Chapter 435 - Third Task (1/2)
Professor Slughorn cleverly hid away from Reginald Prince for the time being as Reginald rather purposefully with an evil smirk scoured the castle in search of Sluggy. For once, Rowan felt pity for her plump head of their house. If her grandfather was like this in his old age, he must have truly been hateful in his youth. She probably would have beat the living sh*t out of him had they attended Hogwarts during the same time period.
There were many more courses at dinner than usual, but Rowan didn't eat very much, but it was not from nerves. Rather than if, but when she had to run, she'd like to not have to throw up afterward because of it. On the other hand, Hagrid and Madame Maxime kept glancing at each other during this dinner. At this rate, Hagrid was sure to marry Madame Maxime in the next few years. It'd be nice to see Hagrid happy even if he left for Beauxbatons. But she'd rather he be happy than a lonely bachelor with too much time on his hands with the said result being the abomination of magical creation, a Blast-Ended Skrewt.
The enchanted ceiling overhead finally began to fade from blue to a dusky purple, when Dumbledore rose to his feet at the staff table, and silence fell upon the Great Hall.
”Ladies and gentlemen, in five minutes' time, I will be asking you to make your way down to the Quidditch field for the third and final task of the Triwizard Tournament. Will the champions please follow Mr. Amundsen down to the stadium now.”
Rowan got up as everyone wished her good luck. Reginald shows a rare smile in public and says, ”Be safe, that's all that truly matters.” Aunt Georgine fiercely nods her head in agreement with her brother's words.
”Yes, grandfather,” Rowan replied, before leaving to applause from all the house tables. Waving goodbye to them, she headed out of the Great Hall with Igor and Jean.
They walked onto the Quidditch field, which was now completely unrecognizable. A twenty-foot-high hedge ran all the way around the edge of it. There was a gap right in front of them, the entrance to the vast maze. The passage beyond it looked dark and creepy.
Five minutes later, the stands had begun to fill. The air was full of excited voices and the rumbling of feet as hundreds of students took their seats. The sky was a deep, clear blue now, while in the night sky stars had begun to appear. From behind the stands appeared Professor McGonagall, Professor Flitwick, and Professor Lye, all of which were wearing large, red, luminous stars on their hats.
”We are going to be patrolling the outside of the maze,” said Professor McGonagall to the champions. ”If you get into any difficulties, and wish to be rescued, send red sparks into the air, and one of us will come and get you, do you understand?”
All three champions nodded their heads in understanding as Dano Amundsen happily jogged over. ”We ready then?” Amundsen asked with a twinkle in his eye. Seeing their faces, he points his wand at his throat and says, ”Sonorus!” Suddenly his voice is magically magnified and echoes all over the stands.
”Ladies and gentlemen, the third and final task of the Triwizard Tournament is about to begin! Let me remind you how the points currently stand. Tied in the first place, with eighty-nine points each – Miss Rowan Prince, from Hogwarts School, and Mr. Jean Delacour from Beauxbatons Academy!” The crowd roars sending birds from the Forbidden Forest fluttering into the darkening sky.
”And in third place – Mr. Igor Karkaroff, of Durmstrang Institute.” There is more of applause than cheers, and nowhere near as loud as the first time.