The judges huddled together, whispering among themselves. Madam Pomfrey wrapped Harry and Hermione in fresh blankets, then brought over another round of potions.
"We've already had some!" Harry protested.
"Oh, have you? Honestly, I'm getting more muddled by the minute," Madam Pomfrey said irritably, tossing the potions back. She went to fetch more blankets, only to look around and realize everyone already had one.
"It's all right, Madam Pomfrey. You can rest now—we're all fine," Hermione said soothingly, gently steering the matron away.
Orli scanned the area but saw no trace of Snape anywhere. Her gaze fell on Cedric, who was locked in an intimate embrace with Cho Chang.
Just then, Ludo Bagman's magically amplified voice boomed around them, making everyone jump and instantly silencing the crowd in the stands.
"Ladies and gentlemen, we've reached our decision! The merperson chief Murcus has given us a full account of everything that transpired at the lake's bottom. Based on a maximum score of fifty points, here are the results for each champion..."
"Fleur Delacour, though she demonstrated excellent mastery of the Bubble-Head Charm, was attacked by Grindylows while approaching her target and failed to rescue her hostage. We award her twenty-five points."
A wave of sympathetic applause rippled through the stands.
Fleur shook her elegant head but continued clinging tightly to her little sister.
"Cedric Diggory also used the Bubble-Head Charm and was the first to return with his hostage, though he exceeded the one-hour time limit by one minute."
The Hufflepuffs erupted in deafening cheers. Cho Chang shot Cedric a smoldering look.
"Therefore, we award him forty-seven points."
Orli's heart sank. If Cedric had gone over the time limit, Harry definitely had too.
"Viktor Krum employed Transfiguration—incomplete but still effective—and was the second to return with his hostage. We award him forty points."
Karkaroff clapped with excessive enthusiasm, looking thoroughly pleased with himself.
"Harry Potter used Gillyweed to remarkable effect," Bagman continued. "He was the last to return, far exceeding the one-hour time limit. However, the merperson chief informed us that Mr. Potter was the first to locate the hostages. His delay wasn't due to inability, but because he insisted on ensuring all hostages were safely rescued—not just his own."
"Most of the judges"—here Bagman shot Karkaroff a particularly withering look—"felt this demonstrated exceptional moral courage. Therefore... Mr. Potter receives forty-five points."
Orli slapped Harry's arm in delight—exactly as she'd hoped! She hadn't interfered when Harry rescued Gabrielle underwater precisely because she knew from the original story that helping other hostages would earn him extra points.
Ron came charging from the stands, giving Harry a fierce hug.
"Brilliant, Harry!" Ron shouted over the noise.
"The third and final task will take place on the evening of June twenty-fourth," Bagman announced. "The champions will be informed of the details one month in advance. Thank you all for your support!"
Fleur applauded enthusiastically, but Krum looked thoroughly disgruntled. He tried to engage Hermione in conversation, but she was too busy cheering for Harry to pay him any attention.
Orli quickly calculated the standings—Harry and Cedric were now tied at eighty-five points each, with Krum trailing at eighty. Unfortunately, Fleur's poor second-task performance left her in fourth place.
"Are you... are you all right?" Orli heard someone addressing her. She looked up to find Ron, who, though facing her, was awkwardly avoiding eye contact.
"At least I proved the Gillyweed isn't poisonous—I ate it myself," Orli said, shooting him a pointed look.
Ron's face flushed scarlet.
"Ron, how old are you? Do I really need to remind you what to say?" Hermione scolded him sternly.
"...Sorry," Ron mumbled after a moment's hesitation.
Orli shook her head. She understood that while they didn't want to lose her friendship, deep down they still harbored suspicions about Snape.
It was an impossible equation to solve.
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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