Chapter 542: The Second Task

Time seemed to have sped up after February began. In what felt like the blink of an eye, there was only a week left until February 27th.

Fred and George were noticeably disappointed. Since the incident in the foyer, Karkaroff had not returned to the castle, robbing them of the opportunity to execute the elaborate "Skiving Snackbox" plan they had spent so much time preparing.

"The Second Task is in a week. Are you really not going to spend some time studying the stone?" Fleur asked, exasperated, as she watched Kyle playing chess with Cedric in the common room.

She had assumed Kyle was joking about his lack of interest in the stones, but she was now convinced he was serious. Her reasoning was simple: the three stones had been sitting untouched on a cabinet in the common room for over a month. If not for the diligent cleaning by the house-elves, they would have accumulated a thick layer of dust by now.

To test him, Fleur had once secretly taken the stones during the night, expecting him to notice their absence. But for half a month, Kyle didn't even seem to realize they were gone, carrying on with his usual routine without the slightest concern.

It was as if he had seen Merlin himself.

"Not really," Kyle said casually in response to her question.

If he had intended to investigate the stones, he would have done so on the day Nicolas Flamel visited. To Flamel, the secret of the stone was as clear as if it were written on its surface—obvious at a glance. Since Kyle hadn't bothered to ask Flamel then, he saw no reason to waste time on it now.

"Do whatever you want, but if I have to deal with you again, I'll be a Leprechaun!" Fleur huffed and turned on her heel, dragging Kanna with her as she stormed back to the dormitory.

"I feel like I've heard that before..." Kyle mused, shifting in his seat. "It's like she said that two months ago."

Cedric shook his head, glancing at the shelf in the lounge where the three untouched stones rested, then said, "Honestly, I thought you were joking too. But you really don't seem the least bit worried."

"There's no need to be," Kyle replied with a laugh. "The judges will reveal what they need to during the task. And let's be real—only the third task is a true competition. The first two are just warm-ups, giving a slight advantage. That advantage is fixed, whether you score 100 points or 80."

"While that's technically true, I think only you could stay so calm," Cedric said with a sigh. "The other day, Fleur was so anxious she was flipping through books in the lounge at one in the morning."

"I didn't notice that."

"Of course not," Cedric replied. Then, changing the subject, he added, "But have you noticed how much Fleur has changed recently?"

"Changed?" Kyle thought for a moment. "No, hasn't she always been like that?"

"Well, for you, maybe," Cedric said with a shake of his head. "But I remember when she first arrived, she had such an arrogant attitude towards everyone. And now... yesterday, I saw her helping a third-year student correct the hand gestures for the Cheering Charm. That would have been unthinkable three months ago, wouldn't it?"

"Fleur Delacour? Helping a third-year with a Charm?" Kyle asked incredulously. "Are you sure you didn't see it wrong?"

Since Beauxbatons' arrival, countless students had approached Fleur under the pretense of asking for help with Charms. Regardless of their gender or age, Fleur usually ignored them outright. Even Cedric had once asked her a casual question about Transfiguration, only to be met with a frosty silence.

"I felt like she was looking at me as if I were a sprouted potato," Cedric had said at the time.

It was hard to imagine that such a Fleur would willingly teach someone the hand movements for a Charm.

"Of course I didn't see it wrong," Cedric said firmly. "She's the only one at Hogwarts with silver hair."

"Then she really has changed," Kyle muttered.

...

In the days leading up to the Second Task, the atmosphere in the castle grew increasingly electric. The cheering badges that had been tucked away since the First Task were now being retrieved from suitcases and proudly displayed. For those who had lost their badges or never had one, Sirius offered replacements for free.

He had made an entire suitcase full of badges and left it by the door of the Defense Against the Dark Arts Class, allowing anyone to help themselves. Initially, he had placed the suitcase inside his office, but after Professor Moody overreacted to the constant knocking on the door—leading to three separate repair incidents—Sirius decided to leave it outside instead.

Fred and George took things to the extreme, pinning nearly half the box of badges onto their robes. They clanked with every step, resembling knights in shining armor.

With only one day left until the Second Task, the castle was abuzz with anticipation. Cheers echoed through the halls, not just from students but from professors as well. Wherever Kyle went, he heard his name being shouted in support.

During the second period of Care of Magical Creatures that afternoon, Hagrid approached Kyle with a broad grin and asked in a hushed voice how his preparations were coming along. When Kyle reassured him, Hagrid clapped him on the shoulder with such enthusiasm that Kyle nearly stumbled into the mud.

"I worried about you before the dragons," Hagrid said, beaming. "But now I know—when you set yer mind to somethin', yeh can do it. I ain't worried at all. I can feel it—you'll succeed!"

"Thanks, Hagrid," Kyle replied, grinning as he pulled his feet free from the soft mud.

Sirius was right—Hagrid really should have realized how strong he was by now.

By evening, the excitement in the Hufflepuff common room reached its peak. With two of the three champions staying there, the room was packed with students, snacks, and drinks. As soon as Kyle entered, people began stuffing his pockets with sweets and dried beef, as though afraid he might not eat before the competition and end up starving during the task.

Despite Fleur being from Beauxbatons, she had been living in the Hufflepuff dormitory for a while, and the students didn't discriminate. They offered her snacks too—although not nearly as many as Kyle received.

To ensure the champions got enough rest, everyone cleared out of the common room before 9 p.m., retreating to their quarters voluntarily. Soon, only Kyle and Fleur remained in the lounge.

Fleur was preparing to head back to the Beauxbatons carriage, as Madame Maxime seemed uneasy about her staying in the castle overnight so close to the task. But as Fleur reached the door, she paused and turned back to Kyle.

"If you don't feel like sleeping early tonight, go for a walk," she said. "Take those stones with you to the lake. Place them in the water where the moonlight can shine on them... well, that's about it."

Kyle blinked, caught off guard by the sudden suggestion. He turned his head to respond, but by the time he looked up, Fleur had already left. All that remained was the closed wooden door swinging gently shut behind her.