Chapter 14

Hermione looked ahead of her to the Quidditch pitch. She could already see people gathering for the final task. The task itself was supposed to be rather simple, in theory, figure your way through a maze to the Triwizard Cup at the center of the pitch. Rather simple at first glance. But this was not the whole truth; she knew that there was going to be creatures hidden within the maze, as well as some enchantments. And if Hermione were to guess, the maze also had an expansion charm on it so there was a lot more space for them to work with as well.

Hermione did not really feel like worrying too much about it though, it would put doubt in her mind. Her training, as a dragon, should be more than enough to help her against anything she came up against. Harry and Cynder would also be nearby watching, hidden high up in the sky. They were not planning on helping her, but that did not mean they were not going to let her go unprotected if she should come under attack and was outclassed, however unlikely that might be.

Suddenly Hermione heard some footsteps right behind her, turning she almost changed form but stop seeing who it was. Smiling she hugged Fleur, who returned the hug. Ever since the second task the two had become rather close friends, each helping the other as well. Fleur with Hermione's own wandless magic for making fire, as her heritage being a Veela let her use fire as her weapon. Hermione found it was possible for her to do this as well, though it did not hold the same punch that Fleur's did currently. In return Hermione would help Fleur with her English and studies.

"So you ready for the next Challenge," Fleur asked, glancing towards the pitch.

"Yes, though I cannot say I am going to enjoy this. How about you," Hermione said then asked.

"I am a lot more prepared then I was for the second task," Fleur said smiling.

"Glad, but I would like to ask something of you," Hermione said.

"What might that be," Fleur asked.

"We are about to charge headlong into a maze we know nothing about. If you are willing, would you like to help me, and we can work our way through the maze together?" Hermione asked.

"Why together? I know you have enough power to make it through on your own, without any difficulty," Fleur pointed out.

"Because while you also have the power needed to get through it, we have better chance of getting through unharmed since we could cover each other's back," Hermione pointed out.

"You have a good point," Fleur said, as if Hermione not helped her during the second task she would have failed.

"Then when we find the cup at the end of the maze we simply grab it together, as at this point we worked together to get it," Hermione said smiling, "Fair share, for equal amount of work."

"I guess I can live with that," Fleur said, nodding in agreement.

"Good, because I know you like me don't want to end up like Krum," Hermione said.

Fleur nodded thinking about their fellow champion. He had been found in the lake nearly a month after the end of the second task, alive and surprisingly unharmed. He seemed to have no memory of what had happened after he had disappeared under the water. After about two weeks, in the hospital wing they had released him from the ward, as there was nothing psychically or mentally wrong with him.

"So how are we going to go through the maze?" Fleur asked.

"Well if I were to guess, the order we enter will probably be based on our current point rating. And that would mean I would enter first," Hermione said thoughtfully.

"Make sense," Fleur said.

"Then once you enter, we simply team up and work towards the center, using the point me charm to make sure we are not getting to far off course," Hermione said.

"Should we wait for Victor," Fleur asked.

"Yes I supposed we should," Hermione said, "but, if he says no, I am not going to try to persuade him otherwise."

"Agreed, he is rather stubborn, and we don't need fighting between us to get the cup," Fleur said.

"Okay, so we have a plan, let's try and stick to it," Hermione said, before she started towards the stadium.

"Okay, but might I ask something," Fleur asked.

"And what might that be," Hermione asked.

"Well, I would like to meet both of your mates." Fleur said.

"Okay but why? Are not looking to be changed into a dragon, are you," Hermione asked, turning and looking at Fleur curiously as she walked.

"No, it is… about those hunters," Fleur said, her eyes suddenly flashing with anger.

"What about them?" Hermione asked, before her eyes widen a little bit, "They attacked your family before, but why would they do that."

"Yes, and because they are not real dragon hunters," Fleur said, her tone hold a small amount of hate.

"They are not," Hermione said in surprise, "But they introduced themselves as Dragon Hunters."

"They are not I assure you. Dragon Hunters from what I understand are a group that actively hunts dragons any time they find one not matter the orders against it. They are a very devoted group," Fleur said.

"So these are just normal hunters then?" Hermione asked.

"Yes," Fleur said.

"But then why would they agree to not kill us right now. And for that matter how do you know they are not Dragon Hunters?" Hermione asked.

"Not sure, as to why they have not attacked you. Maybe they fear your Headmaster. As for how, well my when my mom stopped by to pick up my sister, she recognized the leader of the group. As you can guess she had a few choice words for him, as he was the one who had killed my grandma," Fleur explained.

"I will inform the others of this," Hermione said, growing thoughtfully as they got to the very edge of the pitch and walked over to the starting area.

Ludo Bagman was waiting for them. He did not say anything, instead choosing to wait for Krum before explaining anything. Hermione in the mean time looked around; her very keen eyes could easily pick out people around the stadium, at least those not hidden by the maze's huge walls. She looked up and noticed high in the sky even though the sun had already set, she could just make out the moving forms of Harry and Cynder flying high above the pitch.

Krum soon showed up, as moody as ever. Ludo seeing he was here checked his watch and nodded. He knew it was now time to start. So place his wand to his throat he spoke, his voice magically amplified.

"Students, guesses, and staff, I welcome you to the final challenge of the Triwizard Tournament," Ludo said, his voice echo out over the stands, "As you have no doubt noticed, we are standing before a maze and at the center of it, waits the Triwizard Cup. But it won't be as easy as it looks, as thanks to some friends we have brought in a great many creatures into the maze, as well as enchantments in locations as well."

Hermione glanced at Fleur saying quietly, "Is it just me or does he love the sound of his own voice?"

"I have been wondering that myself," Fleur said surprising a giggle.

Hermione was forced to stop speaking though as Ludo continued, "They will be let into the maze based on their current point scores."

"Hermione currently leads with fifty points, Fleur in second right behind her with forty-nine points, and Krum holds last place with thirty points. For each point difference in their score the runners up will follow behind Hermione, by thirty seconds. So Fleur will follow Hermione after thirty seconds, and Krum will follow her in nine minutes, and thirty seconds," Ludo said before removing the charm on his voice.

Ludo then turned and looked at the champions, saying, "We will start at the sound of the cannon, each time it fires one of you will enter the maze. Now if you get in over your head, and wish to give up send up red sparks. And the teachers and staff that have taken up guard points at each of the main four corns will come and rescue you."

"Any advice you can give us," Hermione asked.

"Don't die," Ludo said, a moment before the cannon fired off.

Hermione rolled her eyes, "Great advice!"

Hermione then ran down the passage into the maze. She wanted to be at the first turn off before Fleur got in, that way she would hopefully know what to expect. She was not going abandon her friend so she would return soon. She only had reached the first turn off when she heard the cannon fire again. She was slightly surprised at this, she had been running rather hard to get to the first intersection of paths, yet at the speed she had been moving she should have already been halfway down the pitch.

"Well, they expanded this maze a lot more than I thought," Hermione said, looking down each path.

There was nothing that set them apart from each other than the direction they led off. Hermione turned and carefully looked at each of them before turning back to path she had originally came down and blinked confused. It now looked like each of the other paths. Carefully she turned around looking down each of the four paths and nodded noticing that none of the paths led out of the maze.

This meant two different things. Both of which were going to bite her butt later. First the maze was shifting, meaning any marking of the trail they did would be useless. Second she could not wait for Fleur to arrive, as it was very possible the maze had shifted directing Fleur to a different part of it. Still she did not want to leave, just in case there was a spell on the maze entrance hiding it.

Hermione sighed and sat down on the ground, taking deep breath before breathing out slowly. She then sniffed the air trying to catch any scents that might help her. But nothing she smelled was familiar even the slightest bit to her nose. She did not quit though, she could not risk missing something just because she rushed.

Suddenly a smell reached Hermione's nose, she spun around taking up a kneeling stance a fireball forming in her hand. But she did not need to worry as Fleur came running towards her looking, but angry and relieved to see Hermione again. She slowed to a stop panting slightly hard and looking a little shaken up by something.

"Where have you been!" Fleur shouted, glaring lightly at Hermione, "You were not at the first turn off like you said you would be, even if I waited for nearly two minutes for you to show up!"

"I have not been anywhere, I ran to the first turn off, this one. Before deciding to wait for you, just like I said I would," Hermione said looking Fleur directly in the eye.

"First turn off, that was about ten turns ago," Fleur said confused.

"That is because the maze is shifting," Hermione said.

"Shifting," Fleur said confused.

"Yes I ran straight here, without seeing any paths that turned off, yet you had to take nearly ten different paths to reach this point," Hermione said getting up.

"I guess that makes sense. I am just glad I found you, there are creatures in this maze that are well beyond what I thought they would have," Fleur said, glaring back behind her.

"I bet, what did you run into? If I can ask," Hermione asked.

"You Care of Magically Creatures Professors, personal experiment," Fleur said glaring back again before pointing down a path, "That way is towards the center of the maze."

Hermione nodded, "Want me to lead, and you can follow to guard behind us?"

"Sure, I rather not meet another one of those creatures face to face again," Fleur said.

Hermione nodded and lead the way down the path, Fleur had indicated. They traveled quickly not wanting to linger in case the maze closed this path on them. As they moved along they soon heard the cannon firing again, but it was very faint. Now all three champions were in the maze.

Soon they came to a turn and using the 'Point me' spell with Fleur's wand, and focusing on the center of the pitch as their direction. They took the right path. Time seem too slowly to a crawl, as what felt like hours started passing as they moved along, never seeming to get anywhere, nor meeting anything. And with all the walls and paths looking almost like prefect replicas it was hard to tell they had even moved at all.

Hermione and Fleur did not like this at all. They both felt they should have met something by now, a creature or enchantment, it did not matter. But still they had not found anything. When they did come to across something it was rather simple, a mist covered an area of the path they were headed towards. Hermione looked at fleur and shrugged.

"Go through the unknown magical mist, or backtrack and find a way around?" Hermione asked.

"Well why not go through, it looks to be harmless enough," Fleur pointed out.

"And so was the 'Small' dragon, I had to steal and egg from in the first task," Hermione pointed out.

"Okay fair enough, well, we could try and back track, but who knows how fair we would have to go back," Fleur pointed out.

"I am not too worried if we had to. Krum will probably be having a hard time like we are," Hermione pointed out.

"That is if we are lucky?" Fleur asked.

"Nope, that if he is lucky, we only had to deal with a maze and one and or two obstacles depending on if you want to could that letting pest you face," Hermione said.

"So in short he might have had to face down obstacles than we have," Fleur said thoughtfully.

"Though now that I think about it we should be able to move forward," Hermione said looking down the path.

"How, I thought you wanted to avoid the mist," Fleur said.

"I do, but your forgetting one thing," Hermione said walking over to the walls of the maze.

"What is that," Fleur said confused.

"Simple really, we clime along the walls, as they are just huge bushes, and make our way across," Hermione said, climbing up the maze wall.

Fleur blinked before shaking her head; that was the simple and logical choice. As such she was soon climbing up it and working her way over the mist. It took a few minutes but soon they were safely on the other side of the mist. Once on solid ground they sped off down the path again, this time though they encountered something that was not going to be as easily beaten.

"Pass me is the shortest way to what you seek, but to pass you must answer this riddle," a Sphinx said standing in front of them.