The day before:
He needed to remove the Shacklebolt girl from the equation. She was irritatingly protective of the Potter boy and stuck to his side far too much during tasks for his liking or convenience. The other two Champions could be removed far easier, but it would take extra care to handle the wily older Hogwarts student.
"Diggory," he called out as he dismissed his class. The boy in question shouldered his bag and turned from where he had been conversing with other students as they prepared to leave.
"Sir," Diggory stood before his desk with a polite expression. After spotting the Diggory boy and Shacklebolt tumbling about in the corridor before sneaking into a broom closet months ago, he had kept his eyes on them. He knew they felt they were fooling the rest of the school during the time, and had noticed when they had seemingly fallen out. However, not even that morning he had discovered they were back to canoodling secretly together.
Shacklebolt had been a thorn in his side all year long. So dramatic and self-centered, a spoiled chit who had been given too much room to have her way in life. He despised her.
"I have an extra credit offer for you, my boy," he said as he lifted his wand and centered it between the boy's eyes, which glazed over.
She rounded the corner and collided with something hard. Smacking off whatever it was, she toppled over and hit the dirt hard. Her boyfriend stared down at her with expressionless eyes. With the dark, eerie maze and the fact he shouldn't logically be in there with her, the hairs on the back of her neck stood up.
"Cedric, what are you doing here?" She subtly reached around for her wand which she had dropped in her fall.
"Helping," his voice was cold and hollow, a far cry from his usual easy tone and pleasant demeanor. She scooted backwards, reaching around quickly for her wand.
"Cedric, I think there is something wrong," she said as she turned her eyes from him to seek her wand. Maybe this was a trap, all part of the maze obstacles? Perhaps he was an illusion, or a creature pretending to be him.
Before she could react, a hard body covered herself, forcing her to the ground as cold hands wrapped around her neck. She let out a strangled scream struggling to flip him off of her. Cedric was silent as he held her down, his hands squeezing her neck tighter and tighter. Her face felt hot, her lungs burning as she tried to scream again. Her fingers dug into the dirt trying in vain to gain leverage to get away.
Managing to flip over onto her back she kicked up with her knee, but her struggling did not seem to deter him in the slightest as he bore down, his hands re-tightening around her throat.
"Ced—Ced—ric…y-y-you're ch—choking me—" she wheezed out, eyes clouding with tears as she fought for air, black spots sputtering in her vision.
"STUPEFY!" A voice shouted and all at once, Cedric was toppling off of her and she was gulping in quick gasps of air.
"Jamie! Are you okay?" Her brother crouched beside her looking horrified. She brushed aside his concerned hand, turning to stare at Cedric who was beginning to regain consciousness.
"There's something wrong with him," she rasped taking her wand from Harry. They stared at the boy in question.
"Let's just get out of here," he stood up and held out a hand for her.
"I don't want to just leave him here when he isn't himself," she shook her head, her throat aching. She felt exhausted and wanted the task to be over with.
"So, you suggest we bring along the guy who somehow has been made to think he must kill you?" Harry stared at her incredulously. She shrugged before reaching up to squeeze the bridge of her nose tiredly.
The hedges around them began blowing and whispering as a gust of wind surged through the maze, indicating it was shifting.
"Shit, we'll be trapped," she cried out. At once, they surged forward and grabbed hold of Cedric by the collar of his jacket. Dragging the bewildered boy, they raced forward.
"Look!" Harry pointed ahead to where a blue glow was emitting from around a bend. Still dragging Cedric, they began running as quickly as they could with the extra weight, bursting into a clearing in the maze.
Breathing heavily, they took in the Goblet of Fire which sat on pedestal in the center of the clearing.
"Well," Harry glanced at her. She glanced him as well, her hands still gripping Cedric's collar tightly. "Go on, take it Jamie."
"Harry no, you deserve this more," she insisted quickly shaking her head.
"I couldn't have done any of this without you," he argued back. "You've helped throughout the entire tournament."
"I could say the same to you, Harry," she narrowed her eyes. "Not to mention that you just saved my life back there."
"Let's do it together," Harry said suddenly. "If we both touch it at the same time, we both win, right?"
She shrugged, mulling that over. "I don't see why that wouldn't work."
Cedric began to squirm in her grip as he became more alert.
"What do we do with him?" Harry asked his sister.
"I'm not leaving him here in the maze while he's clearly not himself, he could hurt himself or someone else," she frowned. "I'm taking him with us."
"Alright, well," Harry gestured her for begin moving toward the cup. Standing before it, they both reached toward it, hesitating.
"Together," he told her as his hands hovered over one handle, hers doing the same over the other.
"1...2…3…" she counted down and immediately their hands gripped the goblet tightly, together. The familiar sensation of a portkey took of them, their body warping and flying through the air. They hit the ground hard, gasping.
Jamie lifted her head, taking in the sight around her. "Harry, there's something not right…"
She tried to warn her brother who was sprawled a few feet from her, cup still clutched in his hand.
"Jamie, hey Jamie," hands shook her and she looked up to see Cedric crouched over her, concern on his face. He looked like himself again. "Where are we? Are you okay?"
"Cedric…" she frowned, unsure how to explain what had happened. Harry was crawling toward her by then. The boys stood up, looking around the cemetery. Jamie began sitting up as well.
"Where are we?" Cedric looked around the empty, misty cemetery. Harry was making his way toward a cluster of headstones. "Jamie, not that I'm not happy to see you, but why am I here? What is going on?"
"I don't know," she breathed, standing up. "I'm sorry about everything, Ced, I'll have to explain later…" she trailed off as she walked toward the goblet. It was still glowing.
"I think it's a portkey," Jamie was examining the goblet. "Harry, is this a portkey?"
"I've been here before," Harry said suddenly, staring down at a tombstone a few feet away. Jamie looked up at Harry, dread in her gut. "In a dream…CEDRIC! JAMIE! WE HAVE TO GET OUT OF HERE!"
Jamie turned abruptly, tripping over the edge of a bonfire pile on the ground, her head banging off something hard and metallic. Her wand clattering beside her. Cedric reached his hand out towards her. As she rubbed the back of her head, dizzy. Harry began shouting in agony, clutching his scar and Cedric immediately tuned to him in alarm.
"Harry what is it, what's wrong?"
"Get back to the cup! Get back to the cup!" Harry shouted at them as he writhed on the ground.
"Harry!" Jamie cried out as a figure appeared, carrying something. The fire lit beneath the cauldron she had hit her head on and she scrambled back to avoid being burned. Cedric bent, touching her head.
"Jamie, are you okay?" His fingers came back wet with her blood. "Something is wrong here, isn't it?"
"Ced—"
"Jamie stay down," Cedric was lifting his wand and pointing at the figure. She opened her mouth to scream, realizing it was Pettigrew. Everything seemed to be happening in slow motion, as if she were under water. "Who are you! What do you want?" Cedric stood in front of her protectively.
"Kill the spare!" A voice cried, and before she could think, a flash of green surrounded them. Her scream was silent as the force of the killing spell hit Cedric square in the chest, sending him flying backward.
"CEDRIC!"
"NO!"
-CHANGE IN POV-
"NO!" Jamie screamed as Cedric was struck down. His sister moved toward him but collapsed, head bleeding, fainting from the shock of what had happened.
Harry felt a spell hit him square in the chest, throwing him back against a statue of the grim reaper, which moved to hold him in place, trapping him.
"What of the girl, Master?" Pettigrew croaked. Harry shouted for Jamie to run, but she was still unconscious. The small, mutated and deformed body in Pettigrew's arms turned its withered face toward Jamie.
"Leave her for me…"
"Master?"
"Do it now!"
Harry shouted for his sister but was silenced. Pettigrew tossed the mutated figure into the boiling cauldron with a hiss.
"Bone of the father…unwillingly given," a large bone was levitated from a disturbed grave and dropped into the cauldron. "
"Flesh of the servant…willingly sacrificed," with a guttural scream and the slashing of a wicked bladed knife, Pettigrew severed his hand into the cauldron. Harry turned his head, croaking for Jamie to wake up.
"Blood of the enemy…forcefully taken!" Harry screamed as Pettigrew turned the wicked blade on him, slashing open his forearm. Shouting in agony, Harry watched as Pettigrew flicked drops of Harry's blood into the bubbling cauldron. "The Dark Lord shall rise again!"
Flames erupted from the cauldron and a figure emerged, quivering as it rose on two legs, mutating and warping into the figure of a humanoid man.
Bald, noseless, almost serpent-like, the man drew on a black cloak as he took in the cemetery around him. He began addressing Wormtail, clutching his forearm as the heavens above clouded and thundered.
"…Harry?" Jamie croaked, beginning to rouse. Blood was smeared down her temple and face from where it had dripped while she was unconscious.
"Ah, the young lady is ready to join our party," The man turned his attention to Jamie. Flicking his wand, Jamie was dragged toward them as cloaked and masked figures appeared one by one around them.
"JAMIE!" Harry shouted, squirming against his hold. Jamie lashed out weakly, trying to land a blow to one of the minions around her.
"I've heard much about you… Hally Potter…" the man spoke, causing Jamie to freeze in surprise at being addressed by her true name. "Ah yes, everyone had been fooled thinking you had died when I killed your pathetic parents, hadn't they? When Pettigrew told me the truth, I was quite surprised."
"You little spineless—" Jamie turned her wrath on the cowering man who had betrayed her family before a spell knocked her unconscious.
"I was expecting to deal with only your brother tonight, and you for another time," he circled her. "But I'll take this happy mistake and use it for my benefit."
Voldemort began prowling around the graveyard, berating his followers for their lack of enthusiasm in waiting for his return—in staying loyal to the cause. Jamie was having a hard time staying conscious, she kept squeezing her eyes closed hoping when she would periodically jolt awake that it was all just a horrible nightmare.
"Your mother's foolish sacrifice afforded you a protection, but now that your blood resides within me…" Voldemort had turned his attention to Harry, bleeding and exhausted and terrified, pinned to the statue. "I should have no trouble in dealing with you once and for all.
"Release him, Wormtail, and give him his wand," Voldemort ordered their parent's traitorous friend. "I shall have him face me like the little man he thinks he is."
"What of the girl, Master?" One of the masked figured pointed to Jamie, who appeared utterly unconscious.
"You all can have your way with her when I'm through with the boy, she's a worthless accident," Voldemort growled. "Stand boy, stand up like a man! You think you are so powerful, Mr. Potter, but it's out foolishness before.
"Surely you have been taught how to duel, Harry Potter? We bow to each other, Harry. Come, the niceties must be observed…Dumbledore would like you to show manners…Bow to death, Harry..."
Harry was staggering, lifting his wand toward Voldemort, and upon his order he bit out a wild laugh, defiant despite the fact he and his sister were cornered. "I'll never bow to you!"
"As I have stated—your foolish sense of protection is no longer relevant. Imperio…you will bow to me, Harry Potter, as will every man, woman, child, and scum of a creature on this earth."
Harry was forced into a bow, though he resisted it, gritting his teeth and fighting to stand. Voldemort uttered the Cruciatus, crumbling Harry who shouted in pain, rousing Jamie. She lifted her head, realizing her brother was being hurt.
-CHANGE IN POV-
"Not Harry," she growled under her breath, fury rising in her as her brother fought to stand his ground, resisting another Imperio. Jamie felt a strength she didn't know she possessed building inside of her and she forced her body to crawl toward Harry, ducking behind a gravestone where he had retreated to. Voldemort and his minions were taunting her brother, calling him a coward and ordering him to come out and face them.
"You are nothing with your mother's protection, Harry Potter, it's gone!" Voldemort jeered.
"Harry," Jamie reached out to touch her brother's cheek. She felt strange, she felt…calm. She looked down at his wound, unsettling and gruesome, and reached out a finger toward it.
"Jamie…what are you…you need to run; you need to save yourself…" Harry was weakly trying to catch his breath. Her finger descended on the cut left by Wormtail, and at once she felt warm. Harry gasped, his body convulsing, as Jamie traced the line with her finger. A glow was emanating from her, illuminating her, and they watched as the blood clotted together, slowly healing the gash.
"There's a bit of mum's protection in me, too," Jamie whispered, surrounded by an almost blinding light. The light was so great, she could hear shouts of confusion and surprise by Voldemort and his minions. Harry was beginning to regain some color, his breathing growing even as a look of understanding washed over him.
"No one is coming to save us, Harry, you must do it," Jamie told him. She stood, as did Harry, the glow surrounding her.
"What is the meaning of this!" Voldemort roared, staring at the glowing girl he had assumed was incapacitated. Once again, Jamie Shacklebolt…Hally Potter had been underestimated.
"A contingency, Voldemort," Jamie said calmly, smirking at him as she dared address him by his name. "There's no mistake in my survival…I'm the insurance policy."
"WHAT!" Voldemort roared.
Jamie didn't understand the words she was speaking, she just knew them to be true. As long as Harry was a boy—that is, until he reached the age of seventeen and became an adult in the eyes of the wizarding world, he was protected by Jamie's life…by the blood of Hally and Lily Potter. It was a calmness, a feeling of serenity in knowing.
"I've had enough of you, girl—AVADA KEDAVRA!"
"EXPELLIARMUS!" Harry knocked her aside as their spells connected. A smoldering heat was reverberating around the graveyard, crackling light of red and green light meeting and burning, searing and warping into a single golden thread. Jamie reached out and placed her hand around Harry's ankle in a show of support, and at once threads of the same golden light rippled, creating a web of protection and keeping Voldemort's minions at bay.
Harry was groaning under the strain, as was Voldemort, as they fought to stay standing. Ethereal figures appeared from the golden light and Jamie gasped…Cedric…their parents, and two strangers she did not recognize.
"Stand strong, son," James stood beside them. He looked down at Jamie, smiling softly at her. "Don't let go of your wand…don't let him overpower you…stand strong for your sister's sake."
"Cedric," Jamie choked out, he looked at her and placed a hand over his heart, nodding to her.
"Harry…Jamie…please bring my body back to my family," Cedric murmured. Harry breathed deeply and then nodded, turning, severing the connection. At once, stunning spells were being fired as Harry grabbed Jamie, throwing her down to the ground behind the gravestones were Cedric's body lay.
"Grab him!" Harry roared in her ear as he fired a summoning spell, the portkey cup flying toward him. Jamie threw herself over her dead boyfriend as Harry grabbed hold of the cup and grabbed a handful of her hair in one hand. With a shriek, they were whisked away.