First Obstacle

Gryffindor: 6.5
Hufflepuff: 6.75
Ravenclaw: 6.75
Slytherin: 7.0


Professor Airlia floats before 16 heavy black doors, one for each champion. She looks mildly concerned and a bit worn, yet cheerful enough for the occasion. “Hello champions. It is my honor to welcome you to the Second Task. Now, I want to remind you that you have 24 hours to complete each obstacle (PM the appropriate professor with your answers when you are finished). There will be four obstacles that you will need to pass, completely on your own. All of the information you need to complete the obstacles are contained within the room in which the obstacle is to be met. Once you step through that door, you will not be able to ask us questions.”

“You may begin,” she said, floating upwards and gesturing down toward the doors.

As the champions dissappeared, Professor Airlia slipped through the walls to oversee their progress. She reemerged several hours later to announce the results of the obstacle.

Quote:

Originally posted by Second Task: Obstacle 1 You open your ominous looking door and arrive in a room, like any other in the castle.&nbsp; However, as you walk further into the room, the floor seems to become unstable and you just manage to get back on solid ground as a chunk of the floor disappears.&nbsp; That is when you turn to see the table placed against the wall adjacent to the door.&nbsp; Upon the table there is a cauldron with water, scales, mortar and pestle, all the instruments you’d need for potion making and jars filled with the following ingredients: * dandelions, whole * cat’s eye marble * brains in clear liquid * ginger, whole * white rabbit, various parts in jars * runespoor, various parts in jars * sheep cheese * knarfle, various parts in jars * boomslang, various parts in jars * anaconda, various parts in jars * frogs, whole * caterpillars, whole * cat, head, preserved * Dr. Pepper, canned * knarfle, various parts in jars * flobberworms, whole * rosemary, dried There is also a piece of parchment with the following words, written in green ink: <span style='color:green'>In order to get to the door on the opposite side of the room you shall need to brew a potion.&nbsp; This potion is to be spread across the floor and will indicate the safe path across.&nbsp; Should the section of floor you are standing on disappear, do not panic, we have set up a safety net below, for your protection.&nbsp; Don’t worry if you fall, you will be scored for your attempt and you will still be able to move on to the next obstacle.&nbsp; (ooc: I will tell you whether or not you’ve made it across, you may only go so far as spreading the potion on the floor) 1. Add 2 pinches of the animal that wiggles and squirms/ But isn't a snake and isn't a worm. 2. Epidermis of a serpent from an African tree/ Take 20 scales and add carefully. 3. Next in the cauldron (and be sure not to splatter)/ Eight grams of amphibious gray matter 4. Not parsley nor sage, though still found ‘neath the soil/ Dice 22 grams and add at a boil 5. Of feline orbs that know truth and light/ Take two and hope it clears your sight 6. Now spread the brew upon the floor and off you go toward the door.

"The champions have done well. UmbraAstralis, however, was the only champion to make it across the dissappearing floor, having perfectly brewed the potion to reveal the safe way across. However, the other champions all did a marvelous job and will be moving on to the next obstacle. This was a really close race, points wise, and I look forward to seeing how they fair in the next trial.

"Speaking of which, the next trial will take place shortly (to be PMed to the champions by the next judge). Keep your eye posted on this announcement board for details." </span>

Second Obstacle


As you exit the room with the precarious floor, you enter a much smaller room with a door on the opposite wall. The only object in this room is a large trunk that shudders occasionally. It obviously contains a boggart. The only thing keeping it closed is the large, ugly mountain troll sitting on the lid. He looks bored, but perks up and begins to swing his club at the sight of you entering the room. The door across from you is your only escape.

Gryffindor:7.5
Hufflepuff:7
Ravenclaw:9
Slytherin:8

"Nice work to all the champions! All four houses will be moving forward to the third obstacle. In particular, the creativity and mastery shown in choosing spells was quite specatular. I'd like to applaud those who thought to pit the boggart and the troll against one another, although the troll that was devoured left quite a mess *Ahem... Lotus*. I'd like to remind you all that creativity counts for HALF of your points, so those of you who did something outside of what we've already witnessed in Harry Potter's epic battles probably earned more creativity points."

"Congratulations, and good luck with the next obstacle. Stay posted here for details.

Third Obsticle


After leaving the remains of the Boggart and the Troll in the room, the Champions are now escorted to the Gryffindor Common Room with special permission, for the non-Gryffindor students, where they meet the Gryffindor House Ghost......


Theodore floats from his corner of the Gryffindor Common room quite dejected as he addresses the Champions. “As each of you will have noticed, I have lost my favored companion.” Spots holds up his now empty hand where, since the day he died due to a lightning strike, the ghostly Golden Snitch had remained clutched in his grasp. “My Snitch, it appears has left me and is hiding amongst the school’s, hallways, classrooms or grounds.”

Theodore points to a piece of parchment tacked to the wall near the portrait of the Quidditch Cup he helped win. “This riddle shall help you in locating where he has gone. Please attempt to solve it and bring him back to me, you shall have 24 hours from now to return him. Good Luck"

The riddle has been sent by owl to each of the Champions to solve. I will announce the results after 24 hours.

Theodore smiles broadly at all of the House Champions who succesfully returned his wayward Golden Snitch to him unharmed.

"You have all done well, and as a result of your hard work and creativity in the use of your spells and, in most cases, your excellent flying skills on your brooms, all of the House Champions will proceed to the next challenge." He raises his hands and making a motion towards a chart that magically appears next to him, "these are the scores for my challenge, congratulations to all of you."

Gryffindor: 8.0
Hufflepuff: 7.0
Ravenclaw: 8.0
Slytherin: 8.5

Theodore continued, "for those students who are interested in the riddle these champions had to solve I will reveal it now for you," and with a wave of his hand
another chart appeared with the following words......

First, it’s the question you ask when you don’t know their name
Not the why, where or how, but it’s close just the same

Next, tell me what always ends in the grim
It’s contained in a memory, and the last thing to trim

Add the sound the ball makes in a table-top match
And you’re halfway to finding the Snitch and a catch

What’s the paper you write when you’re dying, for good measure
To decree all your riches for your children to treasure

It’s the place that you look neither ground or the sky
It’s quite similar to down and the opposite of high

Now string them together to come face to face
With the location of my Snitch’s hiding place


Once you locate the hiding place he’s run off to
A spell will be needed to return him to you
Take good aim and be careful, he’s quite delicate you see
Good luck with this task as you bring him to me.

Now that you have completed the third obstacle, you are escorted to the front steps of the castle to begin your final obstacle of Task Four. Professor Lainey is there awaiting your arrival, worry clearly written on her face as she peered out over the lake. She gave the Champions their Obstacle and set them off.

Gryffindor: 7.0
Hufflepuff: 7.0
Ravenclaw: 9.0
Slytherin: 9.0


Professor Lainey sighed in relief as all the Champions returned safely from the Lake. The Obstacle the Champions were asked to complete went like this:

I have to admit that I was highly impressed with all the ideas and attempts to help save our beloved Giant Squid. I assure you that he will be forever grateful to each of you and is doing quite well. All of you guys really let your creativity shine. Just to mention a few examples, I must recognize the use of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, a Muggle water gun, and the Weasley Twin's Skiving Snack boxes to help the dear Giant Squid. Good Work!

Congratulations Champions! You have finished the Second Task!

Final Scores:

1st place: Ravenclaw with 32.75 points
2nd place: Slytherin with 32.5 points
3rd place: Gryffindor with 29 points
4th place: Hufflepuff with 27.75 points

Congrats to all four teams who made it through the entire course. You showed a lot of ingenuity and skill, as well as an extensive knowledge of spells and Wizarding ways. Ravenclaw squeaked into first by just a hair, showing how excellent the competition really was!