Chapter 512: The First Task

The atmosphere in the Changing Rooms was tense, as if time itself had slowed to a crawl since the Champions had been handed their quills.

Ludo Bagman, ever the optimist, attempted to lighten the mood with a stream of jokes, but his words fell on deaf ears.

"Well, I can see you don't like jokes," Bagman remarked with forced cheerfulness, though it was clear he didn't particularly care. "I'm stepping out for a bit; I need to explain a few things to the audience. Remember, don't let go of your quills, got it? Now... Mr. Krum, can I have a word with you? Outside?"

Krum looked up, his expression blank. Although he wasn't sure what Bagman wanted, the man was a judge in the Triwizard Tournament, so after a brief hesitation, he stood and followed him into the corridor.

"What could they want?" Fleur muttered, frowning. "Is there something else they need to tell us... privately?"

"Who knows," Kyle replied nonchalantly, though he was becoming increasingly aware of the noise outside. The laughter and cheering were growing louder, a vibrant hum filling his ears.

Suddenly, a sharp whistle pierced the din.

Kyle's focus snapped back to the quill in his hand. It was growing hotter by the second, and he felt a strange, forceful pull. Before he could react, the sensation intensified—his whole body was abruptly sucked into the quill.

When he came to, Kyle found himself standing on the Quidditch Pitch, surrounded by deafening cheers. He glanced around in confusion. The field stretched out vast and empty, with no sign of Fleur or Krum. Weren't they supposed to compete together?

"Welcome to the Triwizard Tournament!" Bagman's enthusiastic voice boomed from the stands.

"As you can see, the Champions are already in position, but they've been placed in separate areas and cannot see one another... Of course, we can see them all, which leaves us with a delightful dilemma: whom should we watch?" Bagman chuckled at his own wit, though the joke fell flat.

Kyle's thoughts raced. Separate positions? That explained the absence of the others. Before he could dwell on it further, Bagman continued.

"Now, for the first level!" Bagman shouted. "All Champions must pass through this door to reach the next stage. Let's wish them all the best of luck. And, by the way, the little guardian of the key is quite the handful!"

Kyle's gaze followed Bagman's words, landing on an oak door standing incongruously where one of the goalposts had been. There was nothing around it—no walls or structures, just the door standing alone, as if dropped there without context.

Approaching cautiously, Kyle examined it. The door seemed ordinary, and he could easily circle it, but the scenery around him remained unchanged. Clearly, simply walking past wasn't the solution.

"Alohomora," Kyle muttered, pointing his wand at the door.

Before the spell could take full effect, a flash of blue shot towards him from out of nowhere. He jumped back instinctively.

"Creak!" Long, jagged scratches appeared on the door's surface.

Turning, Kyle saw the source—a cat, though it was far larger than any ordinary feline. Its eyes, glowing a vivid blue, were like twin luminescent stones.

A Matagot.

Hanging from its neck on a fine chain was a large golden key.

Kyle's thoughts clicked into place. So that's why he had glimpsed Professor Lochneal at Hogwarts—this must be his doing. Professor Lochneal, a renowned Magizoologist from Beauxbatons, was particularly fond of Matagots. He was rarely seen without one, even during their visit to the Dragon Reserve, where he had one by his side at all times.

Kyle narrowed his eyes at the creature. "Shackle?" he whispered, calling the name of the professor's Matagot.

The cat didn't respond, its intense blue eyes remaining fixed on him.

Of course, Kyle realized with a pang of disappointment—it wasn't the same Matagot. The professor wouldn't have brought Shackle here, not with the stakes of the Tournament at play. Allowing Kyle to interact with a familiar creature would have been too easy, especially since Fleur was the real Champion of Beauxbatons.

"Aha, now everyone has met the little guy in charge of the keys... What are you going to do? A friendly reminder: don't use magic on Matagots lightly, because... Oh, Viktor Krum is such a hothead. If they had been more patient, they would have known that a Matagot will split into two if harmed by magic. Oops, now there are three of them... What is he going to do?" Bagman's voice rang out, tinged with a mix of amusement and exaggerated concern.

To be honest, Bagman's commentary revealed a bit more information than was probably fair, technically bending the rules. But no one in the audience seemed to care, caught up in the unfolding drama.

Kyle, however, had known the characteristics of Matagots for a long time, and Fleur clearly didn't need the reminder either. The only one in the dark was Krum, and even he had already stumbled into the mistake before Bagman's so-called "hint." As far as Kyle was concerned, the extra information changed nothing at all.

The audience erupted in a mix of exclamations and gasps.

"Oh, look over there, what a clever girl..." Bagman continued to shout enthusiastically. "Oh, what a pity! I thought she had it in the bag. She should have been more patient!"

Kyle listened to Bagman's prattle for a moment before tuning it out. He didn't need to hear it to know what was happening. This task was clearly tailored for Beauxbatons; Fleur would likely breeze through. Krum, on the other hand, would have a harder time. The split Matagots would only grow more aggressive and difficult to handle.

Of course, that wasn't Kyle's problem.

He turned his attention back to the Matagot in front of him. The creature hadn't moved; it remained standing there, its sharp eyes locked on Kyle, as if waiting for him to make a move toward the door.

Kyle decided to change his approach. He slowly put away his wand and lowered his body until his hands touched the ground. He knew that Matagots were highly alert creatures, especially when confronted with a wand. His actions now were deliberately non-threatening in their eyes.

This position had another advantage: by lowering himself, he ensured that the audience in the stands couldn't see his mouth.

"Oh, well done!" Bagman's voice came again, sounding genuinely impressed. "Our youngest Champion has also found a way!"

Kyle ignored him.

With his hands firmly planted on the ground, he observed the Matagot. The creature's arched back began to flatten, and its flicking tail slowed to stillness. Clearly, it was responding to his careful movements.

Kyle moved forward cautiously, pulling the hood of his robe over his head to conceal his face as much as possible.

The Matagot let out a low growl and arched its back again as Kyle drew closer. He froze immediately, his hidden lips moving in a soft murmur. "Don't worry, little one. I just want to borrow that key to open the door. I'll give it back to you soon."

The Matagot's glowing blue eyes seemed to flicker with curiosity, though its low purr suggested it wasn't entirely convinced.

"Is it your job to guard the key and keep strangers away? I understand. But I'm not a stranger. I know Shackle—a beautiful female Matagot. Do you know her?"

"Meow..." The sound was almost questioning.

"Oh, of course I know her," Kyle continued softly. "She has a small patch of missing fur on the tips of her hind legs. It happened when she accidentally stepped on a student's failed alchemy project."

The Matagot let out a quiet trill, as if considering his words.

"Right? See, I told you I'm no stranger. In fact, I'm on good terms with Professor Lochneal. He told me your favorite food is long-bearded barracuda—the kind with two long beards and three golden stripes on its body..."

Of course, Professor Lochneal had never said anything of the sort. Kyle was bluffing. But it didn't matter—he knew no cat, magical or mundane, could resist the allure of dried long-bearded barracuda. Even Wampus Cats and Nundus couldn't turn their noses up at it.

Unfortunately, the treat was hard to come by and notoriously expensive. Three for ten Galleons, and that was on a good day.