[Chapter Forty-Two]
If Saros was being completely honest with himself, working with Circe proved to be even more difficult than what he anticipated the Second Task to be. Circe was a no-nonsense type of instructor, which Saros could appreciate when it came to getting straight into the work he needed. However, whenever he made a mistake, she was less than forgiving about it, leaving him entirely intimidated in her presence. It reminded him of Professor McGonagall, however, the professor's stern nature was warranted where it was needed and she wasn't exactly harsh, but more or less firm in her teaching. Circe didn't hesitate to call Saros an idiot as soon as he was doing something wrong, leaving him beyond frustrated.
"You stand a better chance at becoming an animagus within the next few days than you do learning human transfiguration," Circe told him one early morning as Saros sat before her after another lesson seemingly went wrong. With his back pressed against the stone wall and his hands resting in his lap along with his wand, Saros gave her a weary look. He was tired, he had been practising day and night, hoping to transform his body into something that he could manage underwater. But so far, it seemed he was probably going to be better off just using the Bubble-Head Charm.
Then his mind wandered back to Angelina and how she had been so encouraging the last few days with him finding a flashier way to compete. He knew that she was only trying to help and above everyone else she wanted him to win. She had always had that competitive streak, something Saros had witnessed for himself whenever he had seen her take to the Quidditch pitch. And with the Quidditch season cancelled for the year, she needed something to put her drive towards. Every day she dedicated her own free time to trying to help him come up with something and that left Saros feeling guilty about wanting to just give in with going with the simplest solution.
She had trusted him to come through in the First Task and he had asked her to continue trusting him in the Second Task because he believed that he could manage it.
"It takes years to become an animagus and I would have gladly chosen that option if I knew I would be competing in this tournament years ago. But I don't have that time right now. This is the option I chose and the one I need. I need to do this in order to win. I need to give myself the advantage because no one else is going to give it to me. Without my prosthetic, I've already shot myself in the foot-"
"Why give up your prosthetic in the first place?" Circe questioned him. "It makes no sense."
"They accused me of cheating by having it during the last task, so I made the promise that I wouldn't have it on me, " he explained, " I guess I'm just a man of my word."
"You're a foolish man is what you are. You allowed them to intimidate you, of course, they would want you to fall into such a trap. They would have probably accused someone else of cheating in some other form even if you did not have your prosthetic. They go for the weakest and you proved yourself to be it."
Saros' clenched his jaw, not looking for an argument with the portrait, he just wanted to finally figure out how he was going to manage winning or at least make a good effort at trying to win.
"Why do you wish to win this tournament so badly? Money?"
"That's partially the reason," Saros admitted truthfully. "It wasn't about that in the beginning, I didn't need it then, but it's become part of the motivation. I joined initially since I wanted to prove to my parents that I wasn't this helpless child that they painted me to be. I figured if I could make my way through this tournament, they wouldn't hover over me all the time. Only to learn that all I had to do was change my views and they would have no problem abandoning me in the first place."
Circe didn't look sympathetic towards his story, her face still holding a certain coldness about it, however, she allowed him to continue, obviously wanting to hear more of his story. Saros did not wish to go deep into detail as it still pained him to discuss his family situation, so he only filled her in on it briefly.
"I can't return to my home after this, my aunt has offered me her home and financial stability, but I don't know her well enough to feel comfortable intruding in her life like that. I called her for help, but I didn't expect her to take me on fully as if I was her responsibility. If I win this money, I can support myself. I just don't want to be a burden anymore."
It grew quiet for a moment before Circe let out an exaggerated sigh before rolling her eyes and dropping her arms down in defeat. It seemed that Saros' story had resonated enough with her to at least feel pity towards the boy.
"Do you know the dangers of human transfiguration?" Circe questioned him. "Do you know of the risks that you are willing to take for the Second Task?"
Saros nodded. "I was reading stories about Human Transfiguration attempts gone wrong last night. I read about Mirabella Plunkett, how she transfigured herself into a haddock in the 1800's and remained that way permanently."
"The mind will remain yours for the first hour in the full transfigured state, but any time beyond that, you risk turning into what you've become. Whether you are a haddock or a pig, it only takes a short amount of time," Circe explained. "Some have become permanently stuck because they cannot transfigure themselves back to their normal states and as their minds stay longer in the state of the animal, they become that animal. They lose all memories of ever being human and they will live the rest of their days as such and die as said animal as well. Are you willing to take that risk?"
He nodded his head. "Yes, I'm willing to take the risk."
"Then stand up and lift up your wand. Our time is limited and you still have a lot to learn, foolish boy."
"You know, you can just call me Saros, I respond to that too."
"You will respond by lifting up your wand as I asked you to, I will not repeat myself!"
Not daring to try further with any sort of small talk, Saros pushed himself up off the floor and lifted up his wand as he stood before Circe. A hint of a smile appeared on her lips and Saros didn't know if that was a good thing or a bad thing.
Saros practised hard with Circe and she wasn't above giving him ideas as to what he should do come the day of the competition. It felt wrong that he was getting so much help from the ancient witch, but at the same time, the rules really stated that he couldn't get help from any of the staff or students. Technically, Circe was just a portrait at the time and she was willing to help him learn a few transfiguration lessons. So he didn't feel like he was totally cheating and he was sure that the other three competitors were getting their own help.
He had seen Fleur walking near the lake with Madam Maxime during the evening hours when they figured it was too dark for people to see. He watched as Viktor attended the library every day probably looking for his own tactics. And from what Saros witnessed, Hermione was still helping Harry, so everyone was working towards the same goal of winning. And the night before, all seemed eerily calm for Saros' liking.
He stood outside before the hours of curfew and stared at the lake, unaware of anyone approaching him from behind as he was entirely too focused. Just that afternoon, Circe had declared that he was ready for the Second Task. She told him to keep a strong mind and be aware of his time, her final warning to make sure that he didn't remain permanently transfigured. The waters of the lake seemed relatively calm, gently rocking the Durmstrang ship from side to side as it sat on the surface.
"If you're thinking about jumping into the lake before you have to tomorrow, I will drag inside the castle right now," Angelina's voice rang out from behind him. He jumped, not even hearing the doors of the Entrance Hall open as she came outside to join him.
All throughout dinner, she had noticed the distracted look on Saros' face as everyone couldn't stop talking about the Second Task in the Great Hall. Everyone was looking forward to it, except for the Champions it seemed. They all looked relatively nervous, even if they were hiding behind calm expressions anyone could see it in their eyes alone.
Fleur laughed among her friends, although the laughter always ended so abruptly before the smile on her face faded. Viktor scanned the tables and the areas where the other competitors were sitting as if trying to figure out what their strategies were going to be and if his, was going to be enough. Harry looked completely lost in the moment, staring down at the table in a helpless manner as if he hoped something would just present itself to him. And Saros, sat by himself as he usually did during dinner, swirling the food on his plate around before he gave up eating it.
The entire time she watched him, Angelina could only wish that Saros was a nervous eater so that he would eat more rather than starve himself. She was going to have to make sure that he at least ate something in the morning to make sure that he had all the strength he would need for the task. He had yet to tell her what plan he had come up with to wow the judges, but as he asked her to, she trusted that he would pull off something spectacular.
"I wasn't going to jump into the lake," Saros replied finally, " I think I'll get enough of that tomorrow. I was just thinking to myself, that's all. I still haven't figured out what they're going to take from me. Luna told me it's going to be something I don't expect, something I didn't realise how much I would miss until its gone. But I don't really own anything like that. I have valuables that I enjoy, but nothing like that. The only item that I would really miss would be my leg if they decided to take it."
"That's cruel, they can't do that to you," Angelina said in a low growl. "They wouldn't go to such lengths, would they? If they took that from you, what are they going to take away from the others? Are they going to take Harry's glasses and...and...what would they take from Viktor and Fleur?"
"I don't know, I don't know them well enough to assume what they find valuable."
"Are you nervous?"
"Of course," he answered, " I know I shouldn't be-"
"No, it's okay to feel nervous, Saros," she quickly interjected. "It's normal. You know, I still feel nervous before every Quidditch match."
She suddenly heard him let out a small scoffing noise before he turned to look over at her. "You? Nervous? Before each match? Where? Because the Angelina that I see when she takes to the pitch is a warrior who shows absolutely no fear. You look ready to kick just about everyone's arse in the air and then use their bodies to wipe the sweat from your brow."
Angelina gave him a light push before letting out a laugh. "No, it's true! I do get nervous but I get it all out in the locker room with the team. We talk each other up, you know? And by the time we get out to the pitch, we have all the nerves behind us. I'll do the same for you tomorrow. Just before the Second Task begins, me, Alicia, Katie, Fred and George, we'll all be there to give you a little pep talk before rooting you on."
"Shouldn't you all be rooting for Harry, after all, he is in your house."
"There's nothing saying we can't cheer you both on. Harry might be in Gryffindor, but you both go to Hogwarts like the rest of us. We can cheer on both Hogwarts Champions, thank you very much."
It was quiet for a moment as Saros tucked his hands into the pocket of his robes. "Do you know if Harry is all set for tomorrow? I don't need to know it, but does he at least have a plan in motion?"
Saros wasn't sure why he suddenly cared if Harry had a plan or not, but seeing Harry throughout dinner with a panic look on his face left him feeling terrible. Once again, Saros was reminded that magically, Harry didn't have the advantage like the rest of the Champions. He was a lot younger than them and hadn't had the school years under his belt like the rest.
"I don't know," Angelina said with a slight frown, " but I did see Hermione and Ron with him. They've been working with him and if he has Hermione, I'm sure they'll come up with something to help him get through. Don't worry about him, Saros, he'll be fine. You should worry about yourself. I noticed you didn't eat anything at dinner, so promise me that you'll eat a decently large breakfast tomorrow."
"Yeah, alright."
His tone didn't sound very convincing, leaving Angelina to reach out her hand and touch under his chin to direct Saros to look over at her.
"I mean it, Saros," she said in a gentle voice, " you need to it. You're going to need your energy tomorrow. Skipping out on meals isn't going to help. You're lucky you haven't met Fred's and George's mother yet."
"Why do you say that?" he questioned in confusion at the sudden turn of the conversation.
"Because from what I heard, Mrs Weasley doesn't let anyone skip a meal, she makes sure everyone is well fed. And once Fred and George tell her all about you, I wouldn't put it past her to show up within the hour with a tray full of food just for you."
"Why would Fred and George tell her about me? I would think they wouldn't tell their parents about me. Not after all the grief, my family has given theirs. I know we've been on friendly terms but that doesn't erase the history between my father and their father."
"Saros," Angelina continued to hold the side of his face, " are you your father? Is your name Lucius Malfoy?"
"No."
"Then it shouldn't matter what happens between your father and their father. That has no reflection on who you are as a person. If Fred and George can look past that, I'm sure the rest of them can. You've been proving yourself all year that you're not like the rest your parents, that you want to better yourself and you've been setting a great example. I mean, you're pretty much the first Slytherin that Fred and George would consider a friend, that's a huge step."
"I wouldn't go so far as them seeing me as a friend," Saros said, " probably more of an acquaintance at this point."
"Well, acquaintance or not, you've made history with them. I think that counts for something. But like I said, when they write home about you, don't be surprised when Molly Weasley shows up with food for you and expects you to eat it all."
For a second, Saros thought it over and while enjoying the warmth of Angelina's hand touching his face, a smile formed. "It would be nice to have a homecooked meal for once. Not to say that the house-elves at the manor were poor cooks, but my parents never cooked a meal for my brother and me. And I've always heard that homecooked meals were the best."
Forcing a smile onto her face, Angelina never realised how much she had taken for granted when her father decided to cook a meal at home. She never thought twice about it, but it sounded odd that the house-elves tended to every meal in the manor, very similar to how they ate at the castle.
"Look I have to go," she told him after a minute or so, " I have to go see Professor McGonagall. I'm sure it has to do with the fact that I ended up switching my Transfiguration scroll with my Charms scroll. So I definitely gave her my Charms homework when we turned in our assignments and I don't think she's interested in my charmwork. But you should get inside, get a good night's rest and try to relax as much as possible. You'll need it for tomorrow. And if I'm not there in time in the morning, you better eat some breakfast!"
"Yes, yes, I heard you the first time, Johnson," he said, " you needn't worry. I'll make myself a breakfast and I'll have Fred and George inspect it to make sure it's up to the Weasley standards. Will that make you happy?"
The grin on her lips seemed to give him the answer of "yes" and before the two had really planned it, they both turned with the idea of giving the other a kiss on the cheek. However, with them both turning their heads at the same time, they had nearly brushed lips. Saros was thankful that the nighttime lighting hid his blush as Angelina immediately looked down at her feet.
"Willing to give in to that bet?" he asked her, bringing her to look up eventually. But rather than kissing him on the lips, she kissed his forehead and then turned around to leave.
"Goodnight, Saros."
"Night, Angie."