Brent would be a liar if he said he hadn't enjoyed that hug from Madelyn. It was something he never thought he'd experience ever again. He was almost kind of bummed when she released him from the hug. When she did so, it was like everything from the challenge started coming back to him all at once. He'd been so pumped up about succeeding in the challenge, that he actually hadn't thought about the challenge itself.

He had been attacked by a dementor.

"Madelyn, I almost died out there, didn't I?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper. He hadn't died, of course, but the sinking feeling that came over him made him realize just how close he'd come. He shook his head. "No, I'm not hurt. Thanks, though." A little shaken up, but hurt? He didn't think so. Then she was off talking to everybody else, so Brent turned to sink into a seat.

Just as he sat down, he heard his name. It was Irene, a fellow champion. He tried to get it all together and appear confident enough to talk to her. "Irene," he said, standing up, "that was intense, wasn't it? We made it, though. Congratulations to yourself." A second later, the conversation took a different turn, as Irene was tugging on his shirt. Apparently, something was very important. Someone watching him? For a moment, he thought about the dememtor, and he shivered despite the fact that he was no longer in the forest.

"Huh? Someone looking for me?" he asked, and he turned to see Skylar heading off. She didn't seem like she wanted to see him at all. His heart sank. Had the question been too much for her? He thought he was dying, for Merlin's sake! "Skylar!" he said, and he hurried her way before she could leave. "Skylar, wait up!"