All children, except one, grow up.

The Kelpie's Song
 
The third and final cannon fired, sending Fred into the tournament at last. The crowds roared, "Weasley is our king!" as Fred ran into the forest. His long legs moved skillfully, bobbing in and out of branches, dodging rocks and boulders. He was nervous, but he put on a brave face.
"I can't let them down," he thought. "I have no clue where a kelpie would be hiding, though."
Fred slowed down to a jog, thinking of which direction to go in. There were three pathways in front on him. The first, left path was lined with trees that had scratch marks in their bark. Branches were broken as if something quite large was travelling in that direction, but didn't quite fit.
"I don't think a kelpie makes those kinds of marks. From what McGonagall said, they are a bit more discreet. Making marks like that wouldn't help them stay hidden, but lead me right to them," Fred pondered.
The second, middle path didn't have many trees, but the trees it did have weren't very full. Scorch marks covered large boulders and ash blew from the ground, sweeping into Fred's face.
Coughing, Fred thought out loud, "No, that can't be the way. The ash would lead me right to them, as well. Besides, I know that Josette battled the chimaera. I know more about chimaeras than kelpies, and I know for a fact that one of its main attributes is its ability to breath fire."
The third and final path lead to the right. The ground appeared slightly softer, like a lake of some kind was close by. The plant life consisted of shrubs, which were surrounded by tiny insects buzzing around.
"Not a mark on the trees...no footprints either. This must be the way," Fred said confidently, stepping forward onto the muddy path. He walked slowly, careful not to alert anything of his presence in the swampy area. Each step was more careful than the previous. He was barely ten steps in when he heard a rustle of leaves. His head snapped to where he thought he heard the noise. Frozen on the spot, he slowly took out his wand.
"Lumos," he whisperd, pointing his wand into the shadowed area. A glittering, black eye flashed in the leaves, but quickly disappeared into the forest. Fred ran after it, with his wand held in front of him. He was led into a small clearing, before he lost his way.
"Damn," he breathed, "Nox." His wand went out, engulfing him in darkness. He could see only a few feet in front of him.
"Do you like to play in the dark?" he asked the creature. He could feel it staring at him from the cover of the trees. The little hairs on the back of his neck perked up, sending chills down his spine.
"I turned out the light for you," he said to the kelpie. "I didn't mean to frighten you...but you have something that I want."
A high-pitched cry echoed throughout the empty forest. It was the same cry the little creature in the champions tent made. The noise made Fred grip his wand tighter, hoping the thin piece of wood would somehow protect him. More rustling made Fred turn his head. The kelpie was on the move again.
"There you are," he said as he followed the creature, this time without the use of the lighting charm. All the way, the figure sang its sad sounding tune. Fred only caught small glints of his leader. It appeared that the thing was standing upright, walking on two feet. Occasionally, Fred thought he saw the outline of a women caressing the trees as she glided through the forest. Mesmerized by the beauty of the creature, he stumbled blindly through until he was led to a lake.
"Where have you led me?" he asked the creature. The only response he received was the same cry that he had followed. He looked around him, but no creature was in sight. He did notice a patch of land in the middle of the lake, with stepping stones leading to it. Suddenly, a woman's head surfaced from the water. She had raven black hair that trailed down her naked torso to the small of her back. She placed her arms on the bank of the lake, revealing her dark, scaly tail.
"Did you lead me here?" he asked dumbly, unable to avert his gaze from her beautiful face. She nodded, playfully twisting her hair between her fingers.
"But how could you have..."
She placed a finger to her lips before he could finish his sentence. Shaking her head, she motioned for Fred to join her by the water. As if he was under some kind of spell, Fred obeyed.
"Come to me, human. I am all alone, with no man to comfort me the way only a man can," she cooed in a wispy voice, "And you are such a handsome man."
Fred approached the girl. As he got closer, he was able to peer at her face more clearly. Her skin was a milky white perfection framed by dark strands of hair. Her full, pink lips pouted deliciously, opening into a smile that revealed rows of pearl-like teeth.
"Closer...closer..." she whispered alluringly. Fred kneeled down, getting less than inches away from her lovely face. That was when he noticed her eyes. Long eyelashes attempted to conceal their wickedness, but could only do so much. Each iris was as black as night, the pupils barely visible.
"Kiss me..." she breathed, puffing out her bare chest. She took Fred's face in her hands, but he had realized what she was.
"No!" Fred shouted, trying to escape her cold grip, but it was too late. She held tight to his face, her eyes changing. The black grew out into the whites of her eyes, engulfing them in an empty horror. The once pearl-like teeth sharpened into fangs, and the lovely skin became waxy.
"YOU WILL NOT ESCAPE ME!" it screeched. Fred blindly punched, hoping to hit the creature. He felt his fist connect, sending the kelpie into a fit of cries. He frantically scurried back, trying to think of a spell that would combat the beast. The mermaid was now fully transformed into its originally horse-like shape. Fred stared at it for a moment before coming to his senses. He yelled the first spell that came to his mind.
"Expelliarmus!"
The spell flew past the kelpie's head, hitting a tree behind it. The kelpie rand towards Fred, while he just stared blankly, glued to the spot. The creature swept Fred onto its back, charging back into the murky waters. Fred closed his eyes on impact, letting the cold water rush over his skin. All of a sudden, the weight of the kelpie faded from underneath him. Fred floated in the green trenches, looking as best he could for the monster.
"You are in my domain now."
Fred widened his eyes as the voice of the kelpie sounded in his mind.
"You can do nothing to save yourself. Luckily for you, I don't like to play with my food."
A dark figure appeared from the bottom of the lake, right for Fred.
"Ascendio!" Fred thought. He was propelled out of the water and onto the island in the center of the lake. The kelpie cried in anger, but Fred was too quick for it.
"Descendo!" he yelled, pointing his wand at the kelpie. The creature was sent back into the depths. Fred quickly got up, knowing he didn't have much time before the kelpie resurfaced. He looked around him, finding a rock pedestal with an object sitting on top. He ran for it, picked up the object and ran across the stepping stones onto land. He heard a cry behind him, but he didn't stop running. He ran as fast as he could, back to the original three paths. When he was sure he was out of range of the kelpie, he slowed down. He slowed his breathing, taking each step carefully. He finally felt safe enough to stop.
"That was way too close for comfort," he panted, soaking wet. The object in his hand shined. He brought it to his face to get a closer look. It was a antiqued, greenish metal that could have been brass at one point. He ran his fingers over the delicate carvings, paying attention to the details. He noticed strange symbols, they looked like they were from an ancient language.
"What are these? I wonder if Auggie would know...she knows so much," his mind wandered to Auggie. He felt ashamed that he was attracted to the false woman.
"Auggie, this is for you. I'm sorry I let that kelpie's facade cloud my mind," he sighed. Pointing his wand in the air, he sent up red sparks. A final cannon rang through the forest. With a sad face, Fred looked at the small box in his hand.
"I'm no king."

The Wrath of the Chimaera
 
The second cannon sounded, signalling Josette's entrance into the first task. Panicked, she ran out of the tent and into the forest. The crowds chants of "Liberté, all the way!" faded as she moved forwards into the woods. With her blonde ponytail swishing in the wind, Josette ran until the trees masked the light. She stopped abruptly when she nearly ran head first into a giant stone wall.
"What is zis? 'Ow am I supposed to find a...er...chimaera? I do not know what zat iz!" Josette muttered under her breath. "Madame Maxime said zis would be easy!"
All of a sudden, the wall Josette almost bolted into revealed a hidden cavern. The stone shifted and a burst of heat hit Josette's pale face. She recoiled at first, but squinted her eyes to get a closer look. The cave was filled with flames licking the burnt stone walls. Lava filled the reservoirs surrounding a single island of rock in the middle of the cave. Sulfur reeked in the air, so much so, it made Josette wrinkle her pretty nose.
"It smells of dirt...and sweat," pouted Josette. Before she could get too offended by it, however, a loud roar vibrated the floor beneath her. She screamed and took out her wand. An enormous creature, with the body of a goat and the head of a lion, appeared out of nowhere. It bared its gnarly teeth at Josette, skillfully moving its scaly dragon tail back and forth.
Josette panted, letting the heat get to her before the battle between her and the chimaera had even begun. Beads of sweat dripped down her nose as the animal creeped closer. As it growled, small sparks emitted from its jaws. Josette was to the point of tears. With a final crouch, the chimaera pounced into action. Josette was caught off guard, but luckily she had enough sense to leap out of the way of the creature's mighty jaws.
"Confudus!" she shouted. The spell hit the beast smack in the middle of its forehead. It swayed on the spot, but soon shook off the spell.
"Why did zat not work?" Josette panicked and yelled, "Conjunctivitis!"
The curse swirled in the air, hitting the chimaera straight in the eyes. It let out a roar of pain, sending flames into the air. Josette saw her chance, she ran towards the island in the center of the cave. The animal heard her move. Despite its lack of eyesight, it followed Josette with ease. She ran faster, but it caught up to her. She sent spells flying behind her as she struggled to deep her distance.
"Immobulus!" she shouted as a last effort to save herself. Expecting the spell to fail like all of the others, she kept her pace. But when she didn't hear the thudding steps of the chimaera's paws, she stopped and turned around. An immobile chimaera stared back at her.
"It worked? Ze simplest of spells, worked?"
She jumped for joy, giggling at her victory. She turned back around, strolling to the island. A pedestal met her, with a golden box perched on top. She awed at the pretty metal. Running her fingers over the carvings on the side, she picked up the box with barely her fingertips. She didn't pay attention to what the carvings were, as the metal itself was too beautiful in her eyes. Her sapphire eyes shined as she gave the precious item in her hands one last glance before exiting the lava filled cavern. The stone cave closed behind her, cutting off the heat within.
"Wait until ze othzer girls see me," she smirked, pointing her wand towards the sky. Red sparks flew over the trees, which sounded another cannon. She winced, suddenly noticing that her pants were torn. Her skin was red underneath her clothes, she was burned pretty badly. That didn't stop her from reveling in her victory.
"Just wait, Liberté will make it to the end."

The Fearsome Troll of the Forest
 
Vlad ran into the forest with the roaring applause of the crowd growing quieter and quieter behind him. The trees grew denser as he made his way deeper into woods. Vlad slowed down when he felt that he had gotten far enough away from the starting point. He looked to the trees to scout out any markings the beast may have made.
"Where are you hiding, beast? I will find you," he scowled as he ran his hands over a scratched tree. He smelled the air and creeped forward. A bird flew across his path, but before it could escape a flash of green light struck it. With a dying squeak it fell to the ground, lifeless. Vlad grinned in satisfaction as he sauntered over to his prey.
"Hello, birdy," he taunted. Pointing his wand at the little creature he uttered, "Engorgio."
The bird doubled in size; Vlad's grin grew wider. "Incendio!" he shouted. The bird burst into flames. Vlad took a deep breath in to smell the searing flesh.
"Burn...lead the beast to me," he turned to peer into the trees, "Show me where your hiding."
Like clockwork, a blood curdling howl echoed through the forest. Vlad jumped up and ran to the noise. He made it not ten feet when he saw the creature. It was twice the size of Vlad, nearly as tall as the trees. Its legs were thicker than Vlad's whole body with hide tougher than steel. In its burly arms was a wooden club, which was currently in use and being aimed at the trees. Each time the club contacted the bark, the beast let out a mighty grunt. Before even observing the troll, Vlad took out his wand and ran straight for it.
"REDUCTO!" he screamed, still running for the beast. The spell bounced off the troll's hide, only making it angry. It turned its head to Vlad, who stopped in his tracks. The troll stared at Vlad with its beady, black eyes. Its mouth was as gruesome as the rest of it, housing rows of yellow teeth, some of them missing.
"Hello, beasty. I have come to destroy you," Vlad spit at the creature. The beast roared and ran towards Vlad. Ready for attack, Vlad held his wand in front of him. Before he could shoot a spell, the troll was on top of him, throwing him into a nearby tree.
"You will regret that," he murmured getting up. He put his wand back into his pocket and cracked his neck.
"You want to play like that, we can play like that..."
The troll advanced on Vlad for a second time, but this time he was ready. Vlad ran head first into the beast. When the two were about two feet apart, Vlad leaped onto the hideous head of the creature. The troll let out another roar as it struggled to get Vlad out of its face. The beast stumbled around, pulling at anything it could get its hands on. Vlad avoided its grip with ease, moving onto the shoulders. Now that the beast regained its sight, it made the very wrong decision of using its club to beat Vlad off of its back. Vlad anticipated this and ducked as the club swooped above him. Vlad smiled as the club connected with the troll's ugly head. The beast sounded a final grunt before falling to the ground.
"Night, night, ugly," Vlad said slapping the troll. Now that his opponent had been taken care of, he could find its hoard. He noticed a stone cave surrounded by a thicket of bushes.
"Stupid beast."
Vlad marched triumphantly into the cave opening. Upon his entrance, he saw a pedestal in the middle of the stone room. On the pedestal was a silver box. Vlad walked over to it and took it in his hand, not bothering to inspect the beautifully ornate carvings on its sides. His task complete he walked out of the cave and back into the forest.
"Child's play," he muttered with a smile on his face. He pointed his wand at the sky and sent up red sparks. Another cannon sounded, signalling Vlad's victory.
"I will rule them all."

The First Task
 
Fred fidgeted with the sleeves of his jacket while he sat in the champions tent. The sound of trumpets was drifting into the tent from outside. It was to the tune of "Hoggy Warty Hogwarts", which comforted Fred slightly. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a letter his parents had written him a week previous. He read it over, feeling the love from his parents radiating into his soul keeping him calm. Sighing, he folded the letter up and put it back in his pocket.
"Psssst!"
Fred jumped and looked around.
"Pssst! Over here! Behind the curtain!" the voice whispered urgently. Fred got up slowly and inched his way to the sound. When he pulled back the curtain, all he saw was a flash of black hair before he was tackled to the ground.
"Roxanne! What are you doing here?!"
"I wanted to come by and...well...just tell you that...good luck."
"...Really?" he asked, slightly confused. "I thought you wanted Vlad to win."
"That old tosser? Please, Dom is rooting for him, but you're my brother. As annoyingly perfect as you are, I still don't want anything to happen to you."
Fred looked at his sister, touched by her words. "Roxi, that means so much to me. I promise to stay as safe as I can."
"Good, because I'll have to kill you if you die," she chuckled. "I'd better go, McGonagall will go nuts if she sees me here."
"Alright," he gave his sister a final squeezed. "See you soon."
Roxanne smiled and left the tent as quietly as she came. Just then, the other champions sauntered into the tent. McGonagall, Krum, Maxime, and Prof. Longbottom came in with Josette and Vlad.
"Oh! Mr. Weasley, we have been looking everywhere for you," McGonagall said frantically.
"Sorry, Headmistress. I thought we were supposed to come directly down to the champions tent."
"You were, but I didn't think anyone actually would. Well, it doesn't matter, you're here now," she moved to the middle of the tent and motioned for everyone to follow. She was holding a bag in her hands that seemed to be moving. "Gather round, champions. I must explain the first task to you."
The other two champions exchanged snobbish looks with their mentors. Fred looked to Prof. Longbottom, who pursed his lips and defensively put a hand on Fred's shoulder.
"The first task will take place in the Forbidden Forest. You will each reach into this bag to determine your challenge. Miss Liberté, you shall pick first."
Josette gulped and reached her hand into the crimson velvet purse. She flinched as she pulled out a tiny, animated creature with the head of a lion and the body of a goat. It had a vicious looking tail attached to its oddly shaped body. A small flame came from its mouth.
"The Chimaera," McGonagall looked at Josette gravely as she moved on to Vlad. "Mr. Romanov."
Vlad clenched his jaw and forced his hand into the bag. He pulled out something that seemed to be making a lot of noise. When he opened his palm, he revealed a oafish creature with large arms and a thick everything. It was pounding Vlad's hand, trying to fight with his fingers.
"The Troll."
Vlad pounded his chest and turned to Krum, who gave him a slap on the back. McGonagall finally turned to Fred. Prof. Longbottom's hand gripped his shoulder tighter as McGonagall approached with the satchel.
"Mr. Weasley," she said with a sad look in her eyes. Fred reached in, startled by the cold, slimy sensation that met his hand. He tentatively pulled out his hand with the creature in his fist. When he opened his hand he was met with a horse-like figure, except for the mane was pure black and its hide was more like the skin of a dolphin. Its eyes were pitch black and a soft cooing came from its mouth.
"The Kelpie," McGonagall gasped. She looked at Fred as if to say she was sorry that he pulled out the small creature in his hand. Fred looked down at it. It didn't try to fight his fingers like the Troll or the Chimaera did. It just stared at him, emitting its high-pitched call. It gave Fred goosebumps on the back of his neck.
"Right, now that you have chosen what you will be fighting you must know the rules. You may only bring your wand into the forest. When you get within the walls of the trees you may use whatever resources you can find. Your goal is to find whatever your beast is guarding. Send up red sparks when your task is complete. The schools will be watching from above the trees. We have set up a stadium of sorts. You may be wondering why I am telling you this. It is for you to know that no matter how lonely you may feel, you are not alone. If you do not wish to complete the task for any reason, send up green sparks. This will result in an automatic forfeit. Does everyone understand?"
Each of the champions nodded. "Good. At the sound of the cannon, Mr. Romanov, you will be the first to begin."
Vlad grunted in response.
"Very well, you are dismissed," McGonagall finished. The champion left the circle to speak one last time to their mentors. McGonagall and Prof. Longbottom both looked at Fred.
"Professor, please tell me you know how to deal with a kelpie," Fred pleaded to Prof. Longbottom, his face pale.
"I don't know much about them, to be honest. If Auggie were here, she could help you."
"Mr. Weasley, it is important for you to know that while Miss Liberté and Mr. Romanov's beasts are overtly dangerous, the kelpie is discreet. It will try to trick you, but you must persevere. In that way, it is probably the most dangerous of the three. You must stay strong," McGonagall stated. Fred nodded, suddenly feeling dizzy. He sat down to steady himself. He didn't get too comfortable when the boom of the cannon shook the entire tent. A roar of applause came from outside. It sounded like they were chanting, "Rule them all, Romanov! Rule them all, Romanov!"
Vlad stood up with his chest puffed out. He forcefully threw the curtain back and exited the tent and entered the tournament.
"This is it, no going back now," Prof. Longbottom uttered.
Fred stared meekly ahead, not knowing if this were to be his last on earth. He hoped it wasn't.