Chapter 38: Coming out of the Maze
The Third and final task in the Triwizard Tournament was upon us. The sun was just setting as the twins and I marched down to the field-which now held a very large green maze. We met most the of the Weasley family up in the stands. They had all come to support Harry.
Hermione, coming with Ron, sat down next to me. She didn't say anything to me; instead she stared straight ahead at the maze, obviously fearing for Harry's safety. "He'll be fine," I whispered to her. "There are all kinds of ways for them to send help signals and find their way out."
"I know that," Hermione said, "I just really want him to win now."
I grinned at her. She was right-we were all party beyond fearing for Harry's safety, now that he had proven himself to do well in the Tournament. His chances on winning were actually very high.
While waiting, George passed out Harry Potter badges and flags. Hermione and I used our wands to write "Go Harry" on our faces. We all cheered loudly when Harry came out, accompanied by Dumbledore. Cedric and his father followed them, and Hermione and I clapped along with Hufflepuff students and some other students from Ravenclaw and Slytherin.
Viktor Krum came out with the Durmstrang headmaster, looking sullen. Fleur came out last with the Beauxbatons headmaster, who was a very tall and large woman.
The champions' goal was to maneuver through the maze, passing obstacles, and be the first to find and collect the Triwizard Cup. Harry and Cedric-tied for first- lined up at the entrance to the maze. Our little section clapped even louder as they went in. Krum, and then Fleur eventually followed.
I blew a hair out of my face, but continued to clap with the rest of the crowd for a short while after the champions went in. But, like the Second Task, the Third task was quite dull for a while, leaving the crowd to wonder what challenges the four champions faced in the dark maze.
Occasionally, if you listened closely, you could hear shouts and yells coming from the maze. One particular high-pitched scream from Fleur Delacour made me shiver. I looked at Hermione nervously, who looked equally as frightened. I scooted closer to Fred, wondering if my new friend was alright.
We waited and waited and waited, as I felt queasier and queasier.
I let my head rest on Fred's shoulder, trying my best not to look as nervous as I was. Just as I did this, I heard someone-not from the maze- scream. Everyone in the crowd looked down at the entrance to the maze. There was Harry Potter on the ground with the Triwizard Cup…and Cedric Diggory next to him.
This was no time to be clapping or cheering. Something was dreadfully wrong. Hermione grabbed my arm tightly.
Harry was crying and shaking and yelling, but we couldn't hear what he was saying. At one point, Harry stood up, fully revealing the unconscious Cedric. No-not unconscious. Cedric was dead.
More screams and cries broke out. Cedric's father rushed down from the stands toward his dead son. Teachers tried to control the crowd as Dumbledore went over to Cedric's still body. I noticed Harry being led back up to the castle by Professor Moody.
Hermione was crying, and I desperately wanted to do something. But what could I have done? All I could do was wait with the crowd for the answers we all wanted.
Dumbledore then addressed Snape and McGonagall. They all suddenly stormed towards the castle. At this time, I knew what we had to do. I stood up, beckoned to the twins and Ron, and dragged Hermione-who was still holding my arm-along with me back to the castle.
Fred, George, and Ron did not seem to know what I was doing. But Hermione understood. She felt what I felt- that Harry was still in danger. I didn't notice that the Weasley family was following us until we got to the castle.
We searched through the corridors until I saw the hospital wing. We had to start somewhere, so we went inside. Harry was not there, but Mrs. Weasley still badged Madam Pomfrey about where he was. Poor Madam Pomfrey did not seem to know. But just at that moment, Harry came in with a black dog and Professor Dumbledore.
Mrs. Weasley was the first to rush toward him, but Dumbledore stopped her and told us we should not question Harry and let him have some peace and rest. He also told Madam Pomfrey that the dog was to stay with Harry.
I looked at Hermione, remembering something she had told me about Sirius Black at this time last year. "Is that-"
Hermione nodded.
Our group grabbed chairs and sat around Harry's bed. He soon fell asleep.
Harry slept for a long while. He was still asleep when Professor McGonagall, Snape, and the Minister of Magic came into the hospital wing. They were yelling loudly. Shortly after, Dumbledore came in the room.
I saw Harry stir in his bed, and I knew he was awake. We all listened to the adults scream at each other. I didn't know much about what they were saying, but I picked up that a man named Barty Crouch, who was a follower of Voldemort, had received the Dementor's Kiss just now inside the castle. Dumbledore was angry at this. Dumbledore was also describing to the disbelieving Minister that when Harry had touched the Triwizard Cup in the maze, he had been sent to a grave yard and witnessed the return of Lord Voldemort.
At this point, Harry spoke up. He joined the yelling, saying he had seen Lord Voldemort, but the Minister still refused to believe him. Dumbledore and Harry and the Minister argued back and forth until the Minister of Magic eventually left the wing after giving Harry his winnings from the Tournament, still not believing that Lord Voldemort had returned.
I wondered to myself how someone could be the Minister of Magic and still be a person of great stupidity.
Dumbledore immediately began giving almost everyone in the room orders, and I realized for the first time that night, we were in the beginnings of a war.
To add to the craziness of the night, the black dog turned into just who I suspected- Sirius Black. Mrs. Weasley and the twins looked shocked, but were harshly reassured by Ron that he was harmless. It probably wasn't the right time to be thinking about this, but while I looked for the first time at Sirius Black's sullen, but handsome face, I wondered about what my Aunt Tara thought when she looked at him all those years ago. He was her fiancé, after all.
Eventually, Sirius Black and Dumbledore left the room, leaving myself, the Weasleys, Hermione, and Harry in the hospital wing. Harry took a sleeping potion and was knocked out immediately.
We all slowly trickled out of the hospital wing, leaving Ron and Hermione to stay with Harry. The twins and I said goodbye to the Weasley family, and headed back to the dormitories.
In the warm familiarity of the Gryffindor common room, I still felt cold and frightened. Things would never be the same again. Voldemort was back.
Just as Fred and George were about to head up to the boys' dormitory, I grabbed them both close and hugged them tightly. And I sobbed.