The Game Begins Inside the Maze
The Easter holidays passed so quickly that the students barely had time to enjoy them properly. That said, the chocolate eggs scattered all over the castle certainly didn't go unnoticed. Lately, it felt like every celebration at Hogwarts was taken a little too far, and of course, when there was a chance to hand out sweets, the students made the most of it.
There were a few pranks mixed in among the eggs. Some students ended up turning into canaries, or, if they were unlucky enough, into a full temporary gender swap… courtesy of the Weasley twins. Aside from that, things were fairly calm, mostly because it seemed the professors had used those short holidays to deal with certain problems behind the scenes… ones the students, of course, knew nothing about.
By the end of the month, the next task was already just around the corner. And Harry, for his part, had been unusually calm lately. He simply went to classes, earned points for his house with ease alongside his friends, and helped Ravenclaw take the lead once again.
To the point where it felt almost suspicious.
Seeing him this calm without the group turning everything into some kind of competitive battlefield… it didn't quite fit.
Professor Flitwick, however, seemed more than pleased. He had been walking through the halls lately with clear pride, as if he could already feel his students maturing.
Finally, after a Transfiguration class, as Harry was leaving with his friends, Professor Flitwick approached him with a bright smile.
"Potter, Malfoy, it's good that you're still here. I knew you'd have class with Minerva today," the small professor said gently. "Tonight, at exactly nine, you are to go to the Quidditch pitch. Mr. Bagman will be waiting there. I believe it's time to inform you about the next task. Don't be late."
He paused for a moment before continuing, his face full of pride.
"Though I suppose there isn't much else to say… the two of you are representing Hogwarts exceptionally well. Ravenclaw especially. I'm proud that you are the representatives of our school."
"Thank you, Professor," Harry said with a slight nod and a small smile.
Draco also nodded with quiet respect.
After delivering the message, Flitwick continued on his way, leaving the group on their own.
"I just hope this doesn't end like last time," Hermione said, a hint of unease in her voice.
"It'll be fine. That was just an accident. Hagrid and Mr. Scamander said those creatures probably used the movement of the Durmstrang ship to get here," Daphne replied calmly, not giving it too much importance.
"Yeah, but that's still just a theory. They don't even know where those things actually came from. They've never seen anything like them before. The best they can say is that they might come from the deepest parts of the water, which is why no one had discovered them. But it's still strange that not even Aunt Wanda could sense them the first time," Hermione said, clearly not fully convinced.
And she wasn't entirely wrong.
According to Hagrid and Newt, based on the evidence, those creatures had simply appeared in the lake and had been there even before the first task began. Which meant there was no time for anyone to place them there as part of a trap… since no one knew the third task would take place in the river.
Well…
no one except the organizers.
"Let it go, Hermione. Sirius was really angry about that. There'll definitely be a lot more security for this last task. No mistakes, no one getting hurt," Harry said calmly, trusting his godfather.
Even if he could be a bit of an idiot sometimes… he was still one of the most reliable adults Harry knew.
Obviously below his mother, Uncle Edward, Aunt Narcissa, Remus, Uncle Wendel, Aunt Selene, Aunt Susan, Sirius…
…and then Pandora.
"Well… if you line them all up, Sirius ends up pretty close to the bottom… yeah, maybe it's better not to line them up," Harry thought for a moment, realizing just how low Sirius ranked… and that there were still more people he could add to that list. Maybe it was better not to push it, or Sirius would end up even lower.
…
After leaving the girls in the Ravenclaw common room around 8:30, Harry and Draco headed toward the Quidditch pitch as Flitwick had instructed.
They moved quickly down the corridors, reaching the entrance hall as they talked.
"What do you think it'll be?" Draco asked, walking calmly as they stepped out through the castle doors, the dark night hanging over them. "Hermione's still studying underground tunnels to help Fleur, so I'm pretty sure she thinks it'll be some kind of treasure hunt," he added as they walked down the stone steps.
Harry glanced at him for a moment, a small smile forming… one that looked suspiciously similar to the one Daphne had been giving Draco and Hermione lately.
But before Draco could notice, Harry looked ahead again.
"I don't know… it does make sense. And they replaced one of the judges at the last moment. Now it's Minister Fudge taking the spot," Harry said, his expression turning slightly sour at the mention of the Minister.
"I would've preferred if they replaced Dumbledore. That old man only shows up to hand out scores and then disappears. I don't even know why he still comes. It's like he can't let go of his position as Headmaster and just shows up to make sure Sirius is doing a good job. It's annoying," Draco said with clear disdain.
Harry couldn't help but agree.
"He's old… maybe it's all he has left. Or maybe he thinks he can get his position back if he plays his part well enough. After all, Sirius is still only the acting Headmaster," Harry said calmly as they arrived right in front of the Quidditch pitch.
Which, to be fair, they didn't visit often unless it was for an important Ravenclaw match. Most of the time, they had plenty of other things to do.
They slipped through an opening between the stands and stepped onto the field.
But the moment they did—
they realized something was off.
It didn't look anything like they remembered.
The usual open center of the pitch… gone.
No flat stretch of grass, no clear field with the hoops at each end, like it should be for a game played on broomsticks.
That familiar space—
wasn't there anymore.
Instead, long, low walls stretched out before them, covering the entire field.
"Are those hedges?" Harry said, stepping closer and brushing a hand against one. "Remember that fair we went to? The one where we lost Daphne in that giant hay maze… and she decided the best way out was to burn it down?" he added, recalling it for a moment.
Draco nodded, then his eyes widened slightly as he stared more closely at the hedges.
"Looks like Hermione wasn't that wrong after all. She just missed the part about underground tunnels," he said calmly, standing beside Harry.
"Oh, hello, hello. You're finally here," a cheerful voice called out as it approached quickly.
It was Ludo Bagman.
He was already there with Viktor, Marton, Fleur, and Luciel, who all glanced at Harry and Draco before greeting them with brief nods.
Though Harry lingered just a bit longer on Fleur.
She greeted him—
and then avoided his gaze again, just like she had been doing for a while now.
Which only made Harry's lips curl into a faint smile.
Meanwhile, Luciel glanced at his cousin, then at Harry, and let out a quiet sigh…
one that said more than enough.
Still, he stayed in his role as an observer.
"I was just showing them the outside of the maze, though there's not much to see from here. It'll be completely closed off until the day of the task. What matters is what's inside," Ludo said with a smile, trying to sound mysterious. "But you can tell it's growing nicely, can't you?" he added, gesturing toward the hedges, which stood at least six meters tall.
"Well then, I assume you've all figured out what the fourth and final task is about, haven't you?" Ludo said, clearly excited.
The champions glanced at each other for a moment…
then back at him.
Considering he had basically just said it.
"A maze?" Marton asked, slightly confused.
"That's right! You got it!" Ludo said with a wide grin.
Harry stared at him for a moment.
Ludo, noticing the looks the champions were giving him, seemed to catch on.
"Oh… right, my mistake. Sorry about that. I've been a bit… distracted lately. Don't worry, nothing a good rest after the competition won't fix," he said quickly, brushing it off. "Now, let me explain what this wonderful and unique task is about. It's meant to be the best one yet… by far."
"It sounds simple, doesn't it? Just walking through a maze for the final task… but it's not. This maze will be filled with traps, riddles, creatures, and all sorts of things meant to stop you from reaching… the victory cup. That's what I like to call it, anyway. The other judges didn't agree, so it's officially just the Champion's Cup. The first one to take it will earn the highest score, which means becoming the overall winner of the tournament," Ludo said, raising both arms as if presenting a grand show, even bouncing slightly with excitement.
"So the winner is decided just by who takes the cup?" Fleur asked.
"Yes. Up until now, you've been given scores by the judges. Those scores will determine your starting positions. In other words, the ones with the highest points will enter first and have a better chance of getting ahead of the others," Ludo explained, giving Harry a smile, then moving his gaze across Luciel, Fleur, Draco, Viktor, and finally Marton, who would be the last to enter the maze.
"Of course, having better chances doesn't mean anything is guaranteed. Like I said, there'll be all kinds of things trying to stop you inside," he added with excitement. "Sounds fun, doesn't it?"
The champions simply looked at the overly enthusiastic Ludo…
and nodded out of pure courtesy.
"Very well, if there are no questions, we'll head back to the castle. It's starting to get cold," Ludo said calmly, rubbing his arms slightly as the night breeze passed over them.
Then Ludo seemed to realize something.
He looked down at his clothes.
And frowned.
"Uh… where did I leave my coat?" he muttered, glancing around as he scratched his head.
All the champions stared at him.
And for a brief moment, they all thought the same thing—
If this was the man organizing the tasks…
then this was not reassuring at all.
They exchanged quick looks, gave each other short nods, and then split up, each heading back their own way.
Fleur was about to return with Luciel when she felt it.
That familiar gaze.
She turned slightly, just for a second—
And there it was.
That smile.
She immediately looked away, focusing straight ahead, avoiding him completely…
and realizing, a second too late, just how obvious that had been.
She lightly tapped her forehead as she walked beside her cousin.
Luciel noticed.
Of course he did.
"You're still on that?" he asked, clearly amused.
"On what?" Fleur replied, glancing at him briefly, a faint red mark still visible on her forehead.
"Haaa… what happened to the proud half-Veela who could charm anyone?" Luciel said with a grin. "Now you're the one getting pulled in. As your cousin, I have to say… this is actually entertaining."
"I'm not under anyone's charm," Fleur shot back immediately, her tone sharp.
"Yeah… sure," Luciel said, still enjoying himself.
But before they could continue, a noise nearby made them both turn.
Something had moved in the dark forest beside the carriage.
A bush shifted slightly.
Both of them focused on it, cautious, in case something from the forest had wandered out. Though lately, that had become rare.
They didn't have to wait long.
Something popped out of the bush—
or rather, a red head peeked out, covered in leaves and branches.
At the sight of it, both Fleur and Luciel let out a quiet breath.
"Hey there… troublemaker," Luciel said as he recognized Red.
The small dragon looked at them and tilted his head slightly.
A familiar gesture.
The same one Harry sometimes made… something he had picked up from his mother. And the little dragon seemed to mimic it now and then.
For a brief second, Fleur found it… oddly cute.
Especially when compared to a certain "villain."
She quickly shook her head, pushing the thought away—
just as she noticed something dangling from Red's mouth, swaying gently in the darkness.
Her hand moved to her neck instantly.
Empty.
She hadn't noticed before.
Not until now.
And it had been gone for a while… but her mind had been too busy thinking about how to avoid Harry to realize it sooner.
"That's…" Luciel said, narrowing his eyes. "The necklace your aunt gave you, right?"
Fleur reached the same conclusion, trying to remember when she had lost it…
and the last time she had seen it—
when she had been talking to Harry.
Right when he caught that Niffler.
Red looked at her for a moment.
Then toward the castle.
He stepped out of the bush—
and without looking back, ran toward Hogwarts.
"Ah…" Fleur snapped out of it. "Red, wait!" she called, already moving as she chased after the small dragon.
Luciel stayed where he was, raising an eyebrow as he watched his cousin run after Harry's pet.
A small smile formed on his face, followed by a quiet sigh.
"Oh… my foolish cousin. I'm pretty sure he could sell you… and you'd help him count the money," Luciel muttered, watching her walk straight into what was clearly a very simple trap.
He shook his head, letting out another breath before turning back toward the Beauxbatons carriage.
Because if Fleur was the one counting the money…
Luciel would be the one reminding her to raise the price.
That's what family does.
Yes…
whether she realized it—
or maybe she did.
Fleur had just stepped directly into Harry's game.