Flames Of Destiny // HJP [1]

Chapter Twenty : The Third Task ༄˖°.

「 ✦ 20✦ 」

༄˖°.🪐.ೃ࿔*:･༄˖°.🪐.ೃ࿔*:･༄˖°.🪐.ೃ࿔*:･

⋆˚࿔ (Y/N) 𝜗𝜚˚⋆

𝕬𝖘 June approached, a buzz of excitement and tension filled the castle once more. Students were eagerly anticipating the third task, scheduled to take place just a week before the end of term. Harry seemed more determined than ever, practising hexes at every available opportunity. (Y/n) could tell he felt a newfound confidence about this task—despite its inherent dangers, he had some forewarning, a chance to prepare for what lay ahead.

Professor McGonagall, tired of finding (Y/n), Harry, Hermione, and Ron scattered throughout the school, had granted them permission to use the empty Transfiguration classroom during lunchtimes. In this space, Harry soon mastered the Impediment Curse, a spell designed to slow and obstruct attackers; the Reductor Curse, which allowed him to blast solid obstacles aside; and the Four-Point Spell, a clever little discovery of Hermione's that would make his wand point due north, thus ensuring he stayed on course within the maze. However, the Shield Charm continued to elude him. Despite its intent to conjure a temporary, invisible barrier that could deflect minor curses, (Y/n) managed to shatter it with a well-aimed Jelly-Legs Jinx. Harry spent the next ten minutes wobbling around the room, trying to regain his balance.

"You're still doing really well, though," Hermione encouraged, peering at her list and crossing off the spells they had already mastered. "Some of these will definitely come in handy."

"Come and have a look at this," Ron called from the window, his brow furrowed. "What's Malfoy up to?"

Curiosity piqued, (Y/n), Harry, and Hermione rushed over. Below them, Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle lounged in the shadow of a tree. Crabbe and Goyle appeared to be on lookout duty, both smirking, while Malfoy held his hand up to his mouth as if speaking into it.

"Has he gone mental?" (Y/n) wondered aloud.

"He looks like he's using a walkie-talkie," Harry said, intrigued.

"He can't be," Hermione replied, shaking her head. "I've told you before, those sorts of devices don't work at Hogwarts. Come on, Harry," she added briskly, turning away from the window and grabbing (Y/n)'s arm, pulling them both back into the middle of the room. "Let's get back to duelling; we should try that Shield Charm again."

(Y/n) rolled her eyes at Hermione's insistence. She had been hesitant to agree to the duelling sessions before, but now Hermione seemed all the more determined to keep them going.

Sirius was now sending daily owls, and like Hermione, he focused on getting Harry through the last task before addressing anything else. Each letter reminded Harry that whatever might be happening beyond Hogwarts was not his responsibility, nor was it something he could change.

"If Voldemort is truly growing stronger again," Sirius wrote, "my priority is to ensure your safety. He cannot hope to reach you while you are under Dumbledore's protection. But still, take no risks: concentrate on getting through that maze safely, and then we can focus on other matters."

(Y/n) thought Sirius was spot on with his advice. 

She could see Harry's nerves mounting as the twenty-fourth of June drew closer, though they weren't as intense as those he had experienced before the first two tasks. For one thing, he had admitted to her before their Divination class that he felt he had done everything in his power to prepare this time. And, importantly, this was the final hurdle; no matter how well or poorly he performed, the tournament would soon be over, and the prospect of that relief hung in the air like a comforting blanket.