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Just then, however, Percy noticed Fleur walk into the Great Hall. There was still that slight, almost imperceptible, but definitely there, limp in her usually graceful walk.
She spotted him almost immediately and walked over to their table, a soft, radiant smile on her beautiful face. She leaned down and kissed his cheek tenderly.
"Good morning, my love," she murmured, her voice a little husky from their... activities. "Did you manage to get any sleep at all last night?"
Percy just shrugged, a small, tired smile playing on his lips. "Not really. Studied a little bit after you left. You?"
Fleur nodded, stretching languidly like a contented cat. "Yes, I did. And believe me, my darling, I really, really needed it," she said, a suggestive glint in her eyes.
She sat down beside him and then noticed the rather sorry-looking group of Ravenclaws slumped over their table.
"What 'appened to t'em?" she asked, her voice full of innocent curiosity.
"Oh, apparently there was a couple that was... uh... 'doing it' very loudly near the Ravenclaw tower all night long," Juan snorted, trying to stifle a laugh.
"Apparently, the girl involved was really, really loud. Kept them all up from midnight until almost dawn."
Fleur's face immediately went a brilliant shade of crimson red. She snapped her head towards Percy, her eyes wide with a mixture of horror and embarrassment.
Percy just shook his head violently, trying to signal her to play along and not give anything away. The veela gulped, her composure quickly returning, though the blush remained.
"It-t'at iz too bad for t'em," she said, trying to sound sympathetic. "It iz a terrible z'ame t'ey weren't more conziderate of others. Maybe next time t'ey will t'ink to uze proper zilencing c'armz," she hissed, and then, under the table, she gave Percy a sharp, painful kick in the shin.
"Hey! I was busy!" Percy cried out in French, rubbing his shin. His girlfriend just rolled her eyes, clearly uninterested in his excuses, though a small, amused smirk played on her lips.
For the next few incredible months, Percy's life was, for the first time he could ever remember, absolutely perfect.
Every single day, he spent time with people he genuinely loved and who loved him back. Every single day was filled with laughter, learning, and love.
For the very first time in his entire, chaotic life, he felt like he had everything he had ever truly wanted. He had friends who respected him for who he was, who did not think he was a loser or a troublemaker. He had a school that actually valued him, that wanted him to stay with them and succeed.
He had people who were proud to call him their friend. He had teachers who actively encouraged him to exceed all expectations, instead of just claiming him to be nothing more than a dyslexic, ADHD-ridden waste of space, like so many of his teachers in America had done.
He had found a school where, for the very first time, he truly felt like he was at home. He belonged.
He was truly, deeply happy. And he spent those wonderful, precious days like they were running away from him at top speed which, in a way, they were.
Before he even knew it, two whole months had passed by in what felt like the blink of an eye.
Percy had been so incredibly pre-occupied with just living and enjoying his life, with his studies, his projects, and his relationship with Fleur, that he did not even realize how quickly the days were going by.
He spent so much time just enjoying the simple pleasures of life with his friends and his amazing girlfriend that he did not really notice it was already drawing near to the end of the school year, and the final Triwizard task.
Thanks to the discreet but consistent use of the magical blood band, he could now easily take on all the NEWT exams and pass them with flying colors.
It had taken him almost all of his spare time, every evening and weekend, to catch up to all the advanced course portions being taught in the seventh year.
The blood band had helped a lot in that regard, allowing him to absorb and retain information at an astonishing rate. He had learned so much, so quickly, it almost was not funny how much his brain now held.
Even seventh-year students, like Cedric Diggory, had actually come up to him several times, asking for help with their own NEWT revision or for lessons on complex spells.
Percy willingly gave out his time and knowledge, since he figured it would also be good practice for him with teaching students in the future, if he really was going to Beauxbatons.
Even Professor Flitwick, the Charms master, was finally satisfied with Percy's progress in Charms. He had said, with a pleased smile, that with a little bit of luck on the exam day, Percy might just manage to get an 'EE' (Exceeds Expectations), if not even an 'O' (Outstanding).
Which was more than enough for Percy; he was just relieved he would not fail. And so, the only real problem remaining in his academic path came down to Professor Moody.
The man was a fucking stone wall. Unmovable. Percy had gotten all the other relevant professors on his side to try and persuade Moody to let him take his DADA NEWT's early.
Even Professor Snape, surprisingly, had agreed that Percy was more than capable! But the ex-Auror was absolutely adamant.
He flat-out refused to budge an inch. Professor McGonagall had even gone as far as to ask Headmaster Dumbledore for help in the matter, but the old wizard, despite his power, could not do much.
Apparently, giving a student special permission to take their NEWTs early was a power that only the individual subject professor had.
So now, Percy had only one hope left. According to the ever-reliable Hogwarts rumor mill, the teaching position for Defence Against the Dark Arts had apparently been cursed for years, and it was almost certain that next year a new DADA teacher would be there.
Hopefully, Percy could convince that new teacher to allow him to take the tests early next year. It was a long shot, but it was all he had.
….
27th of May:
Around the middle of the afternoon, Percy and the other Triwizard champions Harry, Fleur, and Krum found themselves being brought out towards the Quidditch pitch by a very cheerful Ludo Bagman.
And there, on the usually pristine green pitch, Percy could see tall, dark green shrubs already growing in a complex, maze-like pattern.
"What 'ave they done to it?" Harry asked, his voice filled with horror as he looked at his beloved Quidditch field being transformed.
"It is indeed sad, seeing something so amazing... scarred like this," Krum agreed, his expression grim.
"Oh, think nothing of it, my champions!" Ludo Bagman chuckled, waving a dismissive hand. "You will all have your field back in no time at all, good as new! This, you see," he gestured dramatically towards the growing hedges, "is the grand location of the third and final task! Care to take a guess as to what it will be?"
"A maze," said Fleur immediately, her voice calm and observant.
"Correct, mademoiselle! Spot on!" Bagman smiled broadly, clearly pleased. "Yes indeed, this here may not look like much right now, but in a mere month's time, these little shrubs will be giant, towering hedges, some the size of small houses!"
"So, our final task... after everything we have all been through... is just going to be a simple maze?" Percy asked, raising a skeptical eyebrow. He was not buying it.
"If I said yes, young Mr. Jackson, would you actually believe me?" Bagman asked, a twinkle in his eye.
"No," was Percy's blunt reply. It honestly did not look too scary or intimidating to Percy, especially considering he had once been trapped inside The Labyrinth of Greek myth, the original, ever-shifting, monster-filled deathtrap.
Compared to that legendary maze, this thing looked like a kiddy maze you might get on a restaurant table mat. So, of course, he knew this could not possibly be all there was to it.
"Smart man! Very smart!" Bagman nodded approvingly. "Yes, you see, the final task will not just be a test of your skill to navigate through a challenging maze, but it will also test your ability to deal with the various dangerous creatures and magical challenges you will find inside the maze!"
"Creaturez? Like w'at kind of creaturez?" Fleur asked, her brow furrowing slightly with concern.
"Well, now, that would be spoiling the surprise, wouldn't it?" the man chuckled, winking. "But as I understand it, your own Mr. Hagrid, the Hogwarts groundskeeper, will be providing a few of them from his... unique collection."
"Blast-Ended Skrewts," Harry whispered like a terrible curse under his breath, his face paling slightly.
This caused Percy to wince in agreement. He definitely agreed with Harry's assessment. If that disgusting, explosive thing was going to be in the maze... well, Percy really, really hoped he did not run into one.
Those things were absolutely revolting and incredibly dangerous!
The month leading up to the third and final task was incredibly stressful, especially for Fleur.
Percy was pretty used to the nervous anticipation before a big battle or a dangerous quest; for a lack of a better word, one could even call him a seasoned veteran in such matters.
But this was going to be Fleur's first real, potentially life-threatening magical battle, and she was understandably very nervous, almost a wreck at times.
Percy spent almost that entire month either training her, helping her get stronger and learn new defensive spells, or studying and training himself.
He cherished every single second he spent with her during that time.
Her laughter, her determination, her beautiful eyes they all made him that much more determined to ensure that she knew more than enough magic and skills to survive whatever horrors the maze might hold.
And soon enough, all too soon, it was the 24th of June the day of the third and final task of the Triwizard Tournament.
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If you want to read ahead by 20+ chapters you could take a visit on my patreon Or check it out.
http://patreon.com/SageOf016