Note: I do not own the Dumbledore quote or any of the Harry Potter characters!

On with Chapter 11!!

Chapter 11- The Third Task

On the way to the courtyard, Cedric and Willa had been deep in conversation, completely oblivious to the people around them. Cedric got a few slaps on the back by kids and several cheers as he passed by everyone already on their way to the stadium. Cedric smiled and nodded, thanking everyone for their support. As they continued to talk, Willa happened to accidentally walk straight into Professor Moody. As she collided with the large man, Moody grabbed her arm to stop her from falling. When he grabbed the girls' arm, he noticed the ring on Willa's left ring finger.

"Oh Professor! I'm terribly sorry!"

"Not a problem, Miss Hardcastle." Moody, still clutching Willa's lower arm, brought it closer to his face and examined the ring with his wandering mechanical eye. Willa looked up at his hard face with an almost scared expression. Cedric stared at Moody with big eyes as well.

"Nice ring, Mr. Diggory," Moody said letting his tight grip on Willa's arm loose. Cedric cleared his throat awkwardly.

"Thank you, sir."

"Good luck today, laddie. Good day Miss Hardcastle." And with that, he took a drink from a bottle he held close to him and then disappeared.

"What was that all about?" Cedric asked.

"I dunno. Why does he always do stuff like that? First asking you about me, now staring at my ring. Why can't he just mind his own business?" Willa asked, annoyed.

"You've got me," Cedric replied. Suddenly, Amos' voice rang out. He was calling to Cedric and motioning for them to come over to him. The couple walked across the courtyard lawn to Cedric's father.

"Willa my dear, delighted to finally meet you." Amos, Cedric and Willa stood in the deserted courtyard as Amos pulled Willa into a giant hug and kissed her on the cheek.

"It's a pleasure," Willa replied after Amos had let her go.

"Cedric has told me so much about you, my dear, I feel as though I've known you for quite some time."

Willa laughed. "Well I'm flattered that he has spoken quite highly of me."

Cedric took Willa's hand in his. As he did so, Harry walked past the three.

"Well hello again Harry!" Amos said.

"Hello Mr. Diggory, Cedric, Willa," Harry replied.

"On your way to the stadium, I presume?" Cedric asked.

"Yeah, we are supposed to be there in about fifteen minutes," Harry informed him.

"Alright, we should probably be getting along then," Cedric suggested. Willa and Amos agreed with him and the two said goodbye and good luck to Harry. Cedric knew he would see Harry again shortly.

The walk to the stadium was quiet. No one really spoke. Cedric walked with his hand tightly in Willa's. When they arrived at the stadium, the three walked underneath the stands and Amos turned to Cedric and Willa.

"Well, I will let you two be alone for a moment. I won't intrude," he promised.

"Thank you," the two said simultaneously. Amos walked out of sight and Cedric and Willa were left alone. The Hogwarts March began to play and the chatter from the crowd filled the air. It sounded like a rumble from below the stands. Willa and Cedric were completely alone. A white tent- like curtain fell gently on every side of them probably for general privacy of the champions. Cedric pulled Willa close. She rested her head on his chest and could hear the soft rhythm of his heartbeat. He stroked her wavy hair and kissed along her jaw line. They stood there for a moment or two in complete silence, in the safety of each other's arms.

"Don't do it," Willa finally said in barely a whisper. Cedric chuckled.

"I wish," he replied kissing her forehead.

"No, really," Willa said looking up at him. "You said the fame and glory didn't matter anymore."

"I know, but Willa, it's a rule. I can't stop now."

Willa backed away from him.

"Wait, so, are you saying you wouldn't even have the guts to say you wanted out? Cedric you battled a dragon for Christ's sake! And you can't even speak up for yourself?"

"Willa you don't understand. It's complicated!"

Willa's mouth dropped in anger.

"You don't think I understand any of this? Are you joking?"

"Willa, listen to everyone up they're cheering for me, rooting for me. I'm a hero to them. My father is here. All of my relatives and friends are rooting for me. You're rooting for me. I can't just back down now. Not when I know that people are believing in and counting on me!"

Willa glared at him.

"No one is going to love you any less if you drop out," she pleaded with him.

"Well maybe I actually want to prove to myself that I can do this. Is that so wrong, Willa?" he yelled at her.

"It's selfish."

"Oh, I'm being selfish?" Cedric said incredulously.

"Well at least I care about your wellbeing!"

"You don't seem to care much about what I want!" Cedric spat back.

The two stood several feet part glaring at each other. Each thought the other was completely out of line to have the gall nerve. Both breathed heavily.

"Fine," Willa spat. "Go have the time of your life," she said sarcastically.

"Fine!" Cedric yelled back and turned to walk away.

Willa turned her back to walk the other way and brought her hands up to her head and covered her forehead. She felt awful. How could she have started that? She was being completely ridiculous. There was no way she was going to let a fight be their potentially last moment together.

"Ugh! What am I doing?!" she angrily asked herself.

Willa turned around to face Cedric who was now a couple yards away. Willa swallowed hard and began to sprint toward Cedric.

Cedric, who also felt like a bloody idiot, was about to enter the champion's quarters when he heard the fast pace of feet hitting the ground from behind him. He turned to find Willa about to crash into him.

And she did. Willa leapt straight into Cedric's arms, crashing her lips to his. She wrapped her legs around his torso and ran her fingers through his thick hair. Cedric kissed her back passionately. When they stopped kissing, Willa let her lips linger on his for a moment before breaking apart.

"Willa," Cedric breathed. Willa grinned.

"I wasn't about to let our first fight be our last moment together."

"Good choice," said Cedric with a smile. "This was better." He kissed her again and brushed her cheek with his open hand before setting her on the ground.

"Be safe," she said quietly, their foreheads touching.

"I will. I love you," he said softly.

"I love you too," she whispered.

With one more kiss, he was gone. Willa stood alone under the stands, the march still playing on. The kiss from her true love still tingled upon her lips. She brought her fingers up to them and felt where his lips had met hers so many times before. Willa smiled as she felt her lips. She knew he could do it. He was going to be a hero.

Willa made her way back up to the stands. She searched the crowd for Lucy and Ben among the Hufflepuff fans. They stood near Iris and Marie as well as Ben and Cedric's friends Marcus and Graham. Lucy waved excitedly to her and Willa waved back and made her way over to them.

"Hello Willa," the girls' all said in unison with Graham and Ben's low voices also greeting her.

"Hello everyone," she replied as she squeezed in between Lucy and Iris. Lucy turned to her friend.

"You seem surprisingly optimistic," she remarked.

"Yeah, I dunno, I just know he'll do brilliantly."

"It's good you're so optimistic. I'd be worried sick if I were you," Lucy told her. Willa shrugged and turned her attention to the arena. As Willa then brought her left hand up to her face to move a piece of hair out of her eyes, Lucy noticed the ring.

"What is that?" she asked, grabbing Willa's wrist. Willa tore her hand away quickly.

"Just a ring," she defended herself. Lucy said nothing and turned back to the arena, smirking to herself.

Under the stands, Cedric and his father stood in silence. Cedric was beyond nervous. Everything he had worked for culminated in his performance in this final task. He couldn't blow it now. Not when he had gotten this far.

Harry, who had been standing alone, watched Cedric. He seemed deep in thought, probably about the task and Willa. Harry couldn't imagine having to risk something so precious as a first love. Harry's mind quickly flashed to Cho and he tried to imagine what it would be like to never see her again. Harry slowly walked over to Cedric.

"Hey Cedric."

"Hey, Harry," Cedric replied.

"Nervous?" Harry asked.

Cedric scoffed. "Yeah, a bit."

"Me too." There was a silence.

"Um, I was just going to say good luck and that I've got your back," Harry said. Cedric stood up and grinned slightly.

"Thanks, man. Same to you. We have to represent this school together."

Harry nodded in agreement.

"Yeah."

At that moment, Fleur, Krum, Cedric and Harry were told to line up. They were instructed to run out to the field one at a time. Cedric stood in front of Harry with his father who squeezed Cedric's shoulder. After Fleur and Krum had made their entrances, it was Cedric's turn. He took a breath, put on a happy face and ran out of the tent and into the circular stadium slightly behind his father who was doing a little more that just showing off his son.

As Cedric entered, the fans erupted into cheers and applause. Willa and Lucy and their friends cheered the loudest no doubt. After Cedric came Harry and then all of the champions huddled around Dumbledore.

"In the maze you'll find not dragons or creatures of the deep. Instead you'll face something more challenging. You see, people change in the maze. Oh find the cup if you can, but be very weary you could just lose yourselves along the way."

Cedric swallowed hard. This didn't sound like the other tasks. He looked at Harry who nervously looked back. After they all broke the huddle, each champion stood before one entrance and prepared to begin. As Filch fired the cannon, Cedric turned once more to the crowd, looking for Willa's face. He found it instantly; her hair was a dead giveaway. He smiled at her and she smiled back before he entered the maze and an assortment of shrubs and tree closed the maze off. The crowd's cheers died down as soon as everyone realized they would be waiting for sometime.

As soon as Cedric was encased in the maze, it was dead quiet. He was completely alone. Cautiously, Cedric stepped forward and began to make his way through the maze. At every twist and turn, Cedric couldn't help but notice his own personality shift. It was like he had no control over it; it just happened. He grew more aggressive and angry, thinking that he needed to win, thinking that he was the best.

After minutes of running past shifting and closing bushes, Cedric ran into Harry as well as Viktor. After zapping Viktor, Harry began yelling at Cedric to stop. Cedric angrily pushed Harry aside only then to be entangled in an enchanted tree or bush. As he struggled, Harry zapped the vines away with his wand and Cedric finally began to come back to his own self.

"You know for a moment there I thought you were going to let it get me," Cedric said panting.

"For a moment so did I," Harry responded.

"Some game, huh?"

"Some game."

The wind then began to pick up again, indicating a change in the plant life again. The cup lay just several yards away and Cedric turned to Harry,

"Go! Take it! You saved me!" Cedric pleaded. Harry looked at the cup and then back to Cedric.

"Together. On three. One, two, three!"

Cedric and Harry sprinted toward the cup and grabbed it at the same time. With a flash of luminescent blue, they were transported out of the maze and into a quiet and ominous graveyard.

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By this time, everyone in the stands was bored out of their minds. Willa sat resting her head on Lucy's shoulder, worrying about Cedric. It had been a couple of hours and no one had returned with the cup yet. All of a sudden, Willa's head shot up off of Lucy's shoulder.

"Willa?" Lucy asked, turning to look at her best friend.

Willa saw some sort of graveyard. It was dark and foggy with statues and mossy trees. She then saw the silhouettes of four people. Cedric, Harry who was struggling in pain pressed up against and trapped behind some sort of statue. There was a horrid looking short man and then him. Voldemort. The last thing she saw was Cedric holding his wand in front of him in self-defense and then a flash of green light and Cedric's stunned eyes. Her vision subsided and Willa's mouth dropped in complete horror. No, this couldn't be happening.

"Willa!" Lucy yelled to her firmly, trying to get her attention.

"Oh my god," was what Willa could barely say. To Lucy she looked severely panicked and in shock. Willa began breathing heavily but stood up instantly and ran down to the field to find Dumbledore.

"Professor! Professor!" she called to him as she entered the grounds of the stadium. The older professor turned as did Moody, McGonagall, Hagrid, and the two visiting school's headmasters.

"Miss Hardcastle, please, you cannot be down here."

"Professor please just listen I had a vision. Its about Cedric and Harry. I-"

Professor Moody cut her off.

"Miss Hardcastle, there is positively nothing within that maze that can harm any student if that is what you are implying."

"But, but I saw them. I swear, sir," she pleaded to Albus. "I saw them, they're in trouble!"

Professor Moody grabbed her arm forcefully.

"Willa," he said sternly. "They are fine. Get back to your seat."

Willa looked at all the teacher's faces, silently pleading to any one of them to say something, anything, that would help defend her. No one said a word. She looked up at Moody who strangely flicked his tongue like a snake. She strongly ripped her arm away from him and glanced at all the teachers once more before returning, defeated, to the stands.

"Are you all right?" Ben asked her.

"Willa, you're as pale as a ghost," Lucy remarked.

Willa said nothing, just stared into nothingness. How could no one believe her? Not even Dumbledore?

It wasn't long before, like Willa had assumed, the crowd saw Harry return to the stadium with a motionless Cedric hanging limp over Harry's shoulder.

A/N- Muahahaha!! Cliffhanger!! Will Cedric live or die? You better review quickly so I can get to the next chapter!

~TheatrePirate