Chapter 34

The Third Task

Draco's POV

With the third task coming, Katherine was getting more nervous everyday. I was doing my best to keep her calm but I knew I could only do so much. The night before the task I met her at our usual meeting place. She was looking out towards the stadium and I went up behind her. I put my arms around her and she sighed.

"Something's not right about all this. And Moody has something to do with it." she said.

"Kat you can't be serious. He's a professor!"

"So was Quirrel." she said.

"Alright you have a point. So say Moody is involved, we haven't any proof." I said.

She looked at me, I knew that look.

"No, no, no! He's a complete nutter."

She grabbed the front of my shirt.

"Draco please. I can't do this alone." she said.

I looked into her beautiful brown eyes. I couldn't let her go alone.

"Then we better get moving."

She smiled and I was rewarded with a kiss. We went to Moody's office. Katherine told me that Moody's eye could see through invisibility cloaks, so there was really no use in using her brother's. She unlocked the office door, and thankfully he wasn't there. We still had to be careful.

"I've got a really bad feeling about this." I whispered.

I nearly jumped through the ceiling when a trunk started to shout and jump. I pulled Katherine away, but she didn't seem afraid.

"It screamed help." she said.

She walked forward and tried a few different spells to open it, but it wasn't working.

"It's a muggle lock Kat."

She looked at the lock.

"Accio key!" She said.

Nothing happened.

"Moody must have it on him. I could pick his pocket."

"Katherine listen to me."

She turned and looked at me.

"Something's not right with Moody. He may be under a curse. We have to tell Dumbledore or Snape. We have to tell someone else." I said.

Katherine's POV

Even though I knew Draco was probably right, I had to have my answers now!

"We have to do something now!"

"Katherine! Remember his eye? He can see out of the back of his head! He would see you and there's something off about him. Please, let's just go to Snape or Dumbledore, or preferably both." he said.

I sighed but I nodded. He smiled gratefully and kissed me. I loved kissing Draco. I put my hands on his shoulders and then we separated. He tucked my hair behind my ear and we walked down to the Quidditch Stadium. We went our separate ways and I met up with Pavarti and Padama. I knew Padama knew about Draco and myself. They went to find seats and I went to see my brother.

"Harry."

He looked at me and I ran to hug him.

"I don't like this. Something's waiting for you in there."

"Kat I'm sure there's a lot of things in there. I'll be fine. If I can survive a dragon I'm pretty sure I can survive a maze."

I sighed bit nodded. I kissed his cheek and then hugged him once more. The Weasley's had come to watch and I saw Fleur looking at Bill. I smiled and shook my head. Mrs. Weasley gave me a comforting smile and I nodded. I stood with Padama and Pavarti and I watched Harry and the others enter the maze.

Draco's POV

When Potter went into the maze I looked at Katherine. She looked really scared. I wished I could hold her and tell her everything would be alright. She looked over at me and I gave a small nod, she did the same and now all we had to do was wait.

Harry's POV

The cup was a portkey! And now Cedric was dead and Voldomort was back. Pettigrew cut off his own hand.

"My wand Wormtail, give me my wand."

He gave it to him and in turn he gave him back his hand. Death Eaters started to appear around him.

"Welcome my friends. Thirty years it's been, and yet you stand before me as though it were only yesterday. I confess myself disappointed, not one of you tried to find me."

He started to slash at the hooded figures and then he walked over to one.

"Not even you….Lucius."

Mr. Malfoy was one of them!

"My lord had I detected any sign or even a whisper of your whereabouts…."

"There more than signs my friend, and more than whispers."

"I assure you I never renounced the old ways. The face I've been obliged to present each day since your absence, that is my true mask." Lucius said.

"I returned." Pettigrew said.

Voldemort turned on him.

"Out of fear, not loyalty. Still you have proved yourself useful these past few months."

"Thank you master."

I saw Voldemort walk over to Cedric's body.

"Such a handsome boy."

"Don't touch him!" I snapped.

He turned and smiled at me.

"And Harry! I'd almost forgotten you were here, standing on the bones of my father. And where is your dear sweet sister?" he laughed. "I'd introduce you but word is you're almost as famous as me these days. The boy who lived. Shall I truly reveal what happened that night fourteen years ago? Shall I divulge how I truly lost my powers? It was love! You see when dear, sweet Lily Potter gave her life to protect her only son and daughter, she provided the ultimate protection. I could not touch him, either of them. But no matter, no matter." He was in front of me now. "Things have changed. I can touch you now!"

He touched my scar and I screamed in agony.

"Astonishing what a few drops of your blood will do eh Harry?"

I suddenly fell to the ground.

"Pick up your wand Potter. I said pick it up, get up. Get up! You've been taught to duel I presume yes? First we bow to each other." I would not bow. "Come on now Harry the niceties must be observed, Dumbledore would not want you to forget your manners now would he? I said bow!"

Pain wracked my body and he forced me to bow.

"That's better. And now…."

He cast another spell, the cruciatis curse and I fell to the ground.

"Atta boy Harry, your parents would be proud. Especially your filthy mongrel mother. I'm going to kill you Harry Potter, I'm going to destroy you and then your sweet sister. After tonight no one will ever question my powers again. After tonight if they speak of you, they will only speak of how you begged for death. And I, being a merciful lord, obliged. Get up!"

He had me stand and I ran and hid behind a gravestone.

"Don't you turn your back on me Harry Potter! I want you to look at me when I kill you! I want to see the lights leave your eyes!"

I took a deep breath and then came out.

"Have it your way then."

We both cast our spells and they met in the middle.

"Do nothing! He's mine to finish, he's mine!"

That was when they came. Ghost like figures now stood beside me. Cedric was there, an old muggle man and….my parents.

"Harry, when the connection is broken you must get the portkey! We can delay him for a moment to give you time but only for a moment! Do you understand?" dad asked.

I nodded.

"Harry, bring my body back to my father. Bring my body back."

I nodded.

"Tell Katherine we love her." Dad said.

I nodded again.

"Let go, sweetheart you're ready. Let go. Let go!"

I let go and then ran to Cedric's body.

"Accio portkey!"

It flew to me and we went back.

Katherine's POV

Harry and Cedric both came back and I smiled in relief. At least, I was smiling at first, until I realized there was something terribly wrong. Cedric's eyes were frozen open and he wasn't breathing. He was dead. I covered my mouth with my hands and Fleur started to scream. Harry was crying over Cedric's body and I tried to run down. I was stopped by a few ministry officials.

"Let me go! That's my brother! Let me go!"

I continued to struggle but they wouldn't let me go. Snape came and stopped me.

"You need to calm yourself. Fighting the ministry will get you nowhere."

I saw Moody taking my brother away. I looked at Snape.

"Something's not right with Professor Moody. He's hiding something. You said something about someone stealing from you?" he nodded. "It might be him. Draco and I were in his office and there was some trunk. It was screaming 'help'. What if he's the one making the polyjuice potion!" I said.

He seemed to be thinking about it. His eyes went wide and he nodded.

"Please just leave this to me. Stay with Draco or your friends. Don't follow us."

I nodded, but I never made any promises. I saw him, Dumbledore and a couple others leave and I followed them.

"Severus…" Dumbledore said.

I heard Moody gargling and then Dumbledore started to ask him questions.

"Do you know who I am?"

"Albus Dumbledore." he hissed.

"Are you Alastor Moody? Are ya?"

"No."

"Is he in this room? Is he in this room!?"

There was silence but I heard them turning.

"Harry get away from there!" Dumbledore said.

I heard the chest being unlocked and several metallic clinks.

"Are you alright Alastor?" Dumbledore asked.

I heard a voice, but it sounded like it was coming from the ground.

"I'm sorry Albus."

"That's Moody but then who's….."

I went inside and to my brother. Snape sighed in frustration but said nothing. Dumbledore found one of Moody's flasks and Snape smelled it.

"Polyjuice potion."

"Now we know who's been stealing it from your store Severus."

Snape looked at me and I smiled a bit. He nodded and Dumbledore looked into the chest.

"We'll get you up in a minute."

I heard a chair creaking and groaning. The Moody in the chair was twitching violently. I raised my brows as he turned into a smaller man. He was a but scary looking.

"Barty Crouch Jr." Dumbledore said.

"I'll show you mine if you show me yours." he said.

He rolled up his sleeve. I recognized the mark as the green mark I'd seen in the sky at the World Cup.

"Your arm Harry."

They pulled him forward and showed him his forearm. It was cut and bleeding.

"You know what this means don't you? He's back. And he'll kill you, and your sister. Lord Voldemort has returned."

"Send an owl to Azkaban. I think they'll find they're missing a prisoner."

Dumbledore started to take Harry and I away.

"I'll be welcomed back like a hero!"

I rolled my eyes.

"Perhaps. Personally I've never had much time for heroes." Dumbledore said.

I smirked and shook my head. Snape found me later.

"What you did was foolish and dangerous. You know that don't you?"

I nodded.

"But had you not, we might not have gotten to him in time. You did a good thing Katherine."

"I wasn't alone. Draco was with me."

He smirked.

"I don't doubt it. You two are always together."

I smiled and nodded.

"All the students are to gather in the Great hall. Come along now."

I nodded and went down to the Great Hall. I sat next to my brother. He took my hand but didn't look at me. Dumbledore finally spoke after a long silence.

"Today we acknowledge, a really terrible loss. Cedric Diggory was as you all know, exceptionally hard working, intricately fair minded. And most importantly, a fierce, fierce friend! I think therefore you have the right to know exactly how he died. You see, Cedric Diggory was murdered, by Lord Voldemort. The Ministry of Magic does not wish me to tell you this. But I think not to do so would be an insult to his memory. Now the pain we all feel at this loss reminds me, reminds us, that though we may come from different places and speak in different tongues, our hearts beat as one. In light of recent events the bonds of friendship we made this year will be more important than ever. Remember that and Cedric Diggory will not have died in vain, you remember that. And we'll celebrate a boy who was kind and honest, brave and true right to the very end."

I closed my eyes and the tears fell down my face. Harry squeezed my hand and I hugged him. The fact that he'd had to see it all happen made it worse. Would the death ever end? How many more needed to die before Voldemort was finally gone?