𝐀𝐑𝐂𝐀𝐍𝐄 ˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳ 𝐧𝐜𝐭 𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦 - 𝐡𝐨𝐠𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐮

⇛ 𝐂𝐇. 𝟏𝟔

𝐣𝐮𝐧 𝟐𝟒 𝟏𝟗𝟗𝟓

"mark, you've got this!" chenle cheered for the nervous boy. the third task was around an hour away and he couldn't stop pacing around the library.

"remember to use lumos. it's going to be dark in that maze and you won't get far if you can't see." renjun said as jeno tossed a book of spells at him.

"renjun, you've told him enough now. you're going to make the poor boy even more nervous. look at how pale he is!" chenle pointed at mark's face that had indeed gone white.

"sit down, mark. you're making me dizzy." jeno pulled the boys wrist, forcing him to sit.

"i have a bad feeling about this task and not because it's a maze that i know he'll get lost in. there's something else." yunhee said, her leg bouncing.

"i feel like you're not telling us the full story." renjun said, observing her frowning face and how she brought her hand up to bite on her nails, but quickly reminded herself not to and brought it back down.

"i suppose it's best to tell you now. i've been having dreams ever since that second task, but they don't quite feel like dreams. in them, i see barty crouch, i've told you that, but then i see another body. he... he looks like cedric." she explained, looking around at their baffled faces. "i could just be assuming though! oh no, look what i've done. mark, please don't be even more scared now! it might not mean anything. it's dumb. it must be because i'm so anxious."

"i'm sure it's nothing." jeno agreed, but he planned to bring renjun back to the library with him to find any books that could explain the dreams. books always had answers for everything.

"excuse me. dumbledore says everyone should head to the maze stands and mark needs to go to the champion room to get ready." colin creevey told them, entering the library.

"mark, don't worry, alright?" yunhee hugged the boy before he left to find the other champions and teachers. "i guess this is it."

"um... yunhee." chenle pointed behind her and she turned around to find colin still standing there.

"not now, colin. run along." she shooed him away.

"what was that about?" chenle asked as they started making their way to the stands.

"i may have said he could get mark's autograph. it wasn't a promise though. still must have gotten that boy's hopes up."

"well, you best get it quick because that boy will never give up." renjun said, looking over at the band that were playing music loudly.

the three hufflepuff's and the ravenclaw managed to squeeze into seats at front row — not that it mattered because they couldn't even see inside the maze. chenle reached into his pocket and pulled out a scrunched up yellow banner that had 'harry' and 'cedric' written on it.

"i made this." he boasted, waving it in the air. the champions walked out from under the stands and mark smiled at his friends at front row who were showing off the banner.

"silence!" dumbledore yelled, and the music died down into an elephant sound before going completely quiet along with all the students.

"earlier today, professor moody placed the triwizard cup deep within the maze. only he knows it's exact position. now, as mr diggory... and mr lee..." the group of friends were on their feet in a second, cheering for mark. "are tied for first position, they will be first to enter the maze. followed by mr krum... and miss delacour."

"gosh, they're absolute beasts." chenle whined, covering his ears at the sound of the durmstrang boys yelling.

"the first person to touch the cup will be the winner! i've instructed the staff to patrol the perimeter. should, at any point, a contestant wish to withdraw from the task, he or she need only send up red sparks with their wands."