Chapter 31
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On the second Saturday in February, Harry Potter and his friends cursed the tournament organisers and themselves. The organisers for coming up with THESE challenges, and themselves for deciding to take part in the whole mess in the first place. Now "tigers" stood next to the other three teams and listened to the terms of the first part of the second task from Ludo Begman. Its essence was for the three team members to free their leader. The leader himself will not be able to help, as his temporary prison will be a giant block of ice, inside of which there is a tiny cavity, where he will be placed. The whole "highlight" of the task was that the hostage of the block of ice will be conscious and.... no warming spells would be cast on him. They would only give him one vial with a potion that lasts for exactly forty-five minutes. The wand will also be taken away from the leader to avoid helping the participants of the "rescue operation". For the whole ordeal is given only one and a half hours. All would be nothing, but the three rescuers will still have to get to this very block of ice, which "ingenious" organisers have placed on the top of the snowy mountain. It was conjured up, of course. Before he could say anything to his friends, Harry, along with Victor, Fleur and Zhou, were sent through a portal to a private dungeon for each of them. As soon as the signal was given, Longbottom, Malfoy and Pruett snapped out of their seats and sprinted towards their mount.
- What are we going to do? - Neville asked, glancing back at the blond man as he ran.
He was running a little slower than his two friends, but there was a reason for that. Draco, barely glancing at the huge mountain, all white because of the snow, immediately remembered THAT life, where his house had collapsed when the destruction function was activated. Why was he remembering this while looking at the mountain? Malfoy Manor was built of white stone, which just as surely shone in the sun with a dazzling light. Now, aiming for the snow-covered mountain, Draco was trying to figure out how to shatter the mountain so that the block that his friend and leader was inside would not shatter into splinters, injuring or - Merlin forbid - killing the brunet in the process.
- Rescue Harry," Ron growled and increased his speed.
Neville nodded silently and tried to keep up with his friend. About five minutes later, the three boys reached the mountain and stopped, looking at the enormous thing.
- Draco, any ideas! - Pruett asked impatiently, seemingly ready to start climbing at any second.
- I do. But I'm not entirely sure. It's going to take a lot of strength, and it's not certain that just ours, without Harry, will be enough.
- We are. Hurry up," Ron said.
- We need to see what the mountain was made of and reverse the transfiguration. We have to stop a block of ice from falling from that height, or else... - Malfoy shook his head.
- Then we'll have to climb anyway," Neville decided.
- It would take too long. Call for brooms while I see what they're made of.
- Couldn't you have told me about the brooms before? - Ron was indignant, but he cast the summoning spell obediently. - Harry's not exactly warmly dressed, and at this rate, every second counts!
- Do I have to think for everyone? - Draco snapped at him, mentally kicking himself for not telling the truth about them sooner.
The redhead shut up resentfully and called for Harry's broom as well, just in case. Reassurance never hurt anyone.
- Well, what is it? - Neville asked as his broom flew in.
- Wait," Draco waved it away.
- 'What's there to wait for? These charms are light and quick.... Oh," Ron rubbed his shoulder where his broom had hit.
- You see, my inconsiderate friend, even your broom thinks you're an idiot and asks you unobtrusively to shut up," the blond sneered.
- You're the shortsighted one," Pruett took offence.
- Ron, a rock isn't a rat ashtray. It's too big, so it takes time," Neville explained. - You're in a hurry today, and you're not thinking with your head.
- Я... - The redhead was silent for a moment. - I'm scared. It's so much like... you know what it's like.
- Don't worry. We got out of there and we'll manage here," Draco said encouragingly, understanding the reason for his friend's anxious behaviour.
- Harry did most of it there.
- He did it all for us, and we'll do it all for him," Neville cut him off.
- It's not comfortable, anyway," Ron shook his head uncertainly.
- Quiet!" Draco shouted, as if listening to something. - Yeah. Well, well...
- Well?
- Worse than I thought," Malfoy tapped the tip of his wand against his lips thoughtfully.
- Don't drag it out! - Pruett couldn't take it anymore.
- The rock is made of rocks. Minimal transfiguration and maximum enchantment. The work of a Master, definitely. Let's try levitating the rock first. Maybe we can do it without destroying the thing," the blond man's finger pointed at the mountain.
A few minutes later, the three young men hovered in the air and simultaneously applied levitation charms to a block of ice, in the depths of which their friend's silhouette was visible. The block rose several feet above where it stood, but did not move in any other direction. Realising the futility of trying, Malfoy flew closer to his friends.
- 'I'm going downstairs and doing transfiguration. You hold the block. Can you handle it?
- It'll be tough. But yes, we can do it," Longbottom nodded confidently.
Seeing that Ron nodded too, Malfoy said about the signal and went downstairs. Now he needed to put all his energies into doing what he had planned. The first step was reverse transfiguration. Draco closed his eyes for a moment and concentrated. A sharp upward swing and green sparks flew into the sky. Neville and Ron lifted the block over the top of the mountain. "How much easier it would be if there was some sort of platform to stand on," Neville thought, trying not to take his wand an inch away from the block of ice. - I wonder how the others will cope. The Durmstrangs are almost at the top, by the way."
Noticing that Draco was able to perform reverse transfiguration, the boys carefully lowered the block onto the huge flat rock. But they were afraid to take their wands away in case it started to fall. Sparks flew up into the sky again, and Longbottom and Pruett, after a ten-minute respite, raised their leader's dungeon again. A moment later the mountain shrank a few feet.
* * * * *
It was the first time Lucius Malfoy had been surrounded by so many Gryffindors, and they weren't shuffling away from him and worrying about his son. It was the first time he'd had the chance to explain something to a crowd of Alo-gold students who listened to him with attention and even reverence. It was the first time he had seen the two previously feuding faculties sitting side by side and supporting each other.
- What is he doing, Lucius? - Narcissa whispered panickedly, digging her sharp fingernails into her husband's palm.
- He's casting a small rune circle of cleavage," Lord Malfoy replied, his complexion turning only a shade pinker than snow.
The great rune circle of cleavage, not cleavage, but destruction, was part of the last stage of the manor's defence. It would be more accurate to say the protection of the owners of the ancient mansion. When it was activated, it was worth at least leaving the manor and the surrounding area. The invaders would be buried under the collapsed walls and everything else. This is the last step, which is almost never used, as the ancestral houses are of great value, its walls store all the power of the family. The destruction of a manor is only done if the last owner is absolutely sure that there is no other way to save himself and not give the family nest into the hands of the invaders. Draco was now performing an almost similar action to the one he had performed at the time from which he had returned. Only here the stones would turn to dust. One erroneous rune in the circle and the action changes. In the circle of defence of their home it was a rune of destruction, here it was a rune of cleavage. It was frightening to watch his son's actions, and it was terrifying to imagine that this mountain had once been their family nest.
- Lucius, if your son threatens my godson, I swear by all that is holy, I will kill you," Sirius growled, not too loudly, but quite threateningly.
- Why me? - Lord Malfoy asked, trying to hide his consternation at Draco's actions behind the social tone of his voice.
- So that he would know what it was like to lose what was most precious to him.
- In that case, your choice would be the wrong one. Harry is more precious to him than I am," the blonde aristocrat said with almost imperceptible bitterness in his voice.
- Shut up, you idiots," Madame Runge hissed, sitting like the three aristocrats with Snape at the Gryffindor-Slytherin table.
Spectacular journalist and part-time fugitive Eater Bellatrix Lestrange was at the moment a complexion not unlike that of her sister, Lady Malfoy. To everyone, the woman was present as a member of the press who would be covering both parts of the second trial in the Daily Prophet. In reality, she had forced Lucius to bring her with him to Hogwarts so that she wouldn't have to languish with the drudgery of waiting to see if the boys would pass the test or.... What exactly "or," Bellatrix was afraid to even think about. The four young wizards, all of whom were her age, were too dear to her. Dumbledore had tried to keep the journalist out of the press coverage of the second task of the tournament, wanting to give the opportunity to his man at the other paper. But Lord Malfoy had cut the old man's plans short and brought Madame Runge along as a member of the Board of Trustees. The blonde aristocrat was also supported by Lord Black in this endeavour. Dumbledore had to relent.
- I wouldn't be so obvious about my emotions if I were you, the Lemon Slices are not dormant," Sirius snorted.
- Leave her alone, Black. You're making it hard for everyone to listen," Snape hissed and stared defiantly at the same screen he'd had when he'd taken the first part of the first trial.
It should be noted that this was the second time that the audience was watching the first part of the trials on the screens in the Great Hall. Suddenly Dumbledore jumped up from his seat, not taking his eyes off the screen that was showing the Phoenix team. Many who noticed this also shifted their gazes to him. Some didn't understand anything, especially the younger students, but those who knew the runes were amazed by their reactions. Some of them gasped in horror, some of them cursed obscenely, and the rest of them mumbled. Narcissa was among the aghast.
- Lucius, what is that crazy girl doing?! She's going to kill her leader!
- Hush, dear," the man replied, watching Granger's actions on the screen with a kind of investigative interest. - It's none of our business. Worry more about our... boys.
- Lord Black," Dumbledore addressed Sirius across the room, "I'm asking you to stop Miss Granger.
- Why me? Do it yourself, you're on the jury. And I'm supposed to watch the Tigers and come to their aid in case of danger. I am more concerned with the actions of my nephew and the rest of the team regarding my godson.
- Really, Dumbledore, why are you asking Lord Black to help your silly girl? - Madame Maxime was indignant. - The contestants must manage on their own.
- But Miss Granger's actions will lead to Miss Chang's death," Dumbledore persisted. - And I'm a member of the jury and have no right to help the contestants.
- And Lord Black has nothing to do with the tournament," Karkaroff reminded him, who didn't really care about anyone except the tigers and bears, and perhaps Mademoiselle Delacourt, who was Lord Evans-Potter's lover.
- The rules state that in case of a death threat a relative of a participant can come to the rescue," the Headmaster of Hogwarts did not give up.
- To come to the aid of that very participant and only him," the Headmaster of Durmstrang corrected Dumbledore.
- But Miss Chang is in danger! - Albus exclaimed.
- So are all the other leaders! - Olympia was indignant again, making her accent a little stronger than usual. - Mademoiselle Delacourt may suffer too, but it's not like I'm demanding Lord Black's help for her, even though she's obviously the one who's going to be the new Lady Potter!
The Headmasters of the three schools had missed the crucial moment in Miss Chang's life.
* * * * *
- What the hell is Granger doing! - yelled Ron as the block of ice that Harry had been inside was on the ground and the former mountain was a pile of grey dust.
While Draco, Ron and Neville had a brief break that should help them recover a little, they decided to see what their opponents were doing and how far they had progressed in rescuing their leaders. The Bulgarians were working at their best, pouring boiling water on a block of ice and periodically banging on it. Two of them used partial transfiguration of themselves into ravens to make cracks. The third was watering the block only up to the middle, somehow incredibly keeping at the very top of the mountain, where there was practically no space.
The Frenchwomen were using fire, from which their clothes were already burnt in some places. The lads, of course, could not see this, but from the occasional, chaotic movements of their hands they guessed that the girls were extinguishing their uniforms, which had become engulfed in flames. The last thing the "tigers" noticed was the two "phoenixes." And no matter how hard they tried to figure out what Granger was doing, nothing came out. But Ron, thanks to his gift, had figured it out. And now an uncomprehending Neville and a tired Draco were looking at him questioningly.
- I can't understand anything from this distance," Malfoy said quietly, the tremendous loss of strength making itself felt.
- Draco, she's trying to do about the same thing you are. Only you were putting the rune circle on a mountain, and she was putting it on a block of ice," Pruett explained.
- Are you sure about that? - Neville frowned.
He didn't feel sorry for any of the Phoenixes, too much evil they'd all done in THAT life, but there was something that scratched unpleasantly inside. Neville focused on that feeling and realised. Now the performance of the champions was being watched by children in addition to the adults. How would it feel for them to see a second consecutive death? He himself had first seen it at fifteen, when he had followed Harry to the Ministry in THAT fifth year. Sirius had died then and it had been a psychological trauma for him, Neville, albeit less than for Harry, but still.
- How does a mudblood know that rune circle? - Draco wondered, trying to see Granger's actions while squinting his eyes.
- Who the hell knows. She's always sticking her nose where it doesn't belong," Ron shrugged. - Maybe this isn't even the circle she's putting on. All right, Mordred's with her, let's get Harry out of here.
Draco and Neville nodded in agreement. Pruett and Longbottom began transfiguring the dry grass branches Draco had gathered. Malfoy wasn't using magic in an attempt to build up his strength and so he gathered the dry grass by hand, digging it out from under the snow. When there were enough transfigured twigs to pile around the clump, Ron used a fire spell and Neville created a dome over it all. After a few minutes, the dome was as stuffy as a bathhouse. The warm air was melting the ice fast. Three more minutes and Longbottom cancelled the dome. There was clearly less ice. Draco took off on his broom and hovered over the block, concentrating. He only needed to hit the 'dungeon' once, and he needed to put in just enough force so that the ice would crack everywhere but not hit Harry.
A second... second... third... A smooth sweep of his wand and a barely audible whisper of an explosive curse. The block shook. Time stood still for the boys. Cracks spread in all directions all the way to the bottom. There was a splintering sound and a chunk of the block fell away. A hole appeared from which a foot in a heavy, army boot stuck out. Feeling the support for strength, the foot slid back in, only to see Lord Evans-Potter's lower body emerge a few seconds later. The boys immediately rushed over to their friend and pulled him out.
- Devil, I'm so z-frozen," Harry clenched his teeth.
Draco immediately threw off his jacket and threw it over his friend's shoulders, while Neville cast warming spells on him. Ron signalled that they had finished their task and holding out his broom to his leader asked:
- Can you fly?
- Yes," he nodded.
A couple of minutes later they were at the main doors of Hogwarts, where Madam Pomfrey met them and sent them to the Hospital Wing. It wasn't until the evening that the Tigers learnt that the first part of their second assignment had ended in tragedy. Granger in her self-confidence had indeed cast a rune circle on a block of ice, but the main rune in it was a warming rune. And since the circle was closed, the heating came from within. Chang simply boiled in the boiling water that the walls of her "dungeon" had turned into. Granger was sent to St Mungo's with a violent fit of hysteria and purple bruises on her neck - it was Dean Thomas who tried to strangle her over the death of her fiancée. The boy himself was also sent to Mungo's with a nervous breakdown, as Madam Pomfrey was afraid that her qualifications would be lacking in such a situation. The school was buzzing again, Snape having to brew a huge cauldron of sedative potion and sleep-without-dreaming potion. And the Great Hall was draped in mourning cloths for the second time in a short space of time.
That same night the boys were told that they had come second in this task, the "bears" having done two minutes faster.