"Isn't it easy to make up fairy names?" Cohen said. "Something like Sloppy Lala, or Long Beard the Long or whatever…"
"That's exactly what I did." Ron replied, grabbing two chicken legs as if he were starving and tearing into them. "Mmm—how's your practice going? The competition's tonight."
"I've gone through all the spells on Hermione's list," Harry said, reviewing them again in his head to be sure he still remembered them. "I just hope I can still recall them tonight…"
"Once you've properly learned a spell, it's not that easy to forget it," Hermione said, unusually not reviewing the test material again after the exam. She was more concerned about the upcoming task. "You both need to be careful—this is the last task. The person who put your name in the Goblet of Fire might make a move in this one…"
Harry nodded seriously.
Cohen also nodded. After the Silver Key group involved in the Triwizard Tournament was caught by Rose and the others, his next priority became getting Harry to Voldemort.
Win the championship, help Voldemort fully resurrect, and then Cohen would finally receive his remaining two Animagus forms—his Nightmare form and his human form.
That afternoon, Cohen went alone to Hagrid's, asking him for some fish fry.
"I got some special fish with fewer spines just for the hippogriff and the water serpent!" Hagrid happily showed Cohen two big barrels of fish fry. "When you raise them, remember to plant some water plants at the bottom of the lake. Here, I've got two bags of seeds…"
"Dumbledore should give you a job that's more exciting than just guarding the hunting grounds," Cohen said, genuinely impressed by Hagrid's preparation. It really didn't seem like an exaggeration when people said Hagrid feeds the entire Forbidden Forest and the Black Lake.
"I think this is just fine." Hagrid grinned and scratched his messy hair. "Oh, right—Cohen, do you want to visit France during the summer? Madame Maxime asked me yesterday if I'd like to go visit her…"
"I'll pass on that," Cohen replied. "I've got to attend Herbert's retrial first, and then I need to go to Greece. Besides, don't you think it'd be a bit weird if you took me along on your date…"
"Huh? Date?" Hagrid looked surprised.
"She's inviting you to her home, Hagrid. It sounds like she wants to take things to the next level," Cohen said. "Seize the opportunity."
"But I thought it was just a sightseeing trip—I mean… I'm not very good at this…" Hagrid visibly panicked. "Should I bring something…"
"She already likes you just the way you are. Don't get too nervous," Cohen reassured him. "Just go with the flow. You two aren't just a good match—you're probably one of the last half-giant couples in the whole world. It's like if I found another girl with the exact same background as me, Edward and the others would be pushing me to marry her immediately."
But it seemed like Hagrid wasn't really listening anymore—his expression looked like he was already dreaming of strolling around France with Madame Maxime.
Cohen spent the whole afternoon digging a lake inside his magical trunk, planting water plants, and releasing the fish fry. Most of the hard labor was actually done by the Chimera beast, while Cohen's main task was to keep the old water serpent and the hippogriff under control so they wouldn't gobble up the fish.
\[I know, but they smell so delicious…]
The old water serpent stared intently at the half-grown salmon and cod in the bucket.
"Cawww—" The hippogriff looked longingly at the fish being floated into the new lake by a levitation charm, its beak slightly open as it let out a pleading cry toward Cohen.
\[If you eat them now, there won't be any left later.] Cohen warned the old water serpent. \[You have to wait until they grow up and reproduce, just like the sheep here. Until then, you'll have to stick to eating sheep.]
The old water serpent looked a little depressed. For it, having fish right in front of it but not being allowed to eat them seemed like a dreadful torture.
After solving the food source issue for the old water serpent and the hippogriff, Cohen went to the banquet before the start of the third task.
The judges were still Fudge, Crouch, and the three headmasters, but Cohen noticed that Fudge's condition seemed to worsen by the day—especially today, when his face was as pale as a sheet of paper.
When the enchanted ceiling above the Great Hall shifted from bright blue to dark purple, the leftover food on the tables vanished with a sweep of magic, and Dumbledore rose to his feet.
"In five minutes, I will ask everyone to proceed to the Quidditch pitch to watch the final task of the Triwizard Tournament. Now, will the champions please follow Mr. Crouch to the grounds."
Cohen and Harry stood up. Mr. Crouch was already there with the other champions.
The Gryffindor students gave them wild applause, and the tension on Harry's face eased slightly.
"Just think of it like a Quidditch match," Ron said as Harry and Cohen were about to leave, "Or like an exam—"
"That's a bit sad, because I always get seventy percent on exams," Cohen quipped.
Harry laughed, and his nerves seemed to melt away even more.
Led by Crouch, they headed out of the castle before the audience. The Quidditch pitch was now completely transformed—a towering, twenty-foot-high hedge surrounded the entire field, and there was a dark, gaping entrance on the side closest to the castle. That would be the maze's only entry point.
There were no exits—the only way out was by reaching the Triwizard Cup, which would immediately transport the winner outside. The others would be retrieved by patrolling Aurors and professors if they were in trouble.
After a while, people started filling the stands—students, family members of the champions—all pouring in, the air buzzing with excitement.
Cohen didn't understand what they were so excited about—they wouldn't even see the champions inside the maze, only the red sparks fired into the air if a champion ran into danger they couldn't handle.
Stars began to twinkle in the clear, deep-blue sky. Around the edge of the maze, torch flames suddenly burst to life, illuminating the surrounding area.
But the inside of the maze still looked oppressively dark and a little unnerving.
"Ladies and gentlemen! The final task of the Triwizard Tournament is about to begin!" Lee Jordan's voice rang out, as passionate as ever. "Let's announce the current standings! Cohen Norton—87 points! First place! Representing Azkaban!"
The cheers were so loud that birds from the Forbidden Forest were startled and scattered into the night sky.
No one seemed to care how bizarre it was that someone was representing Azkaban—just like no one questioned whether players on the Bumblebee Quidditch team were actual bumblebees.
But Fudge didn't look happy—he was losing control of Azkaban.
"Next, we have Cedric Diggory and Harry Potter—tied for second place! Representing Hogwarts!"
Another round of cheers.
"Viktor Krum—third place! Representing Durmstrang Institute!"
"Fleur Delacour—fourth place! Representing Beauxbatons Academy!"