The mood in Dumbledore's office could be considered tense. At least, it was for four of the six people here. I was more amused by the others' anxieties than anything else. And Dumbledore was just like that always, taking amusement from the chaos around rather than dwelling on it.
"This is an utter disaster, Dumbledore!" Bagman exclaimed. "What are we to do?! I never saw the Black Lake freeze over during my years at Hogwarts!"
Dumbledore's eyes twinkled with amusement, "It is a rather strange and rare occurrence we seem to have encountered, isn't it?"
"An impossible one too," Crouch grunted. "I guarantee there's foul play involved, ya hear?"
"The Second Task is entirely derailed. We cannot access the lake any longer," Madam Maxime stated matter-of-factly.
"Oh? What a shame…" Dumbledore's tone didn't match his words.
I smirked, "Indeed. Now, you people can't kidnap anyone and use them for a daft competition. Or send our champions into a Scottish Loch in mid-February. Actually, this isn't a shame at all. Whoever came up with the original idea is a moron."
"Why are you even here, boy?" Crouch grumbled.
My gaze sharpened and turned to him, "Watch yourself, Crouch. I may not be Lord Black any longer but I am still my father's Heir. As for why I am here, I have only one thing to say: fairness. The other three champions all have someone to represent them. Yet you would leave my ward out to dry in the rain?"
"He has a point, Bartemius," Dumbledore said. "The other three champions have their school Heads to represent them. Young Heather technically does not fall under my authority when it comes to the tournament."
"Da. I agree. Is only fair," Karkaroff nodded.
"Oui but now we must decide what we will do about this 'disaster'… Personally, I agree that the original idea was tres-... quite silly," Madam Maxime added.
Dumbledore tutted at Crouch, "Tsk tsk, I told you so, Bartemius. Wanting to involve potentially unwilling participants was just a recipe for a disaster."
"Well, we had to make it interesting somehow! Not like the audience would even be able to watch the events with the entire Task taking place underwater. At least with the hostages, the stakes would keep people on the edge of their seats."
"Would they though?" I asked skeptically. "And you even thought of how boring the setting would make this Task for the audience but you were still going through with it? This entire thing sounds like a mess. How did it make it past the planning stage?"
"Well, you know… We figured at least one of the champions would be a Witch. We were hoping the sight of a beautiful young woman or two in a swimsuit would distract people from their boredom…" Bagman hesitantly admitted. "And to think we ended up with a Veela! It would have been glorious!"
"Close your traitorous mouth, Ludo!" Crouch hit his Ministry partner on the shoulder.
"English pig dog," Madam Maxime scowled. She wasn't alone. In fact, Dumbledore, Karkaroff, and I joined her as well.
"I've just had the most wonderful idea, folks," I said through my scowl. "Since Crouch and Bagman want to play games with our champions, I feel like we should turn the tables on them. Let's see how they like being ogled by a crowd in freezing weather."
Dumbledore immediately picked up on my idea with twinkling eyes and an understated, vindictive smirk, "Ah, brilliant. I'm sure I can convince Severus to brew some Genderbending Potion. He's always looking for an excuse to try out his more uncommon and curious recipes. They can be our-… What do the Muggles call it…? 'cheerleaders'?"
"Uh, Albus? I don't think they'll make for very good cheerleaders in their female forms. They're not the most attractive people as is…" I cautioned.
"I know," Dumbledore chuckled. "Why, that's part of the fun, isn't it?
Karkaroff straight-out snorted, "Hilarious. And they must drink potion in front of everyone. So they know."
Madam Maxime smirked at us, "Ah, Dumbledore, Professor Atlas. You are both such gentlemen. Helping get revenge for my dearly wronged Fleur. Simply sensational!"
Crouch sputtered, "You want us to do what?! P-Preposterous! No one would ever respect us again!"
"I don't believe you have any room to refuse, Bartemius my boy," Dumbledore dismissed condescendingly. "Think of this as a learning experience."
"What could I possibly learn from being forced to debase myself in such a way?!"
"Why, that's simple, my boy," Dumbledore grew serious, leaning forward in his seat to loom over Crouch and Bagman from behind the Headmaster's desk, "Don't fuck… with our students."
The air in the room seemed to freeze around Crouch. He went stiff as a board and paler than paper. Surprisingly, though, Bagman just adopted a considering expression.
"I think… I can work with this. I'm not above selling my body for profit and hype. I was a Quidditch Player for goodness sake. Just think of the wagers I could make as a woman, even temporarily! I might even be able to pay off the Goblins!"
"At least one of them is a good sport," Karkaroff muttered.
"Do not worry, Bartemius," Madam Maxime said with a smirk. "I will have some of my Veela do their best to make the two of you into very pretty princesses."
Crouch clutched at his chest as if he was having a heart attack. Bagman just looked excited at the prospect of paying off his debt.
"With his age, I think Bartemius would be more of a queen than a princess," Dumbledore couldn't resist adding to the taunts. "But don't worry, Bartemius. Plenty of people like their women to be mature. A 'cougar', isn't it?"
"Hngh~!" I nearly choked on my laughter, "Yeah, that's certainly one word to describe it."
"Vhat is cougar?" Karkaroff asked.
"It's a Muggle term. It means an attractive older woman who isn't afraid of her own sexuality. The word also holds a connotation of pursuing or preying on younger men," I explained.
He nodded knowingly, "Ah, yes, women who age like fine wine. I was not aware the Muggles were so sensible and cultured."
"And since he had the idea to use our female students, maybe the idea of preying on those younger is accurate as well," Madam Maxime observed.
Crouch gasped, desperately trying to change the subject, "T-The Task! We need to decide on a new challenge before we decide anything!"
"Your punishment is already decided, Crouch," I deadpanned, earning nods from the others. "But I suppose you're right about the need for a new challenge. Well? Do you have any bright ideas that don't involve exploiting or endangering anyone?"
He stuttered under the spotlight, "Err… Ah! Could we make some sort of underwater obstacle course and put the hostages at the end?"
"Less dangerous but it still involves someone other than the champions. No," I shot the idea down immediately.
"And you and Ludo would be hard-pressed to create the entire course by yourselves. I doubt any of us are in the mood to help you kidnap one of our people," Dumbledore added.
"Are we obligated to stick to the original interpretation of the riddle so strictly?" Madam Maxime asked.
"Hmm, I don't suppose we are."
"Our champions would 'sorely miss' a meal," I suggested, smirking on the inside.
Karkaroff nodded in agreement, "They would. Vhat did you have in mind?"
I paused for effect, "… Ice fishing. The champions have to drill a hole through the ice and catch a fish. Then cook it to satisfy the riddle if they must. The winner will be whoever comes back with the biggest catch. We can even play the lake freezing over off as part of the task. Not that people would likely buy that but at least we'd have an excuse prepared."
"Bit boring though, isn't it?" Bagman asked hesitantly.
"But quite safe. And still in the spirit of the riddle."
Karkaroff was already on board with my idea, "Ice fishing. The sport of kings. Is good challenge. Harder than it looks. I will bring the alcohol."
"You know, I've always been curious. Is the alcohol required for ice fishing?" Dumbledore asked.
Karkaroff scoffed as if offended by the question, "Is essential. The most competitive part of the sport."
"How are we supposed to sell tickets to watch four kids icefish?!" Crouch protested.
I shrugged, utterly unconcerned with his complaints, "That seems to be your problem. Figure it out."
"B-But-! What-! This isn't the way things are done!"
"I know. That's exactly why we're changing things up. The last tournament saw three deaths by this point in the competition. All spectators — Judges, in fact — instead of champions. We've had none. I'm determined to keep it that way."
"Wonderful! It sounds like we've found a fitting solution," Dumbledore said, clapping and putting that issue to rest. "Ice fishing is safe, 'competitive', and will be quick to put on in a pinch. I'm sure the champions will be ecstatic about the change in events!"
"Merde… Fleur will kill me," Madam Maxime muttered to herself. "To enlist her in something so… so pedestrian…"
I was suddenly struck by the very entertaining mental image of Fleur Delacour — Veela princess extraordinaire — sitting glumly over a hole in the ice and waiting for a fish to nibble. I couldn't help but snort. Oh, this would be too good…
IIIII
"We're gonna want to get moving soon. You don't want to stick around and see what we talked Bagman and Crouch into doing to entertain the crowd," I advised.
Heather cocked her head, "It can't be that bad, can it?"
Just then, Bagman upturned his potion, draining it into his mouth. Almost immediately, his form began to shift, growing more feminine by the second. Crouch hesitated, looking for any way out of his punishment until his eyes landed on Dumbledore. Whatever he saw in the Headmaster's eyes must have convinced him that a bit of public humiliation was the lesser of two evils.
The day was February 24th and the Second Task had arrived. The Black Lake was still firmly frozen over thanks to me and Heather's efforts. Despite trying for the two days leading up to the Task, Bagman and Crouch hadn't figured out what the problem was.
To be fair, we didn't expect them to. Maybe if Dumbledore felt like cooperating with the 'investigation', it would have gone differently but thankfully, he wasn't in a very helpful mood for some reason. Perhaps that had something to do with the kidnapping he would have been party to without the Black Lake freezing over.
The original plan for the Second Task was one of the most dangerous and braindead examples of Wizarding arrogance I'd seen. I learned more about that plan when I joined the other judges to decide on a new course of action. Bagman and Crouch — Crouch mostly — weren't even going to ask before taking the hostages. They were going to straight-up steal them from their beds and seemed completely oblivious to how fucked up that plan was.
I'd also learned who the hostages were planned to be. Heather was right. They were planning on taking Hermione, mostly because after my reveal, Crouch was hesitant to kidnap a Pure-Blood Heir/Lord like me. That just showed that at least some thought was given to the consequences of this plan and they still thought it was a good idea!
Granted, not much thought. Other than the issue of using me as a hostage, they hadn't taken any of the other hostages' backgrounds into consideration. Gabrielle was planned as Fleur's hostage. Something that would have brought Crouch firmly into the crosshairs of the Veela Clans and the French Ministry for his impudence. And that was not even mentioning the historic animosity between Merpeople and Veela.
The other two champions would have their hostages taken based on who they took to the Yule Ball. For Cedric, that meant Cho Chang — a Pure-Blood British Witch whose family had ties to the magical Far East. Another recipe for an international and domestic incident.
Krum's hostage was such a shitshow in the making that I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. His date to the Yule Ball, I learned, was a young woman named Anya Romanov. Yes, that Romanov. Though the former royal family of Russia had fallen to disgrace and unfortunate ends, the magical side of the family escaped persecution with the help of Russian Pure-Bloods. And Krum's date was a member of that family, essentially a Russian princess in exile.
She may have had no claim on the throne of modern Russia (even with the recent fall of the Soviet Union), but that didn't mean her name and heritage meant nothing. Many of Russia's Pure-Blood Houses survived the reign of the Soviet Union through siding with the communists or through general corruption and magical trickery.
Most of them retained some semblance of the power they once knew under the Tzar. And with the recent strife of their Muggle counterparts, they were quickly reclaiming more once again. To the Russian magical oligarchs and Pure-Bloods, the Romanov name was a symbol of their past and heritage. If Anya had come to any harm during the Task, being turned into a woman for a few hours would have been the least of Crouch's worries.
The current state of Russia's magical world, as I understood it from conversations with some Durmstrang students, was fascinating. It was the strangest mix of traditional Houses desperately holding their historical power and the ones who sided with the Soviet Union and were created or granted more power that way. Then there were the common Wizard and Witch, typically better off than their Muggle counterparts, who were deeply influenced by the revolutions, strife, and ideological shifts of the 20th century in Russia.
I didn't know enough to speak in depth on the culture at wide but even just the history of the last hundred years deserved more attention than I could currently give it. The Wizarding sides of WW2 alone could, should, and had filled entire libraries with historical texts.
Anyway, original Second Task? Bad. Terrible. Moronic. Undoubtedly the worst idea Crouch had ever had. Almost guaranteed to start multiple international incidents that the British Ministry would have to answer to.
This new Second Task? Good. Great. Genius. Whoever came up with the idea (*cough* me *cough*) should be given a pint and a blowjob, preferably from my-… his… lovely lovers. A safe and uneventful afternoon of ice fishing. A chance for our champions to bond and for the judges to kick back and relax. It promotes inter-house, inter-school, and international cooperation and — here's the important part — doesn't put unsuspecting students in danger.
"Oh, Merlin!" Heather gagged in disgust as Crouch finally shifted into his female form.
"He honestly doesn't look as bad as I thought he would," I observed calmly. "Bit dumpy-looking but I could see him-… her getting a date. And Bagman is killing it. Who knew he had a blonde bombshell inside him?"
Heather paused and really looked at the pair of 'cheerleaders'. They were acting so differently even though they were in the same situation. Crouch was barely going through the steps, wincing with each movement and trying to look anywhere other than the jeering crowd.
Bagman seemed to have written and choreographed his own routine, going above and beyond his punishment. He was completely into it, bouncing and cheering as if he'd been doing this all his life. I suppose a career in Quidditch and vibrant commentary lent itself well to suddenly being a female cheerleader.
"I… think I've seen enough. Especially of-… Hrk-! Crouch… Are you sure this was deserved?"
I suddenly grew deadly serious, "Positive. They were planning on taking advantage of you and Fleur for entertainment and profit. Parade the two of you around in swimsuits in this weather? Crouch is lucky this is all Dumbledore and I made him do. Utter bastard, that one."
"Ah… Yeah, fuck them. They can use their own bodies if they want to earn a pretty penny," Heather decided.
"I couldn't agree more. Can you imagine going for a swim in this weather?"
Even dressed for the cold, Heather shivered. She bundled her scarf tighter around the lower half of her face. Her outfit was in sharp contrast to the two tournament organizers who would have had her exposed to the Scottish chill. She was comfy in an overlarge cloak and thick stockings. They… well, let's just say I wouldn't want to be exposing that much skin.
"I can't," Heather answered. "But enough about the bastards responsible for this. We've got ice fishing to do."
"You're welcome for that, by the way," I said with a smug smirk. "I'll accept my thanks in beer and kisses."
Heather's sarcasm was warm and comfy instead of cutting, "Gee, thanks, Teach~ Where would we be without you and your ideas?"
"Probably fighting a war thanks to Crouch's arrogance and idiocy," Heather snorted at my deadpan tone. "I'm not joking."
"I know," She said. "Still funny though."
We waved at a mortified Hermione in the crowd as we stepped off the short pier and onto the lake ice. She knew I was responsible for their 'entertainment' today somehow. I could just feel it.
I was prepared for the short lecture I would get before she learned the reason Bagman and Crouch were being punished. At that point, she would go off on them on her own. I couldn't see her being less passionate about their wrongs than I was, only more. Crouch in particular wouldn't be seeing the end of this punishment for a good long while. At least Bagman was being a good sport. That should earn him a bit of leeway.
The other champions and Headmasters were already making their way out to the middle of the lake. Heather and I hurried to catch up. Thanks to the interruption to the tournament's scheduled events, the tension between the schools had died down significantly. Having a common enemy to rail against in Crouch helped as well.
This replacement Second Task was bound to be a much more relaxed affair than the original promised to be. There was still an underlying current of competition but the Headmasters and I thought the champions deserved a break. Second thoughts about the Triwizard Tournament were the name of the game now that the Ministry (and Crouch's) agenda behind it was beginning to be illuminated.
Dumbledore had made it no secret that he thought the whole tournament was a bad idea. If I had to bet, Karkaroff and Maxime were quickly coming to the same conclusion. Hopefully, they shared their concerns with their champions. This tournament wasn't about fame or fortune for the champions. It was entirely a publicity stunt from the British Ministry.
Too bad I wasn't willing to play their games with Heather's life, much less the lives of uninvolved bystanders taken hostage. That two of those hostages were members of my coven, my family? That was just bad luck. But honestly, the Ministry should be thanking me. I wouldn't be holding my breath…
Fleur was grumbling as we rejoined the group, "Honestly, couldn't this Task have been held inside?! Unbelievable… The British and their weather… And to think the cretins wanted us to swim like this?!"
Madam Maxime tried to placate her champion, "Be calm, Fleur. The worst has been averted. And we will be safe and warm soon."
"Oh? Is our French Flower afraid of a little chill~?" I teased.
Fleur scowled at me, "Devil. This is your fault somehow."
"You're right. It's my fault that you're not currently swimming in this-…" I tapped my foot on the ice for emphasis. "-And freezing your pretty little bum off."
Fleur just preened, "Thank you for noticing. It is rather pretty, is it not?"
"We have you to thank for preventing that abomination of a task, Professor Black?" Victor Krum asked, glancing at his Headmaster for a nod of clarification. "Thank you. I am sure Anya will send her regards when she learns of your efforts."
"So will Cho," Cedric added. "I can't believe anyone thought it was a good idea to take hostages."
"Hear that, Fleur?" I continued teasing. "It sounds like you have me to thank for saving Gabrielle again."
She sniffed imperiously, "As is only natural. You obviously wish to further your leverage over her, Devil. Honestly, how deplorable… I suppose I'll just have to repay the debt in Gabrielle's place once more."
"Err… Do we have to thank you in the same way, Professor?" Cedric asked, made hesitant by the implication of Fleur's words.
I sighed and put his worries to rest, "No, Cedric. This is just a little game Fleur and I play. No one has to thank me for fixing something that should have been common sense."
"Yes, he likes to play games with my love. Truly he is a rogue and a scoundrel, playing with the hearts of nubile young Veela like me~!" Fleur swooned, covering her heart dramatically.
"What she said," I deadpanned.
"He shall never be satisfied~!"
"I shan't."
"Oh, the travesty~! Be still, mine beating heart~! Do not let yourself fall to his devilish charms~! He shall only use you and your body like some desperate trollop~!"
"…" My lack of response didn't stop Fleur from working herself into a fervor.
"No~! It's no use~! He owns my heart and soul~! His words rule my thoughts and my body craves his touch~! There is only one choice left… I must… give in~ Take me, you beast~!"
Fleur's declaration was met by silence. Madam Maxime looked only seconds away from dragging her hand down her face in exasperation. Heather was hiding behind me, trying to muffle her raucous laughter. The other champions were left dumbfounded. Karkaroff raised an expressionless eyebrow and gave me a respectful nod. Dumbledore's eyes twinkled about as bright as I'd ever seen them.
Fleur blushed, clearing her throat as the silence set in, "A-Ahem… Something like that…"
"Right…" I quickly changed the subject. "So who wants to do the honors of conjuring the shack?"
Dumbledore thankfully went along with the change, "I thought it a good idea to make that something of a cooperative effort from the champions."
"Vill work," Karkaroff agreed. "Go on, Victor. Show them excellence."
Fleur gasped at the unintended slight to her abilities, "I shall be the one to show you excellence!"
"You're supposed to be working together," I reminded them.
"Quiet, Devil. Let me show you that I am the best champion here!"
I turned to Heather, "Well, looks like you can just sit back and let the overly eager champions do all the work."
She grinned, "Nah, this looks fun. Hey, Cedric? Wanna team up?"
Dumbledore allowed it, conjuring three piles of various materials with an ease I would've been hard-pressed to match. And that's how we ended up with three shacks for ice fishing. The judges just kind of shrugged and decided this would be the first part of the Second Task. And since Bagman and Crouch were otherwise… occupied… I found myself drafted as the unofficial fourth judge for this Task. Just to keep everything fair.
Krum's shack was sturdy and already well-worn, put together from conjured wood beams as if he'd done this many times before. The Hogwarts team's shack was less coordinated. It was obvious they only had the barest idea of what they needed to do. Still, they got down four walls, a roof, and access to the ice within the shack.
Fleur, of course, went above and beyond. She was still casting and crafting by the time we'd examined the other two shacks. Solid stone pillars made up the shack's four corners. The walls were paneled with lacquered wood, oiled and polished until they shined like the ice beneath our feet. Smoke poured from a chimney on the shack's roof.
When she finished casting, Fleur was panting with exertion. We peeked inside and none of us could hide how impressed we were. Fleur managed to work Space Expansion Charms into her construction. They weren't anything too crazy, just enough to give the shack a spacious feeling inside. The rest of the interior was decorated with the same polished wood as the walls and furnished with comfortable benches alongside a crackling fire.
"She wins," Victor begrudgingly admitted.
Even exhausted as she was, Fleur looked all too pleased with herself, "I-… ha… I told you so…!"
Dumbledore hummed, sitting himself on one of the benches near the fire and getting comfortable, "Oh, this is just wonderful on the old bones."
Karkaroff joined him, producing a bottle of clear liquid and a few shot glasses. He wasted no time pouring some and offering it to Dumbledore. Madam Maxime turned her nose up when she was offered the same, bringing out a bottle of wine instead. The champions and I just stood around somewhat awkwardly.
Seeing that the judges were preoccupied, I took charge of the Task, "Right, so I'm sure you all know the idea behind this Task. You're going to be catching fish. Yes, it's really that simple. Catch a fish, cook it if you want. The most important thing is that no one dies or gets hurt. If you want to treat this like a competition, feel free. We'll be willing to score you at the end of the afternoon but really, we just want you to enjoy yourselves."
Heather grinned, "This should be fun! I've never been ice fishing before. Petunia wouldn't even let me fish the usual way. But Ginny took me a couple of times when I stayed at the Burrow."
"Same here," Cedric nodded. "Err… About not having been ice fishing before. I've certainly fished though. Plenty of times."
"I have been once or twice. Fished regularly to feed my family. I am familiar with the activity," Victor said.
We all turned toward Fleur, naturally expecting her to add her own experience to the conversation. She was averting her eyes, acting as if she was above everything in the world. A faint pink painted her cheeks.
I cleared my throat, "Fleur?"
"What?!" Her head snapped toward me. "Do you wish for me to tell you that I am ignorant of the 'oh-so-cultured' world of fishing?! Why would I lower myself to such a common activity?! I am a Veela princess! I do not hunt for my food. That is what magic and grocers are for!"
"In other words," Heather smirked. "You couldn't hook a worm if your life depended on it."
"A-A worm?!" Fleur shuddered. "Y-You cannot seriously expect me to touch something that… that revolting!"
"I prefer minnows for bait when ice fishing," Victor helpfully added.
Fleur swore something in French, "-Never mind! I shall find some other way to complete the Task!"
She sat herself daintily on one of the benches, thinking hard for a way around the 'fishing' part of ice fishing. The other three champions shared amused looks and began conjuring fishing poles and gear. I suppose it didn't matter that the bait was conjured. Not like the fish would last long enough to digest the literally empty calories there.
One of them — Krum, I think — drilled a hole in the ice with a spell. The three actually participating champions gathered around. Heather led with a joke that made Cedric laugh and Victor crack a smile. With her directing the conversation, they were soon chatting like old friends.
Sparing Fleur another glance and seeing the look of intense concentration on her face, I sat myself down with the other judges. Karkaroff offered me a filled shot glass as I did. Before I could ask what it was, Fleur's voice rang out through the shack.
"Accio fish!"
A muffled thump sounded as the summoned fish slammed into the ice.
"Hey, come try that above the hole! I've always wanted to see a frog smack herself in the face with a fish," Heather joked.
"Putain de merde!" Fleur swore, sitting back down and going right back to the drawing board.
"Your champion seems to be having a spot of trouble, Madam Maxime," I commented.
The Headmistress sighed, "Yes, I expected as much. Fleur is not one to get her hands dirty. Of course, she will just end up working harder to solve the problem because of her stubbornness."
"At least Victor is showing the others the ropes," Karkaroff said.
Dumbledore exhaled a stream of comically sized snowflakes as if nothing was wrong, "A wonderful example of inter-school cooperation, Igor. You should be proud!"
I looked warily at the drink I'd been handed, "I'm almost afraid to ask… What is this stuff?"
"Ice Vodka," Karkaroff answered. "Like Fire Whiskey but cold."
"How original…" I drawled.
"Would you like some wine like a normal person?" Madam Maxime offered.
"Just wine?"
"Of course!" She looked offended that I would even ask. "Nothing ruins a good vintage faster than silly gimmicks."
"I hope you don't mind if I take you up on your offer then."
In the background, Fleur started another spell, "Incen-…!"
I interrupted her cast, "No, Fleur. Bad Fleur. No matter how thick the ice is, no fire that isn't properly shielded. Try something else."
Fleur grumbled but sat herself back down and went back to thinking. I turned to the Headmistress with a smile, "Wine?"
IIIII
The afternoon passed at a lazy and relaxed pace. Cooped up in the shack as we were, there wasn't much to do other than converse, drink, and ice fish (for the champions). Karkaroff and Dumbledore drank themselves silly, indulging in most of the bottle of Ice Vodka. Though I suspected Sobering Charms were involved as well. Otherwise, they would have been falling over themselves drunk by this point.
Madam Maxime and I enjoyed only a few glasses of wine, drinking slowly and mostly just conversing as we enjoyed the atmosphere. Heather laughed and joked with the other champions. Dumbledore even called for a House Elf with a few butterbeers at one point, something that champions were all too willing to indulge in while they fished.
While all three champions caught something by this point, they seemed to barely pay attention to their poles most of the time. Technically, they'd completed their Task but no one seemed all that eager to end their fun any time soon. Instead, they used this afternoon for what it was intended for. A chance to bond and unwind.
Fleur, however… Fleur didn't join in the festivities. It was almost worrying. She was so focused on completing the Task that she forwent all of the social interaction around her. Her attempts at getting the biggest fish grew increasingly ridiculous as the day went on.
She conjured a fish, trying to trick us into thinking she'd caught it only to receive a resounding thumbs down from us judges.
She drilled a second hole in the ice (without the proper spell Victor had used) and tried the Summoning Charm again. Only to get a fish smaller than the minnows Krum was using for bait. She banished the fish back into the water in disgust when it didn't satisfy her desire for victory.
She tried a Bombarda through the hole she'd drilled, making the ice around her shake and only receiving chunks of fish for her efforts.
She cast some sort of revealing spell on the ice around her, causing it to turn clear as glass. That attempt only served to tease her with how close her goal was, quite literally swimming beneath her feet.
She tried the Summoning Charm for a third time (it was the most obvious solution, after all), only to scream in frustration as the fish she'd summoned wriggled out of her hands and dove back through the hole in the ice.
"I am very serious. How much will it take for you to take her off my hands?" Madam Maxime asked as we watched her champion fail in ways that were starting to seem more and more like focused bad luck than lack of skill or creativity.
"She'll be graduating this year, right? Why not just wait until she's out of your hair naturally?" I deflected.
"Knowing her father as I do, she will only stick around until I arrange a job for her or write a letter of recommendation that satisfies her expectations. He did the same thing. The Delacour family is very insistent and stubborn. It is admirable in a way… But oh-so annoying to be on the other end of."
"And what makes you think I want that trouble myself?"
"You are recruiting for your coven, are you not? As annoying as she is, I do still love the girl. And she is quite talented and powerful. Plus, giving yourself more ties to the powerful Veela Clans of France and Europe will only serve you well in the long run."
"You speak as if my coven is a business instead of my family…"
"Then do you really think she will do anything other than try to join your family with her sister?"
I sighed, "You're likely right but I've been trying to avoid thinking about that until she came to her senses and stopped playing her little denial games."
"If you leave the decision up to her, she will never stop. She lives off those games. Thrives off them. If you ask me, you should just collar her and get it over with," Madam Maxime said, taking a nonchalant sip of her wine.
I looked at her in open shock, "Are you advocating for me to completely subjugate your student…?"
Madam Maxime shrugged, looming over me even sitting as we were, "More for you to give her what she really wants and refuses to say outright. She acts as if she wants control but she is a-… How you say…? Daddy's girl? Oui, Daddy's girl at heart. Do you see where I am going with this?"
"Ugh…" I groaned. "Don't remind me of their father. I'm already worried about having to duel him when we finally meet."
She chuckled, "I think that is almost guaranteed. Apolline will thank you for taking her daughters off their hands while Sebastion will rage and rage until Apolline drags him off and shuts him up with a visit to the bedroom. She will remind him that the women in his life are Veela and something like this was always going to happen. You will experience the same thing with your daughters, I'm sure."
Just as I was starting to contemplate the future consequences of having Veela lovers, Fleur exclaimed, "Yes! Finally! Take that, you stupid stupid fish!"
Looking over, we saw Fleur standing next to a fish that was just about as wide as the ice hole she'd made and longer than her whole arm. It lay on the ice calmly as if it didn't even mind suffocating. It was easily the biggest catch of the afternoon. With no sign of struggle, I could only guess at how she'd finally managed to catch a fish.
"How'd you do that, Fleur?" I asked.
"Confundus Charm~!" Fleur explained, her accent thick with excitement. "I merely convinced the dumb thing that it wanted to be tonight's dinner. It all but caught itself!"
Perhaps one of the most complicated ways she could have accomplished this Task but nothing else seemed to work for her. I'm sure after magic seemed to stymie her Summoning Charm three times, she felt the need to get tricky with her methods. Whatever the reason, it certainly worked.
"Marvelous, Miss Delacour," Dumbledore chuckled, suddenly as sober as can be with a minute flex of magic. "Oh my, look at the time. I believe we should wrap things up here. Has everyone completed their Task?"
"Yup," Heather piped up, popping the 'p'. "We all managed to catch something like an hour ago."
"Then I declare this Task a four-way tie!"
"What?! No!" Fleur protested. "Inconceivable! Unfair! I clearly won!"
"Either of you two mind giving Fleur the win by one point?" Heather asked the other champions.
Cedric shrugged and Victor shook his head, "No. As pointless as it was, she put the most effort into her catch."
Dumbledore conceded, "Then Miss Delacour will win this Task with 50-…"
"40," Karkaroff corrected. "We only have four judges right now."
"40 points! And the other three shall tie for second place with 39 each."
Fleur looked inordinately pleased with herself, "Ah, recognition… You are a sweet and fair mistress."
I rolled my eyes as the others began to pack up and leave, "C'mon, Miss First Place. You were so focused on your task that you haven't had anything to eat or drink yet. Let's get something in you before you keel over in place."
"Ah~ You Devil~" Fleur moaned, shivering. "Get something in me~? Is this my prize? Oh, to be lavished with the care and attention I deserve as the sole winner~ H-How debaucherous~"
"Do not worry about the shack or your catches. I shall have the House Elves clean up and make you each a special meal with the fish," Dumbledore called.
Following his instructions, we left the shack as it was and began making our way back over the ice to shore. Heather said her goodbyes to the other champions and rejoined me, hopping on my back and declaring me, her steed. She had more than a few butterbeers while ice fishing and it seemed she was quite the lightweight. Likewise, She was light enough that I barely noticed, though the generous mounds against my back and the strong thighs at my waist did give me a moment of pause.
"Alright, Heather? Have fun?" I asked over my shoulder.
Heather giggled into the crook of my neck, "Yeeeeeeaaaah~ Cedric's a nice guy. Talks about his girlfriend a lot though. And Victor's funnier than he looks. Did you know he's betrothed to a princess?"
"I did. Need a Sobering Charm?"
"Nooooo wayyyyyy~ Teach~! I've got a nice buzz going~ Don't ruin it~"
"If you say so."
When we arrived back at shore, we were met by more confusion than applause. Also, by a much smaller audience. It seemed most people had figured out that the Second Task wasn't going to be much of a spectacle. And gender-bent Bagman and Crouch could only hold their attention for so long. Crouch looked exhausted from being made to cheer and be gawked at for two hours straight. Bagman, though, looked to have developed something of a cult following. The potions would wear off soon enough and I felt they'd been sufficiently punished for now.
Someone who very much resembled a Weasley approached our returning group and addressed Dumbledore, "Headmaster."
"Percy, what a pleasant surprise," Dumbledore greeted him genially. "What business brings you here?"
"Stuffy git…" Heather mumbled into my neck.
Percy Weasley drew himself up, doing a good job appearing important and official, "I'm here on behalf of the Minister of Magic, sent to assess the Triwizard Tournament and its competitors. This Task was a travesty!"
"Could have been more of one," I didn't bother to hide my opinion.
Percy ignored me, "What were you thinking, Sir? This looks bad for everyone involved, the Minister especially! So I've come to inform you — by Ministry Decree — that some changes are being made to the tournament and those involved."
"Sounds like that was already decided before you watched the Task," Once again, my addition went ignored.
"The Minister (and his vaunted Undersecretary) will be inserting themselves into the rest of the tournament. He has declared himself Lord Triwizard, citing Ministry Decree 3758A through 3758D."
"I don't believe I know those decrees, Percy my boy," Dumbledore's eyes twinkled with amusement.
"They were filed this morning, Sir. I filed them myself. The paperwork is all in order. Feel free to request a copy at the Department of Records for you to peruse at your own convenience."
"Of course, of course. You were saying?"
"As Lord Triwizard, the Minister and his Undersecretary intend to make this tournament a testimony to how great Britain is. You'd be foolish to try and stop them," Percy 'advised'.
Dumbledore looked moments away from laughing, "Why, I would never!"
"Very good, Sir. I expected as much," Percy nodded seriously before shifting nervously and looking around as if he was scared to get caught saying what he said next. "You didn't hear this from me but the first change the Minister will make is removing Heir Black from these proceedings."
I put a hand on Heather's knee to keep her from jumping at Percy with bared teeth. She wasn't the only one that tried to leap to my defense. Fleur squawked in outrage. Madam Maxime tsked. Krum and Karkaroff discreetly drew their wands and held them down at their sides. Cedric didn't look far from joining them.
I scoffed, "He can certainly try. I'd like to see him explain why he seems to want my ward to meet an untimely death."
Percy nodded, "I don't necessarily agree with that decision but… I have a job to do. The most I can do is give you this warning. I'm… I'm sorry, Heather."
Heather calmed a bit on my back, "It's fine, Percy. Honestly, I didn't even expect this much from you."
I paid Percy back in kind for his warning, "Word of advice, Mr. Weasley? Try to stay out of the coming crossfire. It would seem House Black is going on a warpath…"