Neville thought about it and asked, "If you only earned... what... five points for the First Task, won't that put you so far back you'll have little chance of winning?"
Harry smirked even more and said, "You forget, Neville. It is not my intent to win the damned thing."
"Language," muttered Hermione.
Harry thought it was a vast improvement, as she both didn't stridently exclaim it, or tell him off even further for it. So, he let her get away with it.
"I don't know why they marked you so low, anyway," said Neville. "You completed the First Task as per the rules. As you said, there was no time limit or any other limit, when it comes to that, other than completing the Task by collecting that gold egg. You did that."
"Because I told them to only award me one point each," he replied. "I wanted it perfectly clear I had no intention of winning and I really didn't want to even be there."
"So, the Third Task is a hedge maze," said Hermione, trying to get the discussion back on track.
"Yes," said Harry. "They'll be putting in a whole range of dangerous creatures, as well; which are there to test the ingenuity and skills of the champions while they try to find the Cup."
"So, you need to practice combat casting," she said. "Which you've been doing with the Colourball charms and Stinging hexes training we've been doing."
He grinned at her with that 'I know something you don't know' expression she'd come to know.
With a sigh, she asked, "What am I missing?"
"The only rules for the Third Task are that I must enter the maze and then find the Cup. That's it," he replied. "Now, think about it."
Both other teens couldn't figure it out. And weren't happy when he wouldn't tell them what he'd already figured out for himself.
He said, "If, by then, you haven't already figured it out for yourselves, I'll tell you what you're missing before the Third Task starts."
"Can you at least give us a hint?" begged Neville.
Harry thought about it for few moments before he said, "The rules state I must enter the maze. They do not state I must stay in the maze until one of us finds the Cup."
"You intend to walk in and walk back out again?" asked Hermione.
Harry chuckled and replied, "No. But, you have your clue."
_‗_
―==(oIo)==―
ˇ
The day of the Second Task dawned with slightly overcast skies. Harry had no problem with that, as it meant there'd be minimal glare off the water as he was summoning his broom.
The previous late afternoon, both 'visiting' schools representatives returned to Hogwarts in readiness of the event. However, instead of the approximate two dozen students from each school, they only returned with seven each. Plus, instead of arriving in a flying horse carriage and a recovered sunken tri-masted galleon, they arrived by way of portkey via the Ministry of Magic International Portkey Station; and then appeared in the middle of the entrance hall of the castle in each group five minutes apart.
Again, both schools sat in their own groups, together at Ravenclaw for the Beauxbatons and at Slytherin for the Durmstrangs; for both the evening meal the night before and breakfast that morning.
Harry was not surprised when, that same evening, Professor Babbling came to him and asked him to hand over his Firebolt. Then informed him it would be that 'which he'd miss the most' for the Task the next day.
'As if I didn't already know,' he thought.
At 9.00am the four champions were escorted out of the Great Hall by Karkaroff, Maxime, Deputy Headmaster Goodstone and Marchbanks. Again, Harry offered his arm to the good Lady Headmistress, which she again gladly accepted.
Yet again, Harry was surrounded by aurors; but, this time, they also encompassed the whole party.
As they slowly made their way down to the edge of the lake - where had been set up a large set of tribune seating, plus a judges table sitting on a small stage that extended out into the water - Harry quietly asked Marchbanks, "Why decide to take the walk? As Headmistress you could always either apparate or create your own portkey to take you there."
She smiled back and said, "Perhaps I enjoy the walk, Lord Potter."
With his own smile he said, "Perhaps you forgot you could do that, Headmistress."
That got a laugh out of her.
"No, dear boy," she said. "At my age, any chance I get to take a walk on a nice, clear day... especially in the company of one so charming... I'm going to take."
"Flatterer," he quietly accused.
That earned him another laugh. But, also with one of those light taps on his arm that he now recognised as showing she was pleased with him.
_‗_
―==(oIo)==―
ˇ
As the four waited on the stage that also acted as a jetty of sorts and the judges took their seats at the table, the students and other guests, streaming in through the gates, were walking down to take seats in the tribunes.
As the time of the start of the Task approached, 9.30am, Bagman walked over to them and had them gather around.
"All set, are you, Champions?" he asked, also looking at Harry.
"What're you looking at me for?" he asked, right back. "I'm the unwilling entrant, remember? Ask them." And gestured to the other three.
Bagman allowed his expression to show slight irritation before he decided to ignore Harry and asked the others, "All set, are we? Have your plans on how you're going to undertake the challenge, prepared?"
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