Sirius & Eliza ▼ Sirius Black Love Story

NINETEEN

"Good morning ladies and gentlemen! We have about ten minutes till the first task commences, and by now the champions, hopefully, are all ready and well prepared!" I hear Eugenia Jenkins converse to the crowd. I am pacing in the large tent that had been set up beside the challenge area, completely terrified. 

 The clue they gave us was pretty much completely useless. I had worked out that I had to get something back, which was the only straight forward part of the riddle. And I assumed that there was going to be some sort of creature that guarded what I was getting back because of the lines, They guard what is neither friend or foe, and or they will have attacked. The 'friend or foe' part meant it had to be a person, but that's all I got. I din't know how to prepare at all for this and just researched a bunch of spells. 

"Please gather around, champions." Mr. Minchum told us as he came into the tent, holding a cloth bag, "In here are numbers, assigning you a place in which you shall be preforming in. Miss Amour, you first." He held out the bag and Cordelia stuck her hand in it. When she withdrew it, she was holding a large metal circle and engraved upon it was a large number two.

"Miss Evans, you next." Minchum held out the bag to me. I reached my hand in, feeling two cold, metal chips. I paused for a minute before choosing the one of the left. It was number one. My stomach gave a lurch as my eyes sat on the engraving. If I had just chosen the other one I could have gone last, waited to see what I was up against and I would have had time to prepare.  But now, I was going in, winging it. 

"That leaves Number Three for you, Mr Konstantinov. Miss Evans, when the cannon sounds, please proceed into the arena." Minchum tells me as he and the other judges file out of the tent. Dimitar comes over and gives me a hug, wishing me good luck before heading to the back of the tent to get ready. 

My hands shook as I straighten out my jacket, embroidered with the Hogwarts crest. I stare at my black trainers, waiting for the cannon to go off. When it finally did, hundreds of voices cheered as I stepped out of the tent and looked up. The crowd was up in circular stands and they all seemed to be looking at the center. 

I was right, they guarded what was neither friend or foe. Two griffins stood guard over what looked to be an enlarged, black bird cage. And standing in the middle was none other, than the notorious, Sirius Black.  

My ears drown out the crowds screams, and cheers and all my focus is on the two large beasts; half lion, half eagle. 

Think Eliza, what did Professor Kettleburn tell you about Griffins? All I could remember from Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them was that they had a M.O.M. classification of four. They were only to be handled by trained wizards, which didn't reassure my abilities of completing the first task. 

"Treasure, Evans!" I hear Sirius call from behind the bars of his cage. All of a sudden something clicks in my mind and all the information comes rushing back. Griffins were employed by wealthy witches and wizards to guard their treasure. Not apart from a Niffler, I'm sure they loved gold. I'm also sure they wouldn't say no to a nice rat or two, or say, seven?

"Rursus!" I point at a rock on the ground next to me. Immediately it shapes itself into a small, grey body with a long snout and wormy tail. "Congero." And the rat multiplied itself into seven. The Griffins turned their gaze to the meal and off of me.  While they are busy tucking into what I am sure it to be a wonderful meal, I creep my way over to the bird cage and point my wand at the lock.

"Alohamora." I say and steal a glance at the Griffins. They haven't noticed yet. Sirius jumps out of the cage and makes a run for the exit. As soon as his fast footfalls hit the ground, The Griffins are in alert. They know their treasure has been stolen. 

No longer caring about the rats, they turn their eyes on me, the only person left in the arena. One of them gives a menacing cry, which roots me on the spot. I look expectantly at the exit, hoping that the professionals that brought the hybrids here are coming to rescue me. But I find no one and figure out that this is probably still part of the game. But still, I couldn't help wondering that I had completed the task,  had gotten what was stolen from me back, so why was I still in this bloody arena? 

The Griffins start forwards, slowly, and I stumble back. My foot catches on the lip of the cage and I trip into it. My fall causes the audience to gasp, but I wasn't worried about their opinion. I was worried about the look in the griffins' eyes. They weren't hungry for food, They wanted to kill. 

"Colloshoo!" I said, not quite as confident as I thought it was going to be. I pray, hoping that it has the same affect as it does on humans, sin ce technically its mean for shoes. I sigh as the feet of the Griffin closest to me stick to the ground with a substance not unlike muggle silly putty. I shoot the same spell at beast number two and scramble as fast as I can out of that cage. 

As I run past the animals, they try to slash and cut me with their beaks. I think for a second that maybe one got me as I pass but I don't feel anything which is a good sign. which I get to the opening for the text, the exit from the arena, I hear the crowd erupt into cheers. But I don't even care, I am really regretting putting my name in the goblet now. If I have t go through something like that again, I don't know what I'll do. 

When I am back in the quiet tent, I find Sirius standing, waiting. He pulls me into a hug and I collapse, exhausted. 

"Are you okay?" He asks me. I nod.

"Fine. Maybe a little light headed but that's nothing to worry about." I tell him and sit down on one of the cots. I see Cordelia bracing herself before the cannon sounds for a second time and she enters the arena,

"I'll go get you some water." Sirius tells me as leaves. Now that it's over, I remember what the clue had said, 'Neither friend or foe.' I thought Sirius and I had become friends, despite our differences. Did he think different?

"Miss Evans! Why din't you come straight to me once you had gotten back?! That slash on your arm needs serious tending to!" Madam Pomfrey comes bustling over to my side of the tent. 

"What slash..Oh." I look down at my arm and see that my jacket has been ripped and a bloody wound had replaced the smooth skin that should have been there. 

"Here you go, Evans. I saw your scores too. Dumbledore, Minchum and Munter all gave you eights. Jenkins a nine and Millefeuille a seven. That's pretty good I think." He hands me the water and I take a sip. He then spots the cut on my arm and grimaces. I laugh as Madam Pomfrey starts to fix it. 

"Just like last year, yeah? I say, recalling the Quidditch match between James and I. As he shakes his head, smiling, some of his hair falls into his grey eyes. They really are a nice shade aren't they.

"There you go! Good as new Miss Evans. You are free to go into the stands to watch the Durmstrang champion compete." Madam Pomfrey tells me and got off to treat any of Cordelia's wounds. 

Sirius and I manage to squeeze into spaces beside our friends as Dimitar enters the ring after the cannon. I cheer him on as he preforms the Conjunctivitis Curse into the eyes of the Griffin near him. Why didn't I think of that.

It the end Cordelia ends up in first place, me in second and Dimitar in third. I go and congratulate the other champions before being pulled away by a swarm of my friends, all claiming to have the biggest celebratory party planned. I grin as I'm carried away in a whirlwind of cheers.