Lovely (a Scorbus story)

Part 14

"Champions will all report to the champion's tent immediately for the first task of the Triwizard Tournament."

Scorpius whirled on Albus, dawning worry flickering in his eyes. "Albus—"

"Don't worry." Albus took a deep breath, shoving a familiar sphere in his pocket. "I'll be fine. Fine."

"Are you sure?" Scorpius's eyes betrayed his panic. "Max could—she could have sabotaged—"

"Max didn't sabotage me," Albus said confidently. "I'll be okay, Scorp."

And with that he set off, glancing behind him at the tall boy, silhouetted in the setting sun.

"Potter," Professor McGonagall greeted as he entered the tent. "Are you all set? You have your wand?"

Albus nodded.

"You're...prepared?"

"As prepared as I can be, Professor."

"Good," she said crisply. "I'd like a win for Hogwarts, understand?"

"Yes."

Max was next to enter the tent, and she looked armed to the teeth, with what looked like a silver serpent coiled around her wrist and her wand stuck into a small sheath attached to her leggings. She wore black leggings, a black tank top, and a cranberry-red and blue Gordian knot pin. Her hair was up in a ponytail, and she looked ridiculously fierce.

Aurélie was last, dressed in trademark Beauxbatons blue, armed with only her wand. She looked nervous.

"Champions!" Professor McGonagall clapped her hands once. "Are you ready to hear your task today?"

They nodded. Max closed her eyes for a few moments, then opened them. Albus edged back a bit; she looked absolutely deadly.

"Today you will be, one by one, subduing and capturing a chimaera," she said. "This is a test of your bravery, and I hope you all do well."

She peeked through the flap of the tent. "Your fellow students are all here, and they're watching," she said. "You will all be going out together. There are three chimaeras somewhere on the ground, and the first person back with their chimaera will obtain the most points.

"You will be departing in one minute."

Albus decided that the worst part was the wait. The clock seemed to drag on...50 seconds...45...40...30...15...

Zero.

The whistle blew.

Instantly, Albus was running, running as fast as possible, pulling his wand out of his pocket. "Animalis revelio."

Nothing. So the chimaera was not nearby.

He could faintly hear cheering from the stands. He saw Max weaving in and out of the trees. Aurélie had summoned a broomstick and was sweeping the area around the castle.

"Animalis revelio," he whispered again. This time, he felt it.

"YA!"

A figure swung out of a tree.

Max dropped to the ground, landing in a crouch, the snake around her arm uncoiling. She flung her hand forward; the snake curled around the neck of an animal in front of her.

Albus's stomach dropped. It's her chimaera. She's already got hers.

In desperation, Albus whipped out the sphere he carried in his pocket and threw it directly at the chimaera.

There was a flash of blinding light and the chimaera disappeared into the sphere.

"Accio ball!" Albus yelled, the sphere hurtled towards him and he caught it, shoving it into his pocket as he ran, Max's angry yells echoing behind him.

"What's going on?"

Aurélie dropped out of the tree, smiling in a horribly sweet way.

"Nothing," Albus lied, his hand automatically closing around the sphere.

Aurélie's smile grew more pronounced. "Give it to me."

Albus spotted motion out of the corner of his eye, but didn't look. "Give you what?"

"Give me the chimaera, of course." Aurélie drew her wand. "Or I shall hex you until you are nothing more than dust and shadows."

"Fancy." Albus drew his wand as well, pointing it at Aurélie. 

"Hand it over, Albus," Aurélie pestered, a dangerous tone entering her voice.

Albus pulled the ball out of his pocket. "Come and get it, then."

"PETRIFICUS TOTALUS!"

The jinx shot past him and hit Aurélie directly in the chest. 

Reacting instantly, Albus chucked the ball as far into the forest as it would go.

"Impedimentia!"

As he had suspected, the shadow creeping into his peripheral vision was a second chimaera, and his impediment jinx hit it straight in the chest and it reared back, both heads roaring with anger.

"Locomotor Wibbly!"

The chimaera dropped to its knees.

"Uhhh...Wingardium Leviosa!" 

With some difficulty, the chimaera rose into the air, and Albus broke into a run. On his left, Max had retrieved the ball and was running full force towards the spectators.

Cheers erupted as Max made it back, holding the ball in the air. Albus was seconds behind her, placing the chimaera on the ground and performing a Body-Bind curse.

"Congratulations, champions!" Professor McGonagall announced, glancing at the judges. "The judges are deliberating, as time is up, while our third champion has not arrived yet."

Ten minutes later, Aurélie hobbled onto the field, chimaera-free, with a large burn covering her cheek and right eye. Madam Pomfrey bustled over to her as the judges whispered.

"In third place, we have awarded Aurélie Blanchard of Beauxbatons seven points out of fifty; while she encountered the chimaera, she did not manage to subdue or capture it."

Aurélie's eyes filled with tears.

"In second place, with forty-two points, Albus Potter of Hogwarts."

The stands erupted into yells. Albus spotted Scorpius at the front, cheering like mad. There was so much pride in his eyes Albus couldn't help but grin.

"And in first place, with forty-six points, Max James of Ilvermorny."

Max whooped. "Good game, Albus."

"You too, Max."

"Stealing chimaeras is considered rude, by the way."

"Hey, I gave it back, didn't I?"

Max laughed. "You did. How'd you like the ball?"

"Useful. Until you took it."

"You literally gave it to me."

Scorpius appeared at Albus's side. "You were amazing. I saw the whole thing. That was amazing."

And not caring that the whole school was watching, Albus leaned over and kissed Scorpius, right in front of everyone.

Max smirked.

"Called it."