The second task!
This time, the task was rather boring to watch. Skull sighed as his eyes dropped sleepily. People were chattering away, playing games, or showing off their newly learnt spells to their friends. His hands were clasped tightly together with Reborn’s, though the hitman didn’t seem to mind this at all.
”Look!” someone suddenly yelled and Skull was awake in an instant. His eyes scanned the waters of the lake and-
Cedric Diggory popped up, pulling a girl behind him. Skull applauded and cheered along with everyone else in the crowd.
Skull ran over with Reborn to help Cedric out of the water and Skull summoned two blankets to wrap around the two’s shoulder.
”Well done,” Skull said, grinning. “You’re the first one apart from Fleur. But she was disqualified.”
”Thanks,” Cedric said, panting. “I saw Harry. He was waiting for Krum and Fleur. Guarding the hostages, I think.”
”Tch, idiot,” Reborn said and Skull swatted his arm lightly.
”Don’t be mean. I’ll bet you Tsuna would have done the same.”
”Yes,” Reborn sighed. “My No-good student would do something like that.”
Skull rolled his eyes and waved his wand, drying off the two dripping wet teenagers quickly. “Come on, let’s watch for the rest of the Champions.”
They waited for a while again. And Skull got sleepy again. Then a shark head erupted from the water, before turning into Krum and Skull gaped. Then he laughed loudly as people cheered again.
Skull clapped too, though less than before. He hummed and helped the boy up too, and grinned at the dazed looking Hermione. He handed her a hot chocolate.
”There ya go. You look like you need something to warm you up,” he said.
”Thank you,” Hermione mumbled. Skull grinned, and waved his wand again. The two of them dried of instantly.
”Now then!” Skull said happily. “Let’s all wait for Harry, shall we?”
And wait they did. Skull though, was a bit too jittery now to fall asleep as he peered into the lake. Oodako patted Skull’s head comfortingly, and Skull laughed a little.
”Yes, yes, you’re right. I’m sure they’re fine. And thank you for letting them use your territory,” Skull said, stroking Oodako’s head. “...and thank you for not killing Dumbledore when he asked.”
Oodako made a strange sound that Skull was pretty sure the octopus version of an exasperated huff. Reborn suddenly straightened up, pointing.
”Ah, I think that’s them,” he said.
”Where?!”
Skull peered at a small splash and grinned as Harry began to swim over. Then he blinked. Why was the kid holding onto two kids instead of one?
”...hey... isn’t that Fleur’s sister...?” Skull asked slowly. Fleur heard him and leapt up, then she dove back into the water to help Harry pull the two hostages out of the lake. Skull blinked, then sighed, waiting for the four to reach shore.
Then when they r ached land, Skull and Reborn dragged them up and Skull dried them off, handing them hot chocolate as well.
”Well,” Skull said drily, “this was an unexpected result.”
He turned to Reborn as Fleur began to thank Harry and Ron and then Skull spotted the mermaids at the shore, patiently waiting for Dumbledore. Skull walked over to them and crouched down, grinning. Oodako slid down from Skull’s head and chirped at the merman. Said merman looked at the octopus and began to make weird, rasping noises that sounded like quiet screaming.
Then Oodako turned to Leon, and relayed the message. Leon nodded and turned to Skull and began to change into various shapes.
First, a pair of glasses and a lightning bolt-
“Harry?” Skull guessed, and Oodako nodded. Then Leon changed into a large glove with the number one on it. “Uh... arrived first.” Another nod. Then a stop sign and medal. “Hm... a bit harder but... waited for the other champions...?”
Leon nodded before changing again, with Skull and Reborn both guessing rather fluently at the impromptu game of charades.
”Ok, so in summary: Harry arrived first, but then stayed there to make sure the other Champions got there too. Cedric arrived next, using a bubble-head charm and took Cho and went. Then Krum arrived and took Hermione. Then when Fleur didn’t arrive, he took the girl and Ron and went off. That about it, Oodako?” Skull asked his familiar, who nodded.
Skull glanced up and saw Dumbledore arriving and quickly relayed the message. The Headmaster looked surprised, but nodded nonetheless and went to discuss this with the other judges.
LATER AT NIGHT...
Skull through the Forbidden Forest, humming to himself as he walked. There was a crack behind him and Skull whirled around, wand at the ready. His Flames flickered up and down his arms and ran amok his magic, strengthening and enlarging the core. Then Skull blinked, looking at the centaur and he lowered his wand.
”Oh... hello,” he said politely. “Did I intrude on your land? My apologies.”
”...what are you doing in these parts of the forest?” the centaur asked.
”I was taking a walk. Needed to clear my head,” Skull said easily. “Nightmares aren’t very pleasant things, you know.”
The centaur looked at him sceptically, but then raised his head towards the stars and sighed.
”Rigel of Orion is rather bright, don’t you think?” he asked, and Skull raised his head too.
”...you know who I am, then?”
”Your soul is aged, but your face is not. Sirius appears to be dimming. Perhaps it is sad.”
Skull’s head snapped towards the centaur.
”What? Is he okay?” he asked, and the centaur looked at him carefully.
”...you are a curious case, Young Star,” he said, and Skull gave a wry grin.
”Yea, I’ve been told that a lot. Now... about Sirius...”
”Is the Potter boy alright?” the centaur asked, and Skull sighed. He should’ve known better than to ask a centaur a question.
”Yea, for the most part, at least. He’s got a good head- mostly. And good friends, he’ll...” Skull hesitated. For some reason, he couldn’t bring himself to say the word ‘fine’.
Because... long ago, hadn’t he himself been ‘fine’? Hadn’t he had wonderful friends and family too? He’d been happy both in the muggle world and the wizarding world. Sure he’d been ‘fine’ (or so he thought) but hadn’t he been missing something?
Skull sighed, putting a weary hand over his face. “Harry is okay. So long as he has the will, he’ll be able to get through anything.”
”I see,” the centaur hummed. “Then, what of you, Young Star? How are you?”
”...I’m okay,” Skull lied hollowly. He grinned then. “That’s a kind of obvious lie, huh? Well, I don’t really know, to be honest. When I was younger, I felt like I was missing something, but now that void is filled. But I feel kinda... itchy? Does that make sense? Like... I want- need -to go somewhere, but I don’t know where. Do you know what I mean?”
”...I am afraid I do not,” the centaur admitted. “But I am sure your Sun will guide you to where you need to be.”
Skull gave the centaur a grin and stretched.
”Well! Thanks for the talk! I should get going now, see ya!”
”Goodbye.”
Skull walked away and as he walked out the forest, his grin grew smaller, but more genuine. He looked towards the East as the smallest rays of the sun began to peek through.
”...my Sun will guide me. Huh, it appears the centaurs know a lot more than they let on.”