When I woke up, I felt... nothing. I mean, nothing hurt. I was expecting to wake up to a world of pain, but no... I felt... fine. As far as my body was concerned. Watching the ceiling of the infirmary, I could tell it was still dark outside... or it was the clouds and the falling rain that made me think that. Not that it mattered...


    "..."


    There was not much to say, especially because my mind was in a really calm state right now. The previous frustration and anger that controlled me were gone, and in my head, I was going through all that had happened in the past 24 hours. For one, I could no longer trust the Headmaster. I thought he was going to help me... I wasted precious time waiting for him for what? For nothing. If I can''t trust him, I can''t trust anyone from our side... Death Eater... I should make them eat a killing curse. He didn''t even come out to help me or back me up against their leader! What kind of helper is he, then?


    "Trash." With a soft sigh, I sat up, looking around and finding my cleaned clothes, starting to change while letting my thoughts roll onwards.


    I was sure that I saw the Beauxbatons champions'' expression change, especially the one named Fleur. She has to know something; I am confident of what I saw in that split-second. Now I just have to get her... Even though I failed to push Severus to help me, all is not lost. Even if they will be more cautious now, I have an idea... and I will find Quincy, competition be damned. Walking out of the infirmary, I bumped into two Hufflepuff students... So it was already morning, only the weather was abysmal, and it remained dark as night.


    "Conrad! You are up!" They said simultaneously, surprising me as I didn''t recognize them at all.


    "Ah... y-yes, I feel good already..."


    "That will be great news! Nobody was telling us anything about what happened yesterday! We only heard rumors... is it true? Did something happen with Quincy?"


    "Yes..." I replied, feeling my expression darkening.


    "Bastards...!" They snorted as if they were a pair of twins in a perfect synch. I wanted to add something else, but then my stomach rumbled, and even though I wasn''t hungry, I realized I really needed to eat something, or I would have no strength remaining within me.


    Hearing it, they didn''t laugh, simply accompanied me to the Great Hall, which was very soon filled with other students, all coming up to me wanting to ask how I was, what happened the previous night, and if the rumors were true or not.


    "No wonder they didn''t show up! Any of them!" A fifth-year Slytherin exclaimed, slapping the table next to me, making me ask a question between two small bites of toast.


    "What do you mean?"


    "None of the ''guests'' appeared this morning! None came even close to the school! The Durmstrang bastards are staying on their ship while the Beauxbatons are held up in their carriage!" A Ravenclaw student explained hurriedly while a Gryffindor''s laugh echoed from my right.


    "I bet they are afraid of you because of yesterday! Dude, you dueled their Headmaster!"


    "Yeah!" The others parroted it at once, "Even if you lost, that was still not something any of their Champions would dare to do! You went up against a dragon, for starters! You are mad!"


    "I am sure they took Quincy, and I don''t care if it''s Nicolas Flamel or a dragon that I need to fight to get her back..."


    "...!"


    I don''t know what to make of the soft cries and sharp breaths being taken around me, but I didn''t think that it was such a surprising statement, not after yesterday.


    "Hey..." A seventh-year Slytherin said, breaking the sudden silence. "Let us help. If you can''t do it alone, let us help you! It is not part of the task, is it? Then it isn''t forbidden!"


    "Would it be even forbidden? I didn''t hear any rules!" A Gryffindor laughed, and it was rare that every house agreed so quickly, but it was somehow warming to see.


    "I won''t say no." I looked at them with a small smile, and soon enough, I was already delegating tasks to my new group of helpers. I didn''t expect something like this, but I will take full advantage of it!


    One of the seventh-year Ravenclaws came up with a surprisingly nifty idea, and soon, we all had a little notebook in our hands, enchanted by the Protean Charm. We ensured that all of them were capable of two-way communication so that when someone wrote something, the others would immediately see it. This way, information could be shared lightning-fast, and I sent them on the mission to be outlooks.


    Their task was simple: keep a constant watch on the Beauxbatons and Durmstrang headquarters, and if they saw one of their champions emerge, follow them. I wanted constant surveillance, day and night, so they would take turns... and of course, I wasn''t asking for their help for free. Even if they said they would do it for the school, I didn''t want to be indebted to them. You just can''t trust people... So I paid them with my own money. That way, even if they were hit with a lack of motivation, they would have something that kept them in line.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    With my scouts already in place, I headed toward the only two people whom I had any hope of asking for more help. The first one whom I visited was Professor Slughorn... I really thought he would help me, as Quincy was one of his favorites.


    "I can''t help you, my boy..."


    "..."


    "As a teacher, I can''t meddle in the competition, and it would be very... problematic! Don''t worry, Conrad, I am sure that-"


    But I didn''t hear what he had to say as the moment he said he couldn''t help me, I turned around and left. I secretly desired that I would run into my father... he would help me for sure... But I haven''t seen him anywhere since our ''guests'' arrived, and who knows what kind of mission he was tasked with? I had to rely on myself for now. My second target was Professor Lockhart. I did not expect anything from him, to be honest...


    "Kiddo! You up? Good, good, youngsters are full of energy!" He laughed after seeing me slapping my back.


    "I need help, Professor."


    "Of course, of course! Tell me!"


    "Really?" I questioned, honestly surprised as I didn''t expect it... not from him.


    "I have been anticipating you coming for advice since the start of the competition! Knowing the things I know... ahaha, it is surprising you lasted this long, you stubborn mule! So, what stumped you?"


    "I need someone to gather information for me. You are a Professor; you could ask the other teachers what they know or think about Quincy''s disappearance."


    "Ah... you... mean that... problem..." He stuttered, and I knew he wasn''t expecting this kind of plea for help... "Well. I... I think I can see what I can do..."


    "Thank you, Professor." I nodded, looking into his eyes, and even though I saw him troubled, wanting to turn me down... he didn''t. Was it his pride that made him agree? Or is it just the inability to tarnish his fake bravado? I didn''t know or care; the only thing that mattered was that he would help me. That I would not forget.


    For the rest of the day, I mostly gathered potions and visited Hogsmeade for resources I needed before trading with my fellow students for things that couldn''t be bought. I was hoping to run into a Durmstrang or Beauxbatons guest, but they were nowhere to be seen. At the end of the day, I turned in my report that I had finished my first task and was told I was the first to be done with it... which was strange... But that made me confident they couldn''t stay holed up in their home bases for long. This continued for two days until my enchanted notebook alerted me late into one night. Opening it up while hurrying out of the Common Room, I read the message that four shrouded figures sneaked out from one of the windows of the Beauxbatons''s carriage, acting very strange before heading towards the forest.


    It didn''t take me long to catch up and take over their position, as I was sure where they were headed. Sure enough, they were coming towards the field of the thestrals. I made sure to use spells to muffle my steps, and I remained upwind, not letting even my scent drift their way. I cut ahead of them like a specter, only thinking about my next step and concentrating on not giving away my position.


    As they were coming closer and closer, I could hear them speak. I knew they would converse in French, so this time, I was ready... I had an enchanted little scroll and pen that was writing automatically, translating everything they were saying. I don''t know if it was the adrenalin or my blood coursing at an extreme speed as my heart was beating fervently, but somehow, in this dark and damp forest, I could see just as well as if it was a cloudy morning.


    "Enfin, la pluie s''est arrêtée! Le sol est encore mouillé, mais au moins ce n''est pas un bourbier!"


    "Regarde devant toi, Céline! Nous devons être particulièrement prudents après ce qui s''est passé!"


    Now, that was a new voice... a male one. Teacher? No... maybe?


    "Fran?ois a raison; nous venons avec toi parce qu''une embuscade pourrait nous attendre. Nous avons perdu trop de temps à attendre que la pluie se calme! C''était une erreur!"


    Another man... interesting. So... Are they bodyguards? Going by the tone of their voice, they are either adults or at least students in their last year...


    "Et nous avons besoin de vous deux parce que nous ne pouvons pas voir les Thestrals... Il serait préférable qu''il ne se passe rien. Je ne sais pas comment expliquer ce que nous faisons ici si nous sommes surpris."


    Fleur... good. I hoped you would also show up! I somehow had a feeling that you wouldn''t let your little friend come along after what happened... Now, let me help you see those horses without the need to rely on outside help! My first move was simple... I used Avada Kedavra to smite the man at the front, leading the group of four and killing him in an instant.


    They didn''t realize what was happening until they saw the green light lighting up the dark forest. Of course, I wasn''t idle as the moment the spell left the end of my wand, I slithered forward, turning into my basilisk form. I slid past the first boy who was still falling backward, his eyes wide open, ready to say something, wearing a student''s uniform. So they were not adults... good. Made it easier!


    Hearing their screams and seeing my bestial form appear from within the trees gave me a strange satisfaction. It was just like in my old dreams... only, this time, I was the snake. I made sure not to look at the girls, but I didn''t stop myself from glaring at the last man in their group.


    "Ne regarde pas dans ses yeux!"


    "Too late, Fleur Delacour." I hissed, but of course, she couldn''t understand it.


    I watched as the other man turned into stone, stiffening and darkening at once before I smashed him into hundreds of pieces with a swipe of my tail. Two down. That left me with the girls... With a thought, I turned back into a human, casting two disarming spells in quick succession, using the panic within them, knocking their wands out of their already weak grips.


    "C-conrad?" Fleur asked, unbelieving, but then she fell silent at once, the same as her friend, who was still screaming at the top of her lungs. I didn''t know back then that what made them shut up was that my eyes were glowing in a dangerous orange hue. It was similar to that of the gaze of a basilisk... only, as a human, it didn''t turn them stone. But just like Lucius, they were suddenly frozen in place, unable to control their bodies.


    "Let''s talk... And it is best to be honest with me... I am not in a good mood."


    I whispered, glaring at them without blinking, and soon I had to realize that they didn''t answer me not because of fear... but because I spoke in parseltongue without me recognizing it...