Hogwarts: Era of Darkness

The fact that two young students were selected from Hogwarts was a great surprise not just for the guests but for our own side, too. I could feel it in the air and see it in their eyes. Turning towards the other 'champions,' they were also eyeing us, probably filled with questions to the brim of their heads. Why us? Why so young? Are we special? What the hell? Probably.

"This way!" The Headmaster said, leading us through a door, entering a side of the Great Hall I had never visited before, right beside the teachers' podium.

The inside was reminiscent of a private dining room with its own fireplace, a couch to sit down to have some tea... probably a place where teachers could come to relax a little. I was looking around leisurely and almost asked a question before Quincy pulled on my robes, whispering to me.

"Stop it!"

"Stop what?" I asked back and saw her getting a bit embarrassed.

"You are taking this too lightly!"

"Am I? Well... maybe. I can not truly worry about it now, can I? It is long past that! Especially after last year's events... I... I mean, we have already been chosen!"

"Right." A third voice agreed, and turning towards him, it was Krum who looked at me, trying to read into my thoughts and ideas. "You brave, which is rare."

"Excuse me?" I asked, shaking myself as I couldn't determine if he was provoking me or not.

"There is rumor, Hogwarts elit big voice but small men, unable to live up to predecessors." He added, taking it seriously, and even though he had a deep accent and a bit of broken English, I couldn't help but feel he wasn't provoking me... simply telling me how he thought about us. Huh... I couldn't feel mad about it; I was admiring his bravery just the same.

"Now, now!" Came the voice of Karkaroff, who just entered the room then, followed by Nicholas Flamel and a few ministers I didn't recognize. "Don't antagonize our kind hosts; keep your energies for the tasks!"

"Which won't be easy, being your student." Nicolas Flamel added with a sharp quip, surprising me... but more interesting was the fact that Karkaroff managed to hold back whatever his thoughts were.

"Let's focus on the now." Snape raised his voice, stopping anyone else from commenting on anything further. "First and foremost, we congratulate those who have been selected to participate in the Triwizard Tournament!" While speaking, his eyes stopped at me, and I could see him questioning me wordlessly about what I did to end up with Quincy... but I had no honest answer.

"It is not the rare." After seeing our Headmaster's gaze, the legendary alchemist chuckled, and it just clicked for me then and there. He was old... extremely old! He was so old that he had to see how a tournament was played out for real! Maybe he even participated in one?! What type of unfair advantage is that?! "I never signed up for it," He continued as if reading my thoughts, "But I saw wizards and witches who were just as young as these two participating... and dying... but also succeeding! So don't look down on them, but neither think they are unbeatable!"

Was he saying this to the teachers? The ministers? Us? Or to his students...? Damn... this old man felt dangerous all of a sudden!

"Now that you have been selected by the Goblet, there is a magical contract binding you to participate. The option for retreat is no longer possible; you can only go forward and get through the competition." Our Headmaster continued without pausing to address Flamel's words. "There will be three tasks that you must complete, and we will rank your performances together. The first task will start today and end on 24 November, the second will happen on 24 February, and the last on 24 June!"

"As for your first task..." Nicolas took over, smiling and rummaging through his small pouch hanging on the side of his waist. Right before our eyes, his hand went elbow-deep inside it before pulling out multiple rolled-up parchments. "Here-"

"Not so fast!" Karkaroff interjected, taking them from him and already pointing his wand at them, looking for... spells.

"They are not enchanted." The alchemist smiled at his compatriot, but he only grumbled something in response, in a language I couldn't understand.

"They could still be marked." Severus Snape agreed with Karkaroff, but Nicolas simply smiled, letting everyone, including the ministers, examine them without unfurling any. "But they are not."

"I value honor." The leader of the Beauxbatons continued while his students looked on, spewing flames at us as if our suspicion deeply hurt their virtue. "As I said, here! Take one!"

As the champions, we hesitated. Not because we were afraid but because of who would be the first to go? I was about to simply grab one when Quincy did it first, pulling away one before I could. I couldn't help myself but grin and be faster than the rest as we all snatched one... and noticed we couldn't open it. The thin, crimson ribbon holding it together resisted our tries, and the more force we put into it, the stronger it became.

"Careful!" The Beauxbatons Headmaster warned us playfully, "The paper is that... just a paper, but it contains all clues and information on what you need to do to complete your first task! Use too much force, and you will left with nothing! You have until 24 November to manage it and retrieve the item you need for the second task. Good luck!"

And with that... we were sent away. No explanation of rules, no warnings of what not to do, nothing. We were given a task, and how we solved it was left to us. Of course, everyone else was still in the Great Hall, waiting for us to come back, and started bombarding us with questions about what was going on. It took Quincy and I at least an hour to go through it multiple times before we retreated to the Common Room, saying we needed rest.

What awaited the two of us was a pleasant surprise as we were put into the same room, being the champions of Hogwarts. Finally! With this, we could go through the details without interrupting it just because we had to sleep.

"Any idea?" I asked the moment we were left alone, sitting down on my bed right next to Quincy's.

"Nothing yet." She replied, watching her parchment, examining it over and over again.

"I tried some spells on it; none worked, and it didn't reveal any seals or jinxes either! But it could still be masked from us!"

"Check yours on the right side from the ribbon facing you!"

"Oh?" I followed her instructions immediately and looked at it... there was nothing. Only the slightly yellowish surface of the paper. "Wait..." I looked closer, raising it towards one of the candles in the room and letting its light shine on it. There was a faint image of an... an... animal? I couldn't make sense of it, but it looked like some kind of beast. A bird? Maybe.

"It is really faint..." She murmured again, investigating hers, "But I think it is the image of a Grindylow."

"Grindylow..." I murmured, but it didn't really ring any bells.

"It will be in this year's curriculum!" She explained while dragging her trunk over and rummaging through it, getting out our Beastiarium and going through it, flipping so fast I was seeing double. "Ah, here it is! It is a water-based beast... pretty nasty!"

"What does it have to do with the parchments?"

"I don't know!" She shrugged, rubbing her chin, scanning the information of the little, malevolent creature.

"Sickly green skin, dragging children into the depths...charming. If it would be pink, I would mistake it for Umbridge." I whispered, climbing over to her bed, leaning on her gently, and reading the codex under her fingers.

"Hah! True! Anyway... I can go and capture one with ample preparation; that should be possible... the question is what to do with it? Give the scroll to the monster?"

"And hope it won't tear it up? I don't think so."

"Let me see yours!" She asked, putting her hand out, and I gave it to her without thinking.

"Fwooper." She exclaimed only after one look. "You have a lucky hand."

"Bless you."

"No, it is a fwooper!" She chuckled, giving it back to me. "It is a bird, a pretty and colorful one! I saw one in Diagon Alley once, and they are being sold with a silencing charm placed on them!"

"Are they that noisy?"

"So much so that listening to their sounds can drive someone mad... so yeah. It is not a bird that you want to keep because it sings beautiful tunes! But their feather can be made into quality quills. I think 90% of what we use is coming from them."

"Really? I never thought about it..." I mused, picking out a simple quill from my bag that was... black and normal. Nothing extra.

"Yeah, they come in various colors, but after plucking them out, they all turn black. But magic is not gone from them; that is why you can enchant your quills so easily! To keep them colorful is a whole other process, but... I don't know about that; I only know the basics I read! But seeing that yours is different on your task, I at least know I should give this parchment to the beast if I find one..."

"Yeah, I don't think a bird could open it up! Probably would shit on it instead..."

"Stupid!" She elbowed me, giggling, "I don't know where to find one for you. Probably in the forest? But they are not native to here... they live in Africa... I think."

"Well, I am pretty sure I am not expected to go on a safari! So, I will get myself a... what was it? Fwooper? Well, a little birdie in a different way... Don't you worry about me!"

"I'm not worried about getting these beasts... I am worried about finding out what to do with them! I am not keen on the idea of keeping a monster in our room..."

"Oh well! Let's catch one of yours, and then we can experiment with it and see what works and what does not! It is best to get to it soon and not wait on the others!"

"And keep it confidential!" She warned me while looking into my eyes, "The fact that there were no rules mentioned means there are none... Getting the information out of the others could be a viable and acceptable option... which can mean many things! Don't trust those half-human women at all!"

"Ahm... o-okay! Sure!" I nodded, barely holding back my laughs, but I also felt especially warm in my heart... suddenly, this competition didn't look so dangerous.