not flinch as she gestured to them in parseltongue. "You're finding prey for your human brothers?"

"Yes."

"...If you don't report us to your human brothers, we will go another way."

The twin serpents conferred with each other. "We agree."

"We will hunt the cold enemies, instead."

"Cold enemies?"

There was a nod from one of the serpents. "Two of the enemies we three trapped in the cold season are just beyond those rocks. The tall boy and the light-haired girl, among others."

A dark and gleeful realization hit her. Hugo Bradley and Matilda Runcorn.

Oh. She is going to enjoy this!

"There's a group on the other side of these rocks," she reported to the team. "The Weasleys are going to go after them soon, so we can tag-team and hit them in a pincer move."

"You want us to team up with them?"

Cedric cut in fast. "It's not a bad idea. The eight groups left standing will win. Working together means we can handle prisoners faster."

The group quickly agreed, and Melissa hissed the idea to the snakes. They slithered off to deliver the message, while the humans snuck over the rocks to hide from both teams, just in case. When one of the snakes returned with an affirmative, the group moved to attack. Wands blazed in different directions, but most centred on the unsuspecting Team 34.

As Hugo Bradley dodged a blast from the other team, Melissa aimed her wand with vicious glee. "Strevloméno péos!" The purple light shot true, and Bradley doubled over in pain, hands clasping between his legs. Her sense of schadenfreude briefly satisfied, she moved on to attack one of the young Ravenclaws in the group. Before her stunner could fire, however, her left arm got hit with a freezing spell. She turned to defend against the attacker, and was surprised to find Runcorn was the one to attack her. Runcorn, too, looked surprised.

Surprised, and terrified.

In her shock, Runcorn was hit by the other team's stunner and was knocked out as a result.

When the fourth and last member of Team 34 went down, the other two teams shyly emerged from their hiding spots. They conferred their plan to join up. Then, with a bit of manoeuvring, they got the defeated team revived and bound in a train of rope. In a show of chivalry, Melissa offered to join Lee to act as a guard as he led the prisoners back to his nearby fortress.

After they passed the walls of the inner ward, however, Melissa set up a silent smokescreen and sent Lee and the others into slumber.

She walked down the train, identifying Bradley and Runcorn easily. She knelt between their sleeping forms, watching them in brief, contemplative silence. "You would think, after all of these months, that I'd be fine after you failed to torture and rape me. …and yet," she sighed, "something about seeing you two going about your lives like normal just… doesn't seem right, does it?" She gave their bodies a leering smile. "Don't say I never warned you."

Words whispered in her mind. Echoes of memories that, while clear, didn't feel like her own. They should have scared her, like they did when knowledge of the Unforgivables entered her consciousness. It should have scared her; and yet, at this moment in time, the strange words and wand movements felt more like a promise.

"Nekrotafeío ton apogónon. Nekrotafeío ton apogónon. …Obliviate."

After they passed the walls of the inner ward, Melissa and Lee arrived at Lee's fortress and passed the prisoners off to Sierra without incident. It was mostly quiet on the way back, which meant that Team 34 still had a fifth member hiding in a fortress.

Ah, well. We'll worry about that later.

They were ambushed at dusk.

They were bringing yet more prisoners to Team 17's fortress when an attack came from the inside. At some point in the attack Melissa was hit in a double team of an expelliarmus and silencio, and a voice crowed from the fortress "Got you now, Mudblood!"

Oh, please. She ran forward, her hand slashed in the direction of the Ravenclaw caster. The spell connected, making him double over with pain. As if I'd let something as simple as words stop me. She hit her palm against the fortress, right over an ice rune they had carved on the other side. With a quick spin, she dodged the emerging ice spike, then used its rugged top as leverage to hop onto the fortress wall.

Accio wand!

Her wand reacted to the silent command, launching at once to her hand. Now armed, she launched a silent assault on the infiltrators. With them distracted by her presence, the others were able to get inside with little trouble. With their combined forces, they were able to take down the invading team. Once they were bound, a voice shouted that Team 22 was out.

"What?!" One of the boys shouted. "But Cram's still at our fort!"

Lee grinned at them. "Looks like the other teams took a page out of your book, Grimmett. Too bad for you. You lot are out!"

"TEAM 5, OUT! GAME OVER! ALL REMAINING TEAMS, LOWER YOUR WANDS!"

"What?!" This time it was Lee that shouted. "But we're not prisoners?!"

He looked around and, sure enough, Team 17 didn't have their wands drawn on them.

Stephanie blinked. "Do the judges just count you out when team members are all inside another fortress?"

"Apparently?" George muttered.

"Buggering hell," Fred groaned. "That's hardly fair!"

The whole group was grimacing now, Melissa included. "Yeah, that doesn't really make sense."

"On the plus side," Willamina shrugged, "our team just won!"

An awkward chuckle followed that proclaiment. Team 5 made good-natured complaints against them, and her own team gave tentative smiles and jokes in return. It was an odd victory, to be sure, but… ah, who was she kidding? They just won!

When all of the groups returned, the students applauded the teams that survived to the end. True to form, Luisa made no announcement of "winners". Instead, she informed them that the judges would make a scaling grade for each student. The third and fourth years' grade would add up to bonus marks for their exams; meanwhile notable O.W.L and N.E.W.T students would have commendations sent to the exam proctors. It wasn't a trophy, but it sure cheered up those students stressing over their exams!

As the students mingled over their exploits of the day, Garrick's group was approached by Cordelia Murphy. "That was impressive work," she said with a grin. "You five were near the top of every challenge. That's no small feat."

"Thank you, ma'am," Garrick said, giving a small bow of respect to the woman. "Our team worked hard to prove what we are capable of."

"I can see that," she murmured. An odd pause fell over them as Murphy eyed them critically. "It's strange. Back when I was at Hogwarts I never would have seen groups work so well together, especially not with groups of mixed houses. There seems to be a lot of that, I've noticed."

"Yeah," Cedric said brightly, "that's something that started with our year. There's been loads of changes since then!"

Ms Murphy gave a hum of acknowledgement. "Does that have anything to do with this Honey Badger thing I've heard about?"

A shocked pause answered her, followed by several awkward or exasperated laughs. How does a 40-something year old woman know about Honey Badgers?!

"...Among other things," Cedric chuckled as he scratched the back of his head.

"That's more about Hufflepuffs defending friends in need," Willamina added. "No matter what house our friends are in."

Suffice to say, Murphy looked surprised and impressed by that. "I'm glad to hear it. You know, conviction like that is something we look for in the Dark Force Defence League." She gave them a meaningful look. "When you all graduate, be sure to send an owl my way. We'll see if we can find the right kind of work for you."

Once again, her words shocked them. Though this time they quickly gave thanks before Murphy moved on to talk to another group.

"I can't believe that just happened," Roberta spoke in a daze. "Oh! We should talk to Louis Thoreau! If he's able to give us another commendation, I'd die from joy!"

"Well no need to hold your breath," Melissa teased, "he's over there talking to the twins."

"Yes!" Roberta grabbed her hand, practically dragging Melissa with her. "Come on, let's go!"