The Press and The Second Task

Two days later, it was the twenty-third. I had since decided on my outfit for the press meeting I was going to. Dumbledore looked almost sad that I had to attend such a meeting so young, but had granted me the time to go and do my meeting, as it was a bit important to keep up such appearances.

I had, in the end, decided to go with one of my best winter cloaks as the top-gown. Something to identify me as someone important. The cloak itself is a dark blue, which fades into a slightly lighter shade as it goes, fur lined with an intricate clasp. It was an obviously expensive affair, but rather tastefully done, made to go with most of my nicer dresses.

The dress is subtly intricate. It’s primary color is black, it’s a full length dress with long sleeves and is form fitting to the waist, like most dresses. There, the skirt begins, which is more businesslike and straight than most dresses I own. All over is a very delicate pattern in white, designed to elicit thoughts of moons and night in careful stitching. The left shoulder has a clear waning moon symbol, and the right leg has a symbol of the sun. There’s light rays stitched around each, and a beautiful rendition of the milky way cutting diagonally from my right leg to my waist, and a thin cloud motif covers the rest of the stitching. It’s all lightly animated, so that those looking on it can see the alterations in it as I move, to add depth. The neckline cuts in a sharp V and comes to a stop in the center of my chest - it’s not scandalous, but certainly more suggestive than most of my clothes. It’s mostly to highlight that I am, in fact, a growing young woman, and show maturity.

Underneath this, I have a set of secondary, skin hugging  sleeves, along with a set of leggings. Both of these are black, to make sure no skin - other than what I want - is showing. I wear the heiress ring on my finger, along with a thin necklace of silver and sapphire, to add a pop of color and highlight my eyes, pairing with the cloak as well. I have the silver pin I got from the Greengrass family in my carefully done up hair, shining lightly, and with a few decorations on the ends, also sapphire, to make it look more fancy and expensive than it’s incredibly intricate design already is.

My shoes are a set which came with the dress, a light starscape playing on the pitch black ankle-covering heels, which add a good few inches to my height. They manage to look dainty but also suitable for a businesswoman. They’re some of the most comfortable shoes I could imagine, probably by design, along with the dress, for rich parties and Ministry balls, where walking but looking professional is a must. This is an outfit any noble lady could wear, and is a clear statement that I know and understand the fashion.

My makeup is minimal, highlighting my eyes and lips lightly with faint color, and making sure that the scars I have, though mostly covered, are more well hidden. This isn’t so much to ensure they’re not commented on, as it is to make sure that people know I care for appearance, and scars aren’t things most ladies highlight in most events. However, I choose not to cover my hands, and those scars, with gloves. This is to make a point that I don’t hide things. I am bold and mature enough to own that which I have, even if it is not traditionally seen as beautiful.

I am a whole package, after all. People shouldn’t be presented with a fake perfect, which only a thin garment, easily removed, could prove to be a false perfection.

Simple honesty.

My walk to the Three Broomsticks isn’t very long, considering most of the way I’m in a carriage drawn by a few Thestrals. I step into the admittedly nice bar, and spot the reporters happily chatting with each other in a booth off to the side. The patronage is a bit heavier than normal.

I shrug, having expected activity with the coming task. Lots of spectators to the event. I quietly see myself over to the two reporters. This is my first time seeing them in person.

Michael Fredericks is a rather tall - six foot three - man, with a square jaw, young face and thick facial hair, making a short beard. He is the reporter for the International Duelist, in their weekly sports interview column. Beside him is Kaitlyn Boscage. She is a general reporter, and has a very good reputation for being fair, although she is, from my research, very into fashion and such, not really sports.

I can expect a lot more girly questions, which may seem sexist in the context, from her. Favorite foods, showing off my outfits, etc. Not focusing on the sports and such like they should.

There is a large cameraman, named Gregory Helmson, who Michael works with. Kaitlyn’s photographer was left behind, because only one of them should be plenty.

The nutritionist I’d asked to come is a very well built man named Thad Chadwick. He looks like he could bench press a car, and is sitting on my side of the booth.

I slide into the booth, having caught their eyes beforehand, and Kaitlyn nods in appreciation of my choice in fashion, and lets out a small gasp as I slide into the booth, having taken off my cloak.

“It’s good to finally meet you!” I open kindly, reaching out my hand, palm down to Michael, who smiles and kisses the back of my hand. I nod kindly to Kaitlyn, who bubbles over instantly.

“Oh my gosh! Your outfit! Where did you get that?” She asks all too excitedly, and I smile kindly, knowing this would be the kind of thing she wanted. I wave for the barmaid to come over for our orders, and as she’s coming over, I shrug at the question.

“I got the dress and materials from Madame Malkins, I did some custom work to make sure it fit my style and had all the features I needed. My… proportions aren’t exactly common. I’m sure you can relate?” I ask, quietly eyeing the short, equally busty woman across from me.

She’s five-foot four, and has equal curves and portions to my own.

They just don’t make clothes with people like us in mind. She nods glumly to my question.

“I have to get a lot of stuff tailor made. Maybe I’ll have you help out in the future, if you don’t mind?” She asks as the barmaid walks up. I nod, and turn, ordering a butterbeer and basket of chips, before letting the others order.

“I could help with that, sure! I love learning all kinds of new stuff. Clothing charms are just so useful for all kinds of things - even duels! Which is what we are here to talk about, right?” I ask, trying to give off an innocent airheaded feel as I redirect the conversation back on course.

Michael perks up, and Kaitlyn nods seriously. “Good to see someone has their eye on the ball!” She chirps, and Michael sighs quietly, before giving a small smile.

“Really, we can start whenever. I have my list of questions - hopefully none of them are too offensive. My editors have been pushing for a lot of questions. I also have some color questions about what you’ve been up to recently, and how you feel going into this years circuit. I’m sure Kaitlyn will have more mundane questions, about how your schooling is going, along with any other exciting plans you may have.” He says in a light, but clearly business-like tone.

He’s clearly here for a job, but wants to have a good time. He likes the light air of informality we have going. I nod, and we chatter about how things have been going for each of us lightly and then, when the butterbeer and chips arrive, I signal I’m ready to start.

Michael pulls out a pad of questions, and then another for answers, and Kaitlyn merely gestures to where her dicta-quill has been recording the conversation in the chair next to her, before grabbing another chip.

So Michael opens it up.

“The most interesting thing my paper has been getting questions on is your hobbies. We’re all curious, I guess, what other things have you been doing outside of the world of sports? Clearly you’re rather into the fashion scene, but do you have any details you’d like to share with us?” He asks kindly, opening with what has to be the lightest opening question. We’d touched on it in our small talk, so I went back to that, mentally, and decided to expand on it.

“Well, the most important thing I do is work on making sure I’m ready for my upcoming exams! I have a sort of reputation at school for being the best in exams and stuff, so I’ve been focusing on making sure I can keep that title. Other than that, I love music a lot! I play violin in my free time, and can be found with my friends, playing pieces regularly. Sometimes, we have a larger group who I play songs for, but it’s usually just a small friend-group thing.” I explain, smiling as I remember the songs I’d play.

Good memories.

“So you work hard, and you enjoy challenges and creative works? That’s wonderful to hear! I should have guessed, given how creative you are in your dueling, and how much you improve each year!” He says, grinning a wide, kind smile. I nod happily, and he glances to his pad, picking out another question for me.

“What are your goals from here? You’re one of the top duelists in the world, but what comes next? Are you aiming for the top, or do you have some different goal in mind?” He asks, and I nod - it’s a good question.

After a moment of consideration I giggle a little and smile wistfully.

“I’m honestly hoping I can win the tournament this year. I don’t know if I can - everyone is so good - but I’m going to try! I hope in the next few years, I’ll become the champion, find a nice partner to settle down with, and maybe go out and explore the world, post graduation. I’m hoping to explore the cultures and the magic of the world. I want a fun adventure, and good company! Those are my goals, I guess. Have fun, be the best I can! Good goals, I think!” I answer truthfully and a bit over-excitedly, really trying to seel the ‘not dangerous young lady’ card. Airheaded is hard with questions like these, but a bit childish is still easy, and not very threatening.

“What does your diet look like?” Kaitlyn bursts in, and I see Thad perk up, looking keenly interested.

“A lot of protein. I eat four eggs, a lot of sausage and a couple pieces of french toast for breakfast, with a smoothie of greens and fruits for breakfast. I have a bottle which is full of protein shake which I drink throughout the day, and I eat similar meals for most of my day. I make it a habit to do at least an hour of hard physical exercise a day - though I aim for two. One before classes and one after. I use the time to go over the classes and work I did that day or the day before, and come up with any questions I need to ask.” I tell them, and Michael looks neutral, Kaitlyn scandalized and Thad looks supremely pleased.

“But how do you keep that figure, eating so much? One meal of what you eat is more than I eat most days!” Kaitlyn asks confusedly, and I chuckle a little, then look to Thad, who nods, going to field the question.

“It’s pretty simple.” His voice is a deep baritone, with a faint bit of crackliness. Is he using magic to alter his voice? “When you do extreme physical labor, like what the top-end duelists, quidditch players and even Aurors, you burn a lot of energy, so you need to eat a lot more food. I would estimate that Aubrey probably burns about five to six-thousand calories a day, and that’s before we factor in her needs as a growing young woman. Magic can make up for not eating enough, but not that much. She needs to eat three times what the normal person does just to break even. The exercise and good diet actually help her figure stay in such wonderful shape!” He booms approvingly, and Michael nods, Kaitlyn looking a bit confused, asks a follow up question.

“So if I ate more, but, say, ran for an hour after work, I’d look better?” She asks, and I nod.

“Probably. Eating chips like this won’t do, though. I’d recommend some meat, or eggs. You need protein, or you’ll be in pain for a few days while your body slowly fixes itself. The protein is what your body uses to build the muscle.” I tell her, and she nods, clearly making a note to herself to do that.

“I’m glad we got all of that for the audience - it’s not well known outside of sports or more intense jobs, which is a shame.” Michael murmurs, before clearing his throat, to ask another question. “So, have you ever coached or helped train with others, and if you did, what was that like? Would you be interested, in later life, doing that again?” He asks, and I smile, nodding.

“I tutor Alessa Bella, who is the current Rank two in the Junior championships. That was fun! We spent a lot of the summer dueling each other, and working on spell combinations. On our days off, we’d go shopping and sightseeing! It was a wonderful experience. Maybe after I’m the best in the world I’ll take a break to tutor more people.” I joke, then smile at his serious look. “Honestly, if I have time, I’m happy to tutor people who are willing to learn. I help plenty of people in school with work, if they ask. I just don’t like working with pompous people, so I have a reputation for being really mean - which is undeserved, I’d say!” I tell him, pouting a bit to help sell it. He smiles and nods.

“I suspect you might get a lot of offers for joint training and coaching, when this comes out!” He booms with a laugh, and I shake my head.

“I have a contract with Alessa’s family. I’m going to be working with them for another year, then I’ll be open to working with people. I do, however, do group sessions with my friends, sometimes. Fleur Delacour, the Champion before me and a good friend, well, we do group sessions with her, me and Alessa, along with a couple of our other friends. Albain Morrisson even joined one of those, it was a lot of fun, showing new people the ropes!” I chirp happily, and he nods, writing it down.

“What kind of fashion do you plan to bring out in the future? Can we expect to see what you wear change in the pit, or are you going to stick with the traditional colors?” Kaitlyn asks, and I raise an eyebrow.

Odd question.

“I honestly have been considering having a set custom made, something a bit more me than what I usually wear. I need to look the part, you know?” I ask, getting a firm nod from Kaitlyn, and a less sure one from Michael.

From there, the interview slowly devolves into circular questioning, where I give more specific answers on more specific questions, but it’s mostly just repeating what I said before.

The pictures are a bit awkward, with Thad leaning over the back of us, and Michael grinning like a loon with Kaitlyn giving a smart pose. We look like quite the motley crew, but I also do my best to get them the pictures they want - in groups or as an individual.

All told, the interview, lunch and goodbyes took about two hours. With a lot of stored up energy, I decide to run alongside the carriage back to school, to burn the energy.

The return trip ends up being much faster than the trip out, and I find these heels are both mud repellent, and have extremely good stabilization charms, because I don’t trip even once.

.*****.

The day of the second task was lightly overcast, and knowing I wouldn’t be either needed to help prepare the task, or indeed, be able to watch, when I was hugging my friends after breakfast, I tapped Fleur’s back with the monitoring charm which was used to allow the Tasks in my time to be watched, even when the teachers were not present.

This spell was a terrible loss, on the whole. I really ought to show it to Dumbledore at least. Along with the scrying charm, I applied a light beacon to Fleur, so I could more easily hit her from a distance with a few of the communication charms - well, technically they were classified as a branch of Onmyōdō, which has no real translation to English. They were used, according ot the textbooks I have from 1600s Mahoutokoro, to be used in sending messages to a leader on a field of battle. Specifically, magical officers and such to a general, or vice-versa.

Mahoutokoro was, apparently, something of a military academy, and magic users were usually military officers, which makes sense for the period, but likely means this spell is either lost, considered a secret which their government teaches officials, or is one of the things which general western magic users just aren’t told about, since a lot of things like that are generally true, sadly.

Japan may be part of the ICW, but just like England has it’s magic which no one else really knows - especially things relating to rituals and such - so too do other countries. The oldest textbooks from schools teach a lot of these, since the countries were relatively isolated for long periods of time, or completely, when they were published.

If you lived in a country as a mage for a long enough period, you could, of course, learn those spells Any general passers by, or wandering magi, would never learn the spells. Often owing to the fact that they didn’t stick around long enough to pick them up.

So, I retired to the Room of Requirement, which I mentally had been referring to as ‘my room’ for awhile now, and cast the second part of the viewing charm, which broadcast it on a large blank wall I’d requested for exactly this purpose. Then, I called for a House Elf, and after an excitable elf, by name of Dobby, had come, then returned after a moment with food - for which I thanked him - I settled in to watch, bowl of popcorn, and light meal before me, in case this took too long, and a set of exercise equipment for me to use while watching. I quietly got up and began to stretch as I watched the screen.

As the task was settling in to begin, Harry ran up, looking winded, and sighed, which I heard, seeing the task had not yet begun. He was wearing his clothes from the previous day, looked like he’d just rolled out of bed and ran to the task in a panic.

Which I’m pretty sure is exactly what he did. I roll my eyes, and settle into a stretching apparatus as the task is explained, and the cannon is fired. The various champions diving in and casting their spells.

Fleur elects to use the Bubble Head charm. I nod, this is not a bad way to around the whole ‘underwater’ and ‘no oxygen in the environment to use to verbalize your spells’ isuse. I sigh blissfully as I feel my joints lightly pop as I am stretched to my fullest, before I pop out of the machine, and squint at the screen in alarm, seeing her approaching a vast forest of underwater brush.

Prime ground for all sorts of underwater beasts, not the least, Grindylows. I rise from the apparatus and flick my wand, verbalizing the message - “This is Aubrey, I’m watching you with a charm. I recommend you stay well above the forest of brush, or you avoid it entirely. It’s likely full of lots of beasts, and I’d rather like you not to be swarmed.” I tell her, and see her start on my screen in surprise, before I hear back, to my surprise.

“Wait, but how?” I roll my eyes.

“Foreign spell, I’ll teach you later if you like. Just focus on the task. I’ll try not to distract you unless you are about to wander into something else potentially life threatening. I know Veela struggle with water, given the whole ‘being of fire and air’ thing you have.” I reply, then lean back, satisfied as I see her swim up, and give a verbal confirmation that she will follow my advice.

I see, distantly, a fully clothed figure dart into the brush below her, and roll my eyes again. I can’t exactly hit Harry with a warning, due to having no beacon on him, but I’ll have to hope he knows how not to get fried by Grindylows, Khelpis or other underwater monsters which most certainly live down there.

As I’m working through a set of short, intense exercises, 25 meter sprints from one wall to another, followed by doing a lap around the room in a handstand (with added weight to make it a challenge) I stop to look over the map, which tells me the castle is still quite empty, as it has for the last five times I’ve stopped to check. I then glance to the screen, getting ready to add more weight and continue my sprints, I see Harry - floating before a statue with a sharp rock, guarding the bodies of three hostages.

His bushy haired friend, Hermione, I think, Gabrielle, and his date to the Ball, who goes by the name of Parvati. I know her passingly as a very excitable girl who likes fashion and fame, so it was a fine choice. It also snared a relatively important trading house who is set up in Britain - but not in the Wizengamot - into his fold. At least, as long as he treats her well.

I’m half surprised to see it’s not Ron - whom Harry now dislikes but has been best friends with for years - or Neville, who is his newest best friend, given how helpful Neville has been for Harry in general, and supportive to boot.

Especially since Harry has been talking to him more and more after the Yule Ball, apparently heeding my letters at seeing I took him to the ball.

All very good. But the hostages being the dates for the ball - except for the failure of Fleurs date, well it made sense. I figure they would have used me, to be her bait, but Dumbledore needed me in the castle.

With a glance at the map, I confirmed I was still all but alone here.

So her sister got the nod. A poor move, considering the very thin veil of neutrality the Merpeople were holding. They may not break the rules and allow her to be saved, or even given back after the task, but really. A vast majority of Merpeople hated Veela, due to them both being coatally located most of the time, favoring and inhabiting opposing ones, and doing the same thing for a few hundred years - namely - luring sailors to their deaths.

Veela had stopped doing that around 500 years ago. Merpeople never had, which is why Merpeople were still technically ‘beasts’ and Veela were beings considered almost equal to witches or wizards in most countries.

So Fleur saves her sister, following in the wake of Diggory, who had clearly come before her, and, as she swims up, I see Krum swoop in, and Harry cut his hostage loose.

All hostages were saved, then. It had only taken them one hour and twelve minutes, by the time Harry is on the dock.

In total, the castle was basically empty for two and a half hours. After that, people came back, and I left a polite note on Dumbledore's desk that nothing had happened, but that I felt like Fleur was getting fleeced on scoring. She had been the second back, and had been graded third. Harry and Cedric had wound up tied for first, and Fleur was close behind in third.

How the last back got the second most points for wasting time, I will never know. Damn bias.

.*****.

My date with Fleur goes wonderfully. A cup of tea at Madame Pudifoots and a walk around the village, showing her all the best shops, along with a few of the secrets most students probably don’t know about. Afterwords, we split up to our respective rooms so we can get ready for some dueling practice. The last task is coming up quickly, and I want to help make sure she’s as ready as possible.

So it is, that we’re dueling, and for the first time in a very long while, I find I have an audience at Hogwarts. It’s not a large croud - mostly the Beauxbaton students, a small group of Hogwarts students who were nearby, and if I’m not mistaken, the Durmstrang kids, over on that ship. I can see a lot of people standing on the deck, looking our way, anyhow.

So, I give her a look, and then a flowery bow, trying to indicate we shouldn’t try as hard as we can, and go for a very showy, flashy duel which will appease the spectators, before pretending to be very tired and go off somewhere for a more private duel.

If she wants to train, she should not do it where everyone can see. Half of her competition is liable to walk up, and the rest is watching from a ship. Not exactly ‘good odds’.

I do, however, resolve to meet with Cedric sometime in the next week and offer to help him for an hour or two, since that’s probably the most we can do of the kind of practice Fleur wants.

Harry has Dumbledore, Moody, and a number of others helping him. Fleur only has Madame Maxime, and even that is apparently not very much, because her specialties lie in charms, which while useful, haven’t done much for Fleur in terms of fighting, which is what the last two tasks have been.

Krum has Karkaroff, who was a well known and very powerful Death Eater, in the higher social circles. He was a very good duelist, very good at defense, offense and knew a lot of ways to skin a cat, as the saying goes.

He probably knew how to literally skin a cat, too. Seems like the kind of thing a Death Eater would do.

So we duel.

I make sure to go about half of my maximum pace, carefully making sure she can follow and the spells are really big, flashy things. Waves of fire, blasts of sparkly spells, and lots of lights. I carefully direct each spell so they explode for maximum effect, usually in the sky, by overcharging the spells I deflect, and send up.

As a result, the duel - of about three minutes - looks more like a fireworks display from a distance, with intermittent strobe light from some spells which you can’t really overcharge. Expelliarmus, for example. A good red light which for some reason can take however much mana you please.

After three minutes of the loud bangs, booms and lights, I cast a stunner under my ‘normal’ speed spells, and it slips in and slams her, ending the duel.

I had done this because she is both tiring, and we are drawing an ever larger crowd. Normal duels don’t last five minutes, so ending it there was a good move. Also, me winning likely will help the others underestimate Fleur.

The French Fairy Princess, however, is more than she will seem to the poor boys.

I gently revive her, to much applause, and lead her off toward the castle ‘to rest’, I tell people. As we walk, we pass Cedric, and I give him a nod and mouth ‘I’ll talk to you later” quickly as I pass. His smile and nod are plenty, and I’m quickly off, up a few flights of stairs with Fleur in tow, and then, I pause, on the Seventh floor.

“Why are we stopping here?” she asks, and I grin over my shoulder, the lean on the wall across the painting of Barnabas the Barmy.

“This is my secret room. I’m going to show you so we can get some actual training in. I realize the protracted showy duel outside was fun, and a bit of a workout due to how I overchannel my spells, but we can actually work on form, ambushes and similar. The last task is usually some kind of survival - last person standing - test, or it’s a big mess with dueling and such. Either way, training with me will help you. I also plan to help Cedric, by the way, though I won’t tell him what we work on. He’s just my friend, too, and fair is fair.” I inform her stoically, and get a nod. She’d known about the last task and that Cedric is my friend.

Good.

I open the Room of Requirement, asking for a training room which will suit myself and Fleurs needs, for strategy, dueling, and general exercise. The door opens into a slightly expanded version of my normal training hall. A corner for the exercise gear, a majority for dueling and such, with all the dummies, and a large selection of books, most of which I recognize as a bit below my level in general. I shrug, and turn, clapping.

“This is the Room of Requirement. If you need something, it will be provided. Well, I should say ‘if you really want something’ it will provide. Copies of notes, books and even whistles, beds and so forth. This room can provide anything which has ever been in Hogwarts wards. I like to make the best bath the world has ever seen, sometimes, but that’s just me.” She gazes around in amazement as I speak, then turns to me with a positively voracious look on her face, I smile and shrug, then turn to go grab the planning board which has been laid out for me to put plans down on. I quickly bewitch the chalk to right what I want down, and turn to main dueling area.

Then I am tackled by Fleur, who gives me a light kiss on the cheek.

“This place is magnificent!” She purrs into my ear, and I turn, giving her a big smile and nod, that, yes it is. Seeing the look in her eyes, I give her a sigh, and lightly separate from the hug.

“We may now be dating, but lets see if we have chemistry, Fleur. I don’t want to ruin things by flying through the steps too fast. I’m icky like that.” I tell her, and she gives me a respectful, is sorrowful, nod.

Had she wanted to date me for so long? I can be a bit thick about that. Or was she just at peak teenage hornyness? Whichever it was, I have a commitment, and that is to wait until I feel really good about my partner.

I feel good about Fleur, but not quite that good. So it might be awkward for a little bit, until then, we’ll just have to agree to train, date and try to keep things ‘teen friendly’ which in this world means ‘kissing and hugging only’.

I like that more than ‘You’re fourteen! Here’s a sword!’ Too common in the last life for me.

I casually lean into my warmup stretches and carefully avoid the searing looks she gives me the whole time.

If she has time to be so openly desirous, clearly I’m not training her hard enough.