Moving herself away from the bottom of the stands, Cosette walked up, trying to get herself to the top of the stands. Everytime she hears something from that announcer, she felt a little more on edge. She had only seen Noel moments before he had to leave. Words of encouragement were all they exchanged. Biting her pale lip, she moved her beige gloved hand around her cape as she walked up the steps. This whole tournament would have been better if she was in it. That way she wouldn't have to worry about someone else, like Noel. She would only have to make sure she was alright.

Letting out a sigh, the puff of visible air letting out before her eyes, she noticed that they could see what was happening in the field. Moving her hands down, she picked up the binoculars she had on a strap over her arm. Looking through the lenses, she noticed Noel and Fletcher.. fighting? Not over her, she hoped. Wait, over a rooster? Rolling her eyes, she felt a little more at ease. Sitting herself down, she sat the binoculars next to her and re-adjusted her earmuffs, also patting down her dress. She didn't know why, but she wanted to look amazing when Noel came out of that task and finally tell him how she felt about him. "GO NOEL!" She yelled, cupping her hands around her mouth to sound louder. She would show all her support to him right now in his moment.

Just as he had seated himself onto the bench his thoughts on something he wasn't supposed to think about were interrupted by...none other than Hecate. An angry Hecate it seemed. An angry Hecate with a Beater's Bat. O_o "Err...Hecate, whatcha doing with that?" Jeremy shifted in his seat slightly so he was half turned towards the woman sitting behind him, eyeing the bat in her hands with a rather confused look on his face.

She hadn't brought it for walnut-cracking, had she?

Oh, and back to the task. At least they were able to see SOMETHING at this one. Which made it a lot easier to distract himself. Following the direction into which the Flying Professor was staring he tried to make out said 'Kappa'. Only it was sort of hard, given that he had absolutely no idea what they looked like. Maybe he should have payed better attention in CoMC at school. Where was Maya when you needed her?

Still squinting down at the scene below Jeremy held back a gasp as suddenly the Beauxbatons champion and Fletcher started to...fight?! With each other. "I think you taught your students well, Hecate." He said with a small smile into the Slytherin HoH's direction, while cocking his head into Raiden's direction who was so not involved in the fight. Which seemed to be over a chicken. Right, because that totallly made sense...good thing Alysson wasn't around.

And then the hedges closed around the champions again leaving them with no idea what was going on inside. Bleh.

Sweet Merlin's Beater Bat!

What was Lafay doing with that thing? Surely she wasn't going to attack people if Hogwarts lost, was she!? Destiny eyed her just to make sure she wasn't about to hit her with the bat..

Because really, she wanted to finish watching the task.

Glaaaaaaare.

It was quite possible that Destiny Shepard was looking at Carter's soul with how hard she was glaring at him. That's right Carter Philips, your soul was just violated! He deserved it, though.

Her eyes were narrowed as she watched him pick the marshmallows up and eat them. Too bad she didn't throw the Evelyn contaminated ones at him..or better yet, she should have thrown the one Evelyn spit back into the bag. That would have been SO funny watching him eat that! BAHAHA! Destiny laughed just thinking about it but the laughter was cut short as he spoke to her.

How did she know he wanted one? She wasn't giving them to him, she wanted to hurt him but she didn't think that through. Marshmallows don't hurt! Rolling her eyes, she reached in the bag and pulling out a marshmallow, she squashed it in her hand. "That? That was you."

Or it will be him when Destiny gets done with him.

Scoff!!

Arya was a liar. Destiny KNEW that she wanted to be a Slytherin. Who didn't want to be one? They were awesome AND they had the best Prefect ever, so yeah. LIAR! "Oh please." she said with a wave of her hand, "I see you creeping down in the dungeons, trying to hear the password to get into our common room."

Okay, so that was a complete lie, but Destiny hoped it would get the girl angry, that way she had a reason to throw marshmallows at her. She wasn't going to waste her FOOD on the girl for no reason. She wasn't like Evelyn; a food waster. Snorting extra loud at the Hufflepuff's words, she turned back to the hedges. "Maybe if you keep telling yourself that, it'll come true."

She doubted it, though.

...

Noel should have totally hit the Hufflepuff Champion with the rooster.

What?

Pfft BAHAHAHA! Frenchie? Win!?

"You're on." she replied, glancing down to the champions. "A sickle that Raiden wins." Totally. Slytherin FTW!

Forget the Huffie dude. Hey, didn't Rae like that guy? Or was it the other way around. Huffie liking Rae?

And WHO was this?

Having been paying attention to the champions and the whole fight thing with the kappa (GET THE FRENCHIE!!) and amongst themselves, Evelyn hadn't noticed all the other people Destiny was talking to. Until now that is.

Raising a brow, the Slytherin leaned over to see who it was before scoffing. Really? "Destiny, don't give the girl false hope." she muttered, suddenly putting another marshmallow in her mouth as if she hadn't done it before. "It's gunna take a lot more then 'telling herself' that to make Hufflepuff as awesome as Slytherin."

...

Ewwww. Marshmallows were gross.

Kimber felt Jeremy sit down beside her but she kept her eyes fixed on the maze in front of her. "Not sure," she answered. "I just got here myself," she admitted.
Hearing a familiar voice behind her, she turned around and nodded a greeting. "Hello Hecate." The potion's mistress was sporting a very sour look. Strange considering where they were. Unless of course, she was just anxious for her students. But that bat... "Are you alright?" she asked, eying the object.
...

Seeing the sudden appearance of a certain creature, Kimber's heart dropped into her stomach. She grabbed Jeremy's arm and pulled him closer. "Tell me that's not a rooster!" she said, obviously petrified. If it was... it could only mean one thing.

Alice smiled at Salander, glad to see that he was just as into it as she was. Thank heavens that they could actually see some of what was going on this time rather than just sitting there worried and only guessing as to what exactly the challengers were facing.

The Black Lagoon? Alice chuckled. "It kind of reminds me of the blob personally," Alice said with a little smile. Although, did the blob ever go in water? Alice shook her head loosely...guess it wasn't important.

Especially since the hedges were opening up again...and wait...were two of the challengers fighting? Alice could make out the one was Fletcher, and she guessed the second guy must have been the Noel (based on a cheer nearby by a girl Alice didn't recognize)...and wait...was that a...

Rooster?

Alice raised her eyebrows, feeling bad for the poor rooster who seemed to be caught right in the middle of things. Were they fighting over the rooster?

O_____o

Jeremy's head whipped around so he could stare at Kimber clinging onto his arm. What had scared her that much?! "You okay?" He asked - concern plastered across his face - leaning forward slightly to be able to see her face while softly patting the hand cutting off his blood circulationholding onto him. Wait...she was scared of the chicken?! He could only do as much as not to laugh. "I...guess it is. What's so terrifying about it? It's only a chicken...rooster." Huh?

Maybe she was scared of birds? Though it was very unlikely it was going to reach them up here.

Eyes wide, Kimber looked at him directly and said, "You don't understand."

Refusing to incite panic amongst the students, Kimber leaned over and proceeded to whisper hurriedly in his ear.

SCOFF!!!

She was delusional. Totally and absolutely bonkers. There was NO WAY that she saw her, Arya Lovegoods, anywhere near the dungeons. Not with her down there and certainly not with Lafay down there. "You've never seen me down there," She glaaaared at the girl with a slight look of disdain. "You couldn't pay me to go down there.....why on earth would I wanna live under the lake?" It had to be freezing and dark down there.

"I don't have to keep telling myself that. It is true." She could have listed the reasons why her house was the best, but she wasn't going to. Had a competition to watch, and the safety of her friend to fret over.

The young girl had turned her attention back to the hedges, intent on ignoring Destiny, when another Slytherin felt the need to had her two scents into the conversation.....if it could be called that.

Scoff!! This conversation could have easily been mistaken for a scoffing contest. "As awesome? What makes you think Slytherin is awesome?" Cause they weren't certainly not as awesome as Hufflepuff. Her eyes were still on the hedges, the coco in her hands momentarily forgotten.

"I am just telling the truth",Fee smiled widely.
Kurumi was great she just needed to discover that.As she heard her screaming she giggled a little. Now how adorable was that?!

"Kuruuumii", she smiled warmly,"its okay. Everyting will be fine."

"Not just maybe",Fee stuck her tongue out at her best friend.
Slytherin was the winning house, nothing else could be. Would be a shame.
"Wait why are they fighting over a roster",Fee asked no one in particular,"can a roster really be that important?!"

The hedgerows begin to thicken and they sway back and forth as they grow taller and taller. Then the tops cascade much like a breaking wave on the shoreline and the scene on the pitch is hidden from everyone's view.

But before all is hidden from view, an inhuman cry echoes throughout the stadium.

Suddenly, an eerie calm envelopes the stadium.

Was the girl serious?

Slowly raising a brow, Evelyn stared at the girl, Huffie girl, for a moment before speaking up. "Umm...duh. It's quite obvious that Slytherin is way better than Hufflepuff. I'm surprised you aren't begging to be converted to our house, but i suppose that's a good thing. We don't need people like you in our house." You know, yellow people. They belonged in the yellow house.

Besides, the girl sooo could not pull off green! Evelyn could just tell. She wasn't a green person.

O___O!!!!

WHAT WAS THAT?

Jumping slightly at the loud cries that echoed from the wherever in the task they came from, Evelyn's eyes widened as her attention quickly moved back to the maze like area. What? They could see again?

What made that noise? It was...creepy.

"Awwww they're covering it up again!" the Slytherin lad huffed as he saw the hedges starting to grow and block their view of the Champions. He raised the vuvuzela to his lips, fully convinced that the annoying trumpet would get the hedges to come back down like it did last time. Except he never got far enough to blow....

.... the inhuman cry echoing throughout the stadium sent a chill down his spine.

"Merlin's mercy what the heck was that?!?"

The creepy sound made the manliest of men shudder. Vindictus didn't know how to respond. The sound just sounded bad. Very bad. Luckily, there were a few professors sitting near him. "Keep your eyes open for red wand sparks," he suggested and kept his eyes glued on the impenetrable hedgerows covering the pitch.

MEEP!

That noise...that wasn't a good noise...that was a scary and bad noise. Kurumi covered her face with her hands. She just couldn't look.

Then their flying professor mentioned something about red sparks...that didn't sound good either...

o___O

...?

If Carter was scared of Destiny he might have shuddered. But he wasn't scared of Destiny. He was scared of Evelyn.

He turned his head and just stared fore a second. What was wrong with that girl? And what was she laughing out?

He then blinked as she squashed a marshmallow. "What was that for?" he asked. He couldn't help himself. He had no idea. It couldn't possibly be about what happened over the summer because that was NOT his fault. He didn't ask to be poisoned potioned.

Jenny nodded at whatever Kurumi was saying. The Kappa is a rooster? But Jenny didn't feel like asking questions in case she seemed stupid. No need to embarrass yourself in front of all these people, Jenny thought to herself. "Thanks Kurumi," Jenny said as Kurumi waved her wand at her robes and the stains disappeared.
"WHAT WAS THAT?!" Jenny jumped from her seat. That was so scary...was someone being tortured by some revengeful undead being? Jenny did the only thing she could do - hope that it wasn't Raiden.

The hedges begin to slowly fade away to reveal a lighted hole. Upon closer inspection, you realize it's a tunnel.

Suddenly, all three champions emerge from the lighted tunnel.

They did it!

That inhuman cry got Salander panicking with anxiety, not knowing if it was from some monster that his friends had to face or if it was from one of the Champions himself, like some sort of dying wail. Absentmindedly he was tapping the vuvuzela by his leg, growing anxiously impatient from once again being made to stare at the silent hedges.

Then a piercing light emerged from the hedges to reveal-- all THREE Champions.

"There they are!" he bellowed happily, pointing at the Champions "They're all ok! They're alive!" he fist pumped and laughed. And in his relief, he sounded the vuvuzela one more time, like a triumphant horn heralding the dawn....

VVVAAAAWWWWOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!

OH GOSH... OHGOSHOHGOSHOHGOSH! Is that FLETCHER?! Rae seriously jumped up from her seat and ran down the stairs skipping steps just to get there faster. MERLIN! Truthfully, she was almost positive there would be serious injury or death this time. Finally reaching the bottom of the stairs she sprinted to where Fletcher was standing and without warning she totally Tackle!Hugged him. Arms were tightly around his neck, she basically jumped.. He was taller than her afterall. Then relief flooded Rae like a tidal wave. Fletcher didn't look dead... obviously. He was always a great friend to her... An awesome mischief partner... And also someone she really liked. Knowing that he was fine... Was one of the most wonderful feelings....

Now... Howmuchyawannabet he won?

Oops!

Was it bad that Destiny was betting against Raiden? Probably, but it wasn't like he would ever find out. Unless, of course, Evelyn told him, but she wouldn't do that, would she? She better not! Narrowing her eyes at her friend just in case, she picked up her hand and shook it vigorously, "You are going down!"

Down to where? She had no idea.

Destiny staaaaaaaaaaared at Evelyn, and it had nothing to do with what she was saying. She had..

She had JUST put ANOTHER marshmallow in her mouth!

Did she not remember that she just spit one out not that long ago? Gah! Grabbing the bag that was not contaminated, she moved it to the opposite side so her friend couldn't spit it back in there. That would have been two bags ruined, and really, she did not want to have to pull out her third bag.

Not yet anyway.

Glare.

Arya was not good enough to get another scoff out of Destiny, nope. The girl was weird, but then again, weren't ALL Hufflepuff's weird? All the ones she met were. This one, though, she was extra weird. She had wheels on her shoes over the summer! Never trust someone with wheels on their shoes. "I have seen you down there. You and your raccoon posse." Those creepy, mask-eyed DEMONS. She glared once more at the girl, and ignoring the comment about paying her (like she would do THAT!), she raised an intimidating eyebrow, "Why wouldn't you want to live under the lake?"

Jealous, that's all Arya was. Destiny could smell her jealousy from where she sat.

Blah, blah, blah. That was all she heard, so, reaching in her bag of marshmallows, she grabbed one and held it up to Arya.

Doink!

She flicked it in her direction.

Carter was totally scared of Destiny and he should be. She had a massive amount of marshmallows and she was not afraid to eat them..or use them..whatever that saying was.

Shaking the squashed white fluff from her hand, she stared right back at him. He should know what that was for. "You still have my wool bombs." And right now, with Arya in the vicinity, she could have really used them. "I want them back."

Tearing her eyes off of Crater, she turned back to the hedges just in time to see the hedges disappear and a light appear. What was that? She held the Omnioculars up to her eyes, and..

SWEET MERLIN, they were all alive!

Taking the Omnioculars off her own eyes, she placed them on Evelyn's even though she didn't ask for them, "Look! It's Noel Raiden!"

You don't understand. Err...apparently he didn't. Jeremy blinked at Kimber a couple of times in confusion, trying to come up with reasons why she was so terrified of a rooster. It's most dangerous 'weapon' was probably its beak but the champions didn't seem to have a problem with it so why was-

OOOooooh! He in turn leaned in slightly as Kimber started to whisper something into his ear. "Oh, that's just-" Even he hadn't got around to learning about those. They were scary! See, that's why he didn't like animals. "-not good." Then as an afterthought, so as to not sound like Maya or something, he added, "Though, they'll make it." Because they were awesome like that.

He hoped.

The next moment his hands flew up to cover his ears as a deafening sound erupted from below. What WAS that?! It didn't sound too good. Especially not after the Deputy Headmaster told them to watch out for red sparks. And red sparks certainly weren't something positive to look out for. They meant the champions were in trouble. Nodding barely visibly Jeremy stared down intently, looking for any sign the champions were in trouble.

Hang on...maybe the scream had come from the rooster?!

After yet another few moments of just gazing down frantically there suddenly WAS some kind of light. Not red sparks though, just light. A lot of it. Squiiiiiint. "A tunnel! A tun- there's Raiden...and Fletcher...and-" Crap, what was the Frenchie's name again? "the other guy. They made it!" He was so glad - all more negative thoughts from before forgotten for now - that he gave Kimber next to him an excited hug. They were out!

Now, where was Maya. He wanted her to see that nobody had died! Heh!

Kurumi jumped to her feet.

"THEY DID IT!"

Kurumi began jumped up and down, nearly dropping her box of cookies and spilling hot chocolate all over the place as she did. All three of them were out. Right now, it didn't really matter who ended up wining. She was just glad to see all three of the champions coming out safe and not fighting over a bloody rooster.

Kimber gave him a nod and attempted a weak smile. Jeremy was so wonderful! Trying to encourage her instead of feeding into her fright. "You're right," she whispered, trying to convince herself (but keeping her eyes peeled for any sign of red sparks).
And of course, he was right! There they were! ALL of them. And moving towards the Stands, apparently unscathed.

Elated, Kimber returned his hug vigorously. "Oh Jeremy, they're okay. They're REALLY okay!" she said, suddenly happier than she had been in a LONG time.

Arya glaaaaared at the other Slytherin girl, momentarily pulling her eyes from the hedges. What was with these two thinking that she would want to switch houses. To there never-gonna-be-as-awesome-as-Hufflepuff house. "Slytherin couldn't hold a candle to Hufflpuff's awesomeness." Duh. That was obvious.

These two were just seriously deluded.

"We don't want people like you in our house." They could deny it all they wanted, she knew they secretly wanted people like her in there house. People just like her.

Her eyes narrowed as her glare flicked from the other Slytherin girl to Destiny. This girl obviously needed to get her eyes fixed. "You've never seen me wondering the dungeon corridors. EVER." Except for class, BUT that was besides the point. Destiny had never seen her down there. Period. "You mean the posse that waits outside the Slytherin portal for you to come out so they can attack you?" Arya arched an eyebrow, her glare intensifying. If she wasn't scared of the creatures, she would so get some and train them to do just that.

Arya could list the reasons she didn't want to live under the lake, one being...."Because it could collapse and drown you." She stated in a matter of fact tone. Even if she escaped the common room, she would be attacked by her 'posse' of raccoons, so ha!

"And because you live down there." Her expression changed to one of disdain, obviously that was the main reason.

Obviously.

GLAAAAARE.

Catching the marshmallow that was flicked at her she glared daggers at the girl. She was lucky, SO LUCKY, that there were professors around. It meant that all she could do in retaliation was chuck the marshmallow back at the girl.

The real payback would happen later.

Glad for a distraction from the snake, she turned her attention back to the hedges, squinting her eyes. Was that.....the champions!! A wave of relief washed over her as she jumped up and cheered.

They were alive!!

...And in one piece! The small Hufflepuff cheered as loud as she could, care in making sure that her coco didn't spill. Arya couldn't be more happier.

Really.....she couldn't.