The TFT Third Task Winner & Its Storyline, timeturner Options

[evlpez]

Padfoot Perturbed - by timeturner


Sirius Black paced the length of the small cave that had been his home for the last two weeks. Deep in the countryside and hidden within a mountain, the cave was deserted, silent, and essentially perfect for a wizard who didn’t want to be found. Even better, it was close to Hogwarts and therefore close to Harry, which was exactly where Sirius felt he needed to be.

Continuing to pace, Sirius took a moment now and then to glance at the papers and letters that were strewn haphazardly around the cave. With each word that he reread, his suspicions grew. Something definitely wasn’t right.

The newspaper articles themselves didn’t reveal much and neither did Harry’s letter, but when the letter and articles were combined and coupled with the conversation that Sirius had overheard last week, it was clear that something was very wrong indeed.

Coming to a stop, Sirius picked up one of the Daily Prophets that he had nicked from a rubbish bin in Hogsmeade and read:

B.O.G. UNDER INVESTIGATION

According to a Ministry official, the group known as B.O.G. (Brotherhood of Goblins) is currently being investigated by the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. Accused of participating in illegal methods of wizard intimidation, B.O.G. has denied all charges and insists that the investigation is “another example of the smear campaign devised by the Ministry in hopes of undermining the goblin race “.

When questioned, Ministry employee and Department spokesperson, Amos Diggory, adamantly protested the smear campaign accusations saying, “The B.O.G. investigation stems from an anonymous tip that we received by owl post. There is no smear campaign. If it were up to us, we would avoid dealings with the members of B.O.G. as they are typically cranky and generally unpleasant conversationalists.”

This is not the first time that B.O.G. has come under fire. Daily Prophet readers may remember...


Sirius dropped the Prophet and picked up another publication known as The Quibbler. As ludicrous as this magazine seemed upon first inspection, one of the headlines on the cover had caught his eye immediately. After reading the article within, he was convinced that at least part of the report held some truth; a small part perhaps, but a part none the less.


LUDO IS ON THE LOOSE!
ARE HOGWARTS STUDENTS IN DANGER?

A former Beater for the Wimbourne Wasps, Ludo Bagman is currently employed by the Ministry of Magic as the Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports. Bagman recently had a hand in the organization of the Tri-Wizard Tournament which is currently being held at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. When questioned about the Tournament and his motives, Bagman claimed to have an interest in the promotion of foreign wizard relations.

BUT DOES HE?

Upon further investigation, The Quibbler has discovered that Bagman has a hidden agenda. Bent on world domination, the former Quidditch star plans to take over the entire Wizarding World starting with Hogwarts. It is suspected that the goblins support his plot and intend to assist Bagman with it. On more than one occasion, Bagman has been seen discussing his dastardly plan with known goblin enforcer, Scabo the Scabbed.

It is unknown how Bagman’s boss, Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge, feels about these meetings. Though never charged, tried, or convicted, Fudge is a well-known goblin killer/pie-baker. Thus far, the Minister has refused to return our owls or comment on the situation.

In lieu of these findings, The Quibbler would like to urge its readers to protest the Tournament by whatever means possible…


Sirius dropped the magazine and resumed his pacing. The whole world domination plot was a bit of a laugh, but after what he heard in Hogsmeade there was no doubt that this Bagman character was in knee-deep with the goblins. Closing his eyes and rubbing his head, Sirius tried to recall the conversation that he had overheard last week while playing the lovable stray in Hogsmeade…

“Merlin’s beard, Bertha! I still can’t believe you’re working for Ludo Bagman. I remember when I watched him play Quidditch against the Holyhead Harpies. What a dreamboat! I tell you, Gilderoy Lockhart doesn’t have anything on him. What’s Bagman’s story? Is he single?”

Bertha Jorkins laughed at her friend’s enthusiasm. The two witches were picnicking on a patch of grass at the edge of the village, assuming they were quite alone with the exception of the stray dog that had happened upon them.

“Oh, you don’t want to get involved with Ludo,” Bertha said, feeding a piece of chicken to Sirius, who swallowed it without chewing. “Trust me, Arella. He has issues.”

“Issues?” Arella asked, her interest clearly piqued.

“Gambling,” Bertha whispered, looking around to make sure there was nobody else in the vicinity. “He owes the goblins so many Galleons that he’ll be working long past the time a wizard should. Anyways, he’s really busy with the Tournament right now. I doubt he’d have time for dating. He told me he has a personal interest in the outcome and plans to spend a great deal of time at Hogwarts monitoring the situation.”

“Figures,” Arella sighed and patted Sirius on the head for a moment before continuing. “What do the champions have to do? Do you know?”

“Not really,” Bertha said.” I do know that everyone’s especially nervous about the second task though. I’m not exactly sure what the champions have to do, but there’s some type of creature involved and there’s fear that it could get loose and wreck havoc. Harm the non-participants, you know.”

…Sirius opened his eyes and shook his head. Harry was a non-participant. Was he in danger? Sirius gritted his teeth at the thought. For the thousandth time he wished that he didn’t have to hide, wished he were truly a free man instead of a prisoner of circumstance. Harry was counting on him. James and Lily were counting on him.

Sirius stopped pacing and found the collection of letters that Harry had sent him. He saved them all. Leafing through the stack, Sirius found the most recent and read:


Dear Snuffles,

The Tri-Wizard Tournament is brilliant! I really wish I could have been a champion. I thought about having a go at Dumbledore’s age line, but after seeing the beards Fred and George grew when they tried to cross, I’m glad I didn’t. I don’t think I’m ready for a beard.

Cedric Diggory from Hufflepuff ended up being chosen as the Hogwarts champion. Seamus likes to call him Pretty Boy Diggory, but he’s not so bad. A Gryffindor champion would have been better though.

Fleur Delacour got it for Beauxbatons. Hermione doesn’t like her, but Ron sure does. And Viktor Krum was picked for Durmstrang. I saw him at the World Cup. He played Seeker for Bulgaria and did the best move. It’s called the Wronski Feint. I can’t wait to try it out on Malfoy next time we play Slytherin.

Dumbledore said the Tournament will have three tasks altogether. The first one just ended. I wish you could have seen it. First, the champions had to get past these horrible beasts called Fachan. Hagrid says they’re beautiful creatures from the Scottish Highlands, but they look more like house-elves to me. Really ugly house-elves. They’re short and they only have one leg, one arm, and one eye. They swing these little spiked clubs that shoot spells and hexes out the end. They’re a nasty lot. I think that’s why Hagrid likes them so much.

The champions had twenty minutes to finish. They had to get past a huge group of Fachan to a stand of trees. In one of the trees, there was a hidden clue that’s supposed to help them in the second task. It sounds easy enough, but there was a trick. The champions weren’t allowed to use wands against the Fachan or hurt them in any way.

Of course, right away Hermione figured out what the champions needed to do. She said they should put spells on themselves, like a Shield Charm or Imperturbable Charm. Something the Fachan couldn’t break through. It was really too bad Cedric didn’t figure that out.

He went first and managed to dodge the Fachan’s spells for a little while. Then he started getting hit with all kinds of hexes. The Fachan started to cluster around him and he must have panicked. He tried to conjure a shield, but the Fachan shot it right out of his hand. So then he tried this weird frog leap to get over the whole lot of them. He almost did it too, but he accidentally kicked one of the Fachan in the head and knocked it out cold. He got marked down for that. You weren’t supposed to hurt the Fachan. Cedric got his clue out of the tree though and finished just under the time limit.

Fleur didn’t do much better. One of the Fachan hit her with a spell that lit her hair on fire. (Hermione thought that was really funny. She laughed so hard that she shot butterbeer right out her nose. Some of it got on Ron.) After Fleur put her hair out, she stared at the Fachan for a minute and then started to sway back and forth. Then the craziest thing happened. The Fachan started doing the same thing, like they were in a trance or something! A bunch of people said that was cheating, but she didn’t hurt the Fachan or use her wand so the judges let her get away with it. She got her clue from the tree and was done in eighteen minutes.

Krum did best of all. It was like he knew exactly what to do. Ernie MacMillan from Hufflepuff told me and Ron that he overheard Karkaroff whispering hints to Krum right before the task started, so maybe that’s why he had such an easy time of it. I don’t know.

After Krum put a Shield Charm on himself, every hex the Fachan sent his way just bounced off of him. He got past them right away and grabbed his clue. He was finished in less than five minutes. Got a perfect score too. That put Fleur in second and Cedric dead last.

I wish there was some way I could find out for sure if Karkaroff is trying to cheat. If he is, maybe I could stop him or help Cedric. Even the playing field somehow.

Any ideas?

Harry

P.S. Do you know Ludo Bagman? He used to play Quidditch, but now he works at the Ministry. He helped organize the Tournament and he’s been at Hogwarts a lot. I keep noticing him staring at me and he’s been asking around about me. I don’t know what he’s getting up to.


Sirius replaced Harry’s letter in the stack. What was Ludo Bagman up to? It seemed strange that he would be paying any attention to Harry at all. After all, what did Harry have to do with the Tournament?

Feeling more than a little perturbed, Sirius went to the corner of the cave and dug through his meager pile of supplies. After pulling out a quill, a scrap of parchment, and a bit of sealing wax, he sat down and began to write.


Dear Harry,

It’s good that you are enjoying the Tournament. I wish that I could be there too.

I must admit, I’m not surprised to hear that Karkaroff and his student may be cheating. They’re probably not the only ones. I’m not old enough to have ever attended a Tournament of course, but I’ve always heard that cheating is a traditional part of it. Come to think of it, that may be why Dumbledore has Mad-Eye teaching this year. Moody’s good at keeping an eye on things if you know what I mean.

You want to even the playing field, do you? Glad to hear it. I think I might have just the thing. Luckily for you, I left it at Hogwarts. It should still be there. Even after all of these years, I doubt anyone has come across the hiding place.

To find it, go to the sixth floor. Just past the boys’ bathroom, you should see a portrait of an old wizard wearing red ear muffs. If you poke him in the eye with your wand and tell him that you solemnly swear that you are up to no good, the portrait will swing open and reveal a very small room. Inside this room is a marauder’s paradise. You’ll definitely find some things that will even the playing field and probably provide a bit of fun for you and your mates in the process. Whatever you do, don’t get caught. Take the map with you so you can make sure that nobody else is around.

As for your other question, I don’t know Bagman personally, but I’ve heard some rumors. Bagman’s gambling has gotten him in a bad situation with the goblins. I want you to steer clear of him, Harry. Desperate men do desperate things. Take care of yourself and watch your back.

Sirius

P.S. Make sure you, Ron, and Hermione find a safe spot to sit for the second task. There’s a dangerous creature involved. Not sure what it is, but it could get loose.


Hedwig returned from her hunt just as Sirius placed the seal upon his letter to Harry. Knowing immediately that it was her time to shine, she allowed Sirius to tie the letter to her leg and then with a great flap of wings, she was gone. Back to Hogwarts and back to Harry.


Return to Hogwarts - by timeturner

Sirius ran through the forest, nimbly leaping over the tree branches and other debris that occasionally blocked his path. He had been running for some time now and knew that his destination could not be much further. If memory served, and he was sure that it did, a stand of yew trees should be just around the next bend.

In his youth, he had spent a great deal of time beneath the cover of those trees, talking to Lupin, joking with James. But tonight, the yew would serve a more important purpose. Tonight, they would provide a place to meet with Harry.

When the path finally bended and he rounded the corner, Sirius saw the familiar stand of yew trees, but there was no sign of his godson. With a quick glance at the moon, he determined that he was a bit early. It was not quite midnight, which meant that Harry was probably still making his way through the wood.

As he waited, Sirius wondered if Harry’s friends, Ron and Hermione, would show up as well. A small part of him, a selfish part of him, wished that they would not. He hoped to spend some time alone with Harry, something he had not really had an opportunity to do.

The thought of being with Harry was the only thing right now that made Sirius truly happy. Sometimes, talking to his godson was almost like having James back. Even after all of these years, Sirius missed his old friend more than he cared to admit.

The thought made him realize that he would actually prefer to see Ron and Hermione with Harry tonight. Nothing was more important than friendship. Harry was lucky to have such true friends, just as he, Sirius, had been lucky to have James.

A loud and sudden crash disrupted his thoughts and shattered the uneasy quiet of the forest. The noise was followed by a cry of pain and hushed voices. Sirius looked for the cause of the disturbance, but saw nothing, which could only mean one thing.

Sure enough, moments later, Harry, Ron, and Hermione emerged from underneath an invisibility cloak, all of them looking disheveled and extremely relieved to see him. After making sure that nobody else was with them, Sirius transformed, discarding his canine disguise.

“You weren’t followed?” he asked quickly.

“No,” Harry replied. “We made sure.”

“It was lucky that we found you. We’ve never been in this part of the forest before,” Hermione said.

“Then you’re missing out. I spent a lot of time here in my school days. This is the best part of the forest, barely any creatures. You can’t beat the privacy,” Sirius added, when he saw their expressions.

“You liked coming here?” Ron asked incredulously.

Sirius laughed. “Where do you think I learned to become an Animagus, the Gryffindor common room? No, the first time James, Peter, and I transformed, it was right here under this stand of trees.”

“My dad came here too?” Harry asked.

The excitement in Harry’s voice tugged at Sirius’ heart. The kid seemed to light up at any mention of James and Lily. It was understandable, of course, just difficult to watch.

Sirius pointed out a faded carving on one of the yew trees. “See for yourself.”

Harry walked to the tree and lightly ran his fingers over the carving that read:

James + Lily
Forevermore

“Not why were here though is it,” Sirius said gruffly.

“No, but thanks for showing me,” Harry said.

Sirius didn’t know what to say, so he didn’t say anything. Instead, he put his hand on Harry’s shoulder. Harry smiled at him.

“Well, then,” Sirius said. “Let’s get down to business. What’s going on with the Tournament and Bagman.

“The second task is tomorrow morning,” Harry said. “We found out that Karkaroff has been trying to cheat. He tried slipping information to Krum about the task and they got into a huge row. Krum called Karkaroff dishonorable and said that he didn’t want any more help.”

“Viktor is so noble,” Hermione sighed.

Ron snorted and mumbled something Sirius couldn’t make out.

“How did you learn this?” Sirius asked.

“The room that you told me about,” Harry explained. “It was brilliant. You were right, nobody had found the Marauders’ hiding place. It was filled with loads of useful things. We ended up using a staring eye. Hermione bewitched it to follow Karkaroff. We wrapped it in a bit of my invisibility cloak and he never even noticed it. Each night after he retired to his ship, we waited until we thought he was asleep and then used a summoning charm to get the eye back.”

“I’m guessing you then figured out a way to see what the eye saw?” Sirius said, pleased with their resourcefulness.

“It was Hermione,” Ron said. “She figured out a spell that would make the eye show us everything that it had seen that day. We skipped over the boring parts.”

“Very clever,” Sirius said, nodding at Hermione. “What about Bagman?”

“You won’t believe this,” Harry started, but before he could finish a booming voice called out.

“Who’s there?”

Hermione gasped. “That sounds like Hagrid. What should we do?”

Instantly, Sirius transformed into the big black dog. Not more than a second later, Hagrid happened upon them, brandishing a crossbow.

“What’re yeh three doin’ out here in the middle of the night?” Hagrid bellowed when he saw Harry, Hermione, and Ron. “Yeh know students aren’t allowed in the Forbidden Forest. It’s…well, it’s forbidden!”

“Sorry, Hagrid,” Harry said quickly. “We were, uh…”

“We were taking care of this stray dog we found,” Ron said, patting Sirius on the head. “He was um…”

“Wandering around and we thought he looked hungry,” Harry finished somewhat lamely.

“Stray dog,” Hagrid said, looking down and noticing Sirius for the first time.

Sirius did his best to look like a pathetic, hungry stray. It wasn’t hard, considering he had been hiding in a cave for months on end. A lean diet of Hogsmeade scraps had done little to put meat on his bones.

“Poor feller,” Hagrid said, bending over to scratch Sirius behind the ears. “He needs a warm meal and a fluffy bed. Yeh shoulda brought him to my house straight away. What are yeh thinkin’ stashin’ him out here.”

Sirius realized that Hagrid could be his ticket into Hogwarts. From what Harry had told him, Hagrid loved all creatures. Nobody would think anything of him getting a new pet. And, getting into Hogwarts was the only sure way he could protect Harry during the second task. Sirius barked at Hagrid and wagged his tail.

“Yeh want ter come stay with me, do yeh?” Hagrid asked Sirius enthusiastically, continuing to rub him behind the ears.

“I don’t know if that’s such a good idea, Hagrid,” Hermione said.

“Sure it is,” Hagrid said, clearly keen on taking in a creature in need. “I’ll set up a real cozy spot fer him right next ter my fireplace. Yeh can come visit him anytime yeh want. Yeh can’t jus’ leave him here.”

Sirius wagged his tail and barked again.

“See,” Hagrid said. “It’s what he wants.”

Harry, Ron, and Hermione looked nervously at one another, but didn’t argue the subject any further. At Hagrid’s insistence, they followed him out of the forest and back to his cabin.

“Yeh three better get back up to the castle,” Hagrid said. “Yeh can come back tomorrow mornin’ before the second task. In the meantime I’ll take care o’…What did you say his name was?”

“We never really gave him a name,” Harry said hesitantly.

“What?” Hagrid asked, sounding shocked. “That ain’t right. He needs a name. Every creature needs a name. How ‘bout Elmer? I always wanted a dog named Elmer.”

“Elmer?” Ron chortled.

“What? You don’t like that name?” Hagrid asked.

“Actually,” Ron said, continuing to laugh as he walked towards the castle with Harry and Hermione. “It’s brilliant, Hagrid. He looks just like an Elmer.”

Sirius watched Harry and his friends go and then followed Hagrid into the house to begin a new adventure as a dog named Elmer.

***

The next morning Sirius awoke to a piece of toast that was being waved under his nose by a smiling Hagrid.

“How ‘bout a spot ‘o breakfast, Elmer,” he said cheerfully. “Harry, Ron, and Hermione should be here any minute. You’ll probably be excited ter see ‘em, so you should eat now.”

Sirius took the toast and wagged his tail in thanks. It had been a long time since his belly had been this full. It was a good feeling. He had also had a good night’s sleep, lounging on the large purple pouf that Hagrid had laid down in front of the fireplace.

A moment later, Harry, Ron, and Hermione arrived, bringing a cold burst of air with them. Sirius greeted them all with a bark.

“Hagrid, Professor McGonagall is looking for you. She said that you’re supposed to be down by the lake.”

“I guess I forgot,” Hagrid said. “It’s been so excitin’ with Elmer here. I better get down there. I’ll see yeh three in a minute or two.”

As soon as he was gone, Sirius transformed. Harry hurried to lock the door and Hermione drew the curtains closed.

“Morning, Elmer,” Harry said, looking at Sirius and smirking.

“Don’t start,” Sirius said, unable to keep from smiling. “It worked didn’t it? I’m at Hogwarts.”

“You shouldn’t be here though,” Hermione said nervously. “You could get caught.”

Sirius looked at Harry and Ron. “Does she always worry this much?”

“Yeah,” Ron replied. “But, we like her anyway.”

Sirius laughed. “Merlin help me, I like her too.”

“Are you coming with us to the lake?” Harry asked.

“Planned on it,” Sirius replied. “I take it the second task takes place in the lake.”

“From what Karkaroff said, the champions don’t have to go in the lake,” Harry said.

“They shouldn’t have to. Remember the clue,” Hermione added.

“Ah yes, the clue the champions had to get from the tree in the first task,” Sirius said.

Hermione recited from memory:

“After one and before three
Should you ever be
Moored without a gourd
You must find a pickle
But please do be fickle
For a nomen you must carve
Else the beast will not starve
But do not pick just any
For only one triumphs many”

“Else the beast will not starve,” Sirius repeated slowly. “I don’t understand. What is the beast.”

“I think it’s a Kappa,” Hermione replied.

“A Kappa is a water demon isn’t it?” Sirius asked.

“Yes. They’re very aggressive and they feast on human blood. The only way that you can persuade a Kappa not to attack is by throwing it a cucumber with your name carved in it, or by tricking it into bowing. They have a hollow in the top of their head that carries water. If they spill the water, they lose their power,” Hermione explained, sounding very much like a textbook.

“That could be dangerous for participants if the Kappa gets into the crowd,” Sirius said thoughtfully. “Dangerous for the champions too if they haven’t figured out that clue.”

“Let’s get down there,” Ron said. “I want to get a good seat.”

“Fine, but when the task is over,” Sirius said. “We need to finish talking about Bagman. I want to know what he’s up to.”

That said, Sirius transformed once more into the big black dog and followed Harry and his friends down to the lake. Immediately after arriving, they spotted Hagrid, who was waving at them from a spot in the spectator seats that had been set up at the water’s edge.

“Yeh brought Elmer!” Hagrid exclaimed, his face lit up with happiness.

Sirius took a seat next to Hagrid, knowing that the sheer mass of the man would give him some cover from the crowd. The view of the lake was good and Harry was right beside him. Sirius was confident that he would be in a position to protect Harry and his friends if necessary.

The task got under way soon after. The champions came out of a tent one at a time to take their turns. Sirius was surprised to see how young all of them looked. Appearances were no indication of talent though, because all three somehow managed the task.

Fleur went first and promptly tossed a cucumber to the Kappa that rushed towards her. The Kappa bowed to investigate the object and spilled all of the water within its hollowed head.

Cedric went next, and though he didn’t bring a cucumber with him, he eventually tricked the Kappa into bowing by laying at its feet. The moment the beast leaned over to bite him, water spilled out of its head.

Krum also managed, but had far less luck. He had obviously misinterpreted the riddle, because he brought a garden pepper to the task. Unfortunately, the Kappa didn’t appear to be affected by peppers. It took a bite out of Krum’s leg and then rushed the crowd. There was a brief moment of panic before Krum had the good sense to use a tripping jinx on the beast. The Kappa lost his water just as he reached a row of Hufflepuffs.

During the entire task, Sirius kept a close eye not only on the Kappa, but also on Ludo Bagman, who was acting as commentator. From his reaction, Sirius was able to judge exactly which champion Bagman was rooting for.



***************************

Third Task winner - timeturner

The Final Task

Harry was more grateful than usual when Charms class ended. After working on the Engorgement Charm all week, half of the class was still having trouble with what Hermione had deemed “a very simple spell”. Given the fact that Professor Flitwick had spent the last ten minutes of class shrinking unintended targets including Harry’s shoe, Neville’s toad, and Lavender Brown’s head, Harry felt inclined to disagree with Hermione’s assessment.

Deciding to take a shortcut to the Great Hall for lunch, Harry, Hermione, and Ron slipped past a tapestry and into one of the lesser-known corridors. Ron was just finishing a long-winded joke that ended with the punch-line, “Orange you glad I didn’t say marmalade again” when they heard angry voices coming from somewhere up ahead and out of sight.

Harry tiptoed silently down the corridor with Ron and Hermione at his heels. The three of them peeked around the corner and saw Bagman and Karkaroff in a heated discussion.

* “We had a deal, Igor,” Bagman yelled. “You can’t back out now.” *

“I’m not backing out as you say. It’s Victor. He does not want to cheat,” Karkaroff said disdainfully. “I told him what to do in the last task. He refused to listen to me and did the opposite out what I said out of spite. Do not blame me. He is stubborn”

“Honestly, Igor,” Bagman whined. “You need to do something. If the bets don’t go my way-”

Harry never got to find out what would happen if the bets did not go Bagman’s way, because at that very moment Mad-Eye Moody chose to make an appearance. Even with a clunky wooden leg, he had snuck up on the whole lot of them without anybody noticing. Harry couldn’t help but admire the old Auror’s stealth.

“Fancy a flutter, eh?” Moody said, shoving Harry, Ron, and Hermione back against the wall before pulling his wand on Bagman and Karkaroff. “I told Dumbledore you were cheating. Looks like I caught you red-handed this time.”

“What are you going to do?” Bagman asked, his eyes wide.

Moody’s gash of a mouth morphed into something that vaguely resembled a smile. “I’m going take out the trash, sonny.”

Moody raised his wand and conjured a rubbish bin and a huge burlap bag from thin air. Within seconds, he had bagged a struggling Bagman and magicked him into the bin.

“That’s better,” Moody growled. “Now it’s your turn, Karkaroff.”

But, having apparently snuck off when nobody was looking, Karkaroff was not around to take his turn.

“No matter,” Moody said, turning to Harry, Ron, and Hermione. “I’ll catch up with that slippery bit of scum later on.”

“What are you going to do to him?” Hermione asked.

“Whatever I feel like,” Moody replied, his magical eye spinning in its socket and falling on Hermione. “Got a problem with that, Granger?”

“Um…no,” she squeaked, looking everywhere but Moody’s face.

“Then off you go,” Moody said, his voice softening just slightly.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione didn’t need to be told twice. Speeding down the corridor, they headed to the Great Hall where they spent the entire noon meal gossiping about the Tournament and everything they had heard. They were still hashing things out when they reached the Gryffindor common room some time later.

“I still say we’ll never see Karkaroff again,” Ron said, pausing to give the Fat Lady the new password (belch powder). “That old nutter’s gonna kill him.”

“Don’t be ridiculous, Ron,” Hermione argued as she crawled through the portrait hole. “Professor Moody is a retired Auror, he’s not a murderer.”

“Mad-Eye out to get you, Ron?” Fred asked cheerfully, looking up from the parchment that he and George had been poring over.

“Not me. Karkaroff,” Ron answered. “Moody caught him and Bagman talking about the third task.”

George raised his eyebrows and shot Fred a meaningful look. “Bagman has gotten himself in a spot with everyone, hasn’t he?”

“What do you mean?” Harry asked.

“Nothing,” Fred answered smoothly.

“That’s rubbish. You two know something. What gives?” Ron demanded.

“Better watch that big nose of yours, Ronniekins. It’s getting in other people’s business again,” George warned in a sing-song voice.

“Ron’s right. If you know something, you should tell us,” Hermione interjected tartly.

Fred smirked. “Why? You three bent on saving the day again?”

“Somebody has to,” Hermione said in the most dignified voice she could muster.

The twins laughed.

“Looks like we better tell them, Fred,” George said mockingly. “Wizardkind depends on it.”

“So, what do you know,” Harry interrupted, ending the banter before it could go any further.

“Not much, really” George admitted. “Just that goblins are going mad looking for Bagman. We had a run in with them just a minute ago out on the grounds.”

“Nasty lot,” Fred added. “They stopped us and demanded to know where they could find Bagman.”

George laughed. “It was funny, because we had just seen good ol’ Ludo leaving the castle. He was all red in the face and looking as grouchy as Mum on a bad day. Don’t know what his problem was. It did sound like he was mumbling something about Mad-Eye Moody though.”

“Course, we didn’t tell the goblins that we’d seen Bagman,” Fred said.

“Why not?” Hermione asked.

“Didn’t like their attitude. Plus, we figured Bagman might be grateful enough to return the favor someday,” Fred admitted.

Hermione opened her mouth, no doubt to begin a lengthy lecture, but George interrupted her.

“Don’t start, Hermione. We spilled our guts, so scat.”

“Unless you feel like sampling our new products,” Fred added, grinning wickedly. “We can’t seem to get our recipe for eye-popping éclairs quite right. A new pair of lookers may be just what we need to straighten things out.”

“C’mon, Hermione,” Ron said, grabbing her by the arm and pulling her away from the twins. “You need your eyes.”

Hermione frowned at the twins, but followed Ron to one of the tables where they spent the time before dinner playing Wizard’s Chess.

The hours went by rather quickly and soon it was time to head downstairs. When they reached the Entrance Hall, they were met with quite a scene. Karkaroff was standing in the center of a huge cluster of laughing students.

“What’s going on,” Harry asked Ginny, who was standing near the edge of the crowd.

“It’s Karkaroff,” Ginny giggled. “Someone must have jinxed him. Every time he opens his mouth and tries to talk, his goatee grows longer.”

Harry stood on his toes and craned his neck. He finally spotted Karkaroff in the center of the crowd. His silver goatee had grown so long that the tip of it now touched the floor. Amused, Harry watched it grow a bit more as Karkaroff tried to sputter a few more words.

“The git just can’t seem to keep his mouth shut,” Ginny said disbelievingly, still watching Karkaroff. “He’s humiliating himself in front of the entire school.”

Harry felt a tap on his shoulder and turned around to find Mad-Eye Moody leering at him.

“What you think of Karkaroff’s beard, Potter?” Moody asked.

“Nice,” Harry said. “Your handiwork?”

“Aye,” Moody replied. “Figured he’d keep his mouth shut if there were consequences. I see that’s going to require more of a miracle than a jinx though.”

“How long will it last?” Harry asked.

“He’s stuck that way until I decide to perform the counter-curse.” The gash in Moody’s face twisted into a smile once more. “So, in other words, it’s permanent.”

The crowd of students suddenly parted as someone else made their way into the Entrance Hall. It was Dumbledore. With the exception of a whisper hear and there, everyone was quiet, waiting to see what the headmaster would do. For a moment, he did nothing, and then he chuckled.

“That is a fine beard, Igor. One might say that it puts mine to shame,” Dumbledore said, gesturing to his own long white beard.

Karkaroff looked furious. He opened his mouth to retort and his ridiculously long goatee sprouted even more silver hair, which began to inch along the floor towards a throng of Hufflepuffs, all of whom backed away very quickly.

“I think silence may serve you better for now,” Dumbledore told Karkaroff. “And, if you are interested in a trim, perhaps a member of our staff could assist.”

Dumbledore looked up to where Harry stood and nodded at Moody, who mumbled something about the jig being up. Once Karkaroff had been led from the Entrance Hall, the crowd dispersed. There was nothing more to see.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione watched Moody stump off after Dumbledore before entering the Great Hall. They found seats at the Gryffindor table and filled their plates with ham pie, golden potatoes, and treacle tart. Soon the owls started to arrive, delivering the evening mail.

Harry looked to the staff table to see if Karkaroff, Moody, or Dumbledore had returned, but their seats remained empty. He did see Hagrid though, who waved cheerfully. Harry waved back, noticing that Hagrid had once again secured a seat next to Madam Maxine.

The Beauxbatons Headmistress was currently in the process of untying a large package from between the feet of two eagle owls. She kept looking at Hagrid while she did it, clearly assuming it was him who had sent it. Harry nudged Hermione and pointed out the scene.

“Look, Hagrid sent Madam Maxine a package,” Harry whispered.

Hermione frowned. “I don’t think Hagrid sent that, Harry. He looks just as curious to see what’s in that package as she does.”

Harry realized that Hermione was right. Hagrid’s eyes were narrowed and he was intently watching Madam Maxine. Had someone else fallen for the Beauxbatons Headmistress?

Apparently not. Madam Maxine screamed as a giant spider leapt at her from inside the unwrapped package, landing directly on the top of her head. Hysterical, she stood and began to run in circles screaming, “Get it off! Get it off!”

Hagrid reached out to help her, but Madam Maxine’s flailing arms knocked him to the floor.

“I can’t believe she’s scared of that spider,” Ron said. “Compared to her, he’s nothing but a speck of dust.”

Hermione snorted. “You’re one to talk.”

Harry watched as Hagrid hoisted himself to his feet, only to be knocked to the ground once more.

“Oh honestly,” Hermione said, getting to her feet and pulling out her wand. “Why does everyone always panic and forget that they know magic. Accio spider!”

The spider zoomed from Madam Maxine’s head into Hermione’s outstretched hand. Ron, who was sitting next to her, made a strange sound and bunched closer to Neville. Using a freezing charm, Hermione immobilized the spider and placed it on the Gryffindor table. It took a moment for Madam Maxine to realize that she had been rescued, but when she did, she promptly fell into Hagrid’s arms and began sobbing.

“Who would have sent something so horrible?” Harry wondered aloud.

*“A Quibbler reader no doubt,” Hermione replied peevishly. “Things like this have been happening ever since that ridiculous article appeared telling people to protest the Tournament by whatever means possible. Such rubbish.”*

More owls began to fly into the Great Hall and for a moment Harry wondered if Quibbler readers had sent them, but it turned out to be the evening delivery of The Daily Prophet. One of the owls swooped and landed in front of Hermione, who paid for the service with several Knuts and a small piece of ham from her plate.

“Let’s see what’s in the real news,” Hermione said, snapping the Prophet open and then laying it on the table immediately. “Oh my, look at that!”

Harry and Ron leaned over her shoulder to read.

Bagman Exposed

Once again, scandal has arisen at the Ministry of Magic, writes Special Correspondent Rita Skeeter. Ludovic "Ludo" Bagman, current Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports, has come under scrutiny for incidents that occurred in his days as a professional Quidditch player.

An unnamed source close to Bagman reveals that the once celebrated Beater for the Wimbourne Wasps used to throw games for personal monetary gain. “That Ludo was a no good cheater. He fixed games every chance he got. If it came down to it, he’d hit a member of his own team with a Bludger just to take them out,” says the source.

Bagman is currently supervising the Tri-Wizard Tournament being held at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. One must speculate that perhaps this appointment is out of order given Bagman’s questionable past. When contacted, Ministry officials refused to comment, leaving this reporter to wonder if a cover-up is in the works.

“They’re a bit behind on the times, aren’t they?” Ron asked sarcastically. *“We already knew that Bagman was a no good cheater.”*

“Yeah, but now everyone else knows too. That should keep Bagman in line for the third task,” Hermione said.

“Don’t be so sure,” Harry said, remembering Sirius’ words. “Desperate men do desperate things.”

“Oy,” Ron said, pointing towards the door. “There’s Fleur. She’s a bit late for dinner, isn’t she?”

Harry followed Ron’s finger and saw Fleur as she was walking past their table. She was with another student from Beauxbatons. Both girls were frowning towards members of the Ghost Choir, who were in the midst of enthusiastically belting out a Celestina Warbeck cover tune.

“Zes choir is simply ‘orrible,” Fleur said. “The dinner music at Beauxbatons is so much better.”

Harry saw Hermione suddenly straighten in her seat and wondered what she was doing, but then he saw that Viktor Krum was approaching their table. Ron didn’t look too happy about this and covered his displeasure by pretending that it wasn’t happening and shoving a handful of candied kumquats in his mouth.

“Hermy-own-ninny,” Krum said, ignoring Harry and Ron. “I haff not had a chance to speak vith you lately. I vas vondering if you might vant to take a valk vith me tonight?”

Before Hermione could respond, a gaggle of girls made an appearance behind Krum, all of them giggling and whispering. Much to Harry’s amazement and Hermione’s consternation, they continued to stand there openly staring at Krum.

Hermione’s face turned an alarming shade of red. “I suppose that depends on whether or not your fan club will be joining us.”

Krum looked embarrassed and mumbled a hurried no.

Hermione stared at him a moment and seemed to soften. “Actually, a walk sounds nice. I’ll meet you in the Entrance Hall in a few minutes?”

“Until then,” Krum said, smiling slightly before nodding a curt good-bye to Harry and Ron.

Ron snorted and Hermione rounded on him. “Do you have some sort of problem with Viktor?”

Harry could tell that Ron was dying to tell Hermione exactly what his problem was, but he had unfortunately stuffed too many candied kumquats in his mouth to muster a response. Rolling her eyes, Hermione got to her feet and stalked away from the table without a backward glance.

“You know,” Harry whispered, hoping to take Ron’s mind off of Hermione and Krum. “We should go to Hagrid’s and see Sirius. He’s probably going mad in that hut.”

“Alright,” Ron agreed, though somewhat reluctantly.

Ron continued to brood the entire trip to Hagrid’s. Harry managed to cheer him up slightly by pointing out an eagle owl that was soaring over Hagird’s hut and speculating about the type of package it may be carrying.

“Maybe one of those Quibbler nutters are sending something to Snape. I wouldn’t mind seeing him being attacked by spiders,” Harry joked.

“I think I’d rather see him covered in bubotuber pus myself,” Ron said, finally cracking a smile when Harry laughed.

Ludo Bagman, who leapt quite suddenly from behind a hedge and into their path, cut Harry’s laughter short. Pure instinct caused Harry to pull out his wand.

“Now, now. Just hoping to have a word,” Bagman said, quickly holding up his hands to show that he wasn’t armed. “I’ve been wanting to talk to you, Harry.”

This was news to Harry, who had noticed Bagman staring at him, but had certainly never anticipated an ambush.

“About what?” Harry asked, keeping his wand aloft.

“I was hoping we could talk in private,” Bagman said, glancing at Ron.

“I don’t think so,” Ron said, pulling out his wand as well.

“Whatever you want to say to me, you can say to him too,” Harry said.

Bagman looked uncomfortable at the thought, but plunged ahead anyway. “I’ve been wanting to talk to you about your Quidditch career. I hear you’re quite the Seeker. You were the youngest in a century, they say. I assume that you will of course continue the game after Hogwarts?”

When Harry didn’t respond, Bagman began to fidget. He had obviously been hoping for a more receptive Harry.

“See the thing is, I’ve been there. I could help train you, prepare you for matches, whatever it takes.”

“What’s in it for you?” Harry asked suspiciously.

“Nothing, nothing. Only the simple pleasure of helping a student pursue his dream. Well, that and a small monetary fee, of course. Nothing much. A deposit will do for now.” Bagman added quickly.

“Thanks for the offer, but I don’t think so,” Harry said.

“Come now, Harry,” Bagman said with a bit more desperation. “You’ve got the money. Parents left you plenty of gold from what I hear.”

“Who told you that?” Harry asked, feeling irritated that someone was gossiping about such things.

“Does it really matter? No, Harry, I don’t think it does. What’s important is that you follow your dream. I can help you with that,” Bagman said, almost pleading now. “What do you say, Harry?”

“I say no. Now please, move out of our way.”

*“You drive a tough bargain, Harry,” Bagman said, showing no signs of moving anywhere. “I didn’t think you’d be so savvy. Here’s the truth. I need the money and I need it now. The goblins are after me. I’ve got nowhere else to turn.”*

“You work for the Ministry of Magic,” Harry reasoned. “Can’t they help you?”

*Bagman laughed. “I tried sending an anonymous owl to the Ministry.* Thought maybe they could investigate the goblin enforcers, get them off my back. But that didn’t work. I tried making a quick Galleon by betting on the Tournament, and all I did was dig a deeper hole. See, Harry, that’s why I need you. If you slip me a bit of your gold, I can hold off those greedy goblins. Maybe make a fresh start.”

“Look, you seem like a nice guy,” Harry said. “I just don’t want to get involved.”

“Then you leave me no choice,” Bagman said, reaching for his wand.

Before Harry or Ron could respond, a big black dog bounded over the hedge. It was Padfoot. He charged straight at Bagman who turned and began to run towards the forest, Padfoot nipping at his heels the entire way.

“Ha! Look, Bagman was so scared he dropped his wand,” Ron said, pointing to a wand, which had been abandoned on the ground.

Harry said nothing. The incident had left him momentarily speechless. Sirius had been right about Bagman all along.

“You know,” Harry said. “We almost went a whole year without being attacked.”

“There’s always next year,” Ron said, though not very optimistically.

Sirius returned a moment later and led Harry and Ron back to Hagrid’s hut. Hagrid must have been out, because he was nowhere to be seen when they entered the house. Sirius shed his animagus form as soon as they were all inside.

“Good timing,” Harry said with a grin.

“I’ve been waiting for him to make a move. Lucky I was around when it happened. Dumbledore came by the other day and asked that I stay put in Hagrid’s house. Said he didn’t mind me staying, but didn’t want me drawing attention to myself. He’s just paranoid,” Sirius said, waving away the worried look that Harry and Ron exchanged. “I’m still coming to the third task tomorrow. Can’t miss that.”

The rest of the evening was spent in enjoyable conversation. Hagrid returned shortly after nightfall, almost catching Sirius in his human form. Luckily Ron had been peeking out the window at the time looking for some sign of Hermione and Krum and spotted Hagrid’s approach. Harry and Ron shared a cup of tea with him before returning to the castle and retiring for the night.


***


The excitement throughout the school was almost palpable on the morning of the third task. Most of the students were seated before the elaborate maze that had been erected on the Quidditch Pitch long before the task was set to start, Harry, Ron, and Hermione were no exception. They had arrived early and found seats down in the front row. Shortly afterwards, they were joined by Hagrid and Padfoot, a.k.a. Elmer.

Harry was looking forward to the champions’ arrival. A rumor had spread through the school this morning that Cedric, Fleur, and Krum would be entertaining the crowd with a short performance before the task started. Nobody was exactly sure what this would entail, so anticipations had been running wild. Personally, Harry was hoping for another demonstration of the Wronski Feint.

A booming voice suddenly got the attention of the crowd. It was Percy Weasley. He announced, quite pompously, that he would be commentating during the third task. Harry noticed that Percy did not mention Bagman’s absence or the reason behind it.

“Please join me in welcoming the school champions,” Percy announced. “Fleur Delacour, Cedric Diggory, and Viktor Krum.”

A deafening sound of applause rang through the crowd as the champions made their appearance. Each rode a racing broom that left a colored trail of sparks in the air as the dipped, dived, and zoomed. Fleur flew by on a Cleansweep, leaving bursts of blue and silver in her wake. Her sister Gabrielle walked on the ground beneath her, handing out white roses to students in the crowd. When Gabrielle reached Harry and handed him a flower, her pale face flushed pink and she bowed her head shyly.

Krum and Cedric were awing the crowd with dangerous stunts and tricks. It seemed that Krum was giving a slightly better performance on his Firebolt than Cedric was on the Nimbus that he was riding, but both were impressive never the less.

Like Fleur, Cedric and Krum had also solicited pre-match support from others. It seemed that the entire Hufflepuff House was handing out yellow badges that displayed the words “Support Cedric”, while the Durmstrang students were tossing miniature figures of Krum into the crowd. Harry saw Hermione discreetly pocket a Krum figure that she had caught.

When the display finally ended, the champions landed and discarded their brooms. After receiving last minute instructions from Dumbledore, Cedric, Fleur, and Krum each took a place at one of the maze entrances. All three of them looked nervous and even younger than usual.

“The order in which the Tri-Wizard Champions enter the maze is based on their current point position. *As the leader, Fleur Delacour will enter first. She will be followed five minutes later by Cedric Diggory and Viktor Krum, both of whom are tied for second place.* The first champion to reach the Tri-Wizard Cup will be declared the winner,” Percy called. “There will be many dangerous feats to overcome within the maze. Every time a champion encounters an obstacle, red sparks will be shot into the air. This is meant to help spectators track the progress of the champions. If the obstacle proves too great to overcome, the champion may forfeit by shooting green sparks from their wand. They will be rescued promptly.”

Fleur entered the maze and almost instantly, the crowd was treated to a shower of red sparks. From where he was sitting, Harry heard Fleur scream.

“Did you hear that?” Hermione hissed into Harry’s ear.

“What, Fleur’s scream? How could you not,” Harry replied.

“No,” Hermione said sharply. “I heard a man’s voice come from inside the maze. Harry, I think someone just cursed Fleur.”

Finally cottoning on, Harry said, “Do you think it was Bagman?”

“I don’t know,” Hermione said, biting her lip nervously. “What should we do?”

“What are you two going on about,” Ron asked.

“We think someone just cursed Fleur,” Hermione explained.

Harry felt someone nudge his leg and looked down to find Padfoot staring up at him. He had his head cocked to the side in a very dog-like way. Harry leaned over and told him everything in a whisper. Padfoot growled, leapt from the stands, and charged the maze.

“Elmer, no!” Hagrid yelled. “Come back!”

But Padfoot did not come back. He had disappeared within the leafy walls of the maze. Much of the crowd had seen the big black dog enter and a roar of conversation swept the crowd as a result.

“Oh dear,” Hagrid said. “Elmer shouldn’t ‘ave done that.”

Padfoot reappeared a moment later, dragging an unconscious man by the robes. It was Bagman. As soon as he was visible to the crowd, Padfoot let go of Bagman’s robes and ran back into the maze. He was back again a moment later, this time dragging an unconscious Fleur. Madam Maxine, Madam Pomfrey, and Dumbledore all rushed to Fleur’s side. She was revived soon afterwards. Harry saw her point at Bagman, as she told Madam Maxine and Dumbledore what happened.

“If I could have everyone’s attention please,” Dumbledore yelled to the chattering crowd. “The task will be delayed for a short time while I confer with the other judges. Please feel free to remain in the stands and talk amongst yourselves.”

Padfoot bounded back to Harry’s side and sat back down as if nothing had happened. Hagrid, however, did not intend to ignore such heroics. He scratched Padfoot behind the ears, and began talk of all the treats that would be had later on back at the hut.

Professor McGonagall, who was sitting next to Hagrid, was also impressed and won over by Padfoot. She leaned over to offer him a scratch behind the ears, and promptly fell out of her seat. Harry tried very hard not to laugh at the sight of the prim Professor McGonagall flat on her back with her legs in the air, her tartan hose exposed for the entire world to see. Hagrid soon had her reseated though and there was no real harm done. Not long afterwards, Dumbledore reappeared with the champions at his side.

“My humble apologies for the most unfortunate delay,” Dumbledore called to the crowd. “It has come to our attention that Miss Delacour was faced with an unplanned obstacle within the maze. Therefore, it has been decided that the third task will begin anew.”

Everyone cheered as the champions once again took their places at their respective maze entrances. Fleur entered first; Krum and Cedric followed five minutes later. Fleur seemed to be having better luck this time, but Cedric was not as lucky. Red sparks were being shot into the air from his side of the maze.

“That’ll be the spiders. Put ‘em there myself,” Hagrid confided to Harry. “Might slow Cedric down some, but don’ worry, they’re Aragog’s offspring. They won’ hurt ‘im.”

Harry silently hoped that Cedric was not scared of spiders. Apparently he wasn’t, because the red sparks ceased after a few moments. Soon, red sparks were flying from every part of the maze. It looked like Fleur had somehow gotten lost, as she was no longer moving towards the Tri-Wizard Cup, but Krum and Cedric were steadily making there way to victory. The sound coming from the Hufflepuff section of the crowd was almost deafening. Harry felt himself being caught up in the excitement and desperately hoped that Cedric would win for Hogwarts.

And win he did. Afterward, Krum and Fleur were both good sports, congratulating Cedric and shaking his hand. Karkaroff, however, stomped away without a backward glance.

The celebratory feast that occurred afterwards continued well into the night. Harry, Ron, and Hermione snuck out of the Great Hall to visit Sirius, who greeted them in human form. Hagrid was out, consoling Madam Maxine. This was probably a good thing, considering Sirius, or Elmer as Hagrid knew him, would be leaving Hogwarts tonight.

“Hagrid will be disappointed. I think he liked having a dog,” Harry said.

“I wish there was a way that I could repay Hagrid for his kindness,” Sirius said. “He’s a good man.”

“Get him a dragon. He’d like that,” Ron said with a laugh.

“Not a real dragon?” Sirius asked.

“Ooh, that gives me an idea,” Hermione squealed, pulling a piece of parchment from her ever-present bookbag.

“Is that your Transfiguration assignment?” Ron asked disbelievingly. “You planned on doing homework tonight?”

Hermione blushed, “Not exactly. I just wanted to polish it up a bit before I hand it in tomorrow. But, nevermind that. I wrote down a spell that permanently transfigures statues. We could use it on the Norwegian Ridgeback statue that Hagrid keeps on his mantel. Hagrid will love it!”

“That’s brilliant,” Harry said grabbing the statue and bringing it over to the table.

“There’s only one problem,” Hermione said. “I’ve never actually done the spell before.”

“Let’s try it together,” Sirius reasoned. “Two wands are better than one. Between the two of us, I bet we can do it. What’s the incantation?”

“Draconis,” Hermione replied.

“On three, then,” Sirius said.

Sirius and Hermione aimed their wands at the Norwegian Ridgeback and together they cast the Draconis charm. The statue sprang to life instantly, but thankfully did not grow any larger, or breathe fire. It did, however, bite Ron’s finger as soon as the opportunity arose. They all had a good laugh and even Ron joined in.

It was at that moment that Harry realized he had enjoyed this year more than any other in his life. It was a good feeling.


*******************************************************************

Continued From
Padfoot Perturbed (Round One)
Return to Hogwarts (Round Two)



LOOSE ENDS

* “We had a deal, Igor,” Bagman yelled. “You can’t back out now.” *-- Explains which champion Bagman has been rooting for. (2nd Task)

*“A Quibbler reader no doubt,” Hermione replied peevishly. “Things like this have been happening ever since that ridiculous article appeared telling readers to boycott the Tournament by whatever means possible. What rubbish.”* --Elaborates on the Quibbler article which exposed Bagman’s plot for world domination and encouraged readers to protest the tournament. (1st Task)

*“We already knew that Bagman was a no good cheater.”* --Ties up the loose end from the conversation in the forest that Harry, Ron, and Hermione started with Sirius in regards to Bagman (2nd Task)

*“You drive a tough bargain, Harry,” Bagman said, showing no signs of moving anywhere. “I didn’t think you’d be so savvy. Here’s the truth. I need the money and I need it now. The goblins are after me. I’ve got nowhere else to turn.”* --This line, along with the paragraphs surrounding it, explains why Bagman was staring at Harry and asking around about him. He wanted to embezzle…er, I mean borrow money from Harry’s vault (1st Task)

*Bagman laughed. “I tried sending an anonymous owl to the Ministry.* --Answers the question of who sent the anonymous owl to the Ministry, as reported in the Daily Prophet (1st Task)

*As the leader, Fleur Delacour of Beauxbatons will enter first. She will be followed five minutes later by Cedric Diggory of Hogwarts and Viktor Krum of Durmstrang, both of whom are tied for second place.* --Clarifies the place status of the three champions (2nd Task)



MISSION ICONS/REQUIREMENTS (In order)


Bagman is bagged
Goblins have a run-in with the Twins
Karkaroff is humiliated
Maxime encounters a Giant Problem
Rita Skeeter reveals a cheater
The Ghost Choir sings a Celestina Warbeck cover during dinner.
Krum's Fanclub makes an untimely appearance.
Ron can't answer because he's got his mouth full of candied kumquats.
An eagle owl soars over Hagrid's hut.
Padfoot bounds over the hedge
A wand is found lying on the ground
Gabrielle gives Harry a flower
A Firebolt and a Nimbus
Red sparks mean danger
Icons you've found:
A champion is cursed
McGonagall has an accident during the third task
Spiders in the maze slow down a champion
Transfiguration homework gives Hermione a clue
Teamwork solves a problem



AUTHOR NOTE
This segment was written from Harry's POV because Dumbledore made Padfoot stay in Hagrid's Hut. As much as I love Hagrid, his hut is not exactly a hub of activity. Plus Harry's POV served the story much better in this particular case.