Suddenly, shadows embraced the racers. Evelyn squinted, continued for a few steps as her eyes adjusted. This was probably just a little obstacle where they had to navigate the dark, and avoid a pool of water or something. "Nonno, Nonna!" Evelyn screamed in Italian, spotting her grandparents' unconscious bodies a few feet ahead in the darkness. At least, the figures looked a heck of a lot like her guardians. Scrambling forward on her hands, Eve couldn't care less if Karah still had a grip on her legs; she had to get to them. Pulling her wand frantically from her pocket, she cast a quick "Lumos," and that's when she saw it. A figure was advancing, a black bandana obscuring their face. Or was it a balaclava? Whether this was a simple obstacle or a genuine threat didn't matter, she was simply determined to beat it. No one could hurt Stefano and Roberta, not again. Hand-stepping over their bodies to block them from harm, Evelyn began casting spells. "Stupefy!" The man was stepping closer, having dodged that attack as he sent his own back. "Protego!" Evelyn blocked the green blast, supporting herself on one forearm, the other arm holding her bloodwood wand outright. But these futile efforts weren't working, he was heading straight for them. She glanced all around, trying to spot some sort of object or solution in the darkness. There was nothing. Eve would have to rely solely on her limited first year knowledge to ward off this evil. A difficult concept, but one the Gryffindor didn't let faze her.
"Locomotor Mortis," she tried, her voice less strong than she would have liked. The figure collapsed, and she quickly followed up with "Expelliarmus!", leaving him incapable of movement or retaliation. She breathed tiredly, a headache impending from this continued wheelbarrow position. Evelyn looked down, her grandparents were still lifeless. Were they dead? They couldn't be. Maybe they were petrified or something? Pointing her wand downwards to where Stefano and Roberta were protected under her arms, Eve whispered "Finite," sighing with relief as their eyes fluttered open, alive. As the darkness cleared, her grandparents disappeared, as did the threat. The obstacle had been disturbing, and the young girl took a few seconds to breathe as she lay with her forearms in the dirt, her ankles still in Karah's grasp. Eve hoped her partner hadn't been hindered by her pursuit of her grandparents, but of course she did not know what the older girl had seen. To each of them, the other was only in darkness. She shoved her wand back into the pocket of her shorts, and regained her position on her palms. "Well, shall we get a move on, then?" she laughed, her voice a little tired from fright.