Far away the slow, deep tolls of the Hogwarts Castle bell-tower sounded the hour.  It was nine o'clock and a gathering of witches and wizards stood in the long, wide corridor on the second floor.  It was a peculiar place for such a lofty occasion and the tone was tense and somber, but filled with delicious anticipation. 

Among those gathered were the officials from the Department of Magical Games and Sports, the Heads of the four competing schools, and an approved group of press.  And naturally, the eight teenaged wizards and witches whom the Goblet of Fire had chosen.  Although one of them was not on the list. 

"Ill," spoke Headmaster of Hogwarts Herschel Reid said by way of explanation to the Ministry official.  "It can't be avoided.  She's ill and I can't find a Healer who'd approve of her moving an inch out of the bed.  Magically binding or no, Alexandra Carstairs is ill."

"Ah, but we have no choice, Headmaster.  Hogwarts must present two champions, chosen by the Goblet, or forfeit the Task.  It is a magically binding contract," said the official.

"We are well aware.  Late last night the Goblet produced Miss Raine Almasy's name," said the Headmaster, who placed a calming but heavy hand on the shoulder of Raine Almasy.

"Well.  This is highly irregular," commented the Official.

"It certainly is," agreed the Headmaster.

That sorted, the official unfurled a scroll and began to read.

"Louise Parker.  Milton Steinbeck.  Fyetka Strelnikov.  Heinrich Faust.  Figaro Sellaphix.  Cécile Fontaine.  Élodie Fontaine.  And um, Raine Almasy. You eight have been chosen by the Goblet of Fire and will now compete on behalf of Salem Witches Institute, Durmstrang Institute, Hogwarts School, and Beauxbatons Academy for points and glory in the TetraWizard Tournament!  You have arrived at the appointed time at the appointed place, and have done so by your own ingenuity and skill.[1]  We shall now begin the second task!

"The nature of this task will make it quite impossible for spectators and so the Tournament Committee have arranged for the press to be present.  Members of the press shall abide every instruction given to them and may not interfere in anyway with what will transpire.

"Now.  Follow me."

And then the Ministry official did a most unusual thing.  She turned and entered the girls' lavatory.  And after her, after a bit of hesitation, the entire congregation followed her in and cramped into the small, stone-paved chamber and assembled around a bank of sinks.

1.	The date, time, location and some hints about the Task were revealed in the boxes won from the Acromantula in Task One.

Heinrich's heart was pounding in his chest but he made an effort to appear calm and collected.  It simply would not do for an Obertiel or, for that matter, a Faust to show anything other than nerves of steel.  His head was filled with spells and runes and any manner of other things.  The last Faust to compete in this tourney had done so over two hundred years ago.  He was making history.

Under the left  sleeve of his shirt, tied just above his elbow, was a soft cloth.  He didn't have to use his nose to know that it smelled like her.  Just the thought if it made him smile and that took some of the edge off his nerves.  It was enough to calm the dragons in his stomach and turn them back into butterflies. 

He paid just enough attention to know that Hogwart's would be fielding a substitute.  He had to feel sorry for her.  He'd had weeks to prepare.  she had been given less than a day.  It didn't mean he was going to go easy on her, to give her a better chance of winning.  If anything, it meant that Durmstrang had a better chance of clinching the lead.

He followed the crowd into the bathroom, slipping into one of the stalls to stay out of the way.  It wasn't difficult to step up onto the seat, which gave him a clean view of most of the room.

Figaro had found out about the same time Raine had that Alex wasn't going to be better in time.  He and Alex had actually spent some time preparing and Figaro had spent their entire walk down to the second floor corridor whispering things at her that Alex had figured out for him.  "And we're pretty sure we'll need to deal with some kind of water, so we learned Bubblehead..."

But no amount of cramming was going to be enough for this test and soon the moment was upon them.  Figaro was nervous as hell in this small crowd of important people.  He didn't feel ready and all joking aside, he really really didn't want to shame Hogwarts by totally sucking at his part.  But maybe the Goblet chose him for some special reason.  Maybe the Task involved armpit farts of Quidditch statistics or how to make a better stinkbomb.  He exhaled all in a huff.

He and Alex had anticipated the bathroom.  Ah, Myrtle's bathroom.  He had so many lovely memories in here.  And now he'd apparently have one more.

"So like Tayrn said, we seem be seeking something with a lot of risk," Mace muttered to his partner for the task, Parker, once the cameras were pointed elsewhere as the Champions lulled about. Although, Mace considered Tayrn's story for how she had finally led Salem into the headway with the boxes much more interesting what with illegal trespasses, ghosts, invisible horses, giant spiders and two girls lost in the woods. Given his past experiences on the Hogwarts grounds he half expected to hear about a winged monkey but didn't remark on the absence of one from Tayrn's experience.

Mace was otherwise unworried about the task set before him. A little more thinking work than spider smashing seemed to lie ahead.

"Ah, one final respit. At least they're letting us go before we go." Amd just like the start of any long road trip, Mace approached the nearest stall to make sure his bladder was empty before the time-consuming challenge before them.

When their name were called and the cameras turned their way, Cécile lifted her chin and squared her shoulders proudly. Her expression remained unreadable, however, in an attempt to hide the mounting fear building within her. There were already enough accusations of weakness lobbied towards herself and Beauxbatons, so she needed to maintain a mask of calm strength, not just for herself or her school, but her sister as well. Knowing that Elodie had perhaps more pressure on her young shoulders then herself, Cecile clung close to her in hopes to bring her some peace. Her slender hand slid into Elodies, fingers interlacing, in what she hoped they saw as a representation of the Fontaine sisters unity and strength, not her attempt to seek solace in her sisters presence. The cameras clicked away and Cécile allowed them a small, polite smile that fell the moment they turned away.

<"A bathroom? Seems a bit vulgar."> Cécile murmured softly into her sisters ear, her indiscernible expression faltering for a moment as it was replaced by one of disgust. They had hoped for a cistern or perhaps the dungeons near some old pipes, but not a bathroom. It seemed so undignified for a task that boasted 'Choosing Glory or Fortune', neither of which came to mind when picturing les toilettes. She was sure the elves kept it quite clean but still found herself wishing she had brought a pair of gloves. With her immune system, this task could be the death of her.

When she overheard the Salem champion, the one named Milton, announce his intentions to 'go' before the task, Cécile felt herself become visibly greener. It was bad enough he was going to use the girls toilets to relieve himself, but he was doing it in earshot of at least a dozen people in a room with perfect acoustics, so that every noise was magnified. She didn't know whether to be disgusted or feel sorry for him. This would more than likely be made note of in the news reports.

Oh, cameras! It was the perfect distraction for her trembling soul in front of the task they’ve waited for so long. Élodie smiled brightly and waved like that Muggle misses in that Muggle beauty pageant she saw once, hidden from her mother. When Cécile took her hand, she delicately pulled her closer, slightly bending so they could be beautifully pictured standing side by side, no height difference to be noticed, just two equally victorious sisters facing their fates together. If only it was a beauty pageant for real…

"A bathroom? Seems a bit vulgar."

Oui, that was a great way to bring her completely back to reality. Lola didn’t stop smiling and waving though, charming as a confident girl should be, at anyone who could possibly look at her or take a picture. No matter what, she would keep her head high.

<“Yes, Hogwarts has a lot of places, they should have chosen one better.”> She answered her sister as softly as she murmured at her ear as soon as she could. <“But I’m sure it’s not a normal bathroom, it must has it’s secrets. Don’t you know any?”> Suddenly Lola regretted the fact she had never really got interested in bathrooms. She could have had an insight, searched for Valjean and talked about the architecture of every girl’s lavatory in that school. He should have made some research on that matter for his own interests… in architecture. Sure.

<“What?”> Lola asked curious when Cici got all silent. She looked around at the other champions, but couldn’t really pay attention to them, not now, not without knowing what they were about to face. Depending on that, it should be even better to ignore them all.

"Now that we're all gathered, we take our first step in this Second Task," the Ministry Official declared, referencing note cards.

"I now present, from Salem Witches Institute, Professor Bai Li Lang.  Professor Yang is an expert on magical fauna and has agreed to do us the honor of opening the Chamber of Secrets!"

Grandly, the official stepped to the side and swept and arm towards one of the sinks.

"Long thought to be only a legend, this secret network of tunnels was re-discovered by the great Harry Potter when he was just school boy!  Now they stand as a testament to the host school's long history and how far it's come in the past 400 years, and the most recent decade."

"It is down below, in the Chamber of Secrets, where the Second Task with find illustrious venue!  Behold!"

And she swept her arm again.  It was now time for Professor Yang to open so that the task could continue.

The second task was underway; something Louise had anticipated and dreamt of for a long time.  She should be thrilled and ready to kick some arse.  She was.  One thing messed up the excitement of this event, and she hated herself for letting it get to her.  Her dad, Alan Parker, couldn't make it.  Considering her history of disappointments and no-shows over the years, she wasn't surprised he couldn't get out of his duty for a day.  In retrospect, she knew asking him to come to the tournament was a wasted effort.

Louise knew better than to get her hopes up in the possibility that he might actually take an interest in her life.  Still, it was as if she was that little girl again, watching her dad leave after a few days being back home.  Three days every six months.  It wasn't enough.  It never was.  How had she changed from that pathetic, weepy-eyed girl into this tough and abrasive young woman?  There was no way in hell she was going to some psychiatrist to find that out.  She was upset that her dad couldn't get one day out of doing his job to support her in the tournament.  Who wouldn't be?

Her aunt Florence was there, of course.  She was the only person Louise could depend on with anything and was more of a parent to her than her own father.  Pushing the bitter disappointment away, she put on her game-face and focused on the task ahead.  It was time to kick some arse.

Smiling devilishly to Mace, she awaited the start of the events to come.

"Chamber of Secrets?  My oh my this is getting better and better,"

Heinrich nearly slipped off his perch on top of the toilet.

Chamber of Secrets.  Kammer des Schreckens.  Chambre des Secrets.  He had to admit that it didn't sound quite as mysterious in French.  No matter how he pronounced it, it meant the same thing. 

They were going into the lair of a basilisk.  It had been there since Salazar Slytherin built the chamber.  It had survived all that time in the dark.  It couldn't have been alone.  Harry Potter had used the sword of Goderich Gryffindor to kill it.  All he had was a dagger and a good partner.  He looked over at the boy who would have his back.

"Willst du eine münze werfen, um zu sehen, wer anfängt, Fyetka?"[1] He couldn't keep the grin off his face or the excitement out of his voice.  Now that the waiting was done and the doing was about to happen, Heinrich's butterflies were gone.  He wasn't just ready, he was eager.

This is really happening.  Durmstrang uber alles. [2]

1.	Want to toss a coin to see who goes first, Fyetka?
2.	Durmstrang over all

Intuition, while sometimes useful, was not a very reliable thing.

That fact did not make the ominous feeling in Raine's bones any easier to ignore. Technically, she saw nothing wrong about her being slipped into Alex's shoes for the second task but it certainly didn't seem right... there was a small, insecure notion that she was little more than a replacement. Runner-up. Silver. Shadow Champion.

Only- the Official had already begun leading them (towards the lavatory of all places!) forward and Sellaphix was trying to prep her with two weeks worth of research. So the Gryffindor prefect didn't let her thoughts wander further down that notion. It would not help her with whatever was ahead... no, surprisingly enough it was Figaro who was proving to be more useful to her now than any form of personal intuition.

"Bubblehead," she repeated after him. Good. That one she knew.

When it was revealed that their task would be down in the Chamber of Secrets, several of the other Champions could hardly repress their excitement. Raine simply exchanged a glance with her schoolmate before staring straight ahead, lips set into an indifferent line.

"Right. Of course. We can do this," the muttering was obviously more for herself than Fig. "Not a problem." Salazar Slytherin's underground halls. It was almost treading enemy territory. Trying to draw her focus away from that thought, Raine waited for the Chamber to be opened by their visiting professor.

Minerva McGonagall sighed inwardly as she made her way through the castle. The excitement and tension was near tangible, and Minerva could feel it pulsing in her veins. Truthfully, Minerva was honored and amazed that she had been given an invitation to view the second task of the tournament. She was an avid supporter of the tournament, and had always felt that international magical cooperation was very important and it should start with the youth. Young witches and wizards were more pliable, less set in their ways, and therefore much more likely to put aside ancient differences and get along. She was quite sure that the champions would find reasons to create their own, less antique reasons for their dislike.

Minerva was just as excited as anyone else, though her expression showed only stoic composure. She, who knew the inside of the castle better than most, was stumped as to why they were on the second floor. Surely the task wouldn’t be held inside the school? When the convoy stepped into the girl’s lavatory, Minerva let out an involuntary gasp. She didn’t need the announcer to know that the children would be headed into the Chamber of Secrets.

Hogwarts, the host school, was already at a disadvantage, and Minerva couldn’t help but place a consoling hand on the young Gryffindor’s shoulder. The Chamber had been a reason for fear, and a wary twitch in the back of Minerva’s mind, even after Harry Potter slayed the basilisk. No one knew the immeasurable evil that had been allowed to breed in the confines of the bowels of the castle. She truly hoped that the champions were prepared and fully trained in Defense Against the Dark Arts. Perhaps Hagrid had given the champions some tips; they would surely come in handy in the Chamber.

Minerva felt a surge of pride for the Gryffindor replacement, standing without fear, ready to tackle whatever came her way, even without proper preparation. She squeezed the girl’s shoulder gently and waited for the events to unfurl.

Wordlessly she made her way to the front, a slim, purple-clad figure as heels clacked quietly against tile. Thanks to the crowd that had bottlenecked itself into the room (-which was so jam-packed that some, apparently, had taken refuge in the stalls), the sound was lost in the congestion, but the professor cut through them all easily due to the official’s distinction. Before long she was facing that one, lone sink, her gaze steady on that snake-engraved tap.

After Mr. Potter’s role in the rediscovery of the Chamber of Secrets, the vault had left the realm of rumor and become public knowledge, shadowed only by notoriety. As a result, its existence hadn’t been the only secret confirmed, but the key to its entrance as well—and it was that detail, Bai knew, that saw to her presence in a girls’ restroom in the first place, about to hiss at an inanimate object. There weren’t many others who would volunteer their ability, especially for a small task such as this.

Briefly—and with a small twist of dry amusement—Bai wondered what her life had come to, that she would be the one to reopen the dungeon.

At the official’s signal, she gave a slight nod in reply, faced the sink tap again, and… let the word spill from her mouth, low, sibilant and unwinding.


Slowly, it responded.

There was a faint click of a gear, as if the sound had come from a long way down, like at the bottom of a well. Then, the sound of loosening stone, and the head of the sinks’ column was rising to the ceiling. Meanwhile, the column itself had split into several smaller ones, revealing a wide tunnel surrounded by grill. The sink with the engraved tap sank into the ground, making space for a body to pass through.

She gave the assembled champions a quiet look of satisfaction. “At your leisure,” she said, and stepped aside.

When the Ministry and the Headmaster had approached Myrtle about the Second Task, there had been many tears shed as well as many shrieks of distaste. Assuring her that nothing too serious would befall the students had been no consolation - after all, there hadn't been for her when she died was her logic.

Myrtle had then spent the following days after being livid, stubborn, rude, and plain old grumpy. So it came as a surprise that for the first time in a VERY long time that Moaning Myrtle had taken a vow of silence. Finally, the day came about where she found her lavatory the subject of the Second Task - luckily, Myrtle's anger had mellowed itself out for all.

Upon seeing Figaro enter, she floated to him and gave a muttering of "give 'em hell since you always give it to me, Selly" before floating away to observe the others in the space. Myrtle's nerves, along with the worries, were still very much there but in check.

That is, until the professor from Salem approached the particular sink and spoke in that damned language that had killed her in the first place. A loud squeak erupted from her lips and in an instant, Myrtle found herself hiding behind none other than Minerva. "....I-I hope you don't mind," she whined quietly, terrified that the demon creature that killed her would show up and snatch all these poor people's lives as well.

Safe than sorry, right?

Heinrich had heard of the ghost that haunted this bathroom.  Who hadn't?  She was obviously terrified of the opening chamber but why?  What scared a ghost?  He tried to give her a reassuring smile and a wink.

"Is there an order that we should be entering in?"  Heinrich asked.  "Or is it whoever chooses to enter first does so?"  He didn't want to step on any toes.  He was at the same time eager and reluctant to enter.  The first in would need to worry about traps but would have the chance of finishing soonest.  There were so many variables.  This was why they had been chosen, to sort through all these different possibilities and see themselves through to the other side.  "If there is no specific order, I would like to volunteer to enter first."

It was a bold step, he knew.  Standing in front of the assembled judges, ministry officials, media and other champions, he was showing courage, discipline, restraint and politeness.  For one shining moment, all eyes were on him.  They could turn to gold or ash with equal ease and equal speed. 

Stahl ist von keinerlei nutzen, bis es in den flammen erhitzt und mit einem hammer geschlagen. Es wird jedoch studien aus feuer und eis temperiert. Möge dieser augenblick meine stahl um wahr zu sein.....[1]

1.	Steel is of no use until it is heated in the flames and beaten with a hammer.  It is tempered though trials of fire and ice.  May this moment show my steel to be true.....

The Ministry official nodded in thanks to Professor Yang, who performed her part with solemn grace.  Secretly, Tournament workers had been slipping past a belligerent ghost to make the proper preparations for some weeks now, but this would be the first time that general members of the public would be entering these storied tunnels.

"And now we shall proceed! Everyone! Follow me!"  The Ministry official led the way.  Everyone would have to follow her single-file down a tight, steep passage way.  With nearly 30 people in the small entourage, it was a slow, tedius trek - a test until itself!

---

Finally, the passage way opened into a larger one and shortly after that, the delegations, officials and the press found themselves in a large chamber. 

Everywhere around them, the sound of dripping water.  Before them was the legendary carving of Salazar Slytherin himself. Across the floor ran several canals and shallow ditches and in them flowed cool water.  On either side of great Salazar were two gaping tunnel entrances; four in sum.

When all gathered were settled, the official spoke again.

"Teams will have one hour to reach the end of their tunnel.  If you require rescue, fire off red sparks; but understand that a rescue will be a Task incomplete!  You shall venture in as a pair and work together to achieve your ends.  Each tunnel is different.

"Durmstrang, you choose first."  The official pointed to each dark tunnel in turn. 

"Glory.  Wealth.  Beauty.  Knowledge."

The word GLORY had been carved into the keystone at the top of the tunnel in bold, deep strokes.  The tunnel stretched ahead into the darkness with little to light the way.

BEAUTY is engraved in delicately ornate font above the entrance. The tunnel leads down into the pitch dark where sight is stolen with ease.

The word KNOWLEDGE is humbly carved above the tunnel entrance that plunges downwards. It gets darker and darker in the tunnel that refuses to let light shine...

The keystone above the tunnel entrance has been etched with the word WEALTH, and then leafed in gold.  It's lit from within by soft candlelight...

---

The rules are simple.  Each school will select a tunnel and then when all have chosen, threads for each will be revealed.  Your goal will be to reach the end of your tunnel.  At any time, you can PM a Curator or your tunnel mod to get clarification or a hint. 

We will choose in order of how the schools placed in the first Task.  Durmstrang, Salem, Hogwarts, Beauxbatons.

Let the task begin!