The day of the third task is seeped in a heavy sense of foreboding. From the moment he wakes Harry knows this is going to be one of those days when you just grit your teeth and endure.

Harry used to get insanely anxious as a kid. Like, insanely. Harry would work himself up so much he would scratch all the skin off the back of his hand and get a little high off adrenaline.

Now he just goes numb.

It affects his performance in things. He goes to tests and he just doesn't have the energy to re-read it at the end. He used to be one of those obsessive students that could ask exactly what answer somebody got for that one question he wasn't sure of. Now he couldn't even tell you whether or not he wrote his name.

He feels the tell tale numbness encompass him and resigns himself to a day spent in a dazed haze.

Hermione's anxious on his behalf. Everyone is.

They all fuss over him and Cedric. Zoe asks them five times if they've learnt all they're spells. Cho threatens Cedric with bodily harm if he doesn't perform fantastically. Blaise is just angry. At everyone.

Every time he and Cedric make eye contact the phrase "please don't die," rings ominously in his head.

Everyone has exams and Harry actually has to remind Hermione to go or else she'll be late.

Just before Ron leaves McGonagall comes over and summons Cedric and him to meet they're families. Cedric looks brimming with both intimidation and dread.

He goes to pull Harry along but all Harry can imagine is walking into an empty room. How would he explain that to Cedric?

Cedric who thinks parents are supposed to protect you. What if Amos is there? Cedric's mother will protect him but who's going to protect Harry.

"You should really go Mr Potter. Your family is waiting for you." McGonagall says. Like that's supposed to reassure him. Merlin, what if the Dursely's are there? How on earth would he explain that toedric? How would he explain that to anyone?

"Come on Potter, time for some Gryffindor bravery." Cedric encourages.

"You don't have to go." Says Blaise softly, angrily.

Harry considers staying, maybe even going to class, but Cedric offers his hand and he looks so earnest Harry doesn't have the heart to leave him hanging.

Blaise just rolls his eyes and pushes angrily out of his seat.

When he goes to the chamber off the hall and finds a sea of red Harry cries.

Mrs Weasely is there in a second with her arms around him and Harry was just, is just, so scared but she's here and. Harry hasn't loved anyone more in his life than Mrs Weasley in that moment.

"I thought, for a second the Dursley's-"

Mrs Weasley tuts disapprovingly, "We're so proud to be here Harry. So proud." She says brightly. Like it fixes everything. Harry thinks it sort of does.

"Yeah mate, wouldn't have missed it for the world." Bill pipes up

"It's good to see you son." Mr Weasley says emphatically. "Charlie would've loved to have been here. He says you were a real sight on that broom."

In all the hustle and bustle he forgot about Cedric. Who seems to have found his way over to his parents. Plural. As in Mrs Diggory and Amos Diggory. From a far they look the picture of domestic bliss, but Harry can see the tension in Cedric's whole body. Harry wants to go over there but he doesn't think his presence would help him.

Amos Diggory scars the shit out of him. He reminds him of Peter Pettigrew and Vernon Dursley. He like the kind of man that let cowardice breed insecurity and insecurity breed cruelty. He's the stuff of Harry's nightmares. Harry's almost certain he wrote those notes and they reverberate in Harry's mind.

Mrs Diggory smiles kindly at Harry over Cedric's shoulder. Amos Diggory's eyes slide right over him. Can't be hostile in public. Barbs about talent are different than openly attacking the boy who lived. It's the only time Harry's been glad for his fame.

For the rest of the day Harry's encompassed by Weasley and he feels warm all over. They tell him about Percy and Mrs Weasley complains about cooking. Bill tells him that Charlie said to congratulate him on the fine piece of ass he managed to swing and beneath his mortification Harry just feels so validated.

When it's time to get ready for the task Harry hugs Mrs Weasley fiercely. "thank you, all of you, really." It sounds like Harry's thanking them for coming to the task but he's not. He's thanking them for so much more.

A terrible feeling of foreboding has started to coil in Harry's gut. He just needs to grit his teeth and endure.

Cedric manages to slip away from his parents for two seconds. He hugs Harry so hard he can't breath and whispers "don't die, don't die" fervently into his hair. when he let s go he says "Find me. We'll do this together."

Then it's happening. He's standing at the entrance to a maze and he's so not ready for this. No amount of training could ever make him ready for this.

Cedric and Harry are the first ones to enter the maze. They get to pick the entrance they take. Really they should pick two different ones. You know for appearances. Cheating is somewhat of a Triwizard tournament tradition but blatant cheating is frowned upon.

They don't though. They walk into the same entrance and their hands find each other the second they're in the maze.

The only way out of the maze is through.

They cast their 'point me's' in unison.

Hermione trained them well.

They run into nothing for what feels like ages. Harry should be relieved but the chasmous silence isn't doing anything for Harry's frayed nerves.

Then suddenly there's a dementor in front of them and Harry's stag is materialising before he even reaches for his wand.

"Did you just cast a wandless expelliarmus?" Cedric asks looking bewildered.

"Clearly a shite one the dementor is still there." Harry responds testily.

Harry barely has a second to contemplate why that might be when Cedric casts a ridiculous and the dementor exploded in a wisp of smoke.

They run into Hagrid's blast ended Skrewt's next. They both get a little singed but they make quick work of them.

They come to a point in the path that's blocked by mist.

"It's limbo mist." Cedric supplies, "there's an anticharm but I'm rubbish at it. If you just, keep running, despite the disorientation you'll be fine." Cedric doesn't sound too sure of himself but before they have time to contemplate Fleur's screams echo ominously through-out the maze and they're both scrambling to reach her.

The limbo mist is heady and nauseating but they push through.

Red sparks shoot in the air before either of them can really place where Fleur went.

One down.

Three to go.

They run into nothing for ages. Until they stumble upon Viktor. His eyes a wide and glassy. Harry thinks it might be shock because he looks straight through Harry but realises it's something much more nefarious when seconds later Viktor Krum, one of the more harmless people Harry knows, is casting a crucio on Cedric, like it's nothing.

Harry punches him the second Cedric let's out a choked scream.

"Are you okay?' Harry asks Cedric ferverently .

"Yeah, Yeah I'm good. I just," He blows out a heavy breath, "need a sec." Cedric exhales, eyes are screwed up tightly in pai

"We throw up sparks all three of us can get out of here right now. Krum's clearly been imperioused that's two unforgivables. Cedric you're hurt you shouldn't have to keep going."

" The cup is ancient magic Harry. Binding magic. Neither of us are getting out of this maze unless we're incapacitated or somebody wins."

"What do we do then?' Harry asks desperately.

"We keep going Harry. Throw up some sparks for Krum and we keep going. We've got this."

"you're sure you're okay?' Harry inquires nervously, "if you hurt too much-"

"I'm not leaving you alone, Harry. We do this together."

Harry shoots up red sparks.

Two down.

Two left.

Then they're off. After what seems like hours they come across the cup glowing faintly in the clearing.

This is it.

An entire year of build up for this. It seems so surreal. Either one of them could reach out and all of this could be over.

"You should take it Cedric. It was never about winning for me." Harry offers.

"It wasn't about that for me either Harry. Not really."

"Doesn't mean you shouldn't take it, win back some Hufflepuff pride."

"That sounds nice Harry, it really does but I talked to my mum and I don't think it's worth it. My dad said all those awful things to me and Mum and I both think it would be stupid to reward him by giving him exactly what he wants."

"You shouldn't do things because other people want you to that's true. but equally you shouldn't not do things for the same reason, it gives them equal as much power over you."

" It's not about just that. I want this tournament to be about me. I managed to get here and I did bloody brilliantly. I want that to be enough." Cedric admits quietly.

"You were rather spectacular," Harry agrees.

Whatever Cedric's response was gets swallowed when something immense comes looming behind them.

"Cedric!" Harry bellowed. "On your left!'

Cedric looked around just in time to hurl himself past the thing and avoid colliding with it. Harry saw Cedric's wand fly out of his hand just as a gigantic spider began to bear down on him.

"Take the cup Harry." Cedric shouted. "Take the cup and end this."

It felt wrong. Grabbing the cup whilst Cedric was held down and they hadn't finished their discussion. But Harry was pretty sure a stupefy wouldn't do much against something that size and the only way Harry knew to stop the attack was to stop the task.

With shaking hands he reached out and took the cup.

The spider managed to slash his leg just before the cup began to pull him onward in a howl of wind and swirling colour.

When Harry's feet slam into the ground his injured leg gives way and pitches forward. The cup falls from his grip.

IT felt like he'd travelled miles and judging by the gravestones and thick cloying mist Harry had definitely left the safety of Hogwarts.

"I'm not in Kansas anymore." Suddenly he wishes desperately that Cedric was here. He has no idea where he is or what to do and the graveyard is freezing.

He's the last champion standing but there's no glory here.

Is this part of the task? Harry wonders. If it is does that mean that somewhere, miles away, Cedric is being eaten by a spider? Harry's stomach clenches painfully in worry as he begins to push himself up gingerly to his feet.

Harry slowly began to pull out his wand and walk forward. Then the hairs on the back of his head prickled ominously. Someone was watching him.

Someone was coming.

A figure emerged from the darkness. Clutching what appeared to be a swaddled baby. It walked forward and stopped beside a towering head stone.

Everything was silent.

Then Harry's scar exploded with pain.

The pain was so immense Harry's knees buckled under the weight of it. His wand slipped from his fingers and he clawed futilely at his forehead.

Makeitstop. Makeitstop. Makeitstop.

Then the figure had put down his bundle, lit his wand, and begun dragging Harry to the headstone.

Harry saw the name on the head stone before he was forcibly slammed against it with a sickening crunch.

Tom Riddle

Then the figure, who harry now identified as a cloaked man, conjured tight cords that bound Harry from neck to ankles to the headstone. The feeling of hopelessness was suffocating and intensified tenfold when he found himself staring at the ugly mug of Peter Pettigrew.

Wormtail picked up the bundle of robes which stirred fitfully in his grasp. The pain in Harry's scar intensified with renewed vigour. Harry's wand laid on the ground not 10 metres away.

It felt like lightyears.

A giant snake began circling the headstone. Wormtail pushed a large stone cauldron in front of Harry.

This is the stuff of nightmares. The stuff of Harry's nightmares. He feels like he's had this dream before. He wishes this was a dream

Only this time he thinks he might never wake up.

The thing inside the robes was stirring persistently now and Harry new with terrifying clarity exactly what was in it. Then Wormtail was pulling open the robes. Harry shut his eyes and furiously whispering a mantra of "don't do it, don't do it, don't do it."

Then Harry opened his eyes to see Wormtail holding the sickly haggard form, of the dark lord Voldemort. The thing was disfigured and barely humanoid but with eyes like his there was no mistaking him.

Wormtail lowered the thing into the cauldron and it disappeared beneath the liquid contents. Let it drown. Harry thought, his scar hurting almost beyond endurance. Please... let it drown.

Then Peter mutilated his arms. Merlin, if Voldemort asked his followers to do that to themselves what on earth would he do to Harry?

Wormtail was gasping and moaning with agony as he approached him.

"Blood of the enemy forcible taken. You will resurrect your foe."

Then Wormtail brandishes an ominous silver dagger in his remaining hand and drags it viciously down Harry's arm.

The dark lord was being resurrected right in front of Harry. He was supposed to be the saviour of the wizarding world and instead he was aiding and abetting it's fall.

Harry was going to die here. In a random graveyard in the middle of nowhere with only the coward who betrayed his parents and the bastard who murdered them as company.

He thinks of all the people waiting for him back at Hogwarts. Of Weasleys, slytherins, Hermione and Cedric.

I'm sorry, Harry thinks with a sob.

So, so, sorry.

He was supposed to be better.

Then through the mist in front of him he saw the dark outline of a man tall and skeletally thin.

The thin man stepped out of the cauldron and stared straight at at Harry.

Harry stared back into the face that had haunted his nightmares for years. Whiter than a skull, with wide, livid scarlet eyes and a nose as flat as a snake's with slits for nostrils.

Lord Voldemort had risen again.

Harry was so, so sorry.

Voldemort wasted no time in summoning the death eaters. Harry's arm and leg were both bleeding sluggishly and Wormtail was wailing pathetically but Voldemort paid no mind to either of them.

As he waited for the death eater's to arrive he turned to Harry and started monologuing obnoxiously. Beneath the heady rush of Harry's fear and blood loss Harry felt sufficiently exasperated at the clichéness of it all.

*if you guys want the monologue on the online pdf of the goblet of fire the monologue is page 663/755.*

Then the death eater's arrive and the pathetic grovelling began.

Harry didn't even really register it was Lucius Malfoy professing his loyalty until the bright flash of green cut him down at his knees. Vaguely he thought he had to warn Draco. The dark lord was merciless and the Malfoy's were no longer useful to him. Harry wasn't Draco biggest fan but he didn't want him to die violently.

The sentiment was empty though, Harry was going to die before Draco.

Another person he let down.

Fuck, somebody just died.

Right in front of him.

Man if he survives this his nightmares are going to be next level.

Then he sees what is possibly one of the most unlikely death eaters. The beady face of Amos Diggory stares back of him. He looks like wormtail, quaking in his boots. A coward. Harry can't really judge him though. Harry's not going to be very brave when he's dead.

Horror and shock caught in Harry's throat. How had he not known? Had Cedric known?

"Diggory," Voldemort addresses. 'Your politics are subpar at best. I expect a better performance from you else you meet the same fate as Malfoy here. You already would have if Malfoy hadn't been such a fool at the quidditch world cup. Don't disappoint me or else I might have to take out my.. frustrations on your lovely wife. OR perhaps you're your son? If he's good enough for Harry Potter I'm sure he's good enough for me"

At this Harry shakes his chains furiously. God. Not Cedric. He has to survive. He can't let this monster get his hands on Cedric. He deserves so much better.

Voldemort turns to address somebody else. "Nott, your son is a disgrace. Both of them are, actually. One's an abomination and one's useless. I expect them to do better in future. I expect you to do better."

"With all due respect my lord. I only have one child and he will do better."

"Quite right." Voldemort says with a sneer.

Then Voldemort's attention was on him against. Harry just wishes this nightmare would end already. One way or another by the end of the night, he supposes it will,

Then Voldemort has his hands on his face and is grinning like it's the biggest accomplishment in the world. HIs mother died to protect him from Voldemort's touch. Does this mean she died for nothing.

He gloated for a little while then punctuated his gloating with an agonising crucio.

The only prior interaction Harry has had with crucio before today had been in a controlled classroom setting. Now he's seen it performed on someone he love and had it pulsing agonisingly in his veins.

It was pain beyond anything Harry had ever experienced, his very bones were on fire. If the dursley's had utilised this spell instead of frypan's Harry thinks he would be right next to Neville's parents in the janus thickey ward as St Mungo's.

The pain left him as quickly as it came and Harry hung limply in the ropes binding him to the headstone of Voldermort's father.

The night rang loudly with death eater laughter.

"Now untie him Wormtail, and give him back his wand."

Then Harry was duelling Voldemort. Harry had to stifle hysterical laughter when he grabbed his Voldemort. Fucking hell he was duelling the dark lord. He's a little delirious form blood loss and is almost grateful for the fact because otherwise he might actually process what's going on and consequentially collapse.

Instead he grits his teeth and endures.

When Voldemort attempts to imperious Harry into bowing he stubbornly declines. It's a token rebellion, not a second later Voldemort has found a more creative way to make him bow.

Then Voldemort opened the duel with another, more intense cruciatus curse that seemed to last for hours. Harry would've screamed but he hurt to much too move.

When Voldemort attempts the imperious again Harry resists, again. Harry's one, unfailing, character trait is his stubbornness. It seems to irritate Hermione and the dark lord equally. He hopes he lives long enough for Hermione to slap him for the comparison.

Then in a fit of 'sheer dumb luck' as McGonagall would say, Harry meets Voldemort's AK with an Expalliarmus and doesn't die immediately.

When he sees the shade form of both his parents as a result of prior incantatem, he almost wishes he had, just so he could talk to them a little bit longer.

He doesn't die. He calls the cup to him with a wandless accio and Voldemort crucios him in the back just as the cup tugs him away.

He lands in the middle of the quidditch pitch screaming.