Bagman left the Quidditch Pitch with them, but he didn't head for Hogwarts Castle—instead, he deliberately slowed his pace to walk with Karkaroff at the end of the group.
"I really don't understand why we have to wait until evening to start the preparations. Haven't they considered the weather?"
"Yeah, you're absolutely right." Karkaroff put on a concerned look. "Well, care for a drink? I have some aged gin back on my ship; should warm you right up."
"Durmstrang gin…" Bagman looked tempted, but then shook his head. "Forget it, Igor—I still need to supervise the maze construction soon… Besides, Chris and Barty are there too, you know what they're like. They both work seriously, probably wouldn't appreciate me drinking at a time like this…"
"I think you're making a fuss over nothing." Karkaroff said dismissively. "Just a small glass—they won't even notice."
"Better not." Bagman gave a quick, meaningful glance at Kael up ahead. "But there's something I want to discuss with you… regarding the number of seats reserved on Durmstrang's side for the stands—any other requests?"
"Of course there are." Karkaroff replied instantly. "This tournament is quite a rare opportunity, and we have quite a few professors and distinguished alumni who want to come see Viktor win the championship. I request twenty more seats in the first three rows."
"That's probably a bit much. Ten seats at most…"
"That's not enough at all—at least fifteen…"
"You know this really puts me in a tough spot. Let's talk over here."
They gradually drifted away from the group, heading toward the Black Lake.
Meanwhile, Kael had reached the stone steps in front of the castle.
He looked at Fleur and asked, "Are you heading back to your dorm?"
"No, I'll be sleeping in the carriage these days."
She glanced back. "Besides, I have to wait here for Ms.Maxime. If Durmstrang gets more seats on the stands, we'll need to make the same request… It's strange, though. Why hasn't she come back yet?"
"I see. Alright, then." said Kael.
Then he went up the steps by himself and returned to the castle.
It was already half past nine, officially curfew. There was no one in the castle, and the silence was eerie.
Normally, at this hour, Filch's footsteps could always be heard echoing in the castle, but lately, the caretaker seemed to have lost interest in his rounds. He spent most of his days holed up in his cramped office with Mrs Norris.
"Fred, George, are you heading back to Gryffindor common room?" Kael called out.
But there was no reply—the quiet lingered undisturbed around him.
"Cedric?" Kael tried again, but still no one answered.
He figured they must still be out and hadn't come back yet.
Kael originally wanted to wait for them, but after standing for five cold minutes in the chilly entrance hall, he turned around and went back to the common room.
Standing alone in the entrance hall after curfew just felt a little too stupid.
The common room was busy. As soon as Kael came in, everyone looked up, almost as if they'd all planned it.
"What's the third task? Is it a treasure hunt?"
"Nonsense, I bet it's a duel."
"Agreed! Only the strongest can be champion."
Everyone started tossing out their guesses about the third task.
"Nope." Kael shook his head.
On the way back, Chris had reminded him to keep a little mystery, so Kael didn't give too much away. All he said was the task would be spectacular.
By ten o'clock, when it was clear he wouldn't spill any more, the crowd lost interest and trickled off to their dorms. Soon, only a handful were left in the common room.
At that moment, the wooden door in the wall suddenly swung open. A second later, three people appeared right in front of Kael out of nowhere.
Apart from Cedric, Fred and George were there too. They hadn't gone back to the Gryffindor common room, but tagged along and came here instead.
"You'll never guess what we just heard."
Before the door had even closed, Fred couldn't hold back anymore. He looked so angry, his ears were bright red.
"We were a little curious and wanted to eavesdrop on what Ludo Bagman and Karkaroff were talking about."
George explained furiously, "But we didn't expect them to be discussing the third task!"
"That Ludo Bagman—who would've thought he'd help Durmstrang cheat against Hogwarts? I used to think he was the best Beater ever."
"Once we're back, I say we tear his poster off the wall and toss it in the fireplace!"
"How can a judge help a Champion cheat? That's a serious violation of the Triwizard Tournament's rules!" Even Cedric was fuming.
He'd only followed Fred and George to make sure they didn't get caught, but hadn't expected them to stumble onto such a huge secret.
"Wait…" Kael frowned, "You're sure you overheard him revealing details about the task?"
"Heard it loud and clear." George said. "They probably thought no one was nearby, so they made no effort to hide it."
"No way—we have to tell the Headmaster!"
Fred was furious and stormed toward the door, but Cedric stopped him.
"It's no use. We don't have any direct evidence—they'll never admit it." Cedric sighed.
"So we just let them get away with it?" George punched the table. "Such blatant cheating."
"What exactly did they say?" Kael, who'd been quiet, asked suddenly. "Did they mention the exact route through the maze?"
"Well… not really." Cedric thought for a second, then shook his head. "Karkaroff did ask, but since the maze isn't finished yet, Bagman said he wasn't sure which path led to the trophy."
"No, they did say something useful." Fred interjected. "Bagman said wherever there's a Sphinx Beast and a Manticore, that's the right way—just keep heading in that direction… That's basically as good as telling him the right route, isn't it?"
"Hey, guys." George suddenly slapped the table. "I actually agree with Cedric—we probably shouldn't tell Dumbledore what happened tonight."
"What? You—" Fred started, but George cut him off.
"We were too mad just now to see the most important point," George said with meaning. "Remember? It's Kael who enters the maze first."
With that reminder, Fred instantly understood. His look of anger turned to excitement.
"Damn, how did I forget that?" he whispered. "Bagman told Karkaroff about the third task, but we overheard it—so that means Kael knows now too."
"Exactly." said George. "And Kael will enter the maze before Krum. By the time Krum finds the Sphinx Beast, Kael might already be at the cup…"
"Krum's face is going to be priceless…"
"Same with Karkaroff…"