The week after the first task had been quite eventful for the trio. As soon as they had returned Karkaroff announced that as soon as the remains of his champions were collected that he and the rest of the Durmstrange contingent would be leaving. Bagman tried to persuade Karkafort by saying he could pick three new champions but the other judges disagreed, and thus the Durmstrange contingent had left three days later. The champions were initially glad to be rid of the blatantly biased man, but his replacement was far worse.

It was the morning after the Durmstrange contingent had left and the students were coming down for breakfast they saw someone sitting where Karkaroff once sat, was now taken by someone else. The one person Harry hated more than Voldemort. Dolores Umbridge. Harry glared venomously at the pink-clad wretch. She had been apart of the attempt to rob his family when it came out he was a werewolf and had made living in magical Britain impossible for werewolves, vampires and other many other "creatures". Her racism was so renowned she was barred from most of Europe due to upsetting several of the large non-human clans. Dracula had even ordered that if she ever set foot in Romania for her to be brought before him so he could kill her himself.

The day after the first task the trio once more saw the vast difference between The Prophet and The Owl. The Prophet had decided to blatantly avoid mentioning the deaths of the three Durmstrange champions. The trio was disgusted by the fact they were disgracing the deaths of their fellow champions in a pathetic attempt by the British ministry to avoid taking the blame, despite the hundreds of witnesses who saw them be ripped apart and their skeletal remains. Going as far as to criticize Karkaroff for "unsporting behavior" when he decided to withdraw the Durmstrange contingent due to "being disqualified". It was both pathetic and aggravating.

The Owl, on the other hand, had no qualms at tearing into the judges for the lack of safety precautions. Pointing out that it was standard procedure for a single team of ten experienced beast hunters to be sent in when exterminating a wendigo nest, not a group of ten teens, with one of them being underage, which were then split into three uncoordinated teams. They then asked their readers to write to the judges and push for better safety measures to help avoid further losses of life.

...

Madame Maxime was sat at a table that had been set up in one of Hogwarts' abandoned classrooms for the Triwizard judges to sit at while the meeting that was about to unfold. Dumbledore finally walked through the door and his seat at the head of the table. "Now I'm sure you are all aware why this meeting has been called, but I will make clear regardless." The headmaster began. "There has been a recent outcry about the lack of safety during the first task." The other judges barring Umbridge nodded in agreement, as they had all been flocked by letters (mostly in Fench) demanding better security for the champions, or for the tasks to be toned down, so they weren't lethal. I believe it would be in everyone's best interest if we resolved this issue before the second task."

"Absolutely not!" Umbridge snarled. "We can not be seen bowing down to the whims of these foreigners! It will be seen as a sign of weakness!"

The others looked at Umbridge like she was mad.

"It would be seen as an act of compassion and humility, Dolores." Dumbledore chided her in a grandfatherly tone.

"Zose 'foreigners' are concerned witches and wizads, who do not wish to see more children die." Maxime spat venomously. "I was going to suggest we equip the champions wiz emergenzy portkeys regardless."

"A marvelous idea Madam!" Grinned Bagman. "But what should we use for the portkeys?"

"Hem hem."

"We can use wristbands and set the activation phrase to healer." Crouch agreed, think of the emergency portkeys used by aurors.

"Hem hem!"

"Are you alright Dolores?" Bagman asked with legitimate concern.

"Quiet, but I do think it's audacious of you all to assume that the department of magical transportation will simply create and register portkeys to suit your whims." Umbridge responded in a condescending manner.

"Nonsense Deloris. Why I just received a letter from the minister this morning saying he wished to help stop any further strategies." Dumbledore replied. He wasn't lying either, even if the wording of the letter was far more self-centered.

Umbridge huffed like a child but said nothing.

"Well if that is everything. I have other things to attend to today." Crouch spoke up as his chair scraped across the floor and stood up.

"Actually there is one more matter we need to discuss." Umbridge answered, and the others had to bite back a groan. "I am worried about the Beauxbatons champions will disrupt the yule ball."

"And 'ow did you come to this conclusion!?" Maxime glared at Umbridge.

"Simple. During the yule ball, it is tradition for the champions to have the first dance. A waltz to be precise. A waltz can not be performed by three people. Either Miss Delcour or Miss Black will have to find another date." Umbridge spoke up.

Maxime's face turned sour as the others agreed with Umbridge. The trio did not take kindly to those who interfered in their relationship. "Could we not just change ze opening song?" She suggested. "Zey will not take kindly to meddaling in zere personal lives."

Umbridge scoffed. "And what could they possibly do about it?"

"I am told zat zey are worse zan James Potter and hiz group where when it comez to retaliation." Maxime mentioned with false innocence. Dumbledore's eyes widened as he remembered some of the paybacks Harry's farther and friends had issued during their time at Hogwarts. The others, however, paid the warning no mind. "I suggest simply changing ze opening song."

"I agree." Dumbledore spoke up. "There is no need to cause tension between the trio for such a small matter."

"I disagree. It is there fault that this is a problem, so they will have to deal with it." Umbridge argued.

"No good reason? It is tradition Albus, and traditions must be upheld!" Crouch responded.

"It's one dance, how bad can it be?" Bagman questioned.

Both Dumbledore and Maxime looked to one another. They knew there would be payback.

Soon.

Harry, Fleur, and Nym were at a sushi bar eating with chopsticks. During their meal, the three opted to stay quiet, content to simply enjoy their meal. They had got there by joining the other students heading into Hogsmead and appearating away once they were out of sight. Afterward, Fluer took the cage they had gotten from the first task out of her magically extended handbag, and placed it on the table. Together the trio used their chopsticks through the gaps in the cage to first fold the piece of parchment inside it and then push it through one of the gaps enough so the could pull it out with their fingers.

Fully unfolding the parchment they saw that it was a map showing various rooms, with smaller ones in between them. Together they made a hallway, with a single word on each of the larger rooms. "Enginuity, Balance, Riddle, Courage, Stealth" And underneath that was some writing. "A witch or wizard is at their weakest without their wand." The trio knew this saying well as it had been beaten into their heads time and again by Charles and their auror instructors, and a such had been taught to do things without magic, such as creating fires, cooking, first aid, and hand-to-hand combat.

"We should hit up the book store before we head back." Tonks suggested.

Harry snorted. "Nothing is going to help you with your balance Nym." He teased her.

"Shut it, hairball." Tonks shoots back caused them all to grin.

Later back at Hogwarts.

The three Beauxbatons champions had apparated back to Hogsmead and joined the rest of the students heading back to the castle after a bit of shopping in the village. They went to the great hall for dinner when a note from their headmistress appeared before them, summoning them to her office on the carriage after dinner. Which brings us to now.

A knock came at the door to Maxime's office and she called them in. In front of Maxime's large desk was a blue cough which could hold three people. Whenever the trio came to her office since their fifth year they would transfigure their chairs into a couch, so they could lean on each other. Maxime had ultimately decided to simply buy a couch to save the hassle, and they pointed out it made meeting her more relaxing, something which came in handy when a student needed consolidating or just to subtly tell them they're not in trouble.

The trio collapsed onto the couch with Fleur in the middle. "You asked for us, Headmistress?" Fleur asked politely in her native tongue. She was always better at etiquette then her partners, so they usually let her take the lead.

"Earlier I had a meeting with the other judges, and I am pleased to say you will be given emergency portkeys in feature tasks, to prevent any more casualties. " The trio was visibly relieved to know that they would now have a safety net. "But it was decided that the three of you could not go together for the yule ball." The trio's expressions quickly turned into frowns. "Myself and Dumbledore tried to persuade the other to allow it by changing the first dance to something other than a waltz but they refused."

The trio stayed silent as they pondered on the information in their bond. Madam Maxime knew of this as she had read up on it, as soon as she found out about it. The main reason she wanted to become headmistress was to eliminate all discrimination in the school. When Maxime saw the trio come back of the bond with menacing grins, she was glad it would not be her mess to clean up this time. "Okay." They spoke up at the same time with an upbeat attitude. Maxime shuddered. She was REALLY glad she would not have to clean up after them.

"Now, how is your progress with the clue?" She asked them.

"Good." Harry answered.

"We got the clue out of its cage and a few books that might help us." Tonks added.

"Now all we have to do is plan our training." Fleur finished.

"I would suggest practicing one part one day and another the next. Then you will not need to worry about running out of time like you would practicing one at a time." Maxime suggested and the trio voiced their agreement.

Later.

The Hogwarts champions were gathered in one of the empty classrooms having pushed some desks together and placed the clue that was still in its cage on top of it. The champions were sat around the improvised table pointing their wands at the cage. They had spent the last hour casting various spells at the cage and the parchment inside, trying to separate the two, but none of them had worked.

Angelina leaned back in her chair and sighed. "This is useless. We're missing something." She announced.

"To right you are!" Moody barked from the entrance. Startling the four champions. "The first thing you are all lacking is Constant Vigilance! The second thing is that no spell will get through that cage."

"So what are we supposed to do?" Warrington asked.

"Use something that is not a spell." Moody responded in a condescending tone, sounding like he was talking to a slow child.

"Oh. Right." Warrington responded sheepishly.

Moody nodded to them before leaving without another word, and the Hogwarts champions went back to looking at the cage.

Elsewhere.

The dark lord Voldemort had just read the report Bartimous Crouch Junior had sent him. The Beauxbatons students seemed to be a fierce group and would definitely oppose him when the time came to invade France. He would order Barty to dispose of them if an opportunity is given without exposing himself in the process.

Longbottom relied heavily on the other champions for support. Once separated from them he would be vulnerable.

Tom Riddle smiled. This tournament has provided more opportunities than he had expected.