When All is Lost (Book 1)

7. Triward Tournament

The next morning, Harry, Ron, and Hermione woke up at different times. Ron was the last to awake, and the latest to breakfast. Hermione was first, and she had already gotten dressed into the Hogwarts work robes that they had been provided to perform all of the three tasks in. She was sitting at the top of the Gryffindor table, her dragon skin gloves on her hands that were calmly petting Crookshanks. "Why do you have him here?" Harry asked her as he sat down. "Didn't you read the notice on the board in the common room?" Hermione asked. Harry shook his head. "Well, we're supposed to bring our pets. Hopefully Ron brings Pig and Hedwig." Hermione said, and she took a bite of eggs. Five minutes later, Ron ran into the great hall with Pig in one cage and Hedwig in the other. "Thanks Ron." Harry said when he set Hedwig beside Harry. "Ron, you may have read the notice, but not the whole thing!" Hermione said. "They don't want cages containing the birds and they don't want crates containing cats and frogs." Hermione said. "But Pig'll go wild! I'll lose him!" Ron said defensively. "Ronald! The notice also clearly said that if you are worried that your pet will run or fly away, use this spell." Hermione said, and she handed him her charms book that had been bookmarked on a certain page. "This spell?" Ron asked, pointing to a spell titled, Barriers for Beginners. Hermione nodded, and Ron said, "Protego Maxima." He opened the door to his cage, and Pigwidgeon fluttered onto Ron's shoulder. Ron smiled and continued to eat. Harry was tempted to use the spell but he knew that he could trust Hedwig, so he kept eating and feeding Hedwig bits of bacon every few bites. When all of the food and plates disappeared, Dumbledore stood up. "I would like to emphasize that today, the second task in the Triwizard Tournament will take place. I would like the three champions from each school to come up and stand together. Harry, Ron,Hermione, Felisha Barth, Karina Lizabetten, Bianca Runaldyo, Rudolpho Pitzer, Cariss Bentabelle, and Ryeben Shultzer walked up onto the steps that led to the chairs of the staff. Bentabelle was closest to Her ermione, and Harry could've sworn that he saw him call her a 'Mudblood'. He stared him in the eye, and he looked a bit frightened. Harry smiled in triumph, and he stood straight to face the crowd again. "This task is meant to test your pet's loyalty. I would like you all to pull out your wands and reverse the spell that you have casted on your pets." Dumbledore said. "You all will be aided with one spellbook, and a wand." Dumbledore flicked his wand and a rather thin spellbook appeared in all of their hands. "These spells will help you and your pet get through the maze. There will be obstacles for your companions and for yourselves. You will work together as one group. Please follow Our Deputy Headmistress, Professor McGonagall, to the grounds." They all looked ready to go out, except for Hermione, who was already on the eighth page of Defense Against the Dark Jinxes for all Living Things. She closed the book immediately and looked at Crookshanks. As Harry walked out onto the cold grounds, he wondered if Pig and Crookshanks would be loyal. He looked at Hedwig who was flying right above his head, perfectly in step with him, and smiled. Then, he looked at Hermione. Crookshanks was following her along happily with his bottlebrush tail. Ron had to have an owl treat in his pocket to keep pig focused, but it did the trick. The maze was just like how it had been three years ago. He looked at Ron and Hermione, and they nodded. They walked in and were greeted by a humongous spider. Ron yelped, and Pig started flying around the spider like it was a toy. Ron yelled at him and then started to walk backwards with a treat held high in his hands for Pig. He flapped back over and Hermione pulled out her wand. "Triwizard champion..." She mumbled. "Well, he's trying." Harry said defensively for Ron. "Oh yeah, really helpful! I'm just over here fighting off a giant- AARGH!" The spider was attacking Hermione from behind. "Ariana Exumai!" Hermione yelled, pointing her wand at it's spindly legs. The spider stopped fiddling. Then it flew the wrong way, scratching Hermione on the eye. It was turned over on it's back. Ron came running over. "Hermione, are you okay?" He asked. "I'm fine! Where's Crookshanks?" She asked, walking forward. "Next to you." Harry said, looking around a corner. "If the rest of the creatures are like that, We'll be okay. We've got Hermione on our side." He said. When they turned a corner, they found themselves sinking into the ground. "Quicksand?" Harry yelled, trying to reach Hermione and Ron who were well in front of him. Then, he realized that he was behind stupid. He looked at the ground, and saw that it was Devil's Snare. "Harry! You know it's Devil's Snare! Oh Ron stop whimpering!" Hermione yelled from a mouthful of vines. They had been caught in Devil's Snare in their first year at Hogwarts. Hedwig and Pig were making an enormous effort and just barely holding Crookshanks up with their talons. Harry stopped moving. Though, the Snare did something that it didn't do in his first encounter with it. It spit He, Ron, and Hermione out on their backs. They all moaned as their pets perched themselves on their stomachs, or in Crookshank's case, curled up beside them. Harry snapped his finger after standing up and Hedwig flew back onto his shoulder. They kept walking until they reached a dead end in the middle of the maze with an old locked trunk. Harry stepped forward and unlocked it. As soon as he did, A dementor flew out. "Riddikulus!" Harry yelled, and the Dementor turned into a moving photo of the three of them holding the Triwizard cup. Hermione ran up to the boggart and it turned into Bellatrix Lestrange. She yelled "Riddikulus!" And the boggart showed a scene of Hermione killing Bellatrix. Hermione smiled, and Ron walked up to the boggart. It shifted into a huge spider. "Riddikulus!" He yelled, and it's eight long legs sprouted roller skates. It rolled around for a while and then disappeared inside of the trunk. Harry snapped it shut quickly. They turned around, and all they were able to see was the sky. Another wall of hedge had appeared, and Hermione turned back to look at them, a lightbulb practically bursting in her head. "You guys, look through here." She said, pointing to a corner of the bushes. "Shears." Ron said, eyeing the brand new silver shears on the other side. "I think that Hedwig and Pig have to fly over and grab them. They'll bring them back and we can cut our way out." Hermione said, and they both nodded. Harry sent Hedwig around the hedge alone with Pig. She flew down to the shears, leading Pigwidgeon there too. They each grasped it, and then started to fly. When they landed at the other side, Harry stroked Hedwig madly and Ron fed Pigwidgeon a treat. Hermione, on the other hand, had started snipping at the hedge. "What should we do?" Ron said. "Geminio, Ron!" Hermione said, still snipping very quickly. "What?" Ron asked cluelessly. "The spell! We learned it in charms ages ago!" She said. "Oh! Geminio!" Ron said, and two more shears appeared. Harry and Ron started snipping too, and in about ten minutes, they had made a passageway. They all crawled through and made a sharp right just dodging the path with the Devil's Snare. They ran for what felt like forever, and then, they saw a ray of light. Harry thought carefully. This was too easy. There's got to be a catch. He was right. A long strand of vines grabbed Hermione and Crookshanks when the six other champions started running by. Hermione wasn't going to let this happen. She Grabbed Crookshank's paw, and Harry and Ron's hands, and they apparated just a few feet in front of the other champions. They sprinted as fast as they could, Hermione limping, Ron bleeding, and Harry's scar prickling. They reached the exit first, and the first thing that Hermione and Ron saw in the haze of light was Madam Pomfrey leading them to a bench.