A Not So Story – x- The Graveyard

The green and white rockets went off telling everyone in the stands that at least one of the two remaining competitors had made it through the maze to the clearing that contained the Tri-Wizard Cup. Everyone in the stands turned to their neighbors and speculated whether it was Cedric or Harry or even both of them. They knew it was only a matter of moments before the winner would appear at the entrance to the maze with the valuable trophy.

"I hope it's Harry" Ginny Weasley said to her brother Ron. He nodded but Hermione besides them just shook her head. "I just hope Harry's okay and won't have to spend some more days in the Hogwarts infirmary. He's missed enough days of classes as it is."

Ron looked to his companion like she was daft. "Harry's already got out of having to take the end of year exams. Why should he care if he misses a few more days recuperating?"

Ginny and Hermione looked to the fourth year and simultaneously jammed his hat down around his ears. "You just don't care Ron!"

Ron was struggling to fix his hat as he responded. "I do care; I can't help Harry spend the thousand galleons prize if he's damaged."

Ron yelled in pain as both girls simultaneously kicked him in a different shin. He sat back down but struggled to his feet again. He wanted to see if it was Harry or Cedric the reappeared with the cup.

Twenty minutes later, everyone was still waiting.

Xxxx xxx

"Ready?"

There was a nod from the other boy.

"One."

"Two."

"Three."

Both hands flashed and then there was a double groan. "Not again" Cedric said.

"Paper. Again. That's uncanny" said the young man with the messy hair.

"This is the fourteenth or fifteen time, right Harry?" Cedric was over the humor of the situation. Both had come into the clearing together and neither had wanted to claim the prize for themselves. Harry wanted Cedric to take as he was the real Hogwarts Champion and Harry really had no need for the money or the "glory". Cedric owed Harry for helping him out of couple of traps during the competition.

Both had looked at each other and sat down to discuss the situation; totally disregarding the buzzing of the stands they could barely hear over the magical maze that had covered the Quidditch pitch.

Each tried to talk the other into moving the few remaining feet and claiming the prize. Each also denied wanting to claim the prize for himself. After five minutes of the back and forth, Harry had suggested a game of 'Rock, Paper, Scissors' to decide the outcome of one of the most coveted treasures of the magical world.

Call it fate, bad luck, the weird ability of seekers or whatever but they both kept choosing the same sign. And it was getting the two of them frustrated.

"We could both take it" Cedric suggested.

"I really don't want it. I never wanted to be in this tournament anyway. If it wasn't a magical contract that Dumbledore said would cancel my magic I'd have rooted for you Cedric."

"I know Harry. You've proven yourself to me and a lot of others."

Harry stood up a little wearily. "Well, I'm tired of playing. The prize is all yours." He raised his wand and set off the yellow flares that signified he was withdrawing from the competition.

Harry looked up to see that Cedric had also done the same thing.

"We're in for it now, you know. Karkakoff will have a hippogriff."

"Maybe that's what makes his face so sour?" Harry said. "I wish I could see Minister Fudge's face now though."

Both competitors snickered as they thought about the grandiose politician's reaction to the two English competitors' withdrawal.

Xxxx xxxx

"Potter's withdrawn. I knew he was a quitter." Draco Malfoy's voice rose above the sudden groans from the stand.

"There's two trails up there" came another cry. Draco was blasted and stuffed under the stands by spells from a number of surrounding wands that couldn't stand the idiot's comments any longer. Professor Flitwick slowly stowed his wand back in his pocket and hoped nobody had seen where the last spell had come from. Professor McGonagall nudged him with her knee and gave him a thumb's up. They both turned back to the Headmaster and his guests.

Cornelius Fudge turned an outraged face to the person next to him. "This can't be happening. Bagman, fix this!"

Ludo Bagman, the Head of the Department of Games and Sports didn't waste a second trying to fix anything. He turned and pointed to the wizard next to him. "Dumbledore!"

Albus (too many middle names to mention) Dumbledore sighed wearily and turned to the wizard next to him. "Go find out what's happened Alistor."

Professor Alistor "Mad-Eye" Moody gnashed his teeth in uncontrolled frustration. He had had it all set up for the Potter boy to win. He'd given out the hints he could and practically handed the Tri-Wizard Cup to him.

Moody apparated to the clearing and found Diggory and Potter standing with their hands in their pocket and looking a little embarrassed. "Now what do you two have to say for yourselves?"

"He should win" said each pointing to the other.

"WHAT?" thundered the ex-auror.

"Bad knee. Can't go a step further." Cedric pointed out.

"Sprained both wrists fighting off the Blast-Ended Skewts; couldn't hold the cup anyways," Harry explained.

"You've got foreigners, dignitaries, reporters from all over Europe and you're quitting? Five feet from the prize?"

"Sorry" said Cedric.

"Can't be helped sir."

Both boys were grinning as their DADA professor got madder and madder. "Take it!"

Both boys shook their head. Moody took the few steps and picked up the cup. "See, it's easy. Oops! Shi…" Moody disappeared in a blaze of stars.

"Well, I guess we'll see him back at the entranceway" Harry said. "Maybe we should summon our brooms and fly out of here."

"Good idea Harry. Do you suppose Moody's the one they will give the money to?"

"I hope so; I certainly don't want him teaching me next year. Maybe he'll retire for good."

Just then Moody reappeared carrying the cup. His hair was all messed up and his limping was noticeably more pronounced. Harry didn't comment on the scorch mark he saw on one sleeve of the old wizard's tunic.

"Whew, that was close."

"Professor Moody?"

"Yes… ah, Dumbledore sent me back to fetch the both of you to the reviewing stand. Madame Pomfrey is standing by to heal your injuries and then the headmaster and Minister Fudge want to have a word with you both."

"I'm not sure I want to go back now at all Cedric."

Moody forced a smile on his face as he placed the cup on the ground. "You're not in trouble; Madame Pomfrey is waiting to heal you both up. Just both grasp the cup and you won't have to walk out of here."

Harry looked at Cedric. "Your knee is really bad, isn't it?"

"Afraid so Harry."

"Let's get you out of here then." Harry supported Cedric as they both limped their way over to where the Cup was. "On the count of three then."

"One."

"Two"

"Three!"

"Rock – darn it!" Both champions tried the game one more time and were amazed they said the same thing again. Both reached for the cup handles but just a second before he grasped it Harry pointed his wand. "Accio professor!"

Moody felt himself drawn toward Harry and Cedric and contacted them just as the portkey activated once again.

All three sprawled on the ground as they appeared at the other end of the ride. Just as Harry and Cedric were picking up Professor Moody they heard a shout from in front of them. "Kill the spare!"

Both boys looked up to see that they weren't anywhere near Hogwarts. They were in a graveyard and there was someone pointing a wand at them.

"Avada Kedavra!" Both boys reacted to the sound of the spell that Moody had taught them at the beginning of the year. Both dived out of the way of the green bolt but it struck Moody squarely in the chest as he held up his hands to protect himself.

"Wormtail you idiot! You killed Crouch."

Harry was hiding behind a gravestone. He recognized those names and that voice. It was Voldemort talking! A weird-pitched weak-sounding voice but definitely Voldemort.

"Cedric you okay?"

"Oww, I guess so. Bumped my knee again."

"Ask Cho to kiss it for you if we get out of here. There's a Death Eater out there. He just killed Moody."

"That wasn't Moody" Cedric responded.

"What?" Harry peeked around the headstone and was showered with chips as another spell hit the headstone above him. But he had seen enough; where Moody had fallen, a younger man now appeared. Harry had seen the man before – in Dumbledore's pensieve! It was Bart Crouch Jr. but he was supposed to be dead.

Harry ran low to another protective stone as Pettigrew tried to hit him with another spell. By this time Cedric had responded to the danger and was trying to help Harry by firing back where he saw the spells were coming from.

Harry thought furiously as he fired a stunner back to where he saw Pettigrew. The battle raged back and forth for a few minutes as shots were exchanged during the two on one battle. Harry wondered during one breather why there was a cauldron bubbling away where Peter had first fired off the killing curse.

Harry and Cedric kept yelling back and forth to one another as they tried not to hit each other. Unfortunately, it also gave Peter the time and direction to sneak up and stun Cedric from behind.

"That's one Harry! No one to protect you now."

"Don't need anyone Wormface. You're going to pay for betraying my parents."

Harry ducked behind another taller monument and then looked up at it. Just his luck, he was behind the one that said Riddle. Out of all the graves, in all the world – he had to be at this one. Peter was getting tired of chasing Potter around the graveyard. His Lord was waiting to go through the ritual to be reborn. It had been a long time since Voldemort had fed on the snake poison. Time was growing short.

The battle continued as Harry and Peter raced around the graveyard shooting at each other. Lots of headstones and monuments were broken and destroyed in the process. Harry rolled behind one above ground tomb and came face to face with one large angry snake. Harry didn't have time to try speaking Parseltongue at it because it reared up and struck at him.

Harry just dodged in time and the snake hit the concrete face at an incredible impact. Harry heard its neck break and then there was a horrid scream. Harry got goosebumps all over. The scream came from both the snake and where ever Voldemort was hiding. It was something like what he had heard in the Chamber of Secrets when he destroyed Tom Riddle's diary and Tom with a basilisk fang. The scream from Voldemort had a strange high gurgle in it however.

"You killed Nagini!" Harry turned from staring at the snake to see Pettigrew standing over him with a wand pointed at his chest. "Drop it, little Harry. You will atone for destroying for destroying Lord Voldemort all those years ago."

"Huhh? How?"

"There is a dark secret ritual for restoring a body to one that has been excised. A little blood from you is your contribution." Peter pulled a long sharp knife from his belt

Harry dropped his wand and stood up slowly. "Okay, I won't mind a little blood loss. You won't kill me though. Your boss wants that pleasure."

Peter gestured with his wand and knife. "Back that way then." Harry was quickly hit with an Incarcerous spell and his arms were bound close to his body. He legs were free so he walked and tried getting more information out of the pudgy wizard.

"So, what else do you need for this ritual? I'm going to be dead soon so there's no need to keep a secret."

"Bone of the father." They were walking by a row of headstones now and Wormtail summoned a bone from beneath a certain headstone near where Harry was standing. It looked like a femur to Harry and he shuddered as Wormtail casually threw it over one shoulder.

They approached the cauldron. "Just two ingredients then; that doesn't sound too complicated."

"Be quiet Harry. I also have to sacrifice some of my flesh into the mixture."

"That's all? You are going to have trouble holding that wand if you keep giving up fingers like this."

Harry shut up as the knife was waved in his face again. Peter made sure the cauldron had enough water in it and was hot enough. He picked up a squirming bundle and lowered it slowly into the cauldron.

"Bone of the father, unwittingly given, you will renew your son."

Peter dropped the bone into the cauldron reverently. He reached out to cut Harry with the knife. Harry braced himself and closed his eyes.

Just as he was about to be cut, Harry heard and felt an explosion of light and sound. He peeked out through his lowered lashes and saw that a large red and gold bird was attacking Peter Pettigrew with claws and beak.

"Fawkes!" yelled Harry gratefully and didn't waste his chance. As Pettigrew tried to fend the bird of with his knife, Harry took a page of advice he had given to Ginny and Hermione and kicked Peter Pettigrew solidly in the gonads!

Peter folded up like a house of cards and Harry kicked him in the head a couple of times for good measure. When Peter quit moving, Harry found a big headstone to lean against and watched as Fawkes flared out and away. It seemed forever but it was only a couple of seconds before Fawkes reappeared carrying Dumbledore. The headmaster took one look around and came over quickly to Harry's side.

"Are you okay Harry?"

"Extremely tired. Sir, Cedric is back there somewhere and my wand!"

Dumbledore unbound the ropes holding Harry and summoned Harry's wand. The two walked back to where Peter Pettigrew was and Harry had the great pleasure of stunning him a couple of times and binding him up with ropes.

The two went searching for Cedric but it was Fawkes that found him slumped over unconscious. Dumbledore cast an Enervate on the Hufflepuff and Cedric woke up slowly. When Cedric asked what happened, Harry haltingly told the story to the other Champion and Dumbledore of the plan to resurrect Voldemort. There was a high scream that came from the ignored cauldron that chilled everyone's bones. Everyone looked back to the cauldron and Harry shuddered.

"He's dead now. Boiled or drowned." Harry sat down wearily.

"You just escaped with your life Harry" Dumbledore said.

"No actually, I'm not sure I was in much danger from Voldemort."

"What?" exclaimed the other two.

Harry looked around at the wrecked and destroyed graveyard. "A lot of the markers have all been moved and broken in the fight. Peter needed a bone from Riddle's father to make the ritual work. He took it from this particular gravesite."

Harry pointed at the headstone that was before them and Cedric began laughing. The twinkle in Dumbledore's eyes came on at full brightness and he patted Harry on the shoulder. "I will send Madame Bones and the Aurors back to clean up this mess and fix up the headstones. If you don't mind an old wizard taking you back to your housemates and girlfriends and the awards ceremony, we'll leave this place."

Harry nodded but first he went over and shook Cedric's hand. "Thanks for everything. You were great."

"You were better Harry."

Both students laughed and Harry grabbed a loose sleeve of Dumbledore's cloak. He thought it was great that he had remembered Sirius telling him why Peter Pettigrew had needed so much help in school.

The three disappeared with a small pop and Fawkes was left alone over the cemetery. He circled a bit over the disturbed grave site before he flashed away to Hogwarts.

Xxxx xxxx

Harry had a great time later telling Hermione, Ginny and Ron that Peter Pettigrew was slightly dyslexic and was the worst speller in three generations. She and the others in the Gryffindor common room laughed for hours.

Harry thought about sending flowers and hoped the Rydell family wasn't too upset when they next visited their grandfather's plot.