Inside the carriage of Beauxbatons Academy of Magic, Fleur and her younger sister Gabrielle were seated together with Madame Maxime.
The vast difference in height was something all Beauxbatons students had long grown accustomed to. After all, Madame Maxime was older, and naturally, her size reflected that. Most people simply hypnotized themselves into accepting their towering headmistress.
Who knows how love could even blossom between a giant and a human? Leaving aside who fell for whom first, the sheer physical disparity between the two species was unimaginable for anyone not directly involved. As for the product of such a union—like Hagrid and Madame Maxime—their lives were equally unfortunate, for finding a suitable partner was nearly impossible. That much was painfully obvious.
So then, how exactly do giants and humans do it? How is it physically possible?This is a global mystery—or at least, in the wizarding world, no research exists on the matter.
"Fleur! Gabrielle! I asked you here today mainly to discuss the third task. If—and I say if—it comes down to just the two of you left, which of you will take the Cup?"
Madame Maxime's meaning was clear. Without getting into other issues—like potential attacks within the maze—if the Beauxbatons champions were lucky enough to be the final two, which sister should claim victory?
"We've never really thought about that," Fleur replied. "It's obvious the tournament wasn't designed to have two winners. Of course, part of that is for audience engagement. But I believe that when the time comes, we won't hesitate."
Fleur Delacour smiled and wrapped an arm around her sister. When that moment arrived, would an older sister really fight her younger sister for the prize?
"I wouldn't compete with my sister," Gabrielle stated plainly. "If we're lucky enough to have that chance, I'd definitely let her have it."
To Gabrielle, her sister's victory was her own as well. Just like when Regulus Black accepted her sister's feelings after she confessed to him—wasn't that perfect?
Madame Maxime couldn't help but feel affection for these two pure-hearted students. She didn't need a definite answer from them.
Forcing two loving sisters to make such a cruel choice for the sake of a tournament would only damage their bond. Fortunately, the Delacour sisters weren't that kind of people.
"Now, the next issue is how to deal with the champions from the other two schools. Durmstrang, in particular, is skilled in dark magic. You must be especially careful."
Madame Maxime was deeply wary of that German school. Their champions were far stronger and more responsive than those from Hogwarts. That alone was enough to command her full attention.
Meanwhile, back at the castle, the two champions had something to say:
"Please give us a moment alone!"
Regulus Black had warned that the third task might involve direct confrontations between champions. Their supporters, like mother hens guarding their chicks, had surrounded their chosen champions—or rather, created a human wall around them.
Wherever they went—be it the Great Hall, the library, or even just to see Hagrid watering the maze plants—the atmosphere was more like rival gangs parading through school.
"Stay away from our Cedric, you spy!"
The chocolates Cedric had discarded hadn't only ended up with Hufflepuffs. Students from other houses had taken them too. A Slytherin who had been caught was "dealt with" internally. The poor guy, face swollen, had begged Regulus Black to remove the effects of the love potion. At the time, no one recognized who he was.
But by retracing the entire chain of events as Regulus had suggested, and with Cedric's cooperation, they managed to track down the girl who had delivered the chocolate to Cedric. Once Regulus broke down that shoddy Valentine's Day chocolate, the only Slytherin boy smitten with Cedric was finally cured.
Draco himself had even come to express his thanks afterward.
But that was the only case. All the Ravenclaw boys had been claimed early on, and Slytherin's lone victim was healed.
Hufflepuff and Gryffindor's affected students, however, never sought help. On the contrary, they actively threw themselves into Cedric's arms, eventually forming one of the largest factions at Hogwarts—the Theban Army.
Yet, because the Theban Army was made up of students from two different houses, and now there were champions from both, a problem had arisen: Should the Gryffindors still rally around Cedric?
"You lot have no right to be around Cedric! You're all Gryffindors—go back to Harry Potter where you belong!"
A couple of young Gryffindors were pushed out by the little Hufflepuffs, clearly treated as outcasts.
"Sorry! While we sympathize with what you've been through, please stay away from Harry Potter."
The "Savior's Army," formed by the three mischievous Weasley brothers, quickly rose to prominence in Gryffindor. Naturally, their center was the Chosen One—Harry Potter.
Ron Weasley, with righteous indignation, stepped in front of the driven-out Gryffindors, blocking their path of retreat.
Children often have no idea how hurtful they can be. They act purely on impulse, thinking that if they want to do something, then they're fully justified in doing it without any hesitation.
"Ten points from Gryffindor. Ten from Hufflepuff. You're disrupting order and blocking the path to class."
Regulus Black didn't step in to help anyone. He simply deducted points from both sides as he passed by.
"Why does Assistant Professor Black get to take points from us?!"
Some students grew agitated, but none could accuse Regulus of favoritism—after all, he had penalized both groups.
"Damn Slytherins!"Ron Weasley suddenly shouted.
"Damn Slytherins!"The little Gryffindors around Harry Potter echoed.
"Damn Slytherins!"Even the little Hufflepuffs joined in.
It suddenly struck them that Regulus Black, like Professor Snape, was a Slytherin. Both now taught Potions, although Regulus, as an assistant professor, often filled in for various classes.
Just as Regulus Black had turned the corner, he doubled back.
"Ten more points from Gryffindor. Ten from Hufflepuff. For inciting trouble and provoking inter-house tensions."
Having said that, Regulus Black left for real this time, trusting that deducting 20 points from each house would be enough to wake them up a bit.
There was still much to be arranged in the maze. Aurors from the Ministry of Magic were in charge of adding traps and mechanisms. Every setup needed careful evaluation—it had to challenge the champions without actually putting their lives at risk.
Moreover, some traps were designed for protection. For instance, if a champion were trapped inside, they would lose their freedom but be kept safe. There would be no way for someone outside the trap to freely attack those inside.
The reason Aurors were tasked with this was to ensure fairness. Director Barty Crouch fully agreed with this approach and spoke highly of Hogwarts' cooperation—utterly full of official jargon.
Clearly, the Head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation was no longer in his right mind. The spell Legilimens Imperius—also known as the Mind Control Curse—had been widely used during the Dark Lord's reign. Many witches and wizards had fallen under its control. After the Dark Lord's downfall, several Death Eaters claimed to have been victims of this Unforgivable Curse to escape punishment by the Wizengamot.
It appeared Barty Crouch had already fallen under the control of his son, Barty Crouch Jr.
And if memory serves, in the original story, Barty Crouch ultimately died at the hands of his own son.
What a tragic betrayal—few could compare.
While interacting with Barty Crouch, Regulus Black casually asked his opinion on Mad-Eye Moody.
"Moody is our retired Auror. Exceptionally talented—he's a source of pride for us. I even asked him to help with the traps and mechanisms in the maze."
Want to read the chapters in Advance? Join my Patreon
https://patreon.com/Glimmer09