The snow had already mostly melted away, but I wouldn''t call the weather warm yet. It was still cold yet warm enough for the snowfall to turn into rain. It was the worst kind of weather when the second trial was right around the corner.


    "If the weather remains like this, it would be advantageous for us."


    "Would it?" I asked, shrugging, looking out the window of the North Tower, watching the black skies and how the rain had been going on constantly without slowing down in the past three days. "It''s cold, it''s relentless... and it''s wet."


    "It is water; of course, it''s wet!" She answered with a giggle, walking behind me and hugging my waist. "I''m saying it would be ideal because the potion''s invisibility would be less noticeable in such a horrible condition!"


    "Ugh... Okay. I will shut up! I heard Victor say the same thing, that they played Quidditch in much worse weather, where lightning could strike them any time!"


    "See? You will be fine! How''s your preparations?"


    "All fine! I am ready with some explosive and loud spells! I will wreak havoc and make sure you have time to transform without anyone noticing; swoop in and grab the vial!"


    "Will you attack Victor, too?"


    "Yeah. He knows; I told him to be ready as this is a competition. I don''t think he would want us to hold back, and I am prepared for a fair fight! But the Beauxbatons? If they don''t try something nasty, I will be surprised."


    "Hmph! They don''t have the gall for it!"


    "I met the eyes of Fleur a few times. She no longer looks interested in me."


    "Hah! I would have already challenged her if she did!"


    "Relax!" I laughed, ruffling her hair with a wide grin lingering on my face, "I am also uninterested in that girl. She may be a beauty, but she can''t hold a torch to you!"


    "Good answer~!"


    "I have my moments! Her eyes are much colder than before, and I guess they will try to do something wild, so be on your toes!"


    "Same to you! She will most likely go after you."


    "You are probably right..."


    ...


    ....


    ......


    When the day finally arrived, the whole school was getting ready as classes were canceled so everyone could witness it. It was the first time I saw all three headmasters use a spell at the same time as the quidditch field was no longer present; instead, it was an enchanted arena. From the outside, it looked small, like a theater set of a half-destroyed ghost town with a crater in the middle where a three-headed puppy was guarding a rotting bell tower.


    Of course, I knew fully well it wasn''t as it seemed at first glance. Above it floated a magical projection showing the apocalyptic cityscape and the colossal dog patrolling the tower, its head growling, looking exceptionally frustrated. I couldn''t accurately measure the size of the ruins, but I was sure it was more prominent on the inside than from what we could see from the stands.


    "Nervous?" Victor asked, looking at me as we were transferred to the dressers, where I was putting on more sturdy leather clothing than my usual robes.


    "A bit, but it isn''t my first time facing off against a beast. What I am more worried about is you."


    "Same." He nodded, and I could see the second Durmstrang Champion scowl. I guess he didn''t receive a potion from Victor as he didn''t look too happy about our task, saying something to Victor that I couldn''t understand.


    "Защо си толкова приятелски настроен към врага?"


    "Съперник, не враг. Двете неща са различни. Вече ти казах, че идеята за използване на нашите съставки в зелие идва от него, така че бъди благодарен! Иначе, нямаше да имаш нищо, което да ти помогне."


    "That didn''t sound nice." I added with a chuckle, watching them, finally looking at Martyn, "If you have a problem, tell it to my face. I respect Victor, but you? I won''t hesitate shooting you in the back."You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    "Are you threatening?" He asked with a sneer, trying to look bigger than me, which wasn''t a big deal... If he thinks I care about something like that, a big surprise is waiting for him, right here, right now.


    "Yes. I am threatening you. So keep to yourself and don''t come crying when you get trashed. I threw you away once; I can throw you out of the second round, too."


    "Heh, this time, I am ready, and I see it, the Beauxbatons will try to squash you like bug!"


    "Don''t worry, Martyn Poliakoff, unlike against you, I have plans to deal with them. You? I can walk over you whenever I want!"


    "You!"


    "Доста! Спри да носиш срам върху нашето училище!" Victor barked at him, making him stop in place.


    "It''s okay." I added with a smile, walking past Martyn, "I don''t know what you said to him, but it is unnecessary. He can blabber all he wants; I will show no mercy in the arena!"


    When I opened the door, it was at the exact moment when lightning struck, and we could hear the rain begin pouring once again. It seemed that this time around, not just the playing field but even the weather would be fitting of the apocalypse. So be it! Bring it on!


    ...


    .....


    .......


    All of us were led to a different entry point after I finished with preparations, and we were further separated from each other. Was it to be fair? Well, it didn''t matter; I was already focused and keen to start it. I didn''t hesitate to step through the threshold when the creamy-colored magic field blocking my entry disappeared.


    "Tsk!"


    I felt like entering a cold shower as the rain was falling heavily, cold as snow, drenching me in an instant. Looking around, I was surrounded by the wreckage of a town, rubbles, broken crates, and carriages littering every street. With a flick of my wand, I commanded the ruined side of a cottage to realign itself, forming steps for me so I could run up to the roof and take a better look.


    "This isn''t going to be simple..."


    The cityscape was even bigger from within than from the outside. Looking up, I could see the quidditch arena, but from here, they looked like faraway mountains with giants sitting atop them, looking down on us ants, playing their game. It was... weird. And unsettling.


    "Focus." I repeated for myself and closed my eyes, casting another spell, letting it carry my senses forward, trying to locate Quincy. Instead, I found another fragrance. "Just as good."


    It wasn''t her, but it was a girl''s... Fleur. Hopping around the rooftops, I had to cast a spell on my boots, making them stick to it more before I would slip because of how wet it was. That would be a stupid way to lose, falling off and breaking my neck, heh. When I caught up to its source, she noticed me instantly, stopping in place and slipping back a vial into her pocket.


    "Come to kill me too, monster?"


    "If I wanted you dead, you would have died in the forest." I answered calmly, watching her fingers, twitching around the handle of her wand, just like mine. We were both waiting for the other to make the first move and counter it.


    "So you are not hiding it? Cold-hearted killer... so young yet evil. Shame. I expected different!"


    There was nothing more to say as she aimed a red jet of energy towards me that was hit by my counter-spell, resulting in a loud, firework-like explosion. She didn''t wait for it to die down and instead aimed at the house I was standing atop. With a forceful blast to its walls, it began to crumble, trying to bury me under it.


    With a leap and a follow-up spell, turning my weight half of what it was initially, I quickly jumped over to the opposing building. Right after landing, I was letting a curtain of blue fire explode from the tip of my wand. The moment it appeared, it let out a loud, sizzling noise like a snake slithering forward as the falling rain turned into mist when coming in contact with it.


    Fleur didn''t try to block it. Instead, she opted to flee, jumping into one of the houses and crashing through its damp, wooden door. I was about to follow her when roof tiles and bricks began flying my way, right out from the house she disappeared into, cutting through my blue flames and coating them with it.


    By the time I countered them all, I lost her from my sight as she escaped into another street. I tried to locate her once again but was unable to. There was no scent to pick up on anymore, and the falling rain didn''t make it any easier.


    "Towards the center!"


    With a shrug, I didn''t hesitate or waste time in finding her. Instead, I was aiming to get to the three-headed dog and prevent anyone from sneaking by. With the one vial in my pocket, I had two options before me. Use it to set an ambush or hold onto it so I can use it to escape. In the end, I decided to keep it for later as I don''t know when I will run into another Champion.


    I was just about to stop and reorient myself when a loud explosion interrupted all my thoughts. Looking forward, I could hear a deep and enraged howl as orange flames rose toward the sky, consuming a part of the ruined city. It was coming from ahead of me, and I was pretty sure it had to do with that bastardly dog. Was someone this fast and reached it already? Tsk!


    I was just about to place my feet on the rooftop''s edge, ready to jump over to the next one, when I felt it. It was a spell being cast at just the right moment, aiming not at me but below me. It made my spine tingle, informing me that I would be in great danger if I fell for it. With a subtle flick, I redirected my own step with a spell, twisting my ankle, choosing to stumble from the rooftop instead, grabbing the gutter at the last moment.


    "Protego!"


    It was at the last moment that I managed to raise a shield as the rooftop exploded, throwing me away like a small ball inside a pinball machine, crashing me through another wall, this time burying me under the collapsing building. I could feel two people closing in, already in the middle of casting spells. I could tell one was Fleur while the other was Celine, working together to deal with me.


    The thought and feeling of danger were the same when I faced Lucius in our duel. I was suddenly reminded of what Herpo told me, and I couldn''t help but do as he said... listening to my instincts as my body began changing, taking up my basilisk form.