The task of the first years was to levitate a feather into the air high enough to clear where the ceiling of the room would be. It was only the second month of their magical education, so they didn't know much. The Hogwarts students finished first, and McGonagall let the second years through to their room which was to uproot a mandrake from one pot and replant it in a separate one successfully to Professor Sprout's satisfaction.
Durmstrang first years finished next, and Beauxbatons soon after. The second years were squirming at the sight, and were hesitant to grab the screaming creatures. Durmstrang students managed to replant it first, and moved on to the third task with Hogwarts and Beauxbatons not far behind.
The third task was to face a boggart, one at a time. This one was not advantageous to Chris as he had three third years whereas the other headmasters had two. After much screaming and panicking, Beauxbatons managed to take the lead going into the fourth task.
The fourth task required the students to find fifteen flobberworms from the ground, and place them into a jar. The audience laughed as many of the fourth years appeared to be squeamish about touching them. Hermione had to admit, they were gross but if they paid any attention at all in Care of Magical Creatures, they'd know that the summoning charm worked on them.
Unfortunately, none of them had remembered that vital piece of information to finish the task, and actually dug up the ground to find them all. Hogwarts was the first to finish this one and their fifth years were sent through. Hagrid was shaking his head muttering about how easy the task was and that they should've been reading their monster of a book. Quite literally; the book had teeth.
The fifth task required a one hundred percent on a history of magic quiz. Hermione came up with the questions herself, with some help from Professor Binns to make sure the questions weren't going to be too hard. If they failed the first one, they would be given a new one until they managed to get them all right.
The audience watched in sympathy as Hogwarts lost the lead and was stuck with the other schools on the task. Nobody seemed to pay any attention to this class in any of the schools. Beauxbatons finished first, and the sixth years scrambled to their room almost at the other end of the pitch.
Their task was to make a cure for boils potion, the most basic one to create that everyone learned in their first year. However there were no instructions, or specific amounts of each ingredient. The two representing Beauxbatons reasoned over how much of each they should use, and vaguely recalled their training from five years ago. Once Hogwarts got past the History of Magic quiz, the sixth years flew through making the potion. They had gone through their first year under Severus Snape, who drilled this potion into their minds until they could do it in their sleep.
Hogwarts cheered as the seventh years raced to the end, while Durmstrang had just caught up to making the potion and Beauxbatons was as confused as before, guessing on what to put in.
The final task was to get past a Sphinx. This was a creature that had a human head on a lion body. Unbeknownst to the competitors, the audience fell silent to hear the riddle as well.
"To begin, think of the past
The very thing that has made us last,
Not to be torn apart by anyone
Nor ever be perfect by just one
A balance that creates harmony
And happens in matrimony
What happened to us that has lead to this?" The Sphinx stated.
"The thing that has made us last..." Hermione murmured as she finally sent through the last seventh years which were from Durmstrang. She always enjoyed a fun riddle, and tried to think it through herself.
It's happened in the past. Is it an object? Or a concept maybe? "Not to be torn apart by anyone, nor be perfect by just one". It had to be a concept. Balance...matrimony... some sort of peace maybe? But that couldn't have been what made them last. After all, when was there ever peace? Then it hit her. When people get married, they're coming together. Something that also creates a balance. Something that got them to where they were...nothing that could happen by just one. "Unity." she realized.
Hermione made her way to the stands next to the Headmasters and watched as the groups of seventh years tried to figure it out. The Hogwarts students eyes widened and they spoke a word to the Sphinx. It got up, and stepped aside allowing the group of three to pass through together, winning first place for Hogwarts. Beauxbatons came in second, and Durmstrang last, however nobody minded the rankings. It was an enjoyable experience for all, and made the younger students feel like they weren't invisible to the older ones.
"I'd say that was a success." Hermione said cheerfully, walking over to Draco.
"You were great. You came up with basically all of it."
"Did you just give me a compliment?" Hermione teased.
"So what if I did?"
"Hey I just wanted to make sure I heard you right." She grinned.
They walked back up to the school together and their hands grazed each other but neither one dared to grab the other's in public. For now, they were content to keep their feelings to themselves. They didn't need anyone else to see them together to be happy.
YOU ARE READING
Broken But Beautiful~Dramione
Fanfiction"Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light." Hermione Granger, one of the brightest witches of her age, decided to return to Hogwarts to redo her seventh year and is asked to be head girl alongs...
