A Trio of Serpents

37: Creepy Crawler Death Dealers

FYI, I already have drafts for fifth year.

Summary: Ron frets over air; Hermione makes a prediction; Harry learns new spells and hexes

On the last week of May, Harry was instructed to go down to the Quidditch pitch for information on the third task.

"Please don't be air, please don't be air," Ron muttered under his breath as Harry left the dungeons.

"Ron, calm down," Hermione said, looking alarmed. "Not everything you say will come true."

"You're right. But this might be. Please don't be air."

Hermione sighed and stopped trying to persuade him. Because if she were being honest, she was feeling queasy, too. Harry had been lucky the first two tasks. What if it was this one, the third and final task, where something happened? She thrust the thought out of her mind. Now was not the time to be making predictions of her own.

It took a while for Harry to show up. She and Ron were beginning to suspect something more than just information on the tournament was taking place when he appeared, looking very alarmed.

"Give me one second," he said, running to his dorm. He came back moments later with the map and the mirror. "Not on school grounds... Can't have Disapparated..."

"Who are you talking about?" Ron said.

"Hang on." Harry lifted the mirror. "Sirius Black."

Ron watched as Harry's reflection disappeared and was replaced by Sirius and Remus.

"What's up?" Sirius asked.

Harry quickly explained how Mr. Crouch had appeared after the champions were dismissed.

"Where did he go?" Hermione asked.

"I don't know. I offered to get him, and Fleur came with me. But by the time we came back, he was gone. Stunned both Cedric and Krum and left." Harry closed the map in frustration. "I don't know how he could've gotten away so quickly."

"Lucky you weren't with them," Sirius said, eyes dark. "But you shouldn't be out after hours."

"I was told to go out there," Harry protested.

"I know, but it was still risky. Especially at night." Sirius sighed. "I don't know what they were thinking."

"Can't do anything about that," said Remus. "Harry, do not try to solve this on your own. Or with your friends," he added, casting a meaningful glance at Hermione and Ron. "Just keep your head low and focus for the third task. You should learn some new hexes and jinxes. They'll help."

"All right. Good night."

"I would not want to be a chair right now," said Ron, staring at the chair. The legs had collapsed under it, so it was now lying at an angle.

Hermione fixed it back up. "I think you got it, Harry. Let's see..." She looked at the list. "Ooh, how about Reducto? Although —" she looked around the classroom — "this may not be the place to try it."

They went outside and Harry blasted apart rocks Ron threw into the air until he had mastered it.

Next was Arania Exumai, which Ron said could be useful if Harry had to face any Acromantulas. Practicing on small spiders wasn't exactly the best way to go about it, but there was no way Harry was asking Hagrid if he could bring in an Acromantula or — heaven forbid — going into the Forbidden Forest in person, especially after the incident with Crouch.

Some of the simpler spells he did included the Impediment Jinx, which slowed down or even stopped the target completely.

"Good training if we become Aurors," Ron commented, freezing a wasp in midair. "Although I don't see why you shouldn't just not go in."