Several days later, right before lights out on the Durmstrang ship, Karkaroff came to Viktor with important information.

"The first task you shall face is dragons," he told the seeker.

"But I vos sure ve vere not to know?"

"It never hurts to have the upper hand."

When Nikolina heard what her friend was to face, she panicked.

"A dragon?!"

"Yes, it vill be fine, I vill be prepared. I vill go to the library."

"The I vill come vith you to help."

They spent many hours in the library searching for ways to beat a dragon. Viktor was reading the books while Nikolina looked for more. Once when she returned, she discovered her friend to be staring at a Hogwarts girl who was aiding another champion.

He seemed completely enthralled by her and Nikolina felt her heart in her throat. She told herself it was just because the girl was decent looking.

The task was there sooner than either of them liked. They had not figured out a proper strategy so Nikolina snuck into the champions' tent to try to talk to him.

When she saw the girl Viktor had been staring at hugging the younger champion, she thought, Good, she's already with someone.

"Do you have a plan yet?

"I vill use a confundus charm. It vill work."

"As long as you are sure. I do not vont you to be hurt."

"Oh, my Lina, I promise I vill be fine." He gave her a quick hug and pressed his lips to the back of her hand before letting her leave.

As she watched Viktor fight the dragon, she was terrified that he was going to be hurt. He had several close calls with the dragon's sharp claws, but his confundus charm finally took effect and the beast was no longer sure of what it was doing.

While Viktor grabbed the golden egg, the mother dragon trampled some of her real eggs in the process of attempting to stop the thief.

Viktor was rushed back into the champions' tent to have the scratches he had obtained attended to.

Nikolina did not wait to watch Harry Potter's turn; instead she darted out of the stands and went to check on her friend.

"Viktor!" She exclaimed, taking a seat beside him. "Are you vell?"

"I am fine, my Lina," he assured her.

"Ven do you plan to hear the clue?"

"Tonight ve vill listen together."

Later that day, Viktor was being lectured by Karkaroff about his performance, so Nikolina took a walk around the ground. Eventually working her way inside the castle, she became hopelessly lost.

Soon, she believed she was seeing double as two identical people walked her way. They were laughing and carrying on and just over all did not notice her.

"If it vould not be a trouble," she began, catching their attention. "Vould you be villing to direct me back to the entrance?"

"Are you a Durmstrang girl?" One of them asked kind of slack jawed.

"Yes," she replied.

"I didn't know Durmstrang had girls."

"Pardon my brother," the other boy said, a grin on his face as his brother turned a bright red. "I'm Fred Weasley and he's my twin George."

"I am Nikolina Tedora and you vill need you to show me out soon or Karkaroff vill not be pleased. I am supposed to help my Viktor with his clue tonight."

"Oh, sorry, of course," Fred replied.

As they walked, George was silent but Nikolina had suspicions that Fred's questions came from George.

"You called Krum "my Viktor." Are you two close?"

"We haff been the best of friends for a very long time."

"Are you two... together?"

Nikolina hesitated before replying.

"No, ve are just friends."

There was silence once again before Nikolina asked a question of her own.

"Who vas the girl that vas helping your champion? The young one?"

"Her name is Hermione Granger, why?

"I vos just curious."

When they reached the entrance hall, Viktor was just entering the castle.

"My Lina! Karkaroff said you may have gotten lost," he exclaimed. He looped an arm with hers and despite the fact that they were walking away and so was his brother, George stared after the Durmstrang girl for several moments.

"Earth to George!" Fred exclaimed,  shaking his brother.

"Sorry," George replied sheepishly. "Do you think they really aren't together?"

"They seem like they're together, mate."