LAURA WAS skeptical when she walked up to Care of Magical Creatures.

Hagrid was back again, though some weren't the happiest about it: Laura was ecstatic. The thing she was skeptical about was the sight of crates... Surely not another Skrewt hatching?

Laura cautiously walked up, curious as to what they were.

When she looked in, a giant grin formed on her face. She found herself looking at several furry black creatures with long snouts. Their front paws were curiously flat, like spades. Laura laughed a bit, looking at their politely puzzled looks, watching as they blinked at her.

They were nifflers, Laura's favorite creatures.

"These're nifflers," Hagrid said as their class started. "Yeh find 'em down mines mostly. They like sparkly stuff... There yeh go, look."

Then, one of the nifflers suddenly leaped up and attempted to bite Pansy's watch off of her wrist. She immediately shrieked and jumped backward.

"Are you alright, Pansy?" Laura asked, stifling a laugh.

"It could've been worse," Pansy sighed, her face red from embarrassment as she took her watch off.

"Useful little treasure detectors," Hagrid said happily. "Thought we'd have some fun with 'em today. See over there?" He pointed at a large patch of freshly turned earth. "I've buried some gold coins. I've got a prize fer whoever picks the niffler that digs up the most. Jus' take off all yer valuables, an' choose a niffler, an get ready ter set 'em loose."

Laura took off her watch, necklace, and Draco's ring, storing them in her bag. She then picked up a niffler with a big grin. It put its long snout in Laura's ear and sniffed enthusiastically, causing Laura to laugh.

She had always been fascinated with nifflers. So much so that, as a kid, she wanted a pet niffler. However, and for good reason, her parents always said no to her wishes.

"Hang on," Hagrid said, looking into the crate, "there's a spare niffler here... who's missin'? Where's Hermione?"

"She had to go to the hospital wing," Ron said.

The class was watching, causing Harry to mutter something to Hagrid as everyone returned to watching their nifflers.

Laura was having a blast. The nifflers dived in and out of the patch of earth as though it were water, then scurried back to the student who had released them, spitting gold into their hands.

Laura loved her niffler as it dropped coins into her hands.

"Oh, Draco, don't you love nifflers," Laura grinned, hugging the niffler as she looked over at Draco.

Draco's experience was not as ethereal as Larua's. His niffler was trying to snag one of Draco's rings. Draco panicked.

"Yes- but I don't," he said quickly, "can you give me a hand and help me out with this rascal."

Laura grinned, gently picking up his niffler as Draco cleaned himself up a bit, then putting his hand out to take the niffler back.

"He's mine now," Laura shrugged, turning away. "You wouldn't take this away from me, would you?"

"I would," Draco said, snagging the niffler back. "I know you love them, but we're still being graded for this."

"I know, but I just love them," Laura said with a big grin. Laura watched his expression soften, but he turned away, letting his niffler go again.

Laura laughed, letting her niffler go as well. However, it didn't go over to the turned-up land; instead, it trotted over to Draco, attempting to get into his pockets.

"Laura!" Draco yelped once he realized her niffler was trying to climb up his leg. "Get this thing off of me!"

Laura bit back a laugh, walking over to him.

"I've got you, Blondie," she hummed, gently picking up the niffler.

She then carefully lifted the niffler up so it could get into Draco's pocket. It quickly grabbed his jewelry, and Laura started booking it.

"You are so amazing," she said to the niffler. She glanced back to see Draco's expression.

"Laura Piper Potter!" he yelled, taking off after her. "Give me back my stuff!"

"You can't tackle me, I have a cute creature in my arms!" Laura yelled back.

As Draco started catching up to her, she turned back, running and hiding behind Blaise. Blaise chuckled as Draco caught up. He had a less-than-pleased look on his face.

"Blaise, move," Draco breathed, trying to catch his breath.

"Sorry, mate, I'm quite content standing here," Blaise shrugged, causing Draco to roll his eyes.

"Laura, just give me back my things," Draco said as Laura poked her head out from behind Blaise.

"I'm keeping them safe," Laura said innocently. She lifted the niffler, putting it next to her face. "You can't be mad at this, can you?"

Laura watched Draco's demeanor fall slightly, but he shook his head.

"Laura, give me my stuff," he put his hand out, "you do know I'm going to get it at some point. It would be easier now than later."

"Should I do it?" Laura asked Blaise.

"Nah, I don't think he needs them," Blaise grinned. He sneakily opened his hand, taking the jewelry from Laura as Draco narrowed his eyes.

"Potter, just hand them back."

Draco walked over to Laura, but she shielded herself with the niffler, looking at Draco from the side as the niffler cheerfully sniffed for more things.

He gently took the niffler from her, placing it on the ground to go find more coins. He then put his hands on her shoulders, keeping her in front of him.

"Hey, you know I love you, but I want my rings and watch back," he said, looking her in the eyes.

"You would do well in theatrics," Laura said, steering the conversation wayward. "This is pretty dramatic for jewelry; you know I'll give back to you at some point."

"Laura, please," Draco squeezed her shoulders lightly.

"I don't have them," Laura shrugged. She showed him her empty pockets.

Their nifflers trotted back over. Laura crouched down, taking the coins from her niffler.

"Thank you," she said, giving the niffler scratches, to which, it was very reactive too, then going back to find even more coins.

"Well, let's check how yeh've done!" Hagrid said, letting their nifflers finish up their finding. "Count yer coins! An' there's no point tryin' ter steal any, Goyle," he added, narrowing his eyes. "It's leprechaun gold. Vanishes after a few hours."

Laura glanced over to see Goyle empty out his pockets, looking miserable. It turned out that Ron's niffler found the most gold. Laura didn't mind, as she did spend most of the time being chased by Draco.

"Blaise has your stuff," Laura whispered in Draco's ear before quickly leaving to return to the castle for her next class.

🪐➶.✧༄

It was now the start of the summer term. Laura was sitting thinking about how she should have been training for the last match of the Quidditch season. However, this year, she was training for the third task. A task she was still clueless about.

That was until the last week of May when Snape held her back in Potions. At first, Laura was nervous that she would get detention, as she had made a comment Snape didn't take kindly to during class.

"You are to go down to the Quidditch field tonight at nine o'clock, Laura," he told her. "Mr. Bagman will be there to tell the champions about the third task."

Laura let out a breath of relief, nodding.

"Thank you," she nodded, leaving the classroom.

At about half past eight that night, Laura started to leave the Quidditch field. As she crossed the Entrance Hall, Cedric Diggory walked over to her, coming from the Hufflepuff Common Room.

"What d'you reckon it's going to be?" he asked Laura as they walked down the stone steps into the cloudy night. "Fleur keeps going on about underground tunnels; she reckons we've got to go find treasure."

"That wouldn't be too bad," Laura shrugged. "Especially if I could use a niffler," she added under her breath.

"What was that?" Cedric asked, looking over to her.

"Oh, I was just saying that a niffler would be great in that situation," she smiled.

"You like nifflers, eh?" he asked, giving her a friendly smile.

"I love nifflers," Laura grinned. "If I could have a pet niffler, I would. Hagrid let us watch them find gold in class not too long ago, and it was probably the best day of my life."

"Well, if you ever get a niffler, tell me how it turns out," Cedric chuckled, "nifflers would definitely tear up everything."

"That's why my parents told me I couldn't have one," Laura laughed.

The two kept talking and walking as they walked to the pitch. When they got close enough to see it, Laura and Cedric's eyes widened, stopping dead in their tracks.

"What've they done to it?" Cedric said.

"I have no clue," Laura replied, "but they ruined it."

"Hello there!" called a cheery voice. Laura groaned, looking over to see it was Bagman.

Laura and Cedric had to climb over the many hedges to get where Bagman was. He was standing with Fleur and Viktor. Fleur beamed and waved to Laura and Cedric. Fleur had been much more kind and talkative to Laura since she had saved her sister.

"Well, what d'you think?" Bagman said happily as Laura and Cedric climbed over the last hedge. "Growing nicely, aren't they? Give them a month, and Hagrid will have them twenty feet high."

Laura and Cedric shared a less-than-happy look, causing Bagman to continue with what he was saying, seeing this.

"Don't worry, you'll have your Quidditch field back to normal once the task is over!" he said, but Laura was still skeptical. "Now, I imagine you can guess what we're making here?"

The four of them were silent when-

"Maze," Viktor grunted.

"That's right!" Bagman said. "A maze. The third task is really very straightforward. The Triwizard Cup will be placed in the center of the maze. The first champion to touch it will receive full marks."

"We simply have to get through the maze?" Fleur asked.

"There will be obstacles," Bagman said happily, bouncing on the balls of his feet. "Hagrid is providing several creatures... then there will be spells that must be broken... all that sort of thing, you know."

Laura was unsure how much she wanted to deal with these things. Not only to first compete against her will but now to have to do a silly maze full of things that wanted to kill her.

"Now, the champions leading on points will get a head start into the maze," Bagman continued, grinning at Laura and Cedric. "Then Mr. Krum will enter... then Miss Delacour. But you'll all be in with a fighting chance, depending on how well you get past the obstacles. Should be fun, eh?"

None of them said anything, trying to swallow what they had just been told.

"Very well... if you haven't got any questions, we'll go back up to the castle, shall we? It's a bit chilly..."

As Laura began to make her way out of the growing hedges, Bagman started to walk by her. Laura had a feeling that Bagman would start offering to help her again, but just then, Viktor tapped Laura on the shoulder.

"Could I have a word?"

"Oh, yeah, of course," Laura nodded.

"Will you walk with me?"

"Okay," Laura shrugged.

Bagman looked slightly perturbed.

"I'll wait for you, Laura, shall I?"

"I'm okay, Mr. Bagman," Laura said, suppressing a smile. "I think I can manage to get to the castle myself."

Bagman hesitated but kept going back to the castle as Laura and Viktor left the stadium together. However, Viktor didn't set a course for the Durmstrang ship. Instead, he started walking to the forest.

"Why are we going so far?" Laura hummed as they passed Hagrid's cabin and the illuminated Beauxbatons carriage.

Her hand was on her wand in her pocket, just in case anything happened. It wasn't that she thought anything would happen, but she could never be too cautious.

"Don't want to be overheard," he said shortly.

At last, when they reached a quiet stretch of ground a short way from the Beauxbatons horses' padlock, Viktor stopped in the shade of the trees and turned to face Laura.

"I want to know," he said finally, glowering. "What there is between your cousin and Hermy-own-ninny."

"Nothing," Laura shrugged.

However, it was apparent that Viktor was not happy with that response. He glowered down at her, and Laura only then noticed how tall and intimidating he was. He was by far taller than Draco.

"I don't talk to Harry a lot, especially lately," Laura said, explaining things, "but I do know he doesn't like Hermione in that way. It's all just Skeeter. She's so stupid, I wouldn't believe what she says. None of it is true."

"Hermy-own-ninny talks about him very often," Viktor said, looking suspiciously at Laura.

"Because they're friends?" Laura said. At that point, she wasn't sure what to say.

It was unbelievable that she was having this conversation with Viktor Krum, the famous International Quidditch player. It was strange having someone she had admired and seen playing on her TV now talking to her and competing with her.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

"Yeah, I think they've been friends since their first year?"

Viktor looked slightly happier. He stared at Laura for a few seconds, then said, "You fly very well. I was watching the first task."

"Aww, thank you," Laura grinned broadly, suddenly feeling taller. "I was going to go see you at the Quidditch World Cup, but I heard that the Wronski Feint, you really-"

But something moved behind Viktor in the trees, and Laura, who had some experience with the sort of thing, quickly pulled her wand out.

"What is it?"

Laura shook her head, staring at where she had seen the movement. Viktor took his wand out as well. The two of them were at the ready.

Then, suddenly, a man staggered out from behind a tall oak. For a moment, Laura didn't recognize him... then she realized who it was.

"Mr. Crouch?"