Tonight's dinner was much more lavish than usual. As the judges made their way through the side door to the classroom section, the golden plates were just about to reveal a feast of delicious food.
Kyle grabbed a piece of bacon and glanced toward the square where the judges were seated.
Madam Maxime seemed to be in high spirits, smiling broadly. In stark contrast, Karkaroff sat beside her with a sour expression, his stern face betraying his displeasure. Bagman, usually cheerful and exuberant, appeared oddly unsettled tonight, leaning in to speak to Dumbledore with an anxious demeanor. Whatever he was saying, Dumbledore merely shook his head in response, calm and unwavering.
"His dream of being on the front page has come to nothing," came a voice beside Kyle. Startled, he turned to see Fred and George, who had somehow made their way to the Hufflepuff table.
"Don't look so surprised," George said with a grin. "We thought you might be getting too nervous, so we came to cheer you up."
"Thanks," Kyle replied with a small smile. "But what do you mean about Bagman's front-page dream?"
"That's the second thing we wanted to tell you," Fred whispered, leaning in. "The plan to take hostages has been cancelled."
"What?" Kyle asked, his voice low but sharp with surprise.
"It's exactly as it sounds," George said, shrugging. "We found Dumbledore earlier and even volunteered to become hostages ourselves..."
"But the headmaster wasn't having it," Fred interjected. "He said the maze was dangerous enough and didn't want to risk any students who weren't Champions. So, right before dinner—"
"Dumbledore, Maxime, and your father," George continued, "the three of them voted to cancel the plan."
"Karkaroff wasn't happy about it, though," Fred added, shooting a glance at the teachers' table. "He said everyone was being cowards and claimed this wasn't the Triwizard Tournament he remembered. He had a full-on shouting match with them in the entrance hall."
"Did it work?" Cedric, seated nearby, asked with interest.
"Of course not," George replied. "The old Triwizard Tournament was canceled in the first place because too many people died. Now that it's back, most folks want to avoid taking unnecessary risks."
Kyle glanced toward the teachers' table. Bagman was still talking animatedly to Dumbledore, clearly siding with Karkaroff, but none of that mattered now.
The cancellation of the hostage plan was a relief. At least it was one less thing to worry about during the competition.
Before long, dinner ended, and the enchanted ceiling shifted from a bright blue to a deepening dusk. Dumbledore rose from his seat, and the hall fell silent at once.
"Ladies and gentlemen," he began, his voice carrying across the room, "in ten minutes, I will ask you to proceed to the Quidditch Pitch to observe the final event of the Triwizard Tournament. For now, the Champions will accompany Mr. Bagman to the pitch."
Kyle stood, receiving a wave of applause from the Hufflepuff table as they cheered him on. He joined Fleur and Krum, and together they left the Great Hall.
As they walked, Kyle noticed Fleur's nervousness—she kept taking deep breaths, her composure strained. Krum didn't fare much better, his usual stoic demeanor replaced by occasional stumbles and a look of unease.
When they arrived at the Quidditch Pitch, it was entirely transformed. The hedges surrounding the field had grown to towering heights, nearly twenty feet tall, with only a shadowy opening left at the front.
"You've got a few minutes to collect yourselves and get into the right mindset," Bagman told them as he led them to a set of Changing Rooms before stepping out.
Fleur and Krum each found a spot to sit, their nerves evident in their quiet demeanor. Kyle considered striking up a conversation with Fleur to pass the time, but seeing her deep in thought, he decided against it. Instead, he chose a nearby seat and waited in silence for the match to begin.
Minutes later, the sound of the crowd began to filter in. Excited chatter and the shuffle of footsteps filled the air as spectators took their places in the stands. For a moment, Kyle was reminded of the First Task—sitting in the same room, listening to the rising anticipation of the audience outside.
The door to the Changing Rooms creaked open, drawing everyone's attention. A head poked through the gap before retreating.
Kyle, sitting closest to the door, got up and opened it slightly, just in time to catch Hermione and Ron trying to sneak away.
"Sorry, we didn't mean to interrupt," Hermione said, looking embarrassed. "We just wanted to see Harry and tell him not to be nervous."
"Harry?" Kyle asked, frowning.
"Yeah," Ron said, his tone tinged with envy. "Filch came to get him, said it had to do with the Third Task. Lucky him, getting to be part of the Triwizard Tournament."
"But he's not here," Hermione added, glancing past Kyle into the room. "We'll leave now. Good luck, Kyle."
"Wait..." Kyle called after them. "When was Harry taken away?"
"Just now," Hermione said. "Not long after you left for dinner. Filch said Professor Dumbledore had asked him to bring Harry to the Quidditch Pitch to help with the event."
Kyle's sense of unease deepened. Something didn't add up. Fred and George had clearly mentioned at dinner that the hostage plan had been canceled, so why would Filch take Harry?
Hermione and Ron exchanged confused looks as Kyle suddenly bolted from the room, sprinting toward the area where the referees were gathered.
"What's gotten into him?" Ron asked, scratching his head. "We were having a nice chat, and then he just ran off."
"Oh no, he's not going to turn us in, is he? You know we're not allowed in the Champions' Restroom."
"Don't be silly, Ron," Hermione said, though her expression had turned grave. "Kyle's not like that. Come on, let's check the Beauxbatons and Durmstrang tables—maybe someone's missing there too."
"Why do we have to do that?" Ron asked, clearly reluctant. "The match is about to start!"
Ignoring him, Hermione took off toward the center of the stands, leaving Ron no choice but to follow.
Meanwhile, Kyle reached the referees' stand, where Dumbledore was speaking with several professors adorned in starry robes.
"Kyle?" Dumbledore said, noticing him approach. "What are you doing here? The game is about to begin."
"There's something important, Professor," Kyle said, glancing around at the others.
Recognizing the urgency, Dumbledore stepped forward, motioning for Kyle to speak. "Go on."
"Do we need to rescue hostages during this task?"
Dumbledore chuckled lightly. "You're well-informed. That idea was considered but ultimately rejected. You don't need to—"
"Harry's been taken," Kyle interrupted, his voice firm.
The humor faded from Dumbledore's face, replaced by concern. "That's impossible. The idea of taking a hostage was rejected before dinner."
"But Harry was taken," Kyle insisted. "Ron and Hermione saw Filch take him, claiming it was to make the game more interesting."
Dumbledore's expression darkened. His gaze swept across the field, pausing momentarily on Karkaroff, who was conversing with someone nearby, before returning to Kyle.
"I see," Dumbledore said quietly. "The game will begin shortly. You should return to your position."
Kyle hesitated, but nodded and left the stands, his mind racing.
This development had caught him completely off guard. Why would Filch, of all people, take Harry?
The Imperius Curse? Polyjuice Potion?
Kyle couldn't be certain. Fred and George had been keeping the Marauder's Map to monitor Ludo Bagman, leaving Kyle without a way to confirm Filch's movements.
Still, Filch was an ideal cover—an irritating but largely ignored figure in the castle. He could roam anywhere without suspicion. Even if he consumed Polyjuice Potion in plain sight, students wouldn't think twice about it, or he could simply drink it in private.
Kyle tried to recall the last time he'd seen the Marauder's Map. The day he returned it to Fred and George, he'd taken one final glance. At the time, Filch had been in his office with Mrs. Norris, and there hadn't been any mention of "Barty Crouch" on the map.
Kyle shook off his thoughts as he approached the maze entrance. Fleur, Krum, and Ludo Bagman were already waiting for him.
"You're lucky," Bagman said, hurrying over to pull Kyle into position. "You would have missed it by a minute!"
Despite his cheerful words, there was a flicker of disappointment in Bagman's eyes, as though he'd secretly hoped Kyle wouldn't make it in time.