In a classroom at Hogwarts, a debriefing was underway, and the atmosphere was frighteningly oppressive.
The air was filled with the fishy smell of lake water, the scent of scorched vegetation, and even a sickly-sweet hint of strawberry. It was indescribably foul.
Cedric and Cho Chang came in first.
Although they had used Scourgify on themselves, their faces still bore the stiff expressions left by public humiliation.
They instinctively sat at opposite ends of the classroom, several desks between them, neither looking at the other.
Next, Harry and Ernie Macmillan limped in.
Their wizarding robes were covered in grass stains and mud. Ernie was still scratching futilely at his back, and Harry's hair was even messier than usual.
Ron and Ginny followed them. They had still looked rather smug about successfully trapping Filch, but the moment they entered the classroom and felt the oppressive atmosphere, their smiles froze.
Pheobe and Krum arrived last.
They looked as though they had just climbed out of an icy sea. Their expensive school uniforms clung wetly to their bodies, giving off a chill and a fishy smell.
Pheobe's beautiful face was icy, while Krum stood silently in the doorway, his entire bearing warning strangers to keep away.
Hermione had arrived long before.
She stood alone before the enormous blackboard, her back to everyone.
The infiltration plan she had drawn herself was still on the board.
Every arrow and mark now seemed to mock her.
"Report."
Hermione finally spoke, her voice so flat that no emotion could be heard.
"Group A."
Cedric cleared his throat, his voice a little dry.
"We bypassed three traps, but encountered a kind of sound-and-light magic among the rocks. We were... stuck in a lot of bubbles."
He struggled through the description. Beside him, Cho Chang buried her face even