the third task
The Exam Preparation Begins
After their wild success with the modified Invisibility Cloak, Hermione and Draco were riding high on academic confidence. That was, until the realization hit them.
Exams were coming.
For most students, this meant last-minute cramming and a general sense of dread. For Draco and Hermione, however, it meant a meticulously structured, borderline militant study plan that would put most professional researchers to shame.
And, to the utter shock of the adults, they actually revised.
the sitting room of Grimmauld Place (or sometimes Malfoy Manor, depending on who was hosting) had transformed into an academic battleground.
Parchments were stacked in neat piles, ink bottles and quills lay strategically positioned, and a self-updating study schedule floated midair. There was even a charmed hourglass timing their revision breaks.
Draco and Hermione had somehow roped in everyone else, much to their dismay.
- Harry was sulking because Draco kept choosing textbooks over snogging him.
- Ron and Blaise were dramatically suffering and questioning their life choices.
- Pansy and Theo had teamed up to force-feed them snacks when Hermione tried to skip meals.
- Nico and Will, who had no exams, were watching like it was an entertaining human experiment.
Sirius walked into the room one evening, fully expecting chaos, only to freeze at the sight of silent, focused studying.
He blinked.
He walked back out.
He walked back in.
Still studying.
"What the hell is going on?" he muttered.
Lucius, standing beside him, smirked. "They’re revising, Black. Something you likely never did in your life."*
Sirius ignored him and turned to Snape, who had just arrived. "Did you give them a potion? Is this mind control?"
Snape rolled his eyes. "As if I’d waste my talents on that. This is their own doing."*
Narcissa, looking proud, sipped her tea. "They are simply dedicated to academic excellence."*
Sirius snorted. "They’re insane, is what they are."*
---
Alright," Draco announced, adjusting his study notes. "We have precisely 56 hours until exams begin, which means we have 37 hours of efficient study time once we account for sleep, meals, and breaks."*
Hermione nodded approvingly. "That should be enough to review Advanced Transfiguration, Arithmancy, Ancient Runes, and—"
Ron groaned loudly. "Are you guys actually human?"
Blaise threw himself onto the couch dramatically. "No one should be this excited about exams, it’s unnatural."*
Draco ignored them. "Harry, you need to review your defensive spell theory. If you don’t, I swear I will hex you into next week."*
Harry, sprawled across the floor with his book upside down, grinned. "But you like hexing me."*
Draco turned bright pink. "Shut up, Potter, and read your damn book."*
---
To the adults’ amusement, the geniuses kept studying until the very last moment. Even Snape looked mildly impressed—though he’d never admit it.
Sirius, on the other hand, couldn’t resist teasing. "You two act like you’re about to take a Ministry exam for Unspeakables instead of standard school tests."*
"We like to be prepared," Hermione said primly.
"We like to win," Draco added.
Harry sighed dramatically. "And I like sleep, but I guess we can’t all have what we want."*
Lucius chuckled, shaking his head. "Regardless, it is… impressive. Even I never saw you study this seriously before, Draco."*
Draco sniffed. "That’s because I used to think I could charm my way through exams. But Hermione here has convinced me otherwise."*
"And now he’s a menace," Ron muttered.
---
As the group finally wrapped up their study session and prepared for exams, the adults exchanged a look.
Sirius, shaking his head in disbelief, muttered, "I still can’t believe they chose to study this hard."*
Snape smirked. "Gryffindor recklessness meets Slytherin ambition. It’s an exhausting combination."*
Lucius sighed, but there was a hint of pride in his expression as he watched Draco debate theoretical spell mechanics with Hermione. "At least I know the future of the wizarding world won’t be in incompetent hands."*
Narcissa nodded. "Yes, but at what cost?"
They all turned to see Harry, Blaise, Ron, Theo, and Pansy looking completely dead inside as Draco and Hermione continued discussing theoretical spell physics.
Harry groaned, throwing an arm over his face. "I love him, but I swear to Merlin, I need a break."*
Draco beamed. "No breaks. We have 12 more hours of potential study time."*
Harry, in despair, muttered, "I take it back. I don’t love him."*
--
The Third Task Begins
The tension in the air was almost suffocating.
The massive, twisting maze stood before them, its tall hedges unnaturally still despite the light breeze sweeping across the arena. Enchanted torches flickered around the perimeter, illuminating the nervous, excited, and terrified faces in the stands.
The champions stood in a line, their names being called out one by one.
Harry was determined. The moment the whistle blew, he was going to win this.
---
"On my mark—three, two, one—go!"
Cedric and Harry, leading in points, dashed inside first. The maze seemed quiet at first, but Harry knew that was a trick.
Draco had been extra protective before the task, practically threatening Harry to stay alive before dramatically kissing him in front of everyone.
"You better come back in one piece, Potter," he had said, voice sharp but eyes pleading.
Now, inside the maze, Harry had no room for distractions.
He moved quickly, choosing pathways at random while keeping his wand raised. He could hear Fleur’s distant voice yelling a spell, and further away, Krum’s footsteps.
The maze was shifting. Walls moving, paths disappearing and reappearing.
---
A blast of golden light shot toward him—Harry barely ducked. A giant acromantula loomed in front of him, fangs dripping venom.
"Of course," Harry muttered before raising his wand. "Impedimenta!"*
The spider staggered back but didn’t fall. It lunged.
Harry rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding being crushed.
He fired three stunning spells in quick succession—one finally hit its mark, and the acromantula collapsed.
"One down," he muttered. "Who knows how many more to go."*
---
As Harry ran forward, he nearly slammed into Cedric.
"Potter!" Cedric hissed, panting. "This maze is insane. I just got attacked by—"
A sudden movement behind Cedric made Harry act on instinct.
"Protego!"*
The shield charm bounced off something invisible. Cedric turned just in time as a Disarming Spell shot at them from nowhere.
"Who—"
The air shimmered—and Krum appeared.
But something was wrong. His eyes were… vacant.
"He’s Imperiused!" Harry realized a second too late.
"Stupefy!" Cedric yelled. The spell hit Krum, and he collapsed.
"We don’t have time for this," Cedric muttered. "Come on—"
And then the maze shifted again.
Harry turned—Cedric was gone.
"What—"
The hedge had moved, separating them.
"Great."*
---
Harry kept running, dodging spells and weird creatures along the way. He was exhausted, but then—
A golden light ahead.
The Triwizard Cup.
But—he wasn’t alone.
Cedric had made it through from the other side.
They locked eyes.
"Take it," Cedric said breathlessly.
"Together," Harry replied, determined.
Cedric hesitated—then nodded.
They grabbed the cup at the same time.
---
The moment their hands touched it—
The world vanished.
A sudden pull behind Harry’s navel sent him spinning—ripping through space—
And then—
They landed.
But they weren’t in the arena anymore.
The graveyard was silent.
"Harry…" Cedric whispered. "Where are we?"
Harry’s scar burned.
Something was very, very wrong.