"Run!" Ron cried, holding Harry's waist tight. "Run fast! They are just behind us!"
Harry was already having a hard time holding onto another waist, and that too of a girl. "Ron! You are pulling me back!"
Daphne's mouth was pressed into a thin line, her face paling.
She looked over her shoulder and spied the hundreds of giant spiders still chasing them, their click-clacks deafening their ears. Her fingers grabbed the fur in her hands tightly.
Over her head, Daemonologie the Grimoire boiled with black flames.
The three children were riding a deer-like Pokemon with flowers growing on its horns — a Sawsbuck in Spring Form!
Somehow, the three students found themselves at the same checkpoint.
There, Daphne told Harry and Ron that before Hagrid was taken away, he had secretly told her to follow spiders.
She hadn't participated in the 2nd stage to win it.
She had done so that she could freely follow the trail.
Finding something amiss, Harry and Ron then decided to help her out, despite Daphne blatantly rejecting their request.
Soon, the three found them standing in front of Aragog — a huge, talking spider — who finally told them about the events from fifty years ago when the Chamber of Secrets had been opened; not by Hagrid.
After chatting with them and giving them all the answers, Aragog decided to eat the three students.
It was then that Daphne had summoned the Sawbuck before dashing out of the underground cave.
"Megahorn!" Daphne cried, seeing scores of spiders ambushing them from the front. "Hold tight…"
"I…" Harry stuttered.
"Hold tight!" Daphne snapped.
Suddenly, the Pokemon's horns lit up with a blinding, white light.
With a bang, it collided with a spider and threw it up, the creature disappearing into the darkness.
Bangs after bangs rang out as Sawbuck kept pummeling the spiders, clearing a path through the dark forest.
…
"Why aren't you using Apparation?!" Hermione asked Draco as they fumbled their way through the forest.
Draco kept silent for a moment.
Every time he closed his eyes, he kept seeing Darcie and Black, lying petrified in the Hospital Wing.
There was this feeling inside him that somehow his father was behind it all.
But with Darcie involved, things just didn't make sense anymore.
"Hey!"
"Tch!" Draco tsked. "Why are you following me? It's an individual task. Go away."
Hermione flattened her mouth. "I told you. Daphne and I came here for a specific reason. Hagrid left us a clue. We need to follow spiders."
"Spider!" Draco made a face. "Do I look like a spider to you?!"
"I…" Hermione didn't know what to say. Draco didn't show it, but ever since she had told him about the clue, he had been helping her find the spiders. Boys!
"Daphne's here for Darcie," Draco hissed. "What about you? Black?"
Hermione blushed in the darkness. "No need to be mean…"
Draco scoffed. "One love letter and…"
Hermione's blush reddened. "It's not like that," she mumbled slowly before shouting suddenly. "Why aren't you using Apparation?!"
"Why aren't you turning into a Werewolf?" Draco hit back.
If Hermione turned into a Werewolf using her Spell — Moonlight Sonata, then she could easily traverse through the forest. But Professor Dumbledore had warned her that people would be watching the students.
The reason behind Draco's not using Apparation was simpler — He didn't even know where to Apparate.
So, that was that.
Also, after learning that Draco could Apparate within Hogwarts after his duel with Daphne in the first stage, Professor Dumbledore had asked him not to use it unless someone's life was on the line.
Bloody, old fool! Draco cursed Dumbledore. If my sister didn't wake up, then I will be giving the next cursed item my father gives to me to you next time!
…
Out of the thirty champions, half had already given up.
To the judges of the Triwizard Tournament, the number didn't come as a surprise.
The champions of the first stage were still children. Despite the strict measures taken in the forbidden forest, they would be hard-pressed not to meet difficulty.
The only thing they could have done was to hire the Centaurs to keep an eye on them.
What did come as a surprise, though, to all but Professor McGonagall, was the number of Hogwarts students in the remaining champions.
Other than Angelina, the rest of them were still in the race.
"Hogwarrt's cheating!" Karkaroff grumbled. Only two Durmstrang students were still in the Forbidden Forest, including Viktor Krum.
Madam Maxime was just standing quietly, consoling the Beauxbatons students who had given up.
It was then that a ball of ghostly, blue fire dropped from the sky, shocking the living breath out of them.
It was a Patronus!
…
Alert!
MACUSA has fallen!
I repeat. MACUSA has fallen!
The Minister of Magic is dead!
The American Ministry of Magic is now being controlled by The Dark Alliance!!
…
Gasps of dread echoed everywhere.
Cornelius Fudge, who was chatting with Crouch Sr, looked like Earth had abandoned his feet. His fat face lost all color.
Crouch Sr's mustache crunched up even more, his eyes going hard and deep in his skull.
As if that wasn't enough, another ball of silvery fire dropped, all hopes dropping along with it.
…
Alert!
Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry attacked!
Dumbledore and Theodore pushed back the Yellow Warlock!
…
The message didn't mention students dying under the attack. But, even then, all knew that things might be much, much worse than what was being shared with them.
Madam Villanelle's heart jumped to her throat. How… Just how…
With a spell, Crouch Sr gathered all Aurors as a colorless Karkaroff and Madam Maxime rushed over to him.
"Our Schools!" They said together.
Crouch Sr nodded, and the two Headmasters disapparated.
"Gather all the students!" Crouch Sr ordered. "Take them back to Hogwarts and solidify the Concealment and Shield Charms!"
Standing next to him, Cornelius stuttered something.
Crouch Sr held the Minister of Magic's arm and disapparated as well.
…
Professor McGonagall, the temporary Headmistress of Hogwarts, marched through the School's corridors, carrying the wand in her hand.
With Dumbledore gone, the Dark Alliance, led by the Yellow Warlock, Ekrizdis, and Lord Voldemort, would definitely come for Hogwarts, she knew. No matter how she thought about it, at this moment, she must already be prepared to lay her life to protect the students.
Suddenly, she saw Professor Sprout running towards her with a smile on her face. Smile?
"Good news!" the witch almost screamed. "The Mandrakes have matured!"
Professor McGonagall almost smiled. Almost.
Then, Snape came at her from behind, his face graver than ever. "You should see this…"
Minerva's fingers tightened around the wand, imagining the worst.
But even she hadn't thought it would be something even worse than her imagination.
Near the Great Hall, where they had found a bloody message before, there was now another message; its tone murderous.
Her skeleton will lie in the Chamber forever.
McGonagall put a hand over her mouth. "Who?" she listlessly asked.
Snape answered with a firm, slow voice. "Ginny Weasley."
"WHAT?!!"
The three Professors turned around.
Harry, Ron, and Daphne were staring right at them, their eyes wide in horror.
*****************
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