HP X LOTM : Please Call Me Mr. Error.

Loki yawned loudly while standing in line with the Champions.

"Didn't sleep well?" Harry asked politely and Loki tried to nod while hiding his yawn.

Fleur gave Loki an annoyed sideways glance while Krum just smiled and ignored Loki.

Each of their reactions was justified since they were currently standing atop the small stage that had been set up for them before the entire audience that had come to visit Hogwarts to watch the Third Task.

Harry was nervous and trying to distract himself by talking to Loki. Fleur was annoyed that Loki was making them look bad while Krum didn't want to do anything that might be seen as helping or burdening Loki since he was now the direct representative of Drumstrang because Kakaroff had vanished.

"Something kept me up all afternoon so I had to figure it out before falling asleep. But before I could get my beauty sleep Mione dragged me away to the quidditch pitch saying it was already time for the third task…"

Hary gave a nervous smile when he heard that since he remembered Hermione leaving his side during their last-minute training and rushing to go bring Loki since he hadn't turned up for lunch in the great hall.

"Who's come from your side?" Harry asked with a little less nervousness as he thought back to the Weasleys who had arrived at Hogwarts to witness him participating in the Third Task.

"Me? Well if I had to count it would be two people. Hermione and Daphne…but even they are on a mission in Knockturn Alley right now."

Harry suddenly choked on his own spit and if not for Loki's timely wand waving would've collapsed on the stage under the gazes of everyone watching them.

"Sorry, I forgot you were…"

"Don't worry about it. Or maybe worry about it a little, maybe I'll take my revenge during the third task? Who knows…I mean isn't a thousand galleons a lot of money? I've seen people kill for less."

Suddenly Harry was back to being a nervous wreck.

Loki yawned a few more times and then lazily looked at Ludo Bagman who was speaking to the audience to introduce the 'proud' sponsors of the tournament.

'How much does this man speak…'

'Shouldn't you speak in moderation?'

'Does he think he's taking part in the competition?'

'Hmmm….'

Loki activated his spirit vision and then looked through Bagman's thoughts before nodding to himself.

'Of course, he has a long speech.'

'...'

'Too bad he doesn't remember what he wanted to say now.'

Having stolen a thought, Loki enacted his part by simply giving a short speech which had only two words, "The end."

Bagman seemed to have the same idea when he seemed to have forgotten his speech midway through so he simply turned slightly towards the champions and to everyone's relief began to explain the third task.

"Now ladies and gentlemen! We are here for one thing and one thing only tonight!"

The audience was silent as they paid attention to Bagman's every word.

"We are here to witness a true champion be reborn in this crucible of victory and defeat!"

*CHEEEERRRRRSSSSSSSS* *CLAP* *CLAP* *CLAP* 

Once they quietened down Bagman continued to explain, "The third task will be one where the champions will be tested on everything they've learned so far! It will involve tests on their qualities of courage, sacrifice and most importantly love!"

Loki frowned when he heard the description, and so did the other champions.

'Where did the hints about war being a thing in the riddle go?'

'Don't tell me we have to play Cupid and find the best solution for a love triangle?'

'Something akin to love is war?'

As if sensing their thoughts, Bagman spoke with a slight laugh.

"Yes! You heard me right! The task will focus on the qualities of courage, sacrifice, and love! The champions will be placed in an arena where their limits are tested!"

The audience was just as confused as the champions.

'Where was the promised blood?'

'The clever use of their minds to solve complicated problems that were promised in the advertisements?'

'What about testing the champion's skill and control of magic!?'

But Bagman didn't wait for any of their complaints to surface. He immediately shouted-

"And so! For the first time in over a century! Let's begin the third and final round of the Triwizard Tournament!!"

Bagman then looked at the four champions standing on the short stage and apparated away from the area with a quick *pop*.

All the champions pulled out their wands as they became wary of what would happen next.

A thin fog began to roll into the arena.

Loki frowned as he looked at the rising fog and flicked his wand. A thin transparent veil fell from the top of his head, forming a small bubble around his face that kept a small two-inch gap from his skin.

Seeing him, the other champions performed the bubble head charm too. Even Harry who was trained in the charm by Hermione.

Loki's decision turned out to be right since as soon as the fog touched their robes, they started to singe. Their exposed skin started to burn and Loki quickly waved his wand to summon a light updraft that blew the fog away from him.

The others did the same and stayed huddled together, not wanting to separate just yet since they didn't know if the task would require them to work together like the last time or if they could go solo.

Unfortunately for everyone, they all heard a low *growl*.

Loki's head snapped in the direction behind him as did the other champions. In the fog were floating pairs of blue eyes that surrounded them all.

Loki recognised them all in an instant and his expression paled.

'Who thought it was a good idea to put Matagots!?'

'Are we going to fight them!? But these things are unbeatable using plain magic!!? Whose idea even was this!?'

Matagots were a relatively simple creature shaped like a black hairless cat with blue eyes, if magic hit them they'd double. So as long as spells were fired at the big cats they'd always double.

It was easy to multiply their numbers if you didn't know exactly what you were doing.

And they took their grudge very seriously.

It seemed among the rest of the champions only Harry and Fleur realised what the beasts in front of them were since they adopted a passive stance instantly like Loki.

'Harry knows them?'

'Or is he just confused about why no one's doing anything and copying us?'

Unfortunately for Krum, he pointed his wand at one of the pairs of floating eyes and flicked a particularly devastating spell.

"Bombarda Maxima!"

The spell flew through the fog and landed on one of the sets of blue eyes, lighting up the area around it for a few seconds.

Loki's guess was confirmed and they all saw the Matagot for a brief moment split apart from its eyes with one moving left and the other going right before the eyes themselves split into two new pairs.

Soon there were two creatures instead of one. Both looking at Krum.

But the worst part was, almost instantly, as soon as Krum had shot the spell, all the other blue eyes turned towards him.

"Shit.." Krum cursed but it was too late.

The big cats instantly rushed towards Krum like a swarm of angry bees rushing to protect their queen.

Krum cast spells a few more times but once he saw that he couldn't fight the collective hidden among the fog he rushed away from the stage and ran into the fog hoping to lose them there.

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