Champions - Book 4 in the Star of Gryffindor Series

Chapter 32 - A Father's Fury

If I had all the time in the world, I would love to write a Marauders fanfic. I love the Marauders and I rarely see fanfics that portray them correctly. Or maybe I'd write a fanfic about the Black sisters! That's a family I'd love to explore more. Alas, I have no time.

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The morning of the third task dawned cloudy and overcast, which did not give me high hopes for the rest of the night. I'd been woken by Wren having a nightmare twice the night before, but even if that hadn't happened, I wouldn't have slept well. I was too anxious for everything to be over. It felt like a few hours would decide my fate, though that was ridiculous. Most likely, I would just wander around the maze until someone found the Triwizard Cup and that would be it. I was just spooked.

I couldn't bring myself to eat at breakfast. Or lunch. No matter how Wren and Albus prodded, I knew I would probably throw up whatever I ate.

Just before dinner, Kirsten walked up to me. "You are nervous?" she asked, looking more than a little nervous herself.

I took a minute, deciding whether to lie or not. "I mean, yeah. Who wouldn't be?"

"You must be very careful in the maze," Kirsten said quietly, her eyes wide.

I frowned. I might have been a fourth year, but who was she to tell me to be careful? I'd faced a basilisk before. And won. I was pretty sure I could handle this. "Don't you need to be careful too?" I snapped. "Why just me?"

Kirsten chuckled. "Well, you are younger. I am thinking you vould not know as many spells." She smiled at me for a second, then nodded as if she'd made up her mind. "I suppose you will be fine, yes? You have been fine before. Good luck."

"Good luck," I said distractedly as she turned and walked away. Distractedly, because u noticed something unusual. Haverna was slipping out the front door, glancing around. It could only be described as suspicious. Here's our chance, I thought. We can catch her in the act! I turned and raced upstairs to find Albus and Wren.

I almost slammed into them on the fourth floor landing. "Merlin's beard, Astra!" Albus exclaimed, taking a step back. "Why—"

"Hurry, run upstairs and borrow James's Invisibility Cloak," I said breathlessly; I'd just run up four and a half flights of stairs and that's not an easy thing if you care about things like, oh I don't know, breathing.

"Why?" Albus asked.

"I'll explain in a minute. Just hurry."

Albus didn't waste time, luckily. I leaned against the wall, trying to catch my breath. Too many stairs. Wren was frowning at me, but didn't ask any questions. Not two minutes later, I heard footsteps running down the stairs, and Albus skidded around a bend, the Cloak draped over his arm.

"Come on, we have to hurry," I said, stating down the stairs.

"Hurry where?" Wren asked as my friends followed me.

"Outside. I saw Haverna sneaking out. We can follow her and see what's going on."

I could feel Albus and Wren exchanging a look behind my back. "Um, shouldn't you be getting ready for the task right now?" Wren asked. "You haven't eaten all day."