A Touch of Magic

Task 2

Gaspard hurried down the dark corridor. He wished his headmaster hadn't seen it as a good idea to dress him in the light colors of Beauxbatons for this task, as it made him a significantly easier target for the other champions. At least if he failed this second task he still had the third one to redeem himself and his school.

"Gus!"

A fierce whisper sounded from behind him and he spun, whispering a startled spell as he went. "Verdimillious!"

Green sparks shot from the end of his wand as he flicked it in front of him. The short, light haired girl in black and red hissed slightly and flinched as the sparks stung her skin. "Stars above, Gaspard, you idiot! It's Anya!"

He shrugged. If she had approached from the other direction, this may not have been a problem. She spoke again, her Slavic accent becoming less pronounced as she calmed down some. "Glad I have a friend. I was worried I would get stuck wandering around with Eli. He creeps me out. Just a bit zealous for a Ravenclaw."

Gaspard lowered, his wand, still wary. As he found during the first task, Eli was fairly good at brewing polyjuice potion. "What did we talk about on the stairs the night of the Yule Ball?"

Anya threw up her hands in exasperation. "The limitations of wandless magic. It was very dry. You really aren't very good at this flirting thing, you know. For a frenchman. I promise it's me Gus. We're running out of time."

Gaspard ran a hand through his short hair. "Okay. Let's go."

They walked close side by side down the rest of the corridor to the room at the end, both occasionally checking behind them over their shoulder, wands raised. The hall opened up to a large and spacious chamber, and the temperature seemed to drop several degrees. Anya shifted closer until their arms were pressed together. "I don't like this. It's huge, and will take forever to search. Besides. It makes me feel uneasy."

Gaspard raised his wand and moved it in a circular motion above his head, using the same incantation as before, face twisted in concentration. Anya looked at him curiously as he searched for something. "Wasn't that the same spell as before?"

Still searching he answered softly. "Same incantation. Different form. Didn't you learn it? It was in my first year. Forever since I've had to use it."

She shrugged. "Ya, I learned the offensive form. But not th-"

She was cut off as Gaspard ran off, grabbing her hand and dragging her after. Stopping at a long low table pushed against a wall he lay on the ground and stretched his arm underneath. Straining to reach farther he pulled out a yellowed sheet of paper. Raising it in the air for Anya to take he chuckled in triumph. "Exposes dark magic!"

Turning over the paper and running a hand over it, Anya shrugged. "It's blank."

Gaspard brushed off his hands. "What?"

Taking the paper he turned it back and forth. "Maybe there is no secret ingredient."

Getting no response he sighed. "It's a muggleborn thing. Nevermind."

Tapping her wand tip against the paper Anya spoke an incantation. "Aparecium!"

Bright purple writing showed up on the paper, clear with the concentration and will power of an adept seventh year. She hit Gaspard's arm, hard. "Yes! Gus! We have the high ground. We can definitely win the tournament now!"