I'M FINALLY UPDATING! Yes, suddenly…somewhere in the middle of February…closer to the end probably…I realized that I hadn't updated this fic in ages, and now look! Four months! I should be punished. Well, I suppose losing reviewers is a punishment in itself. :sniffs:

OotP REQUESTS! Come on, people, I honestly haven't gotten that many. So if you've got anything, let me know, and if you've already told me…remind me!

This chapter is one of two parts…possibly more than that…should be exciting…

"Over here," said Ron, leading Tina and Hermione over to several empty rows toward the top.

"Ooh, good view," said Tina, sitting down. "Hey Hermione, do you mind if I maybe take out Chipki for a bit?"

"Oh, all right," said Hermione, edging away, then finally getting up and sitting on the other side of Ron.

"Glad you don't mind," Tina muttered sarcastically. Ron snorted.

"Where're your mum and Bill sitting?" she asked him.

"Oh, somewhere further down," Ron replied.

The girls nodded. However, several minutes later Mrs. Weasley and Bill waved at them from below.

"Let's go down," suggested Hermione. "They're about halfway up the stands, but we'll still be able to see just as well."

"Okay," Tina put Chipki on her shoulder and she and Ron got up to follow Hermione down the steps. No sooner had they reached Bill and Mrs. Weasley than Ludo Bagman's magically magnified voice boomed out over the stands, making them all jump.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the third and final task of the Triwizard Tournament is about to begin! Let me remind you how the points currently stand! Tied in first place, with eighty five points each — Mr. Cedric Diggory and Mr. Harry Potter, both of Hogwarts School!" The five of them cheered as loud as they could; Mrs. Weasley gave a loud whoop that made the other four stare it her. "In second place, with eighty points — Mr. Viktor Krum, of Durmstrang Institute!" They applauded politely, though Hermione clapped the loudest. Ron narrowed his eyes. "And in third place — Miss Fleur Delacour of Beauxbatons Academy!"

Harry looked up at all of them in the stands and waved. They grinned and waved back, Tina nearly sending Chipki flying off her shoulder.

"So…on my whistle, Harry and Cedric!" said Bagman. "Three — two — one —"

With a short blast from Bagman's whistle, Harry and Cedric went inside the maze.

"There they go," said Tina.

"All or nothing," murmured Ron.

"Viktor's going in!" said Hermione. Tina gave her a somewhat withering look. Ron continued to watch Harry's progress through the maze, but his ears looked like beats.

"And there goes Fleur," said Bill, as the French girl disappeared into the maze.

The quintet watched Harry follow his path through the maze. Everything that lay on it seemed to move further down as he got closer, or just take a different path and leave, disinterested.

"Look!" Ron cried suddenly. "Look at Diggory!" The other four followed his outstretched finger; Tina gave a quick yelp and Hermione brought her hand to her mouth.

"What is that thing?" said Mrs. Weasley, horrified.

"A Blast-Ended Skrewt," breathed Tina. "Oh my god, RUN MAN, RUN!"

As though he'd heard her, Cedric ran from the skrewt, ending up on Harry's path. It looked as though they were talking for a second, then Cedric moved along another path.

"A boggart," hissed Hermione; Fleur had just run away from an enormous snake, but now that Harry was closer to it, a dementor was facing him.

"He's using the Patronus!" said Bill. "Harry can do a Patronus!" His jaw dropped as he watched the stag erupt from Harry's wand and chase the boggart-dementor.

"No, you idiot, it's a boggart!" said Ron, bouncing nervously up and down in his seat. Just as Cedric seemed to have heard Tina, Harry seemed to hear Ron and with a wave of his wand the dementor vanished.

A few more minutes passed, and Harry moved forward. Then…

"Is that a cloud?" said Tina incredulously.

"It's gold, you dolt," said Ron. She elbowed him.

"I've read about that somewhere…" said Hermione. "But that can't be…"

She was cut off by Fleur's shriek of terror. They whirled around to look at her; This time Hermione gasped and Tina's eyes widened with shock. Mrs. Weasley seized Ron's arm. The skrewt looked larger next to Fleur than it had next to Cedric, even more so because it was threatening to crush her completely. The skrewt was standing—if it could be called that—upon a particularly large bit of the hedge that was jutting out. Mrs. Weasley's hold on Ron tightened; The skrewt leapt…Harry took a daring step into the gold mist hovering before him. His hair stood on end; his glasses dangled dangerously, threatening to fall…up?

"Inversion mist," said Hermione, pointing at Harry. "It just flips him upside down; all he has to do is step out to fix it."

Before they could look back at Harry, all the crowd's head's whipped towards Fleur again. Tina leaned forward…Fleur had sent up red sparks.

Harry stepped out of the mist.

"I don't think he knows what happened," said Ron. "Didn't hear the sparks…or see them, I don't think."

"The mist might block out sound," suggested Tina. "And he was looking away from the sparks."

Ron shrugged uncertainly and turned back to the task.

After about two minutes of nothing happening, Tina turned to Hermione. "Listen," she said. "Are you really going to visit Vik in the summer?"

"Why?" said Hermione, looking at her. "Does it matter to you?"

"No, not really," Tina replied. "But it just seems…I dunno, can't really say…I mean, he's still four years older than you. Does that seem right?"

"Age doesn't really matter to us Tina," Hermione said, turning to the maze again. "I think it's safe to say I'm at least somewhat mature for my age, and Viktor obviously doesn't care that I'm younger than him anyway."

"Understandable," Tina said. "But still…I dunno…Vik's cool and all; don't think I'm saying he's a threat to your 'young innocence' or anything like that—" Hermione made a face, "—it just still seems like a big gap. I mean, the four years between fourteen and eighteen? They're like dog years, man, dog years."

"Thanks for the warning," Hermione replied sarcastically. "But I do thank you for not doubting my judgment of who dangers my 'young innocence'."

"No, I doubt your judgment," Tina said, her eyes wandering to the task. "I just figure you can take care of yourself. Besides, you're fourteen, and Vik isn't that kind of guy. Thank god."

Hermione punched her in the arm.

"LOOK AT HARRY!" shouted Ron, grabbing Tina by the arm.

"Wha — oh my gosh..."

Harry was face to face with a Blast-Ended Skrewt. It looked ready to sting him; Harry's wand let out a red light that looked like a stunning spell, but it merely bounced off the skrewt, singing his hair on return. Another jet of light—his mouth seemed to be trying the Impediment Jinx…and then…it worked. The skrewt slowed down, and Harry ran away as fast as he could. He used the Four-Point Spell again ("I'm so glad I taught him that," said Hermione; Tina rolled her eyes, causing Ron to let out a small snort) then froze completely somewhere along the path.

"Why's he stopped?" said Hermione, puzzled.

"It looks like he's listening to something…" Tina said, squinting at him.

"Cedric and Krum," said Ron. "Look, they're on the next path; he must be listening to them."

"Wonder why…" But just then the chattering of the onlookers was shattered by Cedric's agonized shrieks. Hermione covered her ears; Ron and Tina stared, wide-eyed, as Cedric writhed on the ground, his every nerve possessed by pain…

"Harry's going through the hedge!" Ron yelled, now covering his ears to the sound as well. Tina nodded then did the same. They turned and saw Harry kick through the hedge, pull out his wand, and Stun Krum. The screaming stopped. Relieved, everyone lowered their hands.

"What happened?" Hermione asked, panting somewhat.

"No idea," answered Ron.

"It sounded horrible, though," said Tina.

"I think…" said Mrs. Weasley, "I think it was…the Cruciatus Curse."

"No!"

"Well, it could've been something else, but it just sounded too familiar…" She shuddered.

"Viktor wouldn't do that," Hermione shook her head disbelievingly.

"Of course not, dear," Mrs. Weasley replied. "No, something isn't right."

They fell into silence, even as they watched Harry confront a sphinx, pacing in front of it for several minutes. Eventually it let him pass, and Hermione, looking intrigued, still said nothing about it. When someone did break the silence, it was Bill.

"They're close," was all he said. Everyone sat up a bit straighter, not just in their little group but all over the stands.

"Heck, they're there," breathed Tina. "They're tied, just touch it Harry, touch it — wait a minute —"

"ACROMANTULA!" cried Hermione, standing up and pointing at it. Tina pulled her back down, her eyes transfixed on the enormous spider that was upon first Cedric, then Harry. It lifted him into the air with its front legs; Harry tried to kick at it, but instead his leg was cut by its pincers.

Tina gave a frightened squeak and put her hand over her mouth. Harry pointed his wand at the spider; a jet of red light flew out and it dropped him. Harry pointed his wand at it again; Cedric did the same…and they Stunned it. Their two spells combined sent the spider flying sideways, till it lay frozen on the path.

"That," said Ron. "Was scary."

"Don't have to tell me twice," said Tina.

"Wait…Diggory isn't taking the cup," said Hermione. "He's hesitating."

"Looks like he and Harry are talking," said Bill. "I think they they're negotiating somehow."

"How noble of them," said Mrs. Weasley. Ron rolled his eyes.

"Wait, Diggory's helping him up," said Tina. "I think…I think they're going to tie…on purpose!"

"Looks like it; they've got their hands over the cup and everything," said Ron.

Harry and Cedric's hands were poised over each handle of the cup. They waited a few seconds, and then…they touched it.

Where the two boys were there was suddenly a whirl of colors. It spun for what seemed like an age to the waiting watchers…it vanished.

The suspense-filled silence instantly broke into a uproar; a din of hundreds of voices in the same confused tone. Everyone rose, their questions and exclamations flying through the air like ropes of a mighty wind. The eyes of Tina's party were all wide and shocked. Their eyes said what everyone else was asking:

"What happened to them?"

Author's Note- Wow, that took me like a month and a half to write because I was so lazy. It's sad, isn't it? Anyway, probably not my best chapter, but I'm hoping the next'll be better. And now, time to thank those of you who are still with me:

Tikvah Ariel- Well, now that your bio and summary have been changed, do you like QuidditchMoke a bit better:looks hopeful: Yeah, not overly scandalous, but my focus was the reaction, because I'd be fuming about something like this, even if I didn't show it. Glad you like the lack of book-ness in it; I like it in that chapter too, because it's a scene from the book which I added on to in an—if I do say so myself—especially good way. Hermione didn't want to pass the notes, after all, she stopped it! But, I myself am I note passer, if, you know, the person I'm passing to is close enough. Actually, two of my friends have an intriguing new way of passing notes: They hide the note paper inside the empty cartilage of this pen one of them has. They continuously have to pretend to drop the pen, but it works! I have the Lord of the Rings 2 and 3 soundtracks! Good stuff.

Moonbugg- They're not really boyfriends:turns beat red: No, really, ew. Glad you like the notes, they seem to be popular. I should add them in again later…YES I changed my name! I'm sure you'll find something Xtra great to change yours too, though I do like MoonBugg meself.

Venus725- You update, I update. How's that for a new deal, eh? Nah, I'd probably suck at it. Rita is a wench; the woman you love to hate. But somehow, she's one of my favorite characters. So mean. So cool. This one is kinda long, but you probably won't be satisfied since it has, you know, nothing. :sigh: Glad you like B&B! Come back and leave us a reviewzy sometime; even though we're not at sixteen yet we can use all the moral support we can get! Oh, and Draco says hi (I'm talking to him on the phone in Martinique). So does the Draco Doll. Mwaha.

Flagstonejester- Woo! Approval for the POVs! It may not be one of my best, but I like chapter sixteen a lot. This one, well…probably not one of the greats, but hey, it's something! Glad to have a fan of the details, they're so fun to add in!

THANK YOU GUYS for staying with me!