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Cassirin · #1 (**permalink**) 07-27-2004, 04:54 AM

Attention, Champions!

The second task will be starting shortly, and we would like to take this opportunity to brief you on what is about to occur. I regret to inform our spectators that the majority of this task will occur behind closed doors, although your judges will be coming forward to give you a brief recount of what has occurred in each portion of the task.

Basically, your second task is to complete an obstacle course. Each member of the team may choose to respond to every obstacle, but if a team fails to have any representation on a particular obstacle, they will forfeit the rest of the task and their points will be tallied as is. There will be FOUR obstacles, and each obstacle could earn your house a total of 10 points. In all, this task, like the last, is worth FORTY points.

Very soon, all sixteen of you will receive your obstacle by PM from the first judge. Please try to respond quickly, but take your time as the bulk of the points go for creativity and Wizarding knowledge. You will have 24 hours from when the PM is SENT to respond before that obstacles has ended. It isn't 24 hours from when it is received, so don't try any funny business. Once that 24 hour time period has lapsed, you will be receiving the next obstacle in about 24 more hours. We realize this is not a lot of time, but that's why you are on teams and must work together.

Let me go very briefly into how points are awarded. Each obstacle response will be judged on creativity and Wizarding knowledge, with up to five points being awarded for each. All the scores for one obstacle earned by a team, say Ravenclaw, will be averaged. For example, if the 'Claw representatives have two people respond to the first obstacle, and they earn 6 and 8 points, they will receive 7 points as a house. This will continue through all four obstacles, until we have four numbers to add together at the end. This number is the number of points earned for the task.

On a last note, timeliness, while not a factor in the earning of points, can work to your advantage. The first and second person to respond to each obstacle will earn respectively two points and one point to be averaged into their score. That means, in the previous 'Claw example, that the 6 plus 8 divided by 2 scenario becomes 6 plus 8 plus 2 divided by two, giving the house a score of 8 rather than 7. If this is confusing to you, and it probably is based on how I'm having to explain it, just remember that being first is GOOD and go from there.

Good luck, Champions! I look forward to seeing you in action.

Biochemkris · 07-27-2004, 12:55 PM

First Obstacle

Gryffindor: 6.5
Hufflepuff: 6.75
Ravenclaw: 6.75
Slytherin: 7.0

Professor Airlia floats before 16 heavy black doors, one for each champion. She looks mildly concerned and a bit worn, yet cheerful enough for the occasion. “Hello champions. It is my honor to welcome you to the Second Task. Now, I want to remind you that you have 24 hours to complete each obstacle (PM the appropriate professor with your answers when you are finished). There will be four obstacles that you will need to pass, completely on your own. All of the information you need to complete the obstacles are contained within the room in which the obstacle is to be met. Once you step through that door, you will not be able to ask us questions.”

“You may begin,” she said, floating upwards and gesturing down toward the doors.

As the champions dissappeared, Professor Airlia slipped through the walls to oversee their progress. She reemerged several hours later to announce the results of the obstacle.

Quote:

Originally posted by Second Task: Obstacle 1
You open your ominous looking door and arrive in a room, like any other in the castle.  However, as you walk further into the room, the floor seems to become unstable and you just manage to get back on solid ground as a chunk of the floor disappears.  That is when you turn to see the table placed against the wall adjacent to the door.  Upon the table there is a cauldron with water, scales, mortar and pestle, all the instruments you’d need for potion making and jars filled with the following ingredients:

* dandelions, whole
* cat’s eye marble
* brains in clear liquid
* ginger, whole
* white rabbit, various parts in jars
* runespoor, various parts in jars
* sheep cheese
* knarfle, various parts in jars
* boomslang, various parts in jars
* anaconda, various parts in jars
* frogs, whole
* caterpillars, whole
* cat, head, preserved
* Dr. Pepper, canned
* knarfle, various parts in jars
* flobberworms, whole
* rosemary, dried

There is also a piece of parchment with the following words, written in green ink:

<span style='color:green'>In order to get to the door on the opposite side of the room you shall need to brew a potion.  This potion is to be spread across the floor and will indicate the safe path across.  Should the section of floor you are standing on disappear, do not panic, we have set up a safety net below, for your protection.  Don’t worry if you fall, you will be scored for your attempt and you will still be able to move on to the next obstacle.  (ooc: I will tell you whether or not you’ve made it across, you may only go so far as spreading the potion on the floor)

1. Add 2 pinches of the animal that wiggles and squirms/ But isn't a snake and isn't a worm.

2. Epidermis of a serpent from an African tree/ Take 20 scales and add carefully.

3. Next in the cauldron (and be sure not to splatter)/ Eight grams of amphibious gray matter

4. Not parsley nor sage, though still found ‘neath the soil/ Dice 22 grams and add at a boil

5. Of feline orbs that know truth and light/ Take two and hope it clears your sight

6. Now spread the brew upon the floor and off you go toward the door.

"The champions have done well. UmbraAstralis, however, was the only champion to make it across the dissappearing floor, having perfectly brewed the potion to reveal the safe way across. However, the other champions all did a marvelous job and will be moving on to the next obstacle. This was a really close race, points wise, and I look forward to seeing how they fair in the next trial.

"Speaking of which, the next trial will take place shortly (to be PMed to the champions by the next judge). Keep your eye posted on this announcement board for details." </span>

Cassirin · 07-31-2004, 01:58 AM

Second Obstacle

As you exit the room with the precarious floor, you enter a much smaller room with a door on the opposite wall. The only object in this room is a large trunk that shudders occasionally. It obviously contains a boggart. The only thing keeping it closed is the large, ugly mountain troll sitting on the lid. He looks bored, but perks up and begins to swing his club at the sight of you entering the room. The door across from you is your only escape.

Gryffindor:7.5
Hufflepuff:7
Ravenclaw:9
Slytherin:8

"Nice work to all the champions! All four houses will be moving forward to the third obstacle. In particular, the creativity and mastery shown in choosing spells was quite specatular. I'd like to applaud those who thought to pit the boggart and the troll against one another, although the troll that was devoured left quite a mess *Ahem... Lotus*. I'd like to remind you all that creativity counts for HALF of your points, so those of you who did something outside of what we've already witnessed in Harry Potter's epic battles probably earned more creativity points."

"Congratulations, and good luck with the next obstacle. Stay posted here for details.

Sir_Spots · 08-03-2004, 03:47 AM

Third Obsticle

After leaving the remains of the Boggart and the Troll in the room, the Champions are now escorted to the Gryffindor Common Room with special permission, for the non-Gryffindor students, where they meet the Gryffindor House Ghost......

Theodore floats from his corner of the Gryffindor Common room quite dejected as he addresses the Champions. “As each of you will have noticed, I have lost my favored companion.” Spots holds up his now empty hand where, since the day he died due to a lightning strike, the ghostly Golden Snitch had remained clutched in his grasp. “My Snitch, it appears has left me and is hiding amongst the school’s, hallways, classrooms or grounds.”

Theodore points to a piece of parchment tacked to the wall near the portrait of the Quidditch Cup he helped win. “This riddle shall help you in locating where he has gone. Please attempt to solve it and bring him back to me, you shall have 24 hours from now to return him. Good Luck"

The riddle has been sent by owl to each of the Champions to solve. I will announce the results after 24 hours.

Sir_Spots · 08-04-2004, 03:00 PM

Theodore smiles broadly at all of the House Champions who succesfully returned his wayward Golden Snitch to him unharmed.

"You have all done well, and as a result of your hard work and creativity in the use of your spells and, in most cases, your excellent flying skills on your brooms, all of the House Champions will proceed to the next challenge." He raises his hands and making a motion towards a chart that magically appears next to him, "these are the scores for my challenge, congratulations to all of you."

Gryffindor: 8.0
Hufflepuff: 7.0
Ravenclaw: 8.0
Slytherin: 8.5

Theodore continued, "for those students who are interested in the riddle these champions had to solve I will reveal it now for you," and with a wave of his hand
another chart appeared with the following words......

First, it’s the question you ask when you don’t know their name
Not the why, where or how, but it’s close just the same

Next, tell me what always ends in the grim
It’s contained in a memory, and the last thing to trim

Add the sound the ball makes in a table-top match
And you’re halfway to finding the Snitch and a catch

What’s the paper you write when you’re dying, for good measure
To decree all your riches for your children to treasure

It’s the place that you look neither ground or the sky
It’s quite similar to down and the opposite of high

Now string them together to come face to face
With the location of my Snitch’s hiding place

Once you locate the hiding place he’s run off to
A spell will be needed to return him to you
Take good aim and be careful, he’s quite delicate you see
Good luck with this task as you bring him to me.

Mad Eye Touz · 08-07-2004, 09:10 PM

Now that you have completed the third obstacle, you are escorted to the front steps of the castle to begin your final obstacle of Task Four. Professor Lainey is there awaiting your arrival, worry clearly written on her face as she peered out over the lake. She gave the Champions their Obstacle and set them off.

Gryffindor: 7.0
Hufflepuff: 7.0
Ravenclaw: 9.0
Slytherin: 9.0

Professor Lainey sighed in relief as all the Champions returned safely from the Lake. The Obstacle the Champions were asked to complete went like this:

Quote:

Now that you have completed the third obstacle, you are escorted to the front steps of the castle to begin you final obstacle of Task Four. Professor Lainey is there awaiting your arrival, worry clearly written on her face as she peered out over the lake.

Professor Lainey floated just in front of each of the Champions and peered down at them all, then addressing them concernedly she said, “I believe each of you is familiar with our large creature that resides in our lake, The Giant Squid. It has fallen ill and needs immediate attention. The other Professor’s and myself has reason to believe that it was fed some sort of large stone. Your obstacle is to remove the stone, or whatever it is the squid digested, without inflicting any harm on The Giant Squid. But be warned, although The Giant Squid has indeed always been friendly to the students of Hogwarts, it has fallen into a horrible mood and should be approached cautiously.  Remember you have only 24 hours. You may begin.” And Professor Lainey watched as they all stalked off in the direction of the Lake.

I have to admit that I was highly impressed with all the ideas and attempts to help save our beloved Giant Squid. I assure you that he will be forever grateful to each of you and is doing quite well. All of you guys really let your creativity shine. Just to mention a few examples, I must recognize the use of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, a Muggle water gun, and the Weasley Twin's Skiving Snack boxes to help the dear Giant Squid. Good Work!

Congratulations Champions! You have finished the Second Task!

Cassirin · 08-11-2004, 06:34 AM

Final Scores:

1st place: Ravenclaw with 32.75 points
2nd place: Slytherin with 32.5 points
3rd place: Gryffindor with 29 points
4th place: Hufflepuff with 27.75 points

Congrats to all four teams who made it through the entire course. You showed a lot of ingenuity and skill, as well as an extensive knowledge of spells and Wizarding ways. Ravenclaw squeaked into first by just a hair, showing how excellent the competition really was!

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