Discalimer: Nope, still don't own anything special, and still not getting any money.

CHAPTER 2

He was running - sprinting with all he had - towards the TriWizard Cup. He was getting closer....he was going to win!

The he heard Harry's voice call out panickedly behind him, "Cedric! On your left!"

Cedric looked left, and horrified, tried to get away as fast as he could. It was a massive spider, with all sick 8 legs, and it was skittering after him. Cedric's foot caught on the uneven ground in his haste to get away, and he tripped. Landing on his face, his wand shot out of his hand. He rolled over and looked straight up into the menacing eyes and pincers of the sickly enormus spider, coming to get him too fast for Cedric to recover his wand.

Harry began to call out spells hard and fast. "Stupefy! Stupefy! Impedimenta! Stupefy!"

But the spider merely twitched, then rounded on Harry. It reached him within seconds and grabbed Harry in its front legs.

"Stupefy!" Cedric yelled. The spell hit the spider and it was a fruitless waste of magic.

Harry struggled and kicked the spider's pincers. The next second, he called out in pain. He pointed his wand at the spider and screamed, "Expelliarmus!" It was obviously a last ditch attempt to stop the spider from doing anymore damage - for the moment, anyway.

Harry fell to the ground and Cedric heard a sickening crunch as Harry landed on his already injured leg.

Harry was underneath the massive spider, and Cedric knew in a second that he needed to keep trying with the spells to save Harry - before it was too late.

"STUPEFY!" Cedric yelled with all his might, and he heard Harry yell the same. The 2 spells worked together, finally stunning the spider. It keeled over into the hedge.

"Harry! You alright?" Cedric called. "Did it fall on you?"

"No." Harry answered.

Cedric felt a wash of relief. He didn't know what he would've done if it had fallen on Harry.

"Take it then." Harry motioned to the TriWizard Cup. It was only feet from Cedric.

Cedric looked at Harry's leg. It was bleeding badly, and there was liquid from the spider's pincers oozing through Harry's robes.

"Go on, take it. You're there." Harry panted.

Cedric looked at the gleaming Cup. He could just take it. Just take a few steps and grab onto it, and it would be his. He would be the Hogwarts Champion......

He looked back at Harry. "You take it." he said. Harry looked stunned at the suggestion. "You should win. That's twice you've saved my neck in here." Cedric wanted to add, 'And you didn't have to.' But didn't. He briefly thought of Viktor Krum, then glanced at the spider.

"That's not how its supposed to work!" Harry said angrily. "The one who reaches the Cup first, gets the points. That's you. I'm telling you, I'm not going to win any races on this leg."

Cedric took a few steps away from the Cup. He shook his head. He'd made up his mind, and Harry wasn't going to change it. Cedric that after everything, Harry deserved the Cup much more. After all, he wasn't even supposed to be entered, and yet he got picked. And he succeeded in the challenges, meant for advanced magic and students, a few years older at least.

"No." Cedric said quietly, yet firmly.

"Stop being noble," Harry said irritably. "Just take it, then we can get out of here."

Cedric had to admit that he wanted to get out of the maze badly. The spider wasn't moving yet, but he didn't know how long their spells would last, and didn't intend to hang around to find out.

Harry tried to stand up and steady himself, and Cedric saw the extreme pain crease Harry's face. Cedric took a tiny step towards Harry, ready to help, and Harry waved his hand.

"You told me about the dragons. I would've gone down in the first task if you hadn't told me what was coming."

"I had help on that, too." Harry snapped. Cedric didn't quite understand what Harry was so mad about. "You helped me with the egg. We're square."

"I had help on the egg in the first place." Cedric shot back. Harry's stubborness only made Cedric all the more determined to make sure Harry won the Cup.

"We're still square." Harry's leg shook horribly, and Cedric wanted to help him. Again he took a step forward and this time offered his hand, and again Harry waved him off.

"You should've got more points on the second task!" Cedric said determinedly. "You stayed behind to get all the hostages. I should've done that."

"I was the only one thick enough to take the song seriously!" Harry shouted. "Just take the Cup!"

"No." Cedric stepped over the spider's legs and crossed his arms over his chest.

Hufflepuff never got glory, never got credit, never got honourable mention. If he just took the Cup, Cedric would be bringing the most glory and fame Hufflepuff has ever seen. Gryffindor had Harry, the Boy Who Lived, the boy who had faced Voldemort more than once and come out on top. And Cedric was handing him the Cup.

"Go on." he said quietly. Cedric looked straight at Harry, giving him a 'I'm-not-gonna-change-my-mind' look that Harry read loud and clear.

Cedric saw Harry stare momentarily at the glistening Cup, and figured Harry was starting to finally consider it.

Cedric clenched his jaw. He wanted that Cup just as bad or even more than Harry did. But Cedric wasn't going to do anything except stand by and watch Harry win.

"Both of us." Harry said suddenly, averting his gaze from the Cup to look straight at Cedric.

"What?" Cedric couldn't believe his ears.

"We'll take it at the same time." he said, and Cedric thought he knew where this was going, and he liked it. He liked it a lot.

"Its still a Hogwarts victory. We'll tie for it." Harry said.

Cedric unfolded his arms, more stunned by the minute. "You - you sure?"

"Ya," Harry nodded. "Ya...we've helped each other out, haven't we? We both got here. Let's just take it together."

Cedric was still shocked by Harry's sudden brilliant suggestion, but at the same time happier than he'd been in a long time. He wouldn't be giving up any glory for Hufflepuff after all.

He grinned broadly and finally saw an opening to help Harry out. "You're on. Come on."

Cedric grabbed Harry's arm below the shoulder and helped him limp over the magnificent Cup. They stood for a second, just staring at the beautiful trophy with their hands hovering over the handle.

"On 3, right?" Harry said, then counted when Cedric nodded. "1 - 2 - 3!"

The two boys grabbed the handle in the same instant. Cedric felt a massive whoosh, and Hogwarts swirled and melted behind him. He held tight to the Cup, which pulled him onwards.

The dream was deeply realistic, and all the things that Cedric had felt then, he felt now in the dream. He was so into his dream that he couldn't remember that it was a dream, or merely a recollection. As far as he and his mind were concerned, he was there at that very moment. But he wouldn't realize all this until he woke up, of course.........

A/n: You like? You don't like? Let me know! Give me a review!