The Third Task
The morning of the third task met James in a cold sweat.
He had had a nightmare and he woke in a sob.
“You alright Prongs?” Frank asked with concern. His voice groggy with sleep.
“Yeah yeah, just a bad dream. The third task hasn’t exactly been keeping him sane.” He joked but his voice was dwindled.
“You’ll do fine, if anyone is capable of completing this tournament it’s you.”
“But Remus deserves it so much more than I do, and Sirius needs the money to get away from his- I’m just saying that we all have good reasons to win, I don’t want anyone dying for entertainment.”
Frank nodded and sat next to him. “Obviously, no ones getting hurt intentionally.”
“My parents are coming for the challenge.” James stated suddenly.
“Oh that’s wonderful! I love Effie and Monty, will they bring those cookies again?”
“Those cookies along with a big hug would be nice.”
“You can always ask me to give you a hug you know.”
“But mum hugs are different, they’re nice and reassuring and I just want to stay in them forever.” James felt overwhelmingly sad as he thought about Effie hugs.
“You’ll be seeing them today. Anyway, it’s 5 in the bloody morning and you need as much rest as you can get.”
“Always so wise, night Franky.”
“Night Prongsie.”
The Hogwarts school band was blasting encouraging music with Beauxbaton students singing in tune and Durmstrang banging large drums and staffs along to every fourth beat.
James, Remus and Sirius walked through an archway that lead to the middle of the small stadium that they travelled to by portkey.
The boys were dressed in a long shirt with their names on the back and the school colours. They were only allowed their wands; the ministry even brought examiners to check if they snuck anything in.
When the champions walked out the stadium roared. Students waved flags and banners and the music intensified, some even started dancing, smiles wide on their faces.
James looked over the crowd and waved to everyone, making the crowd go wild. His parents came down from their seats and his mum made grabby hands for her son.
“My baby boy, look at you!” She said tearily, caressing his face.
“Please stop calling me a baby.” James deadpanned.
“Never, my ickleberry Jamesie pie.” Effie smooshed his cheeks together and pulled him in for a hug.
“Dad, save me.” James gasped dramatically.
“We’re just so proud of you, our ickle James.” Fleamont teased, scruffing his sons hair up more.
“Godric save me.”
“Is that Sirius Black I see? And he didn’t come over for a hug?!” His mum yelled in shock. Sirius, who was talking to Remus’s mother, looked up with wide eyes and smiled happily at Euphemia.
“I wouldn’t miss giving you a hug even if I tried, Effie.” He said softly, getting pulled into a hug by James’s harassing mother.
“I am so, so so proud of you boys.” She whispered tearily, Remus had come over and all three boys were now in a tight embrace.
“Good grief.” James muttered but he couldn’t be happier.
They pulled apart and Effie met Hope, Remus’s mum, they seemed to get along well.
James’s dad was talking to Dumbledore in a hushed voice but the band continued to play and the students continued to cheer and dance.
“Is all this celebration meant to make me less nervous because it’s doing the opposite.” Remus said, looking at a group of boys holding a REMUS FOR CHAMPION sign.
“We’re in the press, this is an important event.” Sirius stated.
“Event cement, I’m scared as fuck that I’m gonna die and everyone will be here to see my body.” James joked stiffly. Lily was jumping in the crowd on his left and he was just as scared to loose her as he was to loose his parents.
“You’re going to make it to your 18th Prongs, don’t worry.” Remus calmed.
“Yeah, this is a corporation school event thing, it can’t be that dangerous.”
James rolled his eyed at Sirius and messed up his bun. “Whats a little bit of death for publicity? Everyone knows that the death toll is really high yet they’re doing it anyway, the schools mustn’t be too concerned for us if we’re doing the Triwizard Tournament in the first place.”
"Settle down, settle down!” Dumbeldore demanded to the noisy stadium.
“Welcome to the third task of the Triwizard Tournament!” And the room erupted in noise once again.
The schools headmasters and mistresses came out and went their chosen champions. Regulus was with Headmistress Arquette as they came beside Sirius and talked in rapid French. Remus tensed as Arnoldi put a hand on his shoulder and whispered something in his ear, Hope must have noticed because she took her sons hand and stroked his shoulder. Dumbledore came over with Monty and Effie to James and smiled at him with pride. Dumbledore knelt to James’s level and winked childishly.
“This is the hardest task of them all, but if anyone can complete it, it’s you.” James nodded.
“Use your wand if need be and don’t let your fears take control of your sanity.”
James looked up in confusion. “Hang on, what do you mean by that sir?”
Dumbledore only smiled and gestured for everyone to surround him.
“Congratulations all of you for getting to the final task. Now, this is a dangerous challenge that will test your bravery, coodernation and magical ability. If you are in any trouble at all, send a signal using the ‘point me’ spell, we will see it and send help immediately. Your goal is to find the Triwizard Cup to be named Triwizard Champion.” -Dumbledore pointed to the three large closed doors that were along the stadium- “These are the doorways to the Triwizard Hall of Mirrors, as Sirius Black won the second challenge, he will go in first, then James and Remus who drawed for second place.”
“Sir’us, ze door will opan zoon, b’e riddy.” Madame Arquette said.
Sirius looked at James with nervous eyes. “Good luck, Pads, we’ll see you in there.”
“It was an honour working with you boys, see you on the other side.” Sirius saluted.
“Stay safe Sirius.” Remus muttered before kissing him lightly on the lips.
The crowd cheered loudly and the band played up again as the first door opened to show a misty corridor, the walls made of mirrors. Sirius looked back to his brother and the boys before taking a deep breath and walking in slowly, the door shut with a thud behind him.
“Oh gosh, he just went in there!” Remus rushed, looking scared and flustered.
“He’ll be fine, the goblet wouldn’t have chosen him if he wasn’t good enough.”
“I know, I know.”
About five minutes passed before the other two doors opened and Dumbledore and Arnoldi gestured for them to go through. The crowd was loud enough to still hear even after the large doors slammed shut. James looked around the misty corridor and saw his reflection. He turned around and saw it again. This was a Maze of Mirrors.
The only sound was his footsteps as he rushed around corners, his wand out and breathing heavy.
“Godric guide me.” He muttered whenever he made a spontaneous turn.
Every corridor was misty and every wall had a mirror that showed his terrified face. More than once he ran into his reflection.
James spun around when he heard a willowing scream that sounded a lot like Sirius’s.
“Sirius? Padfoot are you alright?” He called out, running towards the sound.
He was sprinting now, accidentally running into mirrors and loosing corners. He heard another traumatic scream that sounded like Remus’s when he transformed.
“Moony! I’m coming, stay where you are.” He yelled.
He turned a sharp corner and gasped at what was on the other side. A figure that was Sirius was sobbing on the floor, his shoulders were shaking and his wand discarded.
“Oh god Pads, are you alright? I heard you scream and ca-“ He stopped when Sirius turned around to have sharrow and hatred on his face.
“Hey, it’s me. It’s Prongs, James, I know this task is scary but we’ve got to do it.” James tried to reassure, Sirius scoffed and went back to crying.
James sighed and and squatted next to his friend. “Come on Pads, lets’ do this together.”
“Prongs?” A voice behind him whispered. He wizzed around to see Peter.
“Wormy, what are you doing here?”
“Looking for you. I’ve stopped eating, I wish I looked like you and got all the girls. I wish you payed attention to me and not your new friends, your better friends. I know I’m boring and fat and can’t do advanced spells but at least I’m loyal.” Peter spat.
James frowned and stood to comfort his roommate. “Petey you’re my best friend, let’s go to the kitchens after this okay? You need to eat.”
“Then what?” A voice that sounded like Remus’s sneered behind him, “you gonna tell him about my furry little problem? Are you gonna leave me like everyone else in my life? Treat me like a mutt who deserves to die?”
“Oh Moony, of course not! How could you think that? You’re my friend.” James pleaded, suddenly feeling very upset.
“Then why have you left Sirius to cry on the floor? Is that how much he means to you?” Lily Evans spited, standing above Sirius and patting his head. “If this is how you treat your best friends imagine how you would treat me after school. Would you leave me if you found out I was pregnant?”
James was about to start crying. “Never, Lily, I would support you and your child.”
“Well it doesn’t look like it. You pathetic, selfish, arrogant toe rag of a man.” Lily sobbed, crying next to Sirius.
“All this time, our friendship has been based off lies?” Frank whimpered in one corner.
Mary wailed next to him with mascara running down her pretty face. “You left me! I wanted you to help me but you left!”
“What kind of friend are you? The one time I needed you, you weren’t there.” Alice bawled onto a shoulder of a scowling Dorcas.
“Such a terrible friend. You don’t deserve us.”
“No, I would never! Let me help you all please!” James cried out.
The cries and betrayed faces of his friends seemed to become louder and clearer, the mirrors showed their faces and echoed their voices 10 times more. James felt like he was spinning as cries got louder. Even if he closed his eyes he could still see the hurt faces of the people he held most dear.
“PLease no, I would never let this happen!” He screamed out, trying to get the crying to stop.
“Yet you did.” A familiar voice said, normally so kind and filled with love, sounded so cold and untrusting.
“Dad?”
“Don’t call me that! Only sons who make me proud get to call me dad, and you have done the opposite. You have disgraced as all with your stupidity and childish ways.” James’s dad yelled. Where was the love in his eyes? What had James done?
“What did I do? I can fix it, I swear!” James had tears streaming down his face.
“You can’t make us trust you James, you did this yourself, this is all your fault.” His mum hissed, James turned to the left and saw her reflection staring daggers at him, he looked to the right and saw her again, her disappointment. He looked forward and saw his friends look of betrayal and sadness.
Everywhere he looked was torture.
“I didn’t mean too, I swear, I swear!” I pleaded, he was on the floor now.
The voices started up again and spoke fast words.
“We never loved you.”
“You’re no friend of mine.”
“Pathetic.”
“Try hard, talentless.”
“Not worthy to be a Gryffindor.”
“No son of mine.”
“I have never been so disappointed.”
“RIDICULOUS!” James screamed, his wand pointed in the direction Sirius was crying.
“Ridiculous, ridiculous, ridiculous.” He said over and over until the voices were gone. He looked in a mirror and only saw himself on the floor, puffy eyes and wet cheeks.
His heavy breathing was the only sound echoing off the mirrors. James closed his eyes and braced himself to get back up and find the cup. The mist was thick and James couldn’t see his hands in front of him.
"Get yourself together.” He muttered, legs shaky and mind unsteady.
He sprinted down the corridor and hit his head against a mirror. He turned corners and banged himself some more before the mist became thinner and the mirrors reflected a pale blue light.
The Triwizard Cup.
Wiping his wet cheeks, James sprinted towards the light, this corridor seemed too long and James was running out of breath.
There it was. Sitting on a marble stand those Greek philosopher heads usually were put, James looked around for the other Champions before looking at the cup in awe. It was transparent with dark blue glass and cool dragon looking things as handles. Embedded on the front were the letters W I Z surrounded by little leaf patterns.
Shaking his hands, he grabbed the neck of it and held it in the air as if it would do something. Sensing it was lifted, James felt a cool breeze blow away the mist, the only light was the faint light from the cup and the ground rumbled.
James blinked and suddenly he was back in the stadium, walking through the door he went in at the start. The crowd cheered when they saw him, the band playing up again with happiness. James smiled fondly at his parents before raising the cup, receiving a thundering applause in return. Many students from the competing schools scowled but clapped and James swore he saw Igor hand some money to a third year Hufflepuff.
“Yes, Yes! That’s my boy, I’m so proud of you!” Fleamont gushed, pulling James into a hug that made him want to cry. His mum joined with tears in her eyes, messing up his hair and kissing his forehead.
“I can’t believe you won, my talented Jamie.” James blushed at his mum but hugged her tightly, trying to forget the bitterness on her face in the maze.
“James!” Lily screeched, throwing herself into his arms. James laughed loudly, handing the cup to his dad and wrapping both arms around his girlfriend.
“You won, I can’t believe you won!” She whispered, pampering his face with kisses.
“Congratulations mate.” Peter grinned beside Frank.
“Thanks guys.” James said while pulling his dorm mates into a hug.
“You must be right mad to put your name in the goblet.” Frank said. They laughed.
“Our Prongsie is pretty mad.” Sirius said behind him.
James turned quickly to see Sirius and Remus smiling shyly. Sirius looked flushed with pride whereas Remus looked pale and extremely puffy eyed.
“Oh come here you.” James hurried to pull his friends into a tight embrace.
“You okay Moony? Padfoot?”
Remus nodded a little and gripped to his shirt tighter. “M’alright, a bit shaken.”
“Same, I wasn’t expecting boggarts, not sure what I was expecting but it wasn’t those.”
“We made it out, and that’s all that matters.” James concluded.
“Truly, congratulations Prongs, you deserve it.” Remus said quietly, putting an arm around the shorter boy.
“Yeah mate, I’m so proud of you.”
James started feeling emotional again at all the sentiments.
“Aww guys, stop it.”
“Say cheese for the prophet!” None other than Riter Skeeter sang at them, flashing a large camera in their faces.
“Now one of the Champion with his family. Hold the cup on the left a bit, per-fect deary.” She gushed as James grinned into the camera.
Dumbledore came over and smiled at the reporter from behind James. “You did very well James, you made Gryffindor proud today.”
“Thank you sir, it means a lot coming from you.” James said as Rita moved to do the others.
“We should depart shortly and you and the others should get some rest. Poor Mr Lupin looks like he could use some chocolate.”
James snorted but looked concerned at his friend. “Yeah, there were boggarts in the mirror maze and I think they pushed Remus around a bit.”
“All the more reason to get back to Hogwarts and eat the voluptuous feast prepared for us.” Dumbledore said loudly, the other Headmasters nodded and put their wands together, the minister smiled warily and put his wand in the middle and James felt like he was in limbo.