The First Task
Remus looked in every book and even walked around the school grounds but couldn’t find anything that might hint what the first task was.
He, James and Sirius decided it would be easier if they worked together to solve the mystery that was the first task. Igor and August weren’t as mad as Remus had thought they’d be and even they wanted to help figure it out.
The students from every school turned into detectives as they researched and told one of the champions if they found something useful.
Some boys in fourth year saw Hagrid, the game keeper, walk into the school grounds carrying three large oyster shells at 6 in the morning. This seemed to up the spirit and the champions believed the task would be set underwater.
A student from Durmstrang and a Hogwarts Ravenclaw who were interested in the Care of Magical Creatures had three main ideas of what the challenge could be. They had talked to Hagrid and Professor Kettleburn to see what water creatures were in Hogwarts. There were mermaids, murtlaps and kelpies.
Sirius joked about having to walk across a room of murtlaps and trying not to get their feet eaten off. That was not helping.
Since getting help from other students was cheating in the tournament, everyone had to be subtle. No one wanted to ruin their champions chance of winning so they made up excuses for borrowing so many water creature books or asking Professor Flitwick of any breathing underwater charms.
Remus knew that the teachers knew what they were doing but kept it quiet from the headmasters. Flitwick gave it away when he gave James the incantation and wand movement for the air bubble charm.
“For day to day life if you decide to live underwater.” He squeaked then made James leave the classroom before he took points from Gryffindor.
“But it would be so obvious if you all had the same spell for the first task.” Marlene said. She has ignored Remus for a few days after he got chosen for Champion but she must have had a chat with someone and is now helping them.
“Turn into a shark or something.” Remus laughed and threw his book at her.
With the dawning of the challenge drawing near, there was also the fact that a very attractive boy known as Sirius Black kept flirting with him. Remus spent half his days blushed and the other half flushed with frustration. Was eternal glory worth this stress?
Apparently not because very soon the boys met the press.
___
The camera flashed brightly in James’s eyes as he stood with Remus and Sirius. Sirius was lucky and got to sit in a chair and after two hours of relentless posing James was thinking of stealing it.
“Nice to meet you, I’m Rita Skeeter a journalist for the Daily Prophet. But this isn’t about me,” She shook her head and chuckled after shaking all their hands, “we want to know about you. The unknown scarred boy, the rich glasses kid and the Black heir. So many people are interested, so many.” She clutched her fist to her heart and said it passionately.
Her hair was platinum blond and in fancy waves around her face. She had purple cat eye glasses with gems on the tips and bright red lipstick. Her green feather pen was hovering behind her over the top of a note book. She looked like she was in her early 20’s.
“Lets do youngest first, let’s go Potter.” She grabbed his hand and pulled him out of the room and into an empty classroom.
“So tell me boy, what was it like hearing your name come from the Goblet of Fire?” She said inthralled, her pen at the ready.
“Uh, it was exciting I guess. I wanted to be chosen so it was like a dream to be honest.” James said, scratching the back of his head.
“Right, right. Were your parents worried, did they cry when you told them?”
“No, dad was really happy and mum said they would come to every challenge so I look forward to seeing them.” James said slowly. Rita seemed disappointed but perked up for the next question.
“Have you got a date for the Yule Ball? Are the girls kissing your feet? You certainly aren’t ugly James Potter.” She said with a wink and patting his chin.
“Ummm, what’s this got to do with the tournament?”
“Do you not know boy? The Yule Ball is a dance where the ladies and gentlemen of the competing schools mingle and waltz. I’ve always wanted to go, do you have anyone in mind?” She said with a wink.
“Uh yes.” James said quickly so Rita didn’t think he’d ask her.
“Oh well. Next question!”
——
“Why must they pick the coldest of days to do a task in the fucking Black Lake?” Sirius complained, wrapping his pale blue Champion jacket tighter around him, his name embroidered at the back.
Remus had one the same but in pale brown and the Durmstrang symbol. His surname was also embroidered.
James’s was red and gold with Hogwarts on the back and his surname.
Underneath they each had a waterproof singlet and long shorts, the Black Lake looked colder than ever and the other students covered in wool and necks sheltered with thick scarfs was not making Sirius feel any less cold.
Regulus was next to him, talking to him in low French.
“Ne pense pas au froid alors peut-être qu'il fera plus chaud?” Regulus suggested “Don’t think about the cold then maybe it’ll be warmer?”
“Merci Reggie,” Sirius muttered between his trembling teeth, “pourquoi n'y ai-je pas pensé.” “Why didn’t I think of that.”
“No need for the sarcasm.” Regulus said with a laugh. Sirius grinned at him and turned when the minister walked in.
“Gather round Champions. Visitors please join the other students.” Regulus looked like he was about to fight.
“Allez Reg, je vais bien.” Sirius said. “Go Reg, I’ll be fine.”
Regulus nodded and waved one last time before walking out of the small tent.
“In a circle round me please. Good, the first challenge is one that will test your strength, time management and magical ability. You will ride on the back of a kelpie, it will lead you to the bottom of the lake, then you must retrieve an oyster shell. Inside the shell is a clue for the next task. Good luck to each of you, first up is Mr Sirius Black.” The Minister explained. He looked tense and worried but nodded at last and left the tent.
“Well that very reassuring.” James grumbled.
Remus laughed and ran a hand through his hair. “Might as well get it over with. Try not to let the kelpie eat us, then hope to fuck its easy to open.”
“Easy peasy right?” Sirius said queasily.
“Our first competitor is Mr Sirius Black from Beauxbaton Academy.” The announcer said. The crowd cheered and many of his classmates held homemade posters. Lily held one above her head with a cheesy grin with Regulus smiling next to her. ‘Gagnez pour nous Sirius’ it said in glittery blue letters. Win for us Sirius.
He sent a wink towards them before walking towards a horse shaped kelpie that was looking at Sirius with innocent eyes. It bowed its head when he came closer, and Sirius would have believed it was an actual horse but he knew it wasn’t.
“Good luck to me.” He whispered before using a bubblehead charm on himself and getting onto the kelpie horse.
The minute he got on the kelpie it jumped into the water with such speed that if Sirius hadn’t been holding onto the mane he would have fallen off.
“Shit.” He yelled as the kelpie galloped into the darkness that was the Black Lake.
They reached the bottom when the kelpie looked at Sirius with pure red eyes, its teeth gleamed in the darkness and Sirius wanted to scream. He jumped off the kelpie and it snapped at his bare feet, snarling angrily.
“Aqua Eructo!” He screamed at the kelpie, his wand produced a strong jet of water that made the kelpie go backwards five feet. But unfortunately this only seemed to make it angrier, it swam full speed at Sirius and opened its mouth to eat him.
In a moment of panic, Sirius said the first spell that came to mind in this situation. “Incendio!” He screamed with full at the kelpie. He didn’t know if fire would work down here but what did he have to loose? Luckily, fire did work in water and the kelpie yelped and swam away with its tail alight. Sirius laughed at himself and used Lumos to try and find the oyster shell.
He found it on a pile of rocks sitting gracefully on top.
“You better be easy on me.” And with full force, he used Ascendio to get to the top. His charm came off as he landed with a hard thump on the stand that was covered with students.
The Beauxbaton students were cheering and he felt someone wrap him in a warm fluffy towel.
“tu l'as fait frère. j'étais si inquiet.” Regulus whispered as he wrapped Sirius in his arms. “You did made it brother. I was so worried.”
“I’m fine Reggie, the water didn’t down me like you thought, eh.” He joked, Reg didn’t find it funny and he started crying into his towelled shoulder.
“Monsieur Dumbledore magicked made the water clear so we could see you and I thought the kelpie had you.” He said in rushed French. Sirius stroked his hair and kissed his ear.
“I’m fine now, see? You can’t get rid of me that easily.” Sirius continued to stay wrapped in his brothers arms as the others completed the task. Sirius had completed it in 6 minutes and 14 seconds. James took 6 minutes and 17 seconds (he was very annoyed by that and Sirius teased him) but Remus won with only 3 minutes and 50 seconds.
“How’d you do that?” Sirius asked him at the party in the common room after they got back. He was very drunk and very French and thought Remus was very sexy.
“I saw the oyster before the Kelpie was halfway down so I bewitched sleeped that thing and accio-d the oyster then swam up. Pretty simple when I think about it.” Remus said with a shrug.
Sirius was staring at him and the lighting made his scars all nice and his eyes all pretty and Sirius just had to kiss him.
He leaned in and it was short and sweet. When he pulled back to find Remus with his eyes closed. “What was that for Padfoot?” He whispered. Sirius blushed a bit but kissed him again.
“Why not, je te trouve sexy.' He said into Remus’s ear and Remus burst out laughing.
“I heard the word sexy and I can’t take you seriously.”
“Everyone takes me Siriusly.” He joked and made Remus laugh harder.
“Thats even worse you wanker.”
“I want to open the oyster but I’m tired and would rather do it tomorrow.” Remus whined. Marlene appeared and laughed at her best friend.
“Jesus I don’t want to know what you’ll do with the prize money.”
“Money, books and the occasional lap dancer.” Remus muttered, his face turned between Sirius’s shoulder and the couch pillow.
“Wise ambitions young man. So much potential.” Lily said, sitting next to Marlene in the two seater.
“Lily will you be the lap dancer?” Sirius chuckled and put his face in his friends curls.
“I thought you were gay.” Marlene teased, gulping more beer.
“Doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy my friend giving me a lap dance does it?” Remus said sounding half asleep.
Sirius started to sit up and pull Remus with him. “Come on Mooneyes. You’re going to look like a walking skull soon. Marlene I can’t go to his dorm, can you do it?”
“Ugh, Remus being tired after 7 cups of alcohol should’ve been a red flag the minute I saw you at our first party.” Marlene whined, carrying her friend up the stairs.
“We should get some sleep to Sirius. It’s 1:14 am. We have four weeks to figure out the oyster and there’s the Yule Ball next week.” Lily said, Sirius nodded only half listening. Lily took his hand and led him up the stairs.