Harry knew something was wrong. The maze was closing in on him like a tragic memory, and he nudged Cedric ahead even as the older boy did the same. He could smell the danger in the crisp air and he swallowed thickly.
The sight of the gold cup twinkled cheerfully before them, mimicking the headmaster's kind eyes. Cedric put his hands on his knees as he struggled to catch his breath.
"You should get it," he panted. "You deserve to win."
Cedric's nobleness warmed Harry's heart, but that drumming in the corner of his mind was still there, sending sharp and violent pains through his scar. A simple migraine brought on by the stress or something more sinister? He raised his wand and pointed it at the sky.
Taking Cedric's hand to prove that he would not cheat, they touched the cup together. Neither boy had time to absorb their surroundings because just then a bright green spell hurled towards them both.
A single thought echoed in Harry's weary fourteen-year-old mind as he darted in front of Cedric. Am I going to die tonight?
Hermione spotted the sparks before anyone else and did a quick calculation. Fleur was already out, sitting trembling next to Madam Maxine and weeping softly as her sister murmured soothing words. Victor was far too prideful to give up, even if he would perish.
She did not know much about Cedric, but the ache in the pit of her stomach told her something was wrong with Harry. And she had a pain in her left elbow. She always had pain in her left elbow when one of her friends was in trouble.
Snape, who was sitting a few seats away, seemed to have come to the same conclusion. Concern was etched into his features for a brief moment but it was quickly concealed by a sneer.
"I will handle this matter," he said, and stepped forward to open the maze.
As soon as the hedge parted, Hermione darted in, ignoring her potion professor's loud snarls at her. She ran as fast as she ever had, and the maze seemed to open for her, nudging her in the right direction whenever she made a wrong turn. She could hear rapid footsteps from behind her, no doubt Snape pursuing his student.
She was a little surprised that he hadn't used any sort of leg-locking curse to stop her but decided that he was more concerned with the matter at hand. Turning a corner, she saw the place where the cup should be, but it was simply an empty pedestal. She skidded to a halt.
"Damn it all," Severus cursed, though whether he was swearing at her or the lack of cup and champions she did not know. Probably both.
Hermione glanced around, and noticed a small bit of gold on the ground, seemingly a little bit of the cup that had chipped off. Reaching forward, she touched it. A hand fell on her ankle, and she spun and landed flat on her face in the dirt.
Sputtering, she sat up and spat out the grass in her mouth. She looked around and spotted Cedric bent over a body on the ground, weeping softly. He looked awful; like he could barely keep his head up, and that beautiful face of his was stained with blood.
He shifted at the sight of them, and Hermione caught a glimpse of glasses on the ground, broken beyond repair.
No.
"No," she breathed. "No!" Scrambling forward, she shoved Cedric away with uncaring hands and stared down into the empty eyes of her best friend.
"Harry, please wake up," she whispered, shaking him violently. He did not respond.
All logic going from her mind in the moment of grief, the young witch slapped him hard.
"Miss Granger, stop." Surprisingly gentle hands pulled her away, and she let out a grief-stricken scream and clawed at them viciously.
"Let me go, I need to save Harry!" She screeched. "Damn you, let go of me this instant!"
Her head was pulled around and she met eyes with Snape. His face was stony, completely untouched by distress.
"Your friend is dead," said Severus firmly. "Nothing you can do will save him now. Let Potter be."
The tears came then, in great sloppy rivers down her cheeks. She let out a strangled sob and put her hands over her eyes to hide the sight of Harry. Still holding her, Snape reached over and grabbed Cedric's arm, which was wrapped protectively around Harry.
"Touch the cup," Snape instructed, and the Hufflepuff did so weakly.
There were applause at first, but they soon died down and the screaming started. The loud pop of cameras filled Hermione's ears. She was surprised when Severus tucked her face against his chest, shielding her from flashes.
"Harry," someone gasped.
The voice was Dumbledore's, and it was filled with so much pain that Hermione gasped and began crying with renewed gusto.