Harry Potter: The Golden Viper
0774 Shock

The small, isolated room behind the Great Hall was one of those mysterious places within Hogwarts Castle that remained continuously locked and forgotten by most students and staff. The very last time Harry had seen this room being opened was on that night when Hermione had been chosen as Hogwarts' champion.

Driven by curiosity and perhaps seeking some small measure of control over the bewildering situation he found himself in, Harry stepped across the threshold and walked inside the chamber.

The most immediately striking feature of the room was the fire that blazed with intensity in the fireplace directly opposite the entrance. The crackling and popping of the burning wood created a comforting, homey soundtrack that seemed to chase away some of the morning's earlier tension and uncertainty.

The furnishings within the room were simple. Several sofas had been arranged in a semi-circle facing the fireplace. A single long table was at the center of the room.

Several sleeping portraits hung on the side walls, and against the far wall, there were several cramped, cubicle-like changing rooms that had obviously been hastily constructed.

"You can pick out competition robes that fit your size," Bryan pointed to the pile of athletic uniforms on the table, speaking gently to Harry and Ron, who had entered first.

"Professor Watson," Harry began urgently, his voice tight with concern and anxiety. He needed to ask his questions before Cho Chang could enter the room and make their conversation inappropriate to continue. "What's really going on here, Professor? Ron and I—does this truly mean that Hermione needs to rescue two people instead of one? How is that fair to her?"

After receiving Professor Watson's calm but confirming reply, Ron also burst out in indignation, his voice was cracking with emotion and outrage. "That's not fair at all!!"

"When we were selecting the rescue targets for Miss Granger," Bryan explained with patience, his voice maintaining its gentle, reassuring tone, "we engaged in discussions and consultations among all the tournament officials, including representatives from all three schools and the Ministry of Magic. After careful consideration, we unanimously agreed that both of you qualify equally as 'the most important person' in Hermione's life—that is, you both represent her most precious treasure."

Bryan paused for a moment before continuing with his explanation. "Professor Karkaroff seemed to think that forcing a choice between you two might make the one left behind feel awkward and excluded, and could potentially damage your friendship. So, he was actually the one who suggested that you both participate in the task."

This unexpected explanation left both Harry and Ron speechless for several seconds, their mouths opening and closing as they struggled to process what they had just learned.

They looked at each other with expressions of mixed surprise, confusion, and perhaps a touch of embarrassment. Ron drew in a sharp breath shivering slightly.

"Having to go down to the bottom of the Black Lake—with all those creatures and who knows what else lurking in the depths—I'd honestly rather stay safely on shore and watch the competition from a nice, dry viewing area!" Ron said, his voice carrying a mixture of nervous humor and genuine anxiety.

Harry grimaced at his best friend's words, but the deep furrow that had appeared between his dark eyebrows didn't smooth out. His mind was still wrestling with the situation. "But doesn't this arrangement make it significantly harder for Hermione? She'll be at a disadvantage compared to the other champions who only have to rescue one person each. How is she supposed to manage two rescues in the same amount of time?"

"You can't look at it so superficially, Harry," Bryan replied calmly. "Two good friends both in danger—this might actually ignite her fighting spirit and strengthen her resolve in ways that rescuing just one person might not."

This perspective... Harry and Ron found themselves hesitating, turning the idea over in their minds like a puzzle piece that they weren't quite sure how to fit into the larger picture.

However, before they could continue their discussion or ask any follow-up questions, Cho Chang had already pushed through the door, her entrance making it socially inappropriate and impossible to continue their conversation about the competition's fairness.

Harry walked glumly over to the central table. He randomly selected a set of the magical competition clothing from the pile, not paying particular attention to size or style in his distracted state and headed directly for the changing room at the far end of the row, hoping to find some privacy and a moment to collect his thoughts.

He grasped the handle of the door and turned it firmly, but to his surprise and mild frustration, the door wouldn't budge.

"That door might be broken," came Professor Watson's voice at just the right moment, saving Harry from further embarrassment. "Try another one instead."

Harry shrugged his shoulders in resignation, and walked to the adjacent changing room with his bundle of competition clothes.

After Cho Chang had also selected suitable clothing from the pile on the table, she entered one of the remaining changing rooms, closing the door behind her with a soft click.

Finally, little Gabrielle shuffled reluctantly into the room.

It was clear that the what lay ahead was overwhelming for someone of her tender age. She bit her lower lip, tears welling in her eyes, but she didn't say a word about backing out. Instead, she clenched her small white fists tightly and walked to the table, standing on her tiptoes to pick out clothes.

Harry and Ron emerged from their respective changing rooms at roughly the same time, both looking somewhat awkward in their unfamiliar magical competition gear.

By the time they had both finished changing and had emerged into the main room, little Gabrielle, who had entered the preparation area last, had already completed her own transformation and was waiting patiently by the central table.

The thought that this adorable, innocent little girl would also have to go down with him into the terrifying, gloomy depths of the Black Lake with all its unknown dangers and mysterious creatures filled Harry's heart with sympathy and concern.

So, when Gabrielle looked up at him with her wide blue eyes, Harry gave her the warmest, most genuinely friendly smile he could manage.

To Harry's surprise, Gabrielle seemed to have overcome her fear. She smiled sweetly back at him.

"Ahem—" Bryan cleared his throat gently.

Perhaps in an effort to keep them from dwelling on their fears and becoming increasingly nervous about what lay ahead, his voice was even gentler and more soothing than it had been before. He smiled warmly at each of them in turn.

"I'm terribly sorry, everyone," He continued, "but time is pressing, and we don't have much time to waste on deciding who should go first. I want to assure you all that there will be absolutely no pain whatsoever during the spell casting process. The magic I'll be using is designed to be as comfortable and peaceful as possible. So, Harry, would you mind being the first to undergo the preparation?"

Harry mumbled something unintelligible in response, his voice unclear and muffled by his own reluctance and uneasiness. However, despite his hesitation and the way his feet seemed reluctant to carry him forward, he still responded to Professor Watson's gentle summons and took the necessary steps toward whatever preparation awaited him.

Twenty minutes later, Bryan emerged with a row of young wizards floating in mid-air, and those waiting outside immediately approached.

Madame Maxime brushed Gabrielle's temple, her eyes showing a hint of distress. "You're certain there won't be any problems, Watson?"

"Oh, of course, um... Ma... dame Maxime—"

Bryan began to explain, "I used..."

"Bryan's magical expertise is trustworthy, Olympe," Dumbledore interrupted Bryan's explanation with a smile. He gestured to everyone, "Come now, everyone, I'm afraid we must arrange everything properly as quickly as possible. That way we might still have time to enjoy breakfast before the competition begins."

Meanwhile, in the girls' dormitory of Gryffindor Tower, the rising tension and anxiety surrounding the approaching competition had kept Hermione awake for the entire first half of the night. She couldn't stop thinking about terrible scenarios.

For instance, although she had practiced the complex magical techniques required for underwater survival, what if during the actual competition, under the pressure of time limits and the stress of the tournament itself, the magic she hadn't quite mastered suddenly failed?

Furthermore, given the enormous size of the Black Lake, what if she couldn't locate her designated "treasure" within the strictly enforced time limit? Moreover, regarding the mysterious "treasure" that had been mentioned in the cryptic clue she was still completely in the dark about its true nature.

For quite some time now, she had been paying obsessive attention to all her belongings. But with the competition scheduled to begin in just a few hours, she still hadn't discovered anything significant that was absent from her collection.

In this atmosphere of vague unease and anxiety, battling against reason telling her she needed to rest, Hermione had spent an incredibly restless second half of the night.

Only as the first tentative rays of dawn began to creep across the Scottish Highlands and filter through the windows of Gryffindor Tower did complete exhaustion finally overcome her racing thoughts and anxious preparations. She fell into a deep, dreamless sleep that was more like a temporary surrender to physical necessity than true rest.

But this precious sleep didn't last nearly long enough for someone who had been awake most of the night. When the slanting rays of the morning sun leaped over the beds of her dormitory mates, Parvati and Lavender, and fell across her face with their warm, golden light, the powerful instinct that had been formed by years of disciplined study habits and early morning routines made Hermione sit up in bed with a sudden, startled movement.

In an unusual turn of events that spoke to how disrupted everyone's routines had become due to the tournament, both Lavender and Parvati had risen earlier than Hermione—something that almost never happened under normal circumstances.

When Hermione finally managed to put on her school robes with fingers that felt clumsy and uncoordinated from exhaustion, and then suddenly realized that she should actually be wearing her official competition uniform instead, she frantically began changing clothes once again.

By the time she had sorted out her wardrobe confusion and was properly dressed in the specialized garments that had been provided for tournament participants, her two roommates had already completed their entire morning routines with unusual efficiency.

"Good luck, Hermione!" Lavender called out cheerfully.

"We'll be cheering for you from the viewing area!" Parvati added.

Both friends gave their heartfelt blessings and encouragement. After Hermione had breathlessly thanked them both, touched by their support but still feeling rushed and unprepared, she hurried into the small washroom.

In the washroom, she attended to her hygiene needs with far more speed and efficiency than was typical for her usually thorough morning routine.

Then, still feeling as though she were running behind schedule despite having plenty of time before the competition was scheduled to begin, she hurried down the stone staircase that led from the girls' dormitory to the Gryffindor common room below.

She had to admit to herself, as she descended the familiar stairs that not seeing Harry and Ron waiting for her in the common room right away was genuinely and deeply disappointing.

During the first task of the tournament, Ron had been engaged in a bitter feud with both her and Harry. On the morning of that particular competition, Harry had been sent by Professor Watson to Hogsmeade station to greet important visitors and dignitaries who were arriving for the tournament.

The experience of going alone to the champions' tent, facing the enormous crowd and the pressure of the first task without the support and encouragement of her closest friends, had been genuinely unpleasant and emotionally difficult.

This time, however, all their previous misunderstandings had been resolved. Harry and Ron both understood the immense importance of this second competition task to her. She had thought that both boys would be waiting eagerly in the common room early in the morning, ready to give her encouraging smiles and words of support the moment they saw her come downstairs.

But unfortunately, none of this had happened as she had expected and hoped.

The common room, usually bustling with activity even in the early morning hours, felt strangely empty and quiet without their familiar presence.

A slight dejection settled over Hermione's heart like a gray cloud, making her already sleep-deprived state appear even more exhausted and emotionally drained. Her shoulders sagged slightly under the weight of disappointment, and she found herself wondering if something had happened to change their plans or if they had simply forgotten about the importance of this morning in their own excitement about the tournament.

"Hey, Hermione!" a familiar voice called out cheerfully from across the common room.

Just as Hermione stood there in the center of the circular room, processing her minor but significant emotional turmoil and trying to decide whether to wait for her friends or go to breakfast alone, sharp-eyed Neville spotted her from the direction of the boys' dormitory stairs. He waved enthusiastically at her across the common room, his gesture energetic and attention-grabbing.

His alert and friendly greeting also drew the immediate attention of Seamus, Dean, Ginny, and the Weasley twins, Fred and George, who had been clustered together near the fireplace engaged in what appeared to be an intense discussion. The entire group immediately jogged over to her with expressions of concern and curiosity.

"Oh!" George exclaimed as he took in Hermione's appearance with his mischievous grin. He looked over her dark circles, her slightly disheveled hair, and her overall exhausted demeanor before breaking into a wide, teasing smile. "You look absolutely radiant this morning, my dear champion lady! Truly, the picture of health and vitality!"

"This isn't the time for jokes, George," Neville, who was often the target of the Weasley twins' pranks, put on a serious expression. He looked at Hermione, speaking rapidly, "We were just discussing this situation, Hermione, and we all thought you might know some inside information about what's been happening."

"What are you talking about?" Hermione asked, her voice showing her complete bewilderment at their mysterious behavior and cryptic references.

Although she had personally witnessed Neville's transformation, the intensely serious expression on his face still made her feel somewhat uncomfortable and uncertain.

His words left her completely confused, and she couldn't begin to guess what kind of "inside information" he thought she might possess.

"Here's the situation," Neville explained immediately, recognizing Hermione's expression of confusion and realizing that she was genuinely unaware of the morning's events.

"Last night, at around four o'clock, Professor McGonagall suddenly appeared in our dormitory. She definitely didn't look very pleased. Without giving any explanation, she woke both Harry and Ron from their beds and took them both away immediately, and they still haven't returned to the dormitory. Seamus, Dean, and I all witnessed this happening. We thought you might know something about what's going on!"

Professor McGonagall had taken Harry and Ron away?

On competition day? Without explanation?

Quietly, Hermione's face turned deadly pale.

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