Author Notes – Another chapter done and it really does feel like we're approaching the end now. Just two chapters and an epilogue to go. I'm quite proud of how the plot begins to come together in this chapter and I hope you enjoy some of the payoff. Ten points to anyone who knows the meaning of the chapter title without having to Google it. Thanks to all my readers, as always, and please review and share.

Rating – PG.

Note – I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters, that privilege belongs to JK Rowling.

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Philidor Position

It was a beautiful summer Saturday morning, and instead of spending their breakfast time in the hot and stuffy Great Hall, Harry, Ron and Hermione decided to spend some time down by the lake. It was deserted there at that moment, all the other students were eating. They sat down in the shade of one of the largest oak trees, enjoying the weather and each other's company. Harry felt relieved to have something else to think about rather than what was happening between Cedric and himself.

He had not seen Cedric since their encounter on the stairs the day before. Harry had never felt so despondent about their relationship; it seemed that no matter what he said or did, he could not get through to Cedric the danger that his boyfriend could be putting himself in. When he had explained the situation to Ron and Hermione, Hermione had immediately suggested that Harry tell a teacher what was happening. But Harry couldn't bring himself to do it; not only would it get Cedric into a whole lot of trouble and probably permanently damage their relationship, but Harry also felt it was important that he could convince Cedric by himself, and not have to rely on the coercive power of the teachers to help him. He just hoped that he was able to convince Cedric soon.

'I just can't help thinking that you should go and talk to Cedric,' said Hermione, after they had been sitting in silence for just a few minutes.

'Hermione,' moaned Ron. 'Harry said he doesn't want to talk about it so just leave him alone for a bit, all right?' Hermione pursed her lips but didn't say anything else. Harry knew that she was just concerned, but this was something he had to deal with on his own.

'It gives me the creeps knowing that those things are just beyond the boundaries of the castle,' said Harry, pointing vaguely in the direction of the main gates. 'Waiting to attack at any moment. We haven't heard anything from Dumbledore or Merlin for days now.'

'Well, no news is good news as they say,' said Hermione, clearly trying to sound upbeat. 'For all we know, they could be on the cusp of winning.'

'Well, let's hope so,' replied Harry, getting to his feet. He walked to the edge of the lake and looked down into the water. It looked incredibly inviting, even though he knew that all sort of dangerous creatures lived under the surface. The rippling surface of the water reminded him of the time he had spent with Cedric in the Prefects' Bathroom only a few short weeks ago. How much had changed between them since then he didn't quite know.

'It will be all right you know Harry,' said Hermione, who had moved to stand just behind him. Harry tried to smile, but he couldn't help thinking about how much he wanted Cedric to be with them now, for everything to go back to the way it was before. 'You and Cedric will work through this, you always have before. You need each other.'

'Yes we do, I just don't know why he won't listen to me.'

'Because you're both as stubborn as each other,' said Hermione simply. 'Come on, when both of you get an idea in your head, it's very difficult for you to listen to anyone else. Cedric's convinced that his father wants to mend their relationship, and he'll do anything it takes to make that happen. Tell me that you wouldn't do the same.'

'I guess you're right. Come on then, we'd better go and find him.'

Together, the three of them walked back to the castle and into the Great Hall. Harry checked his watch and found that breakfast had just finished. He looked over at the Hufflepuff table but found that Cedric was nowhere to be found. He felt his stomach drop a mile; surely Cedric couldn't have found a way to leave the castle already, surely he would have told Harry if that was what he was going to do?

'Morning Harry,' said Ernie Macmillan jovially as he walked past.

'Morning,' said Harry, not really paying attention, but then he realised who he was talking to. 'Ernie,' he said, grabbing the Hufflepuff by the shoulder. 'Don't suppose you know whether Cedric was at breakfast do you?'

'As a matter of fact he was,' said Ernie in his usual pompous manner. 'He was sitting just a few seats down from me with his friend James. They looked like they were having a very in-depth conversation.'

'Oh right,' replied Harry. 'Er...thanks Ernie.' Ernie nodded, smiled to Ron and Hermione, and then continued on his way out of the Great Hall. 'At least we know he's still in the castle. He must have gone back to the Hufflepuff dormitories.'

'Well, that's a relief,' said Hermione. 'What do you think we should do?'

'I don't know,' said Harry. On the one hand, he wanted to run to the Hufflepuff dormitories and plead with Cedric to listen to him, but he couldn't help feeling that this would just make things worse. Perhaps Cedric had already heeded his warning and wasn't going to leave the castle after all. Harry desperately hoped that that was true. But he couldn't help feeling that something wasn't right; he needed to be sure.

'Hey Ernie!' he called, running to catch up with his classmate. Ernie turned round as Harry hurried over to him. 'Listen, I need you to do me a favour. Can you go the Hufflepuff Common Room and find out if Cedric's in there? I can't get in obviously but I really need to know if he's there. But don't tell him I asked you to, just let me know if he's there. Please,' he added quickly at the end.

'OK then,' said Ernie, sounding a little hesitant. 'Just wait here and I'll go and find out.'

'Harry, what's happening?' asked Hermione, as she and Ron caught up with him in the corridor. 'Why did you go running off like that?'

'I just need to know where Cedric is,' said Harry, feeling the same sense of worry that he had when Cedric had been absent from the Great Hall. 'I've got this feeling that something isn't right. I hope I'm wrong.'

They waited in silence for a minute or two, then Ernie reappeared at the end of the corridor and walked back over to them. 'He's not in there,' he said. 'I asked a few people and they said he left about fifteen minutes ago with James.'

If Harry was thinking rationally, he might have considered that there were any number of reasons why Cedric might have left the Hufflepuff Common Room on a Saturday morning, but right now, he could only think of one. 'Come on!' he said to Ron and Hermione, and starting sprinting back along the corridor, leaving a confused Ernie behind.

'Harry, just stop and think!' said Hermione, panting as she and Ron tried to keep up with him. 'This doesn't necessarily mean what you think it does!'

Harry ignored her, however, and ran into the Entrance Hall. He looked wildly around trying to decide which way to go. From out of nowhere, the idea of Dumbledore's office sprang into his head. He had no idea where it had come from, but it seemed as good a place as any. He took the Grand Staircase two at a time. As he reached the Second Floor corridor, he almost collided with Cedric's friend James going in the opposite direction.

'Ah, there you are Harry,' said James. 'Cedric asked me to find you.'

'What?' said Harry, casting around, looking for his boyfriend. 'Where is he? What's the message? What's going on?'

'If you calm down a minute I'll tell you,' replied James. 'Cedric's left the castle through the fire in Dumbledore's office.'

Harry felt a surge of panic. 'What?' he cried. 'How could he have done? Why did you let him?'

'Cedric does as he wants. He's never listened to me and I doubt he'll start anytime soon. Anyway, if you'll let me finish. He got a package this morning from his father: a watch that's a family heirloom. He took that as confirmation that it was his father who wanted to meet him and set off straight away.'

'Of course,' said Hermione, patting Harry on the shoulder in an obvious attempt to calm him down that failed utterly. 'The castle's in lockdown, but Dumbledore's fire is always connected to the Floo Network. I read it in Hogwarts: A History.'

'Well, we've got to get after him,' said Harry. 'I don't care if he got a watch in the post or not. He still shouldn't be leaving the castle on his own.'

He began to sprint towards Dumbledore's office but James called him back. 'Cedric told me to give you one last message,' he said. Harry looked expectantly at him. James looked as though he was struggling to say whatever it was. 'He told me to tell you...er, that he loves you.' Harry felt his throat constrict and he was completely unable to say anything. He merely nodded and then turned around again and started running, Ron and Hermione in his wake.

'But Harry,' said Hermione. 'If Cedric's father really did send him the watch then perhaps it is what Cedric thought.'

'I don't believe that for a second,' replied Harry, continuing to run as top speed. 'This thing that we're all fighting is unbelievably clever, it would have found a way to trap Cedric. Don't you understand, Cedric's one of the best people anyone has ever met. But he's got one weakness. If that creature wanted to trap him it would have known exactly how to do it. It will have gone for his one insecurity, his relationship with his father.'

They reached Dumbledore's office to find the gargoyle already having moved aside and the way clear. Harry raced up the stairs to the door and knocked. There was no reply so he knocked again. 'It must be empty,' said Ron, as he and Hermione caught up with Harry at the top of the staircase. Harry tried the handle and the door opened.

The office looked much as it ever did, except that Dumbledore and Cedric were nowhere to be seen. Hermione walked over to the fireplace and examined it closely. She reached out her hand and brushed it over the surface. 'Traces of Floo Powder,' she muttered. She turned back to the other two. 'This fire's been used in the last few minutes.'

'He's already gone,' said Harry despondently, collapsing into a chair. But then he spotted Fawkes on his usual perch and leapt to his feet. He moved over to the phoenix and looked into its eyes. 'Fawkes, listen to me. Cedric's in the most terrible danger. I need you to go and find Dumbledore. Please, can you do that for me?' Fawkes stared at him for a moment and then disappeared in a bright ball of flame.

Harry sat back down and stared into the fire, hoping against hope that he was wrong, that Cedric would be fine and all his worry was for nothing. But in the back of his mind he knew that he wasn't wrong, Cedric was in danger and Harry needed to get after him as soon as possible. But experience had taught him to wait before he rushed in, to wait for Dumbledore who would know what to do. That was what Cedric would have told him to do. Cedric who he still loved just as much as he had when he had first told him that.

Hermione sat down in the chair next to him and took his hand in her own. 'Cedric will be all right Harry,' she said. 'This may not be what you think it is, and even if it is, he can look after himself, you know that.'

'I know,' said Harry, trying to contain the feeling of misery that was threatening to overpower him. 'But how's he going to stop an army of those shades? No one could fight them all off on their own. Even the Founders couldn't do it.'

At that moment, there was another burst of flame, and Dumbledore appeared from nowhere, clutching the tail feathers of his phoenix and revolving slowly on the spot. He released Fawkes, who flew back to his perch, and marched across the office to stand beside Harry. 'What's happened?'

'It's Cedric,' said Harry, trying to contain the relief he felt at the sight of the Headmaster. 'He's left the castle. He's gone to the Ministry of Magic.'

'He's gone?' repeated Dumbledore, and for the first time Harry saw the older man look completely dumbfounded. 'How? Why?'

Harry took a deep breath and explained everything that had happened in the last few days: Cedric receiving the letter from his father, their argument, the watch, and all the way up to meeting James on the Grand Staircase. 'And he told us that Cedric had used your fireplace in order to travel to the Ministry. Now we don't know what's happening to him.'

Dumbledore turned away for a moment. 'I see,' he said quietly. 'But how could he have gained access to my office? How did you gain access for that matter?'

'The office was already open sir,' said Hermione quickly, anxious to head off any telling-off that might be coming their way. 'The gargoyle had already moved aside.'

Dumbledore considered Hermione for a second, and then turned to face the fireplace. Removing a small pot from his desk, he took out a handful of Floo Powder and threw it into the fire. 'Merlin! A moment of your time if you please.'

A few seconds passed and then Merlin appeared in the fireplace in a great wave of green flame and smoke. He extracted himself from the grate and began to wipe the soot of his white linen suit, looking disgusted. 'You called Albus?' he said, removing his white fedora hat and blowing on it, causing a cloud of dust to ascend into the air. 'I've got quite a lot to concentrate on at the moment. The game and all that.'

'This is important,' said Dumbledore patiently. 'It seems that there is now a flaw in the plan.' Merlin raised his eyebrows. 'Cedric has gone to the Ministry of Magic.'

Merlin stared at him for a second. 'But that's not possible. I'd have known.' He turned to one of the chessboards on Dumbledore's desk. They all looked at it. Harry was horrified, but not surprised to see, the remaining black rook move from its position of safety, across the board to stand directly across from the white queen. Merlin took a step backwards, a look of horror on his face. 'Oh no,' he whispered. 'This can't be happening.'

'Well it is,' replied Dumbledore. 'Now you know the rules of the game. Only our pieces can go and rescue him. I suggest that Harry and I leave for the Ministry immediately.' There were cries of protest from Ron and Hermione but Dumbledore silenced them by raising his hand.

'But Harry's too important!' cried Merlin. 'We can't risk exposing our King to danger! What if it's a trap?'

'It's almost certainly a trap,' replied Dumbledore. 'But we don't have time to do anything else. We must leave at once or it will be too late.'

'Anyway,' cut in Harry. 'If you thought I was staying behind when Cedric's in terrible danger then you've got another thing coming.'

Merlin looked from Harry to Dumbledore, as though hoping that someone would say something to make the situation better. 'Very well,' he said in the end. 'But I'm coming with you. I might not be able to do any fighting but I know our opponent better than anyone. He'll be waiting for us and he'll try to kill me anyway.'

'You two will find the other teachers,' Dumbledore said to Ron and Hermione. 'Tell me where we have gone and that they must get all the students into the Great Hall. If we fail then there will soon be an attack on the castle; they need to be prepared.' Neither of them moved. 'Immediately,' said Dumbledore. Ron and Hermione looked at each other for a second, and then turned and left the office.

'Right then gentlemen,' said Dumbledore, turning to face Harry and Merlin. Harry could feel the tension in the room, he felt worried himself. But he was absolutely resolute, Cedric needed his help and he had the two most powerful wizards he had ever met alongside him. Surely everything was going to be fine. 'We have work to do.' He extended both his arms in front of him and Harry and Merlin took one each. 'Let's go into the fire.'

'Sir,' said Harry, struck by a sudden thought. 'If you're coming with us, what piece on the board are you?'

'Now Harry,' said Dumbledore, beginning to turn on the spot. 'You should have known that I've only ever been one of the pawns.' Harry couldn't help but smile as he felt himself being sucked through what felt like a very narrow tube and could sense that his feet had left the ground. He was flying along in the darkness, Dumbledore and Merlin at his side.

Harry felt his feet hit solid ground again and he opened his eyes. He was standing in a giant hall that led to a vast atrium, the walls covered with many fireplaces. He guessed that this must be the Ministry of Magic. It was truly impressive; Harry had never been in the place before, but he couldn't help but momentarily forget all his troubles and marvel at the architectural magnificence of it. A moment later, he felt Dumbledore grasp his shoulder. 'We should get going Harry, there's no time to lose.'

'There's no one here,' observed Merlin, as they started to walk purposefully towards the golden gates beyond which Harry supposed must lie the entrance to the Ministry itself. They passed a beautiful fountain, around which stood five golden statues – a wizard, a witch, a centaur, a goblin and a house elf. Harry didn't have time to consider the symbolism of it but he thought that the non-human creatures looked just a little too happy to be credible. 'Is it normal for there to be so few people?' continued Merlin.

'Not at all,' replied Dumbledore, who had drawn his wand. Harry decided to do the same. 'In fact, at this time of day, I would think it's pretty much unheard of. Stay alert you two, I think all our fears are about to be confirmed.'

Just as they reached about six feet from the golden gates, one of the shade creatures appeared from behind the fountain, its blank face observing them closely. Harry cried out a warning and Dumbledore turned, just as the creature raised one of its arms and fired a bolt of energy. Dumbledore reacted with lightning quick speed, conjuring a silver shield that enveloped the three of them and deflected the bolt. 'Seems we have a scout on our hands,' muttered Dumbledore, as the creature disappeared behind the fountain. 'Stay back you two.'

Dumbledore strode purposefully forward, as though tempting the creature to attack him. Harry couldn't help but feel scared as Dumbledore walked, undefended, into terrible danger. The shade reappeared beside the golden statue of the witch and fired another bolt of energy at Dumbledore, but missed. Dumbledore drew back his wand like a whip and brought it forward, severing the golden statue of the witch from its plinth and causing it to topple sideways, crushing the shade beneath it. 'Seems our opponent is not the only one who can spring traps,' said Dumbledore, walking back over to join the other two. 'Though I must remember to write to Cornelius to apologise about the mess.'

'Come along,' said Merlin, looking around suspiciously, as though expecting more of the shade creatures to appear at any moment. 'Let's get a move on.'

'Wait a moment,' said Harry. 'We don't know where in the Ministry Cedric might be, and if we go rushing off in any direction, we might be too late.'

'Quite right Harry,' said Dumbledore. He waved his wand but nothing happened. Harry and Merlin looked expectantly at him. 'Just checking for signs of life. It seems that someone is being held in the Department of Mysteries on the ninth floor. Seems as good a place as any to start our search don't you think?'

'Lead the way then Albus,' said Merlin. He looked at Harry and it was like he could sense what Harry was thinking. 'I know Cedric's still alive Harry. If he wasn't his piece would have disappeared from the board.' Merlin snapped his fingers and the chess board appeared in front of him, the black rook still in position. He snapped his fingers again and it vanished. 'We can do this, but you mustn't give up hope.'

Harry merely nodded, and walked with the other two to the golden gates. Dumbledore pointed his wand at them and they opened, with much groaning and creaking. 'I thought we may as well take the quick route. Jump.' Harry looked at him, but Dumbledore had already taken both Merlin and him by the arms and led them off the edge. Harry expected to drop straight down at breakneck speed, but instead they gradually descended through the lift shaft, as though gliding slowly through the air.

They passed several more sets of golden gates until Dumbledore said, 'This is our stop.' They froze in midair and Dumbledore pointed his wand and the gates and they too opened. They stepped into a brightly lit corridor. 'This is the second lowest level of the Ministry,' explained Dumbledore. 'The Department of Mysteries. Below this level are the courtrooms and that's it.' He stepped forward. 'Be careful. This Department is kept hidden away for a reason.'

Harry looked around, they were in a corridor with black-tiled walls, but it seemed that there were no other rooms or offices leading off it. Squinting, Harry could make out a door at the other end of the corridor and a set of stairs leading downwards off to the left, which Harry assumed must lead to the courtrooms that Dumbledore had referred to. Harry couldn't help but feel that he had been there before, but he knew that this was clearly absurd. Dumbledore strode off down the corridor, Harry and Merlin hurrying to come up with him.

'Where do you think the enemy is?' asked Merlin. 'Interesting that we've not been attacked yet.' Harry couldn't help but notice a hint of disappointment in his voice. 'That means he's planning something much worse.'

'Of that there is little doubt,' replied Dumbledore, keeping his wand held out in front of him. 'That shade we destroyed in the atrium was clearly an early warning system. Our opponent already knows we're here, and it's planning something.'

They reached the door at the end of the corridor. It, too, was polished black, except a gold handle. Dumbledore pointed his wand at the lock, there was a click and the door swung open. 'After me I think,' he said and led the other two through it. They were now standing in a circular room, with a dark marble floor that made Harry feel very much like he was standing on water. It was lit only by a few candles but Harry could make out twelve doors arranged around the wall, each without a handle. 'Security mechanism,' explained Dumbledore. 'It's designed to disorientate any unauthorised personnel.'

'This place gives me the creeps,' said Harry, feeling a sudden shiver down his spine.

'It's designed to,' replied Dumbledore. He waved his wand again and then stared at it. 'The amount of magical energy down here is interfering with my wand's ability to find Cedric. It seems that we're just going to have search in room in turn.'

At that moment, one of the doors opened and someone stepped out. Harry stared in utter amazement as Merlin appeared before them. Harry recognised him instantly, the face and the clothes were identical. But that was ridiculous because Merlin was stood beside him, Harry thought wildly, and looked at him. As he did so, the door closed again and the entire room began to spin, making Harry feel mildly sick. A moment later, it stopped and he was able to regain his composure. He stared again at the two Merlins, who were looking at each other with the same bemused expression.

'I see,' said the one standing beside Harry. 'Now that really is very clever. I had no idea you could do that.'

'Practice my dear Merlin,' replied the man who had just walked through the door. 'I have known you a long time after all. Copying your form has become quite easy over the years. Oh, the things people think you've done while I've been pretending to be you.'

'I wondered why so many people didn't want to talk to me,' replied Merlin. 'I was always too polite to ask why. I suppose you've been telling Cedric all about how terrible I am, how I've betrayed Dumbledore to you. How boringly predictable.'

'Oh, the betrayal's just the beginning,' replied the other Merlin. 'I've been telling him all about how we've manipulated him from the very start. How his relationship with dearest Harry here is nothing but a sham.'

'What?' exclaimed Harry. 'But that's not true.' He looked wildly from one Merlin to the other, hoping that they would contradict what had just been said. 'We love each other, that's nothing to do with what's been going on, is it?' There was a deathly silence for a few seconds in which Harry could feel what little remained of his hope leaking away.

'Well, now we've cleared that up,' said Merlin. 'You may as well reveal your true form again.' The other Merlin smiled and dissolved once more into the shapeless black cloud that was their opponent. 'Now that's much more comfortable isn't it?'

Indeed, said the creature, its voice once again seeming to come from the air itself. Now you have walked into my trap, I can kill the King and win the game.

Dumbledore stepped in front of Harry and raised his wand. 'I don't think so. Here's what's going to happen. You're going to step aside, we are going to rescue my pupil, and then you will allow us to leave. Otherwise the consequences for you will be severe.'

There was a cold, high laugh that reminded Harry so much of Voldemort that he took a step backwards, the hair of the back of his neck standing up. An empty threat, you are no match for my shades...or me for that matter.

'I think if you go up to the atrium,' replied Dumbledore, a small smile playing across his face. 'You'll find that we're more than a match for your...shade creatures.'

One perhaps. But how many can you kill? The black shape dissolved once more and vanished through one of the doors. There was a beat, and then all twelve doors opened and dozens of shades began to pour out, all identical, their blank faces staring at the three of them. 'Oh dear,' said Merlin. 'I had rather feared that this would happen.'

'Harry, whatever you do, you do not raise your wand,' instructed Dumbledore, who was watching the creatures as they began to encircle the three of them. 'You must find Cedric and get the two of you out of here any way you can. The pleasure of fighting these creatures will be left to me. Do you understand?'

'But Professor, I can't leave you on your –

'Do you understand Harry?'

Harry hesitated for a minute. 'Yes sir,' he said in the end.

At that moment, the creatures all raised their arms and fired. It was chaos from that moment onwards. Harry could feel himself being pulled backwards away from the fight by Merlin as Dumbledore began to duel. Sparks of energy and flashes of light were flying in all directions as the Headmaster tried to fight back the assembled creatures. Harry had never seen anything like it; Dumbledore moved his wand faster than Harry had ever seen anyone, with spells flying in all directions, causing the creatures to stumble and fall.

Harry could barely see in the confusion, but could tell that Dumbledore was struggling to hold all the creatures back. There was another blast of energy, and Harry was thrown backwards by the force of the explosion. He collided with one of the doors along the wall and it burst open, causing him to fall backwards into the room. He hit the floor and felt a sharp pain all along his right side where he collided with the cold, hard ground. As he looked up, the door closed again and Harry could hear it lock itself.

'Harry,' said a familiar voice from behind him. Harry staggered to his feet and looked around. There was Cedric, standing in the middle room under a bright spotlight. He looked terrible, as though someone had been torturing him, but Harry was so relieved to see him that he rushed forward and embraced the older boy.

'Oh Cedric, thank God you're all right,' he said. After a few moments, he realised that Cedric wasn't saying anything. He let Cedric go and stepped backwards, looking at him closely. 'What's the matter?'

'Harry, we've been lied to this whole time. I don't know what's even real or not anymore.' Harry had never seen Cedric look so downtrodden, as though any happiness had just gone from him. It broke Harry's heart to see him like this. 'I can't move,' said Cedric simply. 'There's some sort of spell holding me here.'

Harry raised his wand. 'Finite Incantatem!' he cried. There was a moment where nothing happened and then Cedric staggered forward, clutching his side, and Harry caught him. 'Come on, we need to get out of here.' Harry supported Cedric over the door and listened. He could hear no signs of the battle going on outside, perhaps it had moved on. He directed his wand at the door. 'Alohomora!' It clicked open, and Harry supported Cedric over the threshold and back into the main entrance room.

The room did not spin this time as the door closed, and Harry could see that another of the doors was open. 'Harry, Cedric in here,' said a familiar voice, and Harry led the slightly disoriented Cedric across the room and through the open door.

They were now standing a long, rectangular room lit with a strange sparkling light as though gems were floating in the air, emitting many different colours. All around the room were arranged different types of clocks, each emitting a low ticking sound that together made quite an impressive noise. Harry could also see a cabinet that contained what he recognised immediately as Time-Turners from the one that he and Hermione had used to rescue Sirius almost exactly a year ago. Standing by one of the grandfather clocks was Merlin.

'There you are,' he said, taking a step forwards. 'Dumbledore was able to draw those creatures away from the entrance room, but I don't know where he's gone.'

It was then that Cedric seemed to realise who was talking. He raised his head and stared at Merlin. 'You,' he whispered. And then, without warning, he started forward and drew his wand. But before he made it two steps, he cried out and collapsed his pain, clutching his side.

'Cedric,' said Harry, rushing to the older boy's side and bending down beside him. It was then that Harry realised that the wound on Cedric's side, the one that he had sustained all those weeks on the Quidditch pitch, had opened again and was beginning to bleed.

'He's not in a good way,' said Merlin, examining Cedric closely. 'Seems that wound has opened again. We knew it would if he was put under too much physical pressure. And he looks very much like he's been tortured.'

'I know,' said Harry. 'Why couldn't I have stopped him from coming here?' He couldn't help but feel responsible for all this. And now there was no guarantee that any of them were going to make it out alive. 'We need to find Dumbledore.'

'No,' said Merlin sharply. 'You heard what Albus said. We need to get you and Cedric out of here. The only place safe for you too right now is Hogwarts. Dumbledore will be able to look after himself.'

The door burst open once more. Harry looked up, desperately hoping that it would be Dumbledore, but instead it was two of the shade creatures that crossed the threshold, their blank faces fixed on Harry. Their raised their arms and fired. 'Get down!' Merlin yelled, grabbing Harry and pulling him to the floor. The bolts of energy flew over their heads, missing them by inches, and collided with the cabinet of Time Turners, which exploded in a ball of flame.

For a few seconds, nothing happened, except Harry felt the entire room blur slightly, as though he was looking at it through a particularly foggy pair of glasses. He shook his head, trying to refocus, and the room became clear once again. He looked over at the smouldering cabinet and saw jets of blue light issuing from it, and spiralling around the room. One collided with one of the shades and it vanished from sight immediately.

'What the hell is going on?' asked Harry, looking at Merlin, who looked extremely worried.

'Time distortion,' he muttered, just as Cedric raised his head to look at them. 'Come on, we've got to get out of here now!' With a sudden urgency, Merlin grabbed the two of them by the arm and hauled them to their feet. 'Whatever you do, don't let that blue light touch you, there's no telling what might happen.'

The jets of blue light were getting more frequent and were beginning to collide with the clocks in the room, each one vanishing as it came into contact with the strange energy. As the three of them moved towards the door, the remaining shade raised its arm and fired. 'Look out Harry!' cried Cedric, shoving him to one side and causing both of them to topple over. The jet of energy missed them but Cedric fell right into the path of a beam of blue light. It hit him straight in the chest. He stood frozen for a second, his face caught in an expression of shock, and then vanished.

'Cedric!' Harry shouted, horrified by what had just happened, but Merlin had already grabbed his arm and pulled him out of the room, as the entire place dissolved in the swirling blue light. They stumbled back into the main entrance room and the door closed behind them once more. Harry felt the familiar sensation of the room spinning for a moment and then it stopped again, and he was left standing there once more.

'What happened?' he demanded of Merlin, panic coursing through him. 'What was that stuff? What's happened with Cedric? Tell me!'

'Harry please,' replied Merlin, raising his hand. 'Cedric is in no more danger than he was just now. When that cabinet of Time Turners was destroyed, they started leaking time energy. Anything touched by the time energy is displaced in time and space temporarily.'

'Oh my God,' said Harry, suddenly remembering what had happened to him all those months ago. But then he latched onto one word that Merlin had just said. 'Temporarily?'

'Yes,' replied Merlin. 'Luckily for us, time travel works very much like an elastic band. The further away you go from your present, the stronger the force pulling you back again. Cedric will come back soon Harry, I promise. Now, come on, we need to find Dumbledore and get out of here. Keep your wand drawn, this game is far from over.'

As if answering some unspoken request, the door that led back out to the golden gates and the lift sprang open. 'Let's go,' said Merlin, and he led the way through the door and back out into the black-walled corridor. 'Of course, the only problem we have is that we have no way of knowing where in time Cedric has gone.'

'I have,' said Harry. Merlin looked at him quizzically. 'About five hundred miles north and nine months into the past,' Harry finished simply.