Chapter 14

A few weeks had passed since Harry's friends left Hogwarts, and he was sad to see them go, however he was certainly looking forward to the summer where he would get back to doing what he loved. Daphne had been inspired by what she had seen from his friends, and pressed Harry to duel even more, and push her even harder. This involved a lot of losing on her part, but she would always get back up and push herself to be better, and gained Harry's respect even more with each defeat she recovered from.

Harry had also told Daphne that most duelist had the goal of becoming a champion, and then when their time was up they would have already brought up a young champion to follow behind them and continue their legacy. Historically speaking that if women don't have children they can last much longer on the circuit so that is what Sierra had meant by being one step ahead of the rest of them as usual.

This seemed to only make Daphne want to push herself even more, and she was performing much better in the ring, and outside of the ring in her classes with all the advanced magic she was studying.

Before Harry knew it though the spring was coming to a close, and the Summer was coming. It was the end of may when they were told that the champions were going to get the announcement for the third task, and they had all gathered on the Hogwarts grounds to see just what it would be.

Harry stared at what seemed to be like an endless maze in front of him, and felt his stomach churn nervously as he saw its massive side. Ludo Bagman asked the group of champions and headmasters, "Do you know what this is?"

No one said a word, but Krum spoke gruffly, "Maze."

Bagman nodded, "Yes sir! The third task is a maze. In the middle will be the Triwizard Cup, and whoever retrieves it first will be the victor."

Harry shook his head not understanding, "Then what was the point of winning the first two tasks?"

Bagman spluttered a bit, "An excellent question Champion Potter. As it stands you are in first place so you will get a five minute head start into the maze. While Champion Diggory will get three, and Mr. Krum will get one. Ms. Delacour will then enter, and we will wait to crown a new champion. Obviously this gives you quite the advantage."

Harry shrugged, "Perhaps, but its a maze. Seems more like a game of chance then a opportunity to appear more superior in magical anything."

The Highmaster of Durmstrang snorted, "Perhaps the boy has a better idea for the third task."

Harry glared at the man and his tone was sharp, "Perhaps the boy would like to duel, and solve this in magical combat. Throw all four of us into an arena and the last one standing wins."

This caused Krum to grin viciously and laugh, "I like this plan. Champion Delacour what say you?"

The girl laughed musically, "I think I would just as soon do that then this madness. I am just ready to return home safely. This tournament has proved more vicious and malicious then I ever thought."

The others all took grave looks at this and nodded, while Bagman took the chance to save it all, "It still anyone's game Champions don't give up yet. The third task will be best yet, and you better believe it."

Harry shook his head and began to walk away while he heard Cedric say, "The Quidditch Pitch better be back in perfect condition when I return next year for my final year, or you will be seeing a lot of me in your office Mr. Bagman."

With that all the champions walked off after Harry. They all walked side by side and Cedric spoke, "Guys I know we are all supposed to be in competition with each other, but I have read terrible things about the maze's of the past. Can we all just promise each other that we remember that we aren't each other's enemies?"

Fleur and Viktor nodded, and they all turned to him while Harry said, "I would much rather have the promise that we agree not to kill each other in the maze. People lose there minds in there. I propose we pose a pack here and now. If someone goes down we will do our best to help them, and if we save another champion they just withdraw. I don't want anyone's blood on my hands, and if I could save any of you I would do it in a heart beat. I hope you would all do the same for me."

Viktor immediately said, "Da. I agree."

"Oui." Fleur said.

Cedric just nodded looking pale, "I think-"

Suddenly a loud scream for help came from the woods nearby, and all four wizards went for their wands, and looked towards the border line to see a man in tattered clothes running towards them and Harry was just about to curse the man, and so were the others when he shouted, "WAIT!"

The man kept coming towards them, but Harry lowered his wand, and the others weren't so quick to, but Harry approached the man, "Mr. Crouch what happened to you?"

The others gasped as they recognized the bloody and beaten man, "Dumbledore...Get Dumbledore. My fault. So sorry. Get Dumbledore. My Fault. So Sorry. So Sorry."

Viktor approached the man and whispered to Harry, "Extended exposure to an unforgivable, the Imperious if I had to guess. He doesn't have the same twitching the cruciatas curse has."

Harry ran a quick spell diagnostic on him, "Cedric go get Dumbledore. Fleur cover him just in case. Krum and I will hold this down. Go get help."

The champions didn't need to be told twice as they both bolted towards the castle. Harry however had different plans pulling memories of recent times with Daphne he flicked his wand out, "Expecto Patronum."

A blast of magic erupted from his wand, and a wolf came from it, and Harry spoke quickly, "Sirius we have a situation at Hogwarts. Barty Crouch is here with us and has been attacked. We need help please send the aurors."

With that the wolf darted out towards the distance and Viktor looked at him in wonder, "A Corporeal patornus? Is there nothing you can't do?"

Harry shrugged, "I have never been much good at Astronomy or Math for that matter. Thankfully Neville was gifted in Herbology because I wasn't good at that either."

The boy merely shook his head, when Harry saw movement in the forest, and he shot up, "Who are you what do you want? Identify yourself."

The movement in the woods stopped instantly, and suddenly a familiar voice screamed out, "AVADA KEDAVRA!"

Both young wizards leaped out of the way, while Harry tried to summon the ground up from under Mr. Crouch to save him, but it was to late. The curse struck the man dead center in the chest and Harry was in shock. He laid on the ground just staring at the man for a second, before jumping to his feet and sprinting into the woods while Krum was yelling out, "Potter!"

However Harry wasn't going to stop. Someone had just murdered Crouch in cold blood right in front of him, and he was too slow and selfish to save the man. It should've been obvious that the curse wasn't meant for him, but he panicked and cost a man his life.

He ran straight into the woods cursing the back of the cloaked man who had the speed of a young man, and was clearly using it to his advantage. He clearly hadn't intended on someone to pursue him however as he was haphazardly throwing shields behind him to protect himself. Harry considered throwing something lethal at the man, but he wanted answers so held himself to not throw an unforgivable at the man, but it wasn't out of the equation.

Before he could decide the man popped out of existence, and Harry knew he had lost the man and crossed the boundaries of the Hogwarts grounds making him swear, and scream in frustration. He ran back where had come, and saw Krum looking worriedly at him, "He got away. Bastard."

Suddenly Dumbledore moving faster than he thought him capable was upon them, "What has happened?"

Harry looked at the man sadly, "An assailant came from the woods he was alone, and threw a killing curse at Mr. Crouch, and we were to late to block it. I chased him into the woods, but the man apparated as soon as we crossed the grounds line...I was too slow to block the curse, and too slow to catch the man."

"What makes you think it was a man?" Dumbledore asked.

Krum answered that, "He had man's voice. Very clear. Very intentional. He wanted us to move. We were definitely not the target."

Harry nodded his head in agreement, "It was a trick, and I fell for it."

Dumbledore sighed as he summoned a black blanket for the man, "The aurors will have to be contacted. This was not your fault Mr. Potter. You did what you could, and even risked your life while trying to chase this very dangerous man."

Harry shrugged, "I just wish I had gotten him."

"That will be my job don't you worry Pup."

Harry turned to see Sirius Black walking on the scene with a team of aurors in blue robes, and Dumbledore scratched his beard, "Sirius my boy, I didn't call for you yet?"

"My Godson sent me a patronus the moment he came upon Crouch. It seems there is quite a story here." Sirius explained, and looked to his Godson for an explanation who sighed and retold the story.

Sirius and Dumbledore both looked puzzled, "He was sorry, and he wanted to speak with you headmaster. I don't understand. What could he have known or seen?"

Dumbledore looked pensively at the dead man before him, and sighed, "I don't know. Only Mr. Crouch could have known is what I am understanding as well. Champions you may go get some rest, and begin to prepare for the third task. I am sure your friends are getting worried about you. We will investigate this matter further, and keep you all updated on what we discover."

Harry nodded, and didn't wait for any more dismissals and left quickly feeling absolutely disgusted with himself.

Over the next few days Harry avoided everyone including Daphne. News had spread quickly about what happened to Crouch, and it was the first death on Hogwarts grounds since Moaning Myrtle in the 1940's, so it was huge news to all of Britain the fact that it was the head of international magical cooperation for the British Ministry of Magic left an uneasy feeling in a lot of people's guts.

Harry had summoned his pensieve from his father, and had been reviewing the memory over and over again trying to think of what he should have done, and what he would do next time. He had to be better. Mr. Crouch was going to tell them something important, and now they would never know, and if it was vital its possible that his information could have saved lives. Harry swore loudly and threw his book across the room when he exited his pensieve for what felt like the hundredth time.

What surprised him however was when Daphne was standing there with her arms crossed looking concerned, "I see you are still throwing a fit."

Harry glared at the girl, "How did you get in here?"

"Anthony let me in, and Dumbledore gave me the password to your quarters." She said as she went and took a seat on his bed.

Harry grumbled, "Glad they all care about my privacy."

"They care much more about your sanity Harry this has to stop. Your guilt of-"

"Don't." Harry said dangerously.

Daphne flinched. Harry had never taken such a tone with her, "This was my fault. I don't care what anyone says, no one can talk me out of it. I have trained my whole life for a situation exactly like that and I failed. What if it had been Neville with me, or Sirius, or YOU! What happens the next time someone throws a killing curse at me, and I just jump out of the way, and one of you get hit. What if you get hit?"

Daphne then understood. It wasn't Mr Crouch that Harry was upset about losing, but it was the fact that it could have been anyone and he couldn't have stopped it. His worst fear of losing people he loved, and she had never seen it more plainly than she did right now.

Daphne stood from the bed and crossed the room taking the boys hands and placing them on her face, "Harry I am here with you today, and alive. You lived, and you learned from that day. You will be ready for something like this if it were to happen again. If it happens to me, then you will stop it. I have no doubt, but you can't let this eat you up. The third task is in just a few weeks, and we need to be preparing you for whatever you will face. I don't want to lose you to this damned tournament no matter how grateful I am that it brought you to me."

Harry looked at the girl in the eyes for a moment, and was lost in her blue eyes, "I am so scared Daph. I can't lose anyone because I was too slow. I can't. I will be faster. I will keep you safe. I will keep them all safe."

"You can't save everyone Harry." Daphne said softly.

His eyes hardened though, and she saw his determination, and she herself questioned if that was true, "But I sure can try."

They held each other's gaze for a moment before Harry kissed the palms of her hands and sighed, "But you are right. Its time to stop hiding."

She smiled at the boy softly, "So what do you think about the third task?"

He smirked wickedly at this question, "I already have a plan."

The young couple talked through the night, and Daphne listened to the young man's plans and couldn't find any faults in it. The young man before her was a tactical genius, but that didn't help that she was worried about him. So many questions have been left unanswered, and she had the worst feeling in her stomach that everything wouldn't go according to plan.

(A/N) I struggled with this chapter a lot, but the next one made it worth! Stay tuned.