Chapter 160: Results, The Book, It's Back!

Quinn walked down from the judge's box to the rocky arena. The stage was abuzz with discussions about the performance, and no one was paying attention to the fact that Quinn stood in the center. He looked around, waiting to see if they would notice him and pay attention.

"Doesn't look like it," his voice drowning among the chatter of hundreds. So he raised his fake wand to get some attention.

The people in the stands flinched when they heard a loud explosion. All eyes immediately went to the center of the field, where they saw a smiling Quinn twirling his wand.

"Good, now that I've everybody's attention, let's get started," they heard him speak, "We saw four stellar performances from our four brilliant, brave, bright, and boisterous champions." He pointed at the judge's box, "Our esteemed judges have given their opinion and scores to the champions' performance, and now I'm going to announce their positions relative to each other."

The rowdy crowd finally calmed down enough to listen to Quinn.

"In the first position we have," he paused before continuing, "the Beauxabatons' champions, FLEUR DELACOUR!" Quinn raised his wand and shot out fireworks in the shape of the Beauxbatons insignia, which turned into Fleur's face before disappearing.

"She completed the task the fastest and with the most skill out of all champions. The judges combined those factors and decided to place Ms. Delacour in the first place."

The Beauxbaton students were the first to jump in the air, cheering for their champion and school. But soon, they were drowned by the overwhelming hurrahs and roars of so many Hogwarts boys that even Quinn jerked back and looked at them with a startling surprise.

".. . O-Oh, it seems that Ms. Delacour has able to amass some fan following in her short time at Hogwarts," said Quinn, "From the looks of it, she's well on her way to becoming the people's winning favorite."

The boys roared louder at his words.

Quinn waited for them to calm down, but the boys continued to shout, and it went a little too long that Quinn had to shoot another louder explosion to forcefully calm them down — but the little f**kers didn't stop.

"Ah, screw it," he muttered and aimed his fake wand straight at a part of the stands with the just boys and shot out a moderate explosive spell towards them.

The rowdy students saw the spell hurled towards them, and in an instant, the shouts turned to screams as they ducked and covered their heads to save themselves. But it wasn't needed as Quinn's spell collided with an invisible dome placed there to protect the audience.

"Ahem," said Quinn as the dome stopped rippling, "now that I've your attention, we can move on to the next champion in line."

The boys stared at Quinn's carefree as if he just hadn't hurled a spell at them.

"The runner-up for the first task is," said Quinn and imagined a drum roll in his mind, "one of the Hogwarts champion, HARRY POTTER!" The Hogwarts insignia followed by Hary's face traced in fireworks.

Hogwarts as a whole, especially Gryffindor students, cheered loud for their house champions captain while the other houses also showed varying levels of enthusiasm and excitement. All-in-all it was a good show of support for the discredit champion and a start for things to start fresh.

"The last one on the podium was close," stated Quinn as he turned to look at everyone, "both of our remaining champions were brave in their approach, but their plans were a bit too reckless as such — both got burned as they played with fire."

A few chuckles around the stadium told him that some found his joke funny, and others didn't.

"After much deliberation, the judges have decided that.. ." another round of drum rolls sounded in his mind, ".. . coming in the third place is the Durmstrang champions, VICTOR KRUM!" The insignia of Durmstrang showed its glory, with the stern mug of Krum following shortly after.

There was a rough chant from the Durmstrang students and a few shouts from girls taken by Krum's stern and mind-your-own-business charm.

"Finally, we have our very own the very charming Hogwarts champion, CEDRIC DIGGORY!" shouted Quinn with another round of fireworks.

"No matter what their rank, our champions showed great ability and valor," continued Quinn. "Dragons are creatures of magic much stronger than us humans and even the fire-blessed Veelas; to outmatch a mother dragon and steal an egg from them is no easy feat. So the next time you meet them, give them the praise they deserve and applaud them for the heart and spirit they showed today — for they're champions!"

The response was.. . glorious.

- (Scene Break) -

"Haaa~," breathed out Quinn as he sat himself on the barstool behind his desk. It was the evening after the first task, and Quinn had just got free; professors, head of schools, ministry employees, and students had praised him for his hosting, especially his entrance that jazzed the entire event up.

"Madam Pomfrey really needs to get loose," he groaned, "no reason to smack me on the back of my head." The Matron wasn't happy about Quinn's little stunt at the start of the task.

He glanced at the full-body red robes with white highlights. "Maybe, I should have gone blue or maybe even black.. . well, not black, it would've been.. . tragic if someone died."

"It went well," spoke Quinn to himself, "but was it worth to pay of Bagman's debt?"

Quinn wanted to be close to the action of the Tri-wizard tournament, and the sure-fire way to stay close constantly was to become a part of the tournament. Being a champion was struck off right from the get-go; except a champion, there wasn't much a student could do, so Quinn decided to take someone else's job from him.

Ludo Bagman was the designated host, so Quinn exploited the debt and took the job from him. It was the first time ever Quinn had dug into his royalty account to take out a minuscule amount of money from his earning made from his invention; other than this, Quinn never had to dip into that account as his student account at Gringotts was enough for his annual expenses.

If there were any questions regarding Bagman's sudden hosting assignment to Quinn, they were erased after his performance.

"I would be close by in every event from now on," he said, "I do wonder if this was the correct decision — I gave up anonymity in return for access."

If Quinn had been any other student in the stands, he could've worked with certain invisibility; one didn't know what to look for when they didn't know it wasn't coming. But with being a host, Quinn would be near the scene and would have a much easier time working magic if needed.

"Well, with that level of access, I can get by without anyone knowing," shrugged Quinn.

He studied the ancient, black leather-bound book on his desk. He took out fresh sheets of paper and a black-inked fountain pen. Straightening his back, he opened it gently and started carefully reading the contents, making detailed observational notes about the contents.

After an entire noisy day of announcing and speaking to so many people, Quinn enjoyed the quiet and peace and was just getting into the rhythm, but it seemed that some people had other plans as the office door opened and four people walked, all had a skip in their step and a clap in their hands as they seemed in a pretty celebratory mood.

He looked up and saw the golden squad — all four members entered his office. Harry was in the lead with the golden egg resting in his hands; following him were Ivy and Hermione, and they were swaying to the beat of Ron clapping his hands behind him.

"All of you look happy," commented Quinn, closing the book and setting the papers aside, "Mr. Weasley, welcome to my office; this is your first time here."

"Err, right," replied Ron, something about Quinn made him stop clapping.

"Harry, I'm a tad bit disappointed that you didn't try Parseltongue against the dragon. I really wanted to see if the dragon would've reacted to the snake speak."

"With all the people looking at me? Yeah, right. I would've been branded Voldemort's next coming in tomorrow's newspapers," scoffed Harry.

"A little price to pay for the betterment of magic," shrugged Quinn. "I'm surprised that all of you are here," Quinn said as he waved his fake wand to set four chairs for his guests, "I assumed all of you would be busy with the celebrations inside with your fellow Gryffindors. What makes you all come here leaving all that behind?"

"We wanted to show you the egg," answered Harry; he sat down and set the golden egg on the desk.

"You helped Harry out a lot; it's only natural that we let you have a look at the prize," chimed in Hermione.

"We thought you would like to get your hands on the egg; you're the type to get all excited about magic," commented Ivy.

"Well, you got that right," said Quinn, picking up the golden egg, weighing it in his gloved hands, "Oh my, this is heavy,"

At first glance, the surface of the ostrich-sized golden egg looked like it was an ornate egg etched with beautiful and intricate patterns, but to anyone who had extensive runic knowledge, the designs became runes.

As Quinn rotated the egg, the initially small smile widened till Quinn seemed amply happy. The answer to the riddle inside the egg was clearly inscribed in the runes etched on the surface. If one could read the runes, they would know what hid inside.

"Why are you smiling?" asked the redhead Potter.

Quinn held the egg in his left with palm up. "Did you open the egg up?"

"Yes, I did. In front of the entire Gryffindor house," answered Harry.

"Be honest with me, was coming here with to show me this egg wasn't so a show of appreciation, was it?"

The four Gryffindors glanced at each other. Seeing that reaction made Quinn silently let out a single chuckle.

"It's a show of appreciation," answered Ivy, shrugging, "but stuff can be two things."

"I can respect that," he answered.

Ivy Potter stared at Quinn and then garnered a guess, "You already know what the egg is, don't you?"

"Yes, I do," he nodded, "but unfortunately for you all, I won't be sharing my finding with you fine Gryffindors."

"Eh? But why?" asked Ron, dumbfounded. The Weasley couldn't understand why someone from Hogwarts (sans Slytherin) wouldn't tell a Hogwarts champion about the egg.

"Well, I can't give it away; it wouldn't be fun that way," grinned Quinn. He put the egg back down on the table. "Find the clue on your own. As far as I know, the champions don't have an unfair advantage for the second task, so you won't get any from me."

"How about a hint? You do know what happens when we open it, don't you?"

"I know what will happen if I open it right here right now."

"Sounded like a banshee.. .. Maybe you've got to get past one of those next, Harry!" said Ron. He could swear that his ears were still ringing from the time Harry had opened the egg in the common room.

"It was someone being tortured!" sighed Harry. "I'm going to have to fight the Cruciatus Curse!"

"Don't be daft, Harry, that's illegal," chided Hermione. "They wouldn't use the Cruciatus Curse on the champions.

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"I thought it sounded a bit like Percy singing. .. maybe you've got to attack him while he's in the shower, Harry," said Ron, giving another guess getting a chuckle from Quinn.

Quinn noticed that Ivy was intently staring at him. "Ivy, is there something on my face?"

"Will it be an unfair advantage if we paid you?" asked Ivy with a sly smile on her face. "What's the word again? If I remember correctly, as you said, it was.. . resourceful. Yes, we are simply being resourceful here."

The grin didn't leave Quinn's face as he nodded appreciatively. The girl in front of him had heard him carefully during their time-travel shenanigans. This was the second time she had brought something up from that time.

"Good, that's really good," praised Quinn, "How about this — if you can't find it out halfway through, I will give you an answer."

"There is a catch, isn't there?" asked Hermione.

Quinn turned to Hermione with a 'what-is-happening-here' smiling expression. "You guys are getting smarter. I knew it; people get smarter when they spend time with me."

Ron leaned forward, genuinely interested in what Quinn had just said.

"Yes, there is a catch," continued Quinn, "The price on that halfway mark is too expensive — and to be bluntly honest, even if you combined all of your allowances, you wouldn't be able to afford it."

He raised a finger to cut them from speaking.

"As the time goes on, I'll decrease the price. If you come to me the day before the task, it will be practically free. It's up to you how much you're willing to shell out for the answer. The later it is, the cheaper it will be."

He didn't tell them that even with the solution to hearing the riddle, they would've to decode the riddle and then find a way to execute during the day of the second day.

While it seemed like a good thing for the golden squad to approach him for his services, Quinn didn't want over-reliance from the golden squad. He wanted them to come to him but at the same time maintain a certain distance. Being too close to them was something Quinn was doubtful about; to him, it seemed an unnecessary hassle. But at the same time, he realized that his wish was too much of an ideal.

With Quinn and Ivy going back and forth with smiles on their faces, Hermione's mind wandered off to other things in the office. Her attention was particularly attracted by the ancient tome on Quinn's desk.

"Book?" she voiced, reading the rune etched onto the cover. "What kind of a book title is that?"

Quinn stopped conversing about chocolate with Ron and turned to Hermione. He placed a gentle hand on the tome and smiled, "Don't you think it's a fitting title? It shows what the book actually is — a book."

"That thing looks it's about to die," commented Harry about the condition of the book. "What's it about?"

"Ah yes, it's an old lady, this one," said Quinn, "I brought it from Aarhus, Denmark. A real bargain, if I say so myself." He didn't pay a single knut for it.

"From your trip?" said Ivy recalling the day Quinn had visited her house.

Quinn nodded.

"Is it written in Danish?" asked the second biggest bookworm in the room.

"No, Ms. Granger," responded the biggest bookworm, "this baby is transcribed in pure Younger Futhark runes; quite a fascinating read."

"What is it about?" Once again, the question came.

Quinn contemplated if he should tell them before shrugging. No harm in telling them the briefest of information.

"It's about winds."

The Viking magic of wind and air.

- (Scene Break) -

The very next day, when the castle was animatedly discussing the first task and thought that nothing else could peak it. They came across something that first confused them, led them to feel surprised, and finally left them shocked.

Inside the house common rooms, the Hogwarts student saw a very peculiar notice on the house bulletin board.

.. .

Inside the Gryffindor common room, Harry came running down the dorm stairs.

"Ron, let's go, or we are going to get late," he said, patting Ron's shoulder.

On the other hand, Ron didn't move his eyes toward Harry and raised his hands to find Harry, just to find his face, which he ended up lightly slapping all over.

"Pu! W-What the hell are you doing?!" said Harry smacking the offending hand away.

"Look."

"What?" asked Harry annoyed before he looked at the bulletin board, and within seconds, he went from annoyed to still — very still.

"Holy—!"

.. .

Draco Malfoy started his day by climbing down the dorm stairs and get a fresh look at the Slytherin common room.

"It will be a good day," he smiled. Looking at the standard room put him at ease as this place was his to rule.

He was about to turn back to his room when he noticed Crabbe and Goyle standing in front of the bulletin board.

"Are they.. . reading?" Draco asked himself, "can they even.. . read?"

His two goon-cum-friends weren't the most intelligent kind, and seeing them in front of the bulletin board first thing in the morning wasn't something he was used to.

"Crabbe, Goyle, what are you lads doing?"

It seemed that Draco's words fell on deaf ears as the two surprisingly similar-looking boys kept on looking at the bulletin board.

"Are you two having problems with reading?" asked Draco, snickering. "Want me to help? Tell me, I'll read it for you."

He meant it as a joke, so when Crabbe raised his hands to point, Draco was stunned silent for a second. Draco turned his eyes to the board, and stuck on it was a colorful, long roll of parchment, sticking out like a sore thumb inside the somber common room.

Draco's mouth opened and closes a couple of times as he read the contents. After failing to formulate words, a short phrase came out the Malfoy heir.

"Bloody hell! This is.. ."

.. .

Eddie Carmichael plopped himself down in a chair inside the Ravenclaw common room. Just like others, he, too, was excited about the first task that took place yesterday. The fact that they got to see dragons so up close was amazing that people didn't get to witness regularly. But he was also a little miffed with what had followed the task.. .

"Diggory this, Diggory that," said Eddie clicking his tongue, "Potter is so great; Krum is so cool. Even the Veela is taking girls away from me.. . I know I should've tried harder getting into the tournament. I could've done the same thing as Potter; that was easy."

As he grumbled about the popularity and attention the champions were getting, Eddie noticed Quinn enter the common room from outside and head straight to the bulletin board.

"Quinn, let me hit you once," said Eddie getting up from his chair, "how many girls did you get praised by yesterday.. . also, don't hit me back."

Quinn pasted a big poster right in the middle of the board with magic while chuckling from Eddie's words. After confirming that the poster was stuck snug against the panel, Quinn turned back, and as he passed Eddie, he smiled and patted his shoulder.

"What? — Hey, where are you going?" asked Eddie, but Quinn had already left.

"What's the deal with him?" said Eddie muttering as he turned to the bulletin, and almost immediately, his jaw dropped as he read the words and saw the moving pictures.

In true Eddie fashion, his feelings came out in words that couldn't have been truer.

"Focking hell!"

Quidditch was coming back to Hogwarts.

Quinn West - MC - Getting posters inside common rooms is easy when you've your people inside.

Ivy West - Smarter every day - She has begun to see.

Eddie Carmichael - Dropped Jaw - Mind blown.

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