Eternal Patience

The Second Task

There was a large crowd gathered around the training grounds when Barnaby arrived a few minutes before noon. They stood around a large, fenced area containing eleven broomsticks that laid in the grass. 

Most of the teachers also appeared to be in the crowd. Hagrid and Kettleburn were visible, standing on either side of a table that held a large birdcage. The cage was packed with at least thirty doxies, their hairy black bodies darting about the cage, searching for an exit. Barnaby tried not to notice their needle-like teeth as he passed the table. Nobody but Hagrid and Kettleburn were brave enough to stand near it. 

Barnaby found a gate and stepped inside the fence to stand next to a broom. His heartrate quickened; he couldn't believe his luck. First a creature task, and now a flying task? Those were two of his only skills. Would the last task be a eating contest? His fingers twitched, yearning to summon the battered broom. Once he was in the air, few others would be able to compete with him. 

He looked around at the contestants, noticing that several of them had tried to prepare for the task according to what had been in the clue. Badeea had donned thick clothing that covered every inch of her body, including a mask for her face. Liz was holding a bottle, presumably of doxy venom antidote. Andre had a bottle of doxycide tied around his waist. 

Barnaby realized he'd done nothing with the information the clue had contained. Perhaps it would still be alright, he thought. Doxies were like tiny bludgers. He'd had more than enough practice dodging them. Still, he pulled the hood of his robes up, hoping to add a little more protection to his face.

Sarah was the last contestant to arrive. She looked as delighted as he felt to see the broomsticks. She hurried over to the opposite end of the arena to stand by the last broom. She caught him looking and winked. 

"Alright, contestants!" Kettleburn called, quieting the crowd somewhat. The time has come for the second task, the victor of which shall receive five hundred points and move to first place. The task is this!" 

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a cornish pixie. Electric blue and around double the size of the doxies, the pixie squirmed and bit at the wooden claw that had replaced Kettlburn's severed hand.

"Catch the pixie! On the count of three, I shall release this little devil, and you all may summon your brooms. After one minute has passed, I shall open the cage for these doxies, which I think we all can agree will add an element of difficulty."

The noise of the crowd grew as everyone looked at the doxies in alarm. Barnaby spotted McGonagall carving a path toward Kettleburn. 

"Silvanus, don't you think--" she tried to say, but Kettleburn must not have heard her. 

"One! Two! THREE!"

"Up!" Barnaby called, his hand held out over the broom. 

WHAMM!

Barnaby staggered back. The broom had shot up and hit him in the face. Barnaby shook his head. His broom was now in the air at around eye-level, but it was circling around him, bucking like a deranged hippogriff. 

Barnaby glanced around to see that the other competitors were facing the same difficulties. Tonks soared threw the air, crashing into Charlie after she'd been flung by her own bucking broom. Merula was laying on the ground, having also been whacked in the face by her broom. 

Kettleburn was bowed over with laughter. Hagrid was smiling nervously. The other teachers wore strained expressions, as if they were unsure whether or not to interfere, but the students clapped and cheered.

"Get on with it, Troll!" Barnaby heard Sinclair yell. 

Startled, he snapped his attention back to his bucking broom.