"Ve should stay together." Viktor ran beside her. "Maybe vait for Fleur. Vill be
easier to complete these tasks."
Mary gave his suggestion some thought. It would be easier. It was something she'd considered the night before. Go through everything together. Each of them escaping the maze as winners. But that wouldn't work. If the cup was a portkey, she would be taking them straight to Voldemort, putting their lives in danger, all in the off chance that she'd actually gotten things right and had changed the future for the better.
"I'm going my own way," Mary said. "You should do the same."
Viktor's eyes narrowed at her. "You do not vant to work as team?"
"Not this time, Viktor. I need to do this on my own."
"I see." Viktor's jaw clenched, and he nodded once. "Good luck."
"Be careful."
Viktor lifted his chin, then took off down the pathway to the right. Mary went to the left, running as fast as she could, going both by Harry's memories and her own instincts.
Her nose twitched. Something smelled off about him. "Viktor?"
"Avad-"
"Stupefy!"
Viktor slashed his wand through the air; a bright fizzling light shot out.
"Protego!" Mary pulled her shield up just in time.
The spell bounced off, flying straight back at Viktor.
"No!" Mary ran forward, then froze, kneeling next to his twisted body.
Blank eyes stared back at her. She pulled his head into her lap, hands searching for an injury that couldn't be fixed.
No metallic scent. Viktor didn't smell like broom polish and shaving cream.
She scrambled backwards, and suddenly, his body twisted into the shape of Sirius, falling and disappearing into the Veil, then into Remus, lying on the ground, lifeless and pale.
"Riddikulus!" Mary cast with a furious shout.
Remus' body vanished into a cloud of smoke that harmlessly drifted away.
The Boggart was gone. One challenge down.
Mary continued to run, not bothering to slow down, when she came to the fog that flipped her upside down and spat her back out in a different part of the maze.
The faint sound of a whistle blowing carried through the night. It was Fleur's turn to enter the labyrinth. Had it only been five minutes? It felt like she'd been in there for hours, running and running, hedges surrounding her, closing in and threatening to suffocate.
Mary skidded to a halt, the sphinx turning to her with a loud hiss of displeasure.
"Another one to test?" The sphinx sat on her haunches, lifting up a massive paw to clean it.
"Viktor's already been here?" Mary felt her heart in her throat. She was too slow. "Riddle, please? I'm in a hurry."
"Humans." The sphinx rolled her eyes. "Always in a hurry. So much work and they get nowhere."
"Is that the riddle?"
"No. Give me a moment. I'm trying to think."
The sphinx stood and shook off, loose fur flying out of her impressive mane. She began to circle Mary, sniffing her arm and hair. "Hmm, too young for that riddle. Are you ready?"
Mary looked at her watch and lifted a brow at the sphinx. "Sure."
"If you feed me, I live. If you give me a drink, I die. What am I?"
Mary's mind went blank. The word 'spider' was already on the tip of her tongue when she realized that the sphinx had asked her a totally different question. Time was running out. The question ran through her mind again and again. What could eat but not drink? Was the sphinx hungry?
Tendrils of smoke filtered through the hedges. A shrill scream ran out into the darkness.
"I gotta go!" Mary moved forward, but the sphinx stood in her path. "Get to safety!"
"Answer the riddle!" The sphinx puffed up her mane and let out roar.
Mary lurched backwards, seeing the orange flames move closer. "Fire!"
"Correct." The sphinx smiled, jumping back as her tail began to smoke. "Shit!"
"Aguamenti!" Mary cast, sending a stream of water to put out the sphinx's tail. "Jump on top of the hedges and get to safety! Now!"
The sphinx didn't hesitate, leaping onto the top of the maze and darting away. Mary ran, going left then right, hoping that Harry's memories wouldn't fail her. The flames were growing taller, but she was putting a good bit of distance between it and herself. The smoke was beginning to clear. Still, her nose burned, and her eyes watered uncontrollably, making the path difficult to see.
Scratch. Scratch. Scratch.
Mary slowed down, listening, the sound becoming louder as she got to the next fork in the path. Peeking around the corner, a very familiar creature stood in front of her.
"Peaches!" Mary breathed, stepping forward and bowing lowly.
The hippogriff bowed in return, letting Mary touch the soft feathers on her head. Mary's hand lowered and met cold metal. A thick chain was wrapped around Peaches' neck, giving her little room to do more than turn around.
"That won't do." Mary pointed her wand at the lock. "Alohomora."
The chain fell to the ground with a thump, and Peaches thanked her by nudging her in the ribs.
"I get it." Mary patted her neck. "Time to go. Go back to Hagrid, there's a fire out here and you don't need to get caught in it."
Peaches nudged her head under Mary's arm, nearly lifting her off the ground, then bent down.
"You're willing to give me a lift?" Mary climbed on her back. "We can't go off flying right now, so maybe just stick to the path?"
Peaches took off at a gallop, barely giving Mary time to hang on. The hippogriff darted through the labyrinth at high speed.
Mary looked back, seeing the smoke rising into the starry sky, but it was all the way on the opposite side of the maze. They were near the outer wall.
"Stop." Mary tugged lightly on Peaches' neck and slid off her back. "Fly over and get to Hagrid, okay, girl? Stay safe."
Peaches looked ready to protest, but a loud crack echoed around them, scaring her enough to obey. Mary felt a gust of wind as the large wings unfurled, and Peaches launched herself over the hedge. What kind of idiot didn't escape when they had the chance? Mary Potter was that kind of idiot. Instead of running away from danger, she charged right toward it, straight to the sound of huge stomping feet and spells being frantically cast.
Mary rounded the corner to see a massive beast reared up on its hind legs, huge T-Rex like feet ready to trample the wizard below it.
"Accio Viktor!" Mary cast, the spell nearly pulling her to him instead of vice versa.
Viktor shot her a grateful look, stumbling toward her. "It is angry!"
"You think?" Mary shouted over the sound of another cry from the Graphorn. "What'd you do to it?"
"Run!" Viktor grabbed her arm, pulling her down another path as the Graphorn gave chase. "Stunning spells did not work!"
"They repel spells, you dingbat!"
Mary felt her muscles aching, the bottom of her feet burning with each step. A stitch in her side. All threatening to double her over in pain.
"Here!" Viktor grabbed her arm and slung her into an alcove in the hedges that put them on a different path.
Mary put her back to the hedge, willing her heart to stop hammering and her breathing to even out. Graphorns had very sensitive hearing. They would be found with the way Viktor was heaving in air and pacing.
Mary shoved him against the hedge, her hand loosely placed over his mouth. "Shh!"
Blood rushed through her ears, but the sound was nothing next to the deafening commotion the Graphorn made as it stampeded down the path. Closer. Closer. It didn't slow down. The heavy footfalls were growing farther away until they were nothing but muffled thumps.
"It's gone." Mary pulled away from Viktor and bent down, hands on her knees, trying to control her breathing.
"I thought you vere far ahead. That you might have already von."
"If someone wins, I better be rescued at once. No point in being in this death trap otherwise."
Viktor let out a quiet laugh then sobered, looking back to Mary. "Do ve go different vays now?"
Mary considered this option once again. "Let's just get going."
"Tell me." Viktor glanced at her, matching her pace as they jogged down the path. "You do not act like yourself."
"I'm going to sound barmy." Mary shook her head.
"I vill believe you."
"Just a bad feeling. Something isn't right. I've had the oddest dreams lately and I don't think we're safe."
Viktor looked back at the way they had just come from. "Not a safe task. None of them vere, but you did vell."
"This is different." Mary brushed the hair from her forehead. "Just don't touch the Triwizard cup, okay?"
"How else do we vin?"
"Still trying to figure that out. Do you trust me?"
Viktor shot her a look, studying her face before he nodded. "Yes."
"Good." Mary nodded back. "Time to run."
They took off into the maze, nothing but their wandlight stretching across the path. Viktor made to turn down the different trail, but Mary grabbed his arm.
"It's this way."
"How do you know?"
"Just do."
Viktor remained silent, choosing to let her lead them back towards the center of the maze. The curves of the hedges were getting smaller and smaller, the turns tighter. They took the next left, and there it was. The Triwizard cup. It glowed an eerie blue from its pedestal in the center of the maze.
Mary moved forward, her feet pulling her closer to the cup. Wand in hand, she lifted her arm. "Bombarda!" The cup flew through the air, landing unscathed next to the hedges. "Bloody hell!"
Loud skittering and clicking pulled her attention away. She spun around. An Acromantula was backing Viktor into a corner..
The cup or Viktor? The cup or Viktor?
Viktor shouted something in Bulgarian, and the Acromantula shuddered and stilled, its jaws still clicking rapidly as it fell over on its side.
"You okay?" Mary looked down at his bleeding arm.
"A scratch." Viktor shrugged it off.
Mary tore the bottom of her shirt, cast a cooling spell on it, and wrapped it around his arm. "That'll have to do until Pomfrey can see to it."
"Thanks." Viktor smiled slightly. "Thought you might take the cup vithout me."
"Damned thing won't break," Mary grumbled.
Soft footsteps sounded in the distance. Viktor and Mary both took a step back, not knowing what was about to pop out next.
Then, her pale face appeared.
"Fleur!" Mary breathed a sigh of relief.
"No!" Fleur let out a small cry, stumbling forward.
Another figure appeared behind her. Mary and Viktor lifted their wands, but the figure grabbed Fleur by the hair, jerking her upright until her back was flush against his chest.
"Drop your wands or she dies," Mr. Crouch ordered them, pulling tighter on Fleur's hair.
"Crouch!" Viktor clenched his fists. "Vhat is the meaning of this?"
Mr. Crouch dropped Fleur, her knees hitting the ground at once. He dug something out of his pocket and knelt next to her, keeping her as a human shield.
"I repeat. Drop your wands or she dies." He held a very familiar sharp knife to Fleur's throat. "Toss them this way. I don't have all night."
Mary grimaced, throwing her wand in his direction. Viktor did the same moments later.
"Let her go." Mary said in a voice that sounded calmer than she felt. "You have our wands, you don't need her."
"Your other wand as well, Potter." Mr. Crouch smiled, his face twisting and changing until his true form appeared.
"There are teachers and Aurors patrolling the grounds," Mary said. "You should leave before you're caught."
"They're busy. A big fire on the other end of the maze near the stands. They've all been working to put it out."
"Who are you?" Viktor took another step toward him.
"None of your concern," Barty Jr replied easily. "I'm only here for Potter. Now the other wand, Potter. I won't ask again."
Mary watched the blade dig deeper into Fleur's throat, a rivulet of blood dripping down her pale skin. Without hesitating, she pulled her Holly wand from its holster and tossed it towards Barty.
"You have the wands." Mary stepped forward, her hands in the air. "You have me. Let Fleur go."
"No." Viktor moved to grab her arm, but she stepped out of the way.
"Crucio!" Barty arced his wand, and Viktor fell to the ground, screaming and writhing.
"Stop!" Mary cried out, diving down to shield Viktor from the spell.
No pain. Viktor stilled beneath her. Mary stood, placing herself between the two men. She winced when Barty cast another spell, but nothing happened other than green numbers floating above him.
"Almost time." He flicked his tongue out of his mouth.
"What do you want with us?" Fleur cried, standing on the tips of her toes to avoid the blade.
"You're nothing to me." Barty let out a maniacal laugh. "This night. It's all about Potter. Months it's taken to plan and prepare, to have every ingredient and every star aligned in the Dark Lord's favor."
Viktor stood shakily, moving closer to Mary. "You vill not take her!"
"Accio wands!" Barty cast, pulling all three wands to him.
Mary almost laughed when her wand landed in his pocket, the anti-theft charm shocking him until he flung it away.
"Think it's funny, do you?" Barty's eyes bugged out, his wand pointed at her. "Petrificus Totalus!"
It happened too fast. Her legs and arms snapped to their sides, and she toppled over, only able to see Viktor scramble to his feet and rush forward.
"Crucio!" Barty cast again.
Once more, Viktor fell to the ground, screaming and writhing. Mary laid there on her side, helpless, nothing to do but see the depth of her own failure.
"Silencio!" Viktor's screams cut off abruptly.
"Twenty minutes more, love." Barty's voice sounded soft. "The Dark Lord has been waiting so long for this night, and I won't see anything get in the way of our careful plans. Kneel!"
Fleur's knees landed next to Mary's face, trembling and shaking. "Let us go, please!"
"That just won't do. You see, it's all part of the plan. Mary Potter, deranged girl can't cope with the stress of the Tournament. The three of you raced for the cup at the same time. A fight broke out. The Girl Who lived, in a fit of rage, kills both of her competitors before fleeing the scene. Everyone will gasp and cry over what their heroine did."
"Zhey will not believe it!" Fleur argued.
"Oh, they will!" Barty cackled madly. "Just like they'll learn that she slipped a love potion into a chocolate rose and used the Imperius curse on the Diggory boy. Or how she set fire to the maze using dark magic."
Mary's mind spun. The Imperius Curse! She should have known Cedric would never act that way! And what good would a love potion do? How could a sixth year help her?
As though he had read Mary's thoughts, Barty whispered into Fleur's ear, "You weren't supposed to be here, love. Not you or Krum. Just Potter. If she'd ate that chocolate rose like we'd planned, then I would have impersonated Diggory and given her everything she needed to get to the cup long before you two ever could. You see, portkeys don't work at Hogwarts. Only ones approved by the headmaster himself. And Potter here has too many people ready to protect her at a moment's notice. That and the Trace. All it took was getting Dumbledore to approve the cup as a means to get the winning champion back to the stands, and I had a way to get Potter off the grounds. The Dark Lord is a genius wise beyond his years."
Mary would have vomited at his praise for the monster if she'd been able, but she was trapped in her own body. He's giving me information I can use.
"Two minutes," Barty sang. "You really are lovely for a half-breed French girl, you know that? If I had time, I'd be half tempted to take you with me."
A hiss rang through the air. "Crucio!"
Fleur began to sob uncontrollably. Viktor's body thrashed along the ground in a grotesque fashion, but no sound escaped his lips. Mary felt the knot in her throat grow. This was all her fault. She'd failed to protect them and now they were both suffering for her mistakes.
"Be a dear and grab the cup, will you?" Barty asked as though he'd invited her to tea. "Or your friend gets another round of the Cruciatus."
Fleur moved slowly toward the cup, and Mary lost sight of her for a second, but then she was back, the cup's glow shining on the wet grass.
"Such a waste." Barty sighed.
"No." Fleur's voice shook.
Something warm splattered on Mary's face. The instinct to blink was there, but the ability was not. She watched as Fleur's knees buckled and collapsed, her wide eyes staring straight at Mary. The thick red line across her throat, a puddle of blood forming around her face.
No, no, no. Not like this.
Mary was lifted up and pulled to Barty's side. The scene in front of her even worse from this angle.
"One more to go." Barty kissed her cheek. "What would be best from a fourth year? Hmm… Bombarda!"
The spell hit Viktor full on, sending him flying through the air. His head hit the concrete pedestal with a sickening crack, neck at an odd angle. He didn't move again.
"Nice work, Potter. Now for your final task!"
Mary felt the tug at her navel, the world twisting and pulling at her, but all she could see were the bodies of her friends. The image burnt into her mind. Igniting a rage she'd never felt before.
A/N:
Thank you so much for your continued readership and support! It means the world to me!
Much love to my wonderful alpha-editor, theaberrantwritergirl, for making this chapter pretty. She's such an awesome person and writer. You can find her works in my Favorite Authors tab.
