New Romantics | Hermione Granger Book IV

|87| Chapter Eighty-Seven

E I G H T Y  S E V E N

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Finishing the Charms paper (which didn't go too badly, as Saffron did have extra practice in certain areas courtesy of the several weeks she spent in the Charms Club) came as an even bigger relief than finishing the dreaded History of Magic one as it meant Saffron could get changed and ready herself for the night ahead of her.

She felt her self shaking as she dressed into some warm clothing in her dormitory, which caught the attention of her roommates.

"It's going to be okay, Saff," Lavender said to her softly, standing in front of her and zipping her cardigan up for her. "They're tough, if anyone's going to get through this it'll be Maya and Harry,"

"I know, it's just..." Saffron said in response, but the issue was she wasn't sure what 'it just' was. The past few days had been complicated ones for her as the part of her brain that still belonged to herself began to surmise that something was off. That something had been off the entire year and that there didn't appear to be anything she could do to make it better. All she could do was keep on living as she was and see where it took her. She let out a sigh and said: "You're right, you're right, I just need this night to be over,"

"Well, you've got us to help you get through it," Parvati assured her and Hermione nodded in agreement, saying, "Definitely,"

"Thanks," Saffron said, feeling her body become still again. "All of you, honestly,"

"I think this warrants Alannah's favourite thing; group hug," Lavender told them, making the other three girls giggle affectionately thinking back to the Prefect who self-designated herself to look after the four girls for whatever they needed, going above and beyond in her prefect duties.

Before heading down to the Great Hall for the evening feast before the Third Task would commence, the four of them hugged it out and Saffron truly appreciated how much her roommates did for her by that simple act.

Sage was delighted to see the four Gryffindor girls come down to the Great Hall together as it reminded her of her old friend group. Lavender was all too happy to meet her, saying she looked even more beautiful in person than she did in the Daily Prophet.

"That's the biggest compliment I could give you," Lavender said to Sage enthusiastically. "That you looked beautiful in the paper because they try and make people look awful in it,"

The evening feast was underway and it was much bigger than a normal dinner they had, likely because the Ministry officials were here as Ludo Bagman and Cornelius Fudge (the man who Sirius credited as accidentally freeing him from Azkaban as he gave him the Daily Prophet one day, which showed where Peter Pettigrew was) were sat up at the Staff table and the Champions families were over too.

Maya and her friends were sat at the Gryffindor table too, in order to stay with her visitors who were there for her and Harry. Saffron was glad to see here there as it allowed her to wish her good luck before she would be called off.

"Feeling okay?" Saffron muttered to her from across the table.

It took Maya a few moments to find her answer to that question but it ended up being what Saffron expected:

"As good as I can be. You?"

"The same,"

"Only one more night, then all of this is over," Maya offered a small reassuring smile. "Think about that while the task is on and the time'll pass by in a flash. Okay?"

Maya kicked Saffron gently in an affectionate way from under the table making Saffron laugh. Of course, when it was Maya who needed the reassurance seeing as she was about to participate in a gruelling task, she was, in fact, the one offering it to Saffron. It summed up the very essence of their relationship dating back to its foundations perfectly.

"Okay,"

Moments later Professor Dumbledore's voice echoed over everyone else's and the room fell silent:

"Ladies and gentlemen, in five minutes' time, I will be asking you to make your way down to the Quidditch field for the third and final task of the Triwizard Tournament. Will the champions please follow Mr. Bagman down to the stadium now. "

Maya and Harry both stood up and Saffron watched on as the twins took Maya into a hug, whilst Hermione did likewise for Harry. Everyone else wished him good luck as the pair of them exited the Great Hall with Viktor and Fleur.

Saffron let out a deep breath and wished for the Grey to just take her so she wouldn't have to go through the night waiting in anticipation. But, of course, she couldn't go there, not when the fifth girl in the picture had very specific plans for Saffron once the Third Task was underway.

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The stands in the Quidditch stadium began to fill up very quickly. Saffron made sure to stick with all of her people and they took seats as close to the entrance to the maze as they could get. From their position, they were able to see the champions being brought into the stadium, accompanied by Professor Moody, Professor McGonagall, Professor Flitwick and Hagrid. All four of the Champions looked very nervous as they knew what was on the line, a thousand galleons and eternal glory for them and their schools. That was no mean feat and something all of them wanted, even if they hadn't signed up for it like Harry.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the third and final task of the Triwizard Tournament is about to begin! Let me remind you how the points currently stand!" said Ludo Bagman in his magnified voice that they had grown so accustomed to over the past year. "In first place is Mr. Harry Potter of Hogwarts School!"

Saffron applauded loudly with the rest of the school, with the exception of the Slytherins.

"In second place, with eighty points — Krum, of Durmstrang Institute!"

There was much smaller applause this time but one would not have thought that the Durmstrang contingent were as small as they were based on how loud they were.

"In third place --- Miss Maya Mitchell, of Hogwarts School!"

It was perhaps the largest applause thus was sole because she was the Champion that everyone had accepted, unlike Harry who was quite the controversial figure.

"And finally, in fourth place — Miss Fleur Delacour, of Beauxbatons Academy!"

Saffron applauded Fleur quite hard as she was rooting for her after how the last task had gone for her. Obviously, not over Maya or Harry but she didn't want to see Fleur not complete the task like last time.

Saffron waved at her sister and Harry, both of whom waved back with very anxious grins on their faces.

"So . . . on my whistle, Harry!" Bagman announced. "Three — two — one —"

With one sharp blast of his whistle, Harry ran into the maze and was quickly out of sight.

Saffron put her fingers in her mouth and kept her eyes fixed on her sister. It had begun and her nerves were all over the place now.

Another blow of his whistle indicated that Viktor could begin and he did so with an air of confidence that none of the others possessed.

Then it was Maya's turn. When the whistle was blown, she took one last look back at her family and Saffron's eyes met hers. Her older sister nodded before setting off with determination in pursuit of her goal.

Saffron felt on the verge of tears, inwardly praying that everything would go okay for them, as Fleur followed the other three Champions into the maze, meaning the final task was well and truly on.

"Now what do we do?" Noah asked aloud breathlessly, blue in the face from the rush of anticipation that had gone through him.

"Now..." said Sirius slowly with a dramatic voice. "We wait,"