Harry stretched as he waited in the gigantic tent that hid the beginning of the Third Task from the eyes of the Chosen. He didn't say a word as Fleur joined his stretching. He only smiled when Viktor started to stretch as well.
As soon as he felt his muscles were loose and warm, Harry stopped his stretching. As the other two Chosen slowly stopped, only then did he speak.
"We ready for this?" Harry's voice was soft, barely heard over the chatter of the crowd that slowly added themselves to the stands.
"As ready as I can be. My body is healed up and my magic is strong. I will win this." Viktor smiled at the youth and the French beauty.
"Hmph, typical male superiority complex. The French will win this day." Fleur flicked her hair over her shoulder, showing the teasing smile she wore to take the sting out of the words.
Harry chuckled and gestured for them to come together. As the two other Chosen approached, they embraced into a huddle.
"This is the last Task… and I want us all to get out alive. Fleur, you got Cedric and your family to go back to. Viktor, you have Fredrick and your life to return to. So, whatever happens in this, I want you to do your best to live." Harry firmly told each of the chosen. "Because I told you when this started, that the crowd won't be screaming your name. It will be chanting Potter." His grin was felt more than seen as the other two Chosen started to laugh.
"Harry Potter, you may only be 14, but you have the guts of a dragon." Viktor spoke as he ruffled Harry's hair.
The three separated as Albus Dumbledore entered the tent flanked by Karkaroff and Madam Maxime. Madam Maxime was arguing softly with Karkaroff, who was holding his left forearm as if it was in pain.
"No Madam, it is fine. An old wound that acts up occasionally, I shall be fine to judge." Igor finally convinced the large French woman as Dumbledore cleared his throat.
"Greetings. As you know, today is May tenth and marks the final task of the Grand Triwizard tournament. I shall show a map of the Run and give you the winning conditions." Albus flicked his wand, and an image of the Hogwarts grounds appeared.
The castle was the first thing the Chosen noticed, as it took up much of the upper left corner of the illusion. The Forest was next as it flanked the sides of the illusion much like a ring, until it reached the cliffs and beaches of the lake. Albus flicked his wand once more and atop the illusion, similar to a map with a path marked, bright red lines started to zig and zag their way from the tent location near the western Tower of the castle, all the way to the point of the cliffs above the lake. Finally, a network of red lines, all leading towards the cliffs, intercepted and mingled with each other creating the lanes that could be run.
"As you can see, this run will be over 3 kilometers. As you are also aware, for the past three weeks the grounds have become home to over 100 different creatures, all of them dangerous. I can tell you only that any beast or creature in the Run can kill you. There is magic involved, beyond that of the creatures. There will be walls of the Goblet's flames blocking the crowd from interfering." The Chosen knew, even though it was unspoken, that the flames were there for another purpose. "The wards of Hogwarts, particularly the anti-apparition wards have been heavily weakened. You can likely apparate short distances. Anything larger than a few meters will likely result in a severe splinching. Once the Run has started, Magic will be allowed between contestants."
The three of them looked to each other, and Harry slowly smiled.
"You are allowed any spell baring the Unforgivables and Fiendfyre. Should you parish, the flames will take you, consume you and use you." Albus met the eyes of each of the chosen before he continued. "The task will only be complete when one of you touch the Goblet of Fire. Once that is complete, the person who touched it will be bestowed the Gift of the Goblet and be declared the winner of the Grand Triwizard Tournament. Any questions?"
There was silence in the tent from the contestants and from the heads of the school. Albus shut his eyes as he took a deep breath. He was visibly strained as he spoke once more.
"I can only give you one piece of advice and it takes most of my will power to do so. Do not underestimate this task. The wards are weakened to the point that I do not know what will happen. Please survive."
His piece said he turned and started towards the tent entrance, flanked by the other heads of schools. Before he left, he chanced a look back.
Harry spoke softly to Fleur as he wrapped his wrists and hands in red and gold athletic tape and Viktor smiled as he listened in.
Albus had a smile on his face as he exited the tent.
Remus sat beside Sirius in the stands surrounded by students, faculty and adults from all over the magical world. The stands sat thousands, similar to how the Quidditch World Cup stands were created. The largest difference was instead of an oval shape, to accommodate a pitch, these were shaped like a horseshoe. Infront of the stands, separating the spectators from the Chosen were giant panes of enchanted glass. These panes would showcase the action for the audience and the announcers. There was a total of three such stations of stands throughout the Run, with the one in the beginning being the largest, seconded by the one at the end of the event that housed the Goblet of fire. Those in attendance had the best and the worst seats, as they were the ones who had to deal with the Goblet's maddening aura and the ones who saw the end of the event.
Sirius and Remus found themselves seated in the first of these stations, listening to the crowd of mainly younger students and high-ranking ministry officials. That was the case anyway until the announcers began to do their jobs.
"Greetings and salutations Magical kind! My name is Clyde Notewich and this my glorious fellows is the FINAL TASK OF THE GRAND TRIWIZARD TOURNAMENT!" The Norwegian Spokeswizard yelled out his greetings to great fanfare from the audience. All around Remus and Sirius, the crowd started to cheer wildly. As they finally quieted down, Bagman continued.
"My name is of course Ludo Bagman and today we are going to see the crowning of the first Triwizard champion in our living memory. It all hinges on this final task, this monumental obstacle, this treacherous test. The Hell Run." Bagman spoke gravely, bringing the crowd down with his rarely used serious voice.
"That's right Ludo, the Hell Run is what will separate the victor from the losers. Since we have some time, I will give a brief history of the event. Originally from Greece, this was a long dangerous voyage that magicals took to prove their worth. Crossing areas inhabited by manicores, hydra, kelpies and even worse. The Romans took the idea and eventually it arrived in Britain with the conquest of Caesar. Caesar would force his unwilling soldiers to run Hadrian's Wall, braving creatures such as Nagrens,ogres, trolls and even enemy wizards and witches. It was around this time, that the Triwizard Tournament had it's first Hell Run on the grounds of Beauxbatons Academy. Won at the time by the Hogwarts Champion, the Hell Run was considered a fantastic success. It continued to be a potential final task until the first Grand Tournament of 1335, where it was responsible for the death of all three champions, even though Durmstrang won. The last time it was a final task was 1777, where a furious Nundu killed all three contestants and multiple Durmstrang officials." Clyde read off a card that was stuffed with writing. As he finished, he threw it over his shoulder and continued to speak.
"This year, however, will mark the first time a Hell Run has been announced across the wizarding Wireless to the whole of the wizarding world!" Clyde's voice brought the crowd back to life, its roar was nearly physical in its intensity.
"Now, audience members, it is important to tell you. For the first time in this tournament, the Chosen will be able to use magic against each other. For the first time in this tournament, we will see how driven these contestants truly are. As a result, you may find that these Chosen will preform feats of magic considered dark or glorious to even the most practiced. In some cases, they maybe required. For the beasts of the run are considered the most ferocious I have ever had the displeasure of announcing." Bagman spoke seriously once more. "I am certain that there are level Five X creatures in this run, and if the Grand Tournament had it's way, there maybe even stronger beasts than that. So from the bottom of my heart, and on behalf of the British Ministry of Magic and the British people, good luck Chosen."
Bagman stopped speaking as he consulted his watch. Clyde looked over and received a nod.
"Well my darling audience, it seems it is time to introduce the Chosen. Introducing first, she is the Rose of Beauxbatons Academy of Magic, she is the fiercest femme fatal, Fleur Delacour!" Clyde allowed Fleur to walk to the starting line and bask in the glory of the crowd for a moment before continuing. "Next up, we have Drumstrang's Duke of the Sky, Viktor Krum. He is currently the top student of the Institute and boasts marks that more than back up his place in this contest." Viktor walked out to stand along side the French Champion. As he stepped to the line, Clyde continued,"Finally, we have the point leader for this tournament. He is touted as Hogwarts Miniature Mage, the youngest contestant in tournament history to reach the third task, Harry Potter!"
Harry started his walk into the starting area when Clyde began his introduction. When his name was called however, his step faltered. He felt the very earth shake with the volume of the chant. He could feel the encouragement of the masses. He finished his walk to the starting line and looked at the other champions.
"I told you they would be chanting Potter."
The Chosen lined up, and with Dumbledore's wand fire, all three shot down the path. The Hell Run had begun.
Deep in the bowels of an Unplottable location, a man stood in front of a throne. His eyes were the colors of a raven's feathers, with a ring of the brightest gold around the pupil. His body was lithe like that of a runner or swimmer. He wore a dark cloak, covering a red shirt that faintly shimmered in a haze of enchantment. His trousers were baggy things of cloth, their color a bright red in the torch light flickering from the walls.
He lightly dusted his fingers across the throne's arm, immediately noticing the light layer of dust. With a frown he swept from the room, his cloak billowing ominously as he entered a long hallway leading towards a massive staircase leading downwards. Rapidly the man moved down the corridor, ignoring the bodies and blood that coated the floor and walls; ignoring the cries of one of the still alive wizards sent to guard this place as he was devoured by a dog like creature that was black as pitch.
He descended the steps swiftly, his boots leaving bloody marks. Upon reaching the landing, he turned towards the left, away from doors that were once barred to his entrance. Through doors and corridors, he walked, his gait lengthening until finally he was running. With a huff of breath, he shouldered open wrought iron doors that stopped his advance and strode towards the court yard in the middle of the castle, ignoring them as they fell from their broken hinges.
Unlike most other castles, the highest tower was situated against the courtyard. Turning the usual square courtyard into some shape that is undefined, the tower stood, its lone entrance being guarded by over 100 witches and wizards.
"Halt! This is IWC sanctioned land-" the wizard in front of the tangent began before his voice was cut off by a dagger appearing in his chest, its hilt being held firmly by the man. With a yank, the dagger left the man's chest, splattering the man in blood.
"Silence. For the first time in 50 years… I am not thirsty for blood…. So yours will go to waste!" The man spoke as he started to mow his way through the defenders. Effortlessly dodging curses, spell fire and transfigured beasts while the entire time slashing away with his dagger and a shaft of metal with an orb on the end that he seemingly pulled from under his cloak.
Finally, after minutes of fighting, only one wizard stood against the man. The wizard sent nearly endless transfigurations towards the man, only for each to be crushed against a swing of the shaft or avoided with an elegant leap. The wizard took aim and as the intruder jumped to avoid a spear of earth, incanted.
"Avada Kedavra!"
The flash of green hit the shaft's orb as it twitched into the path of the Killing Curse. The man grunted as the shaft exploded in his hand, leaving him without the limb. The man threw his dagger forward, reacting solely to the pain of losing his hand.
The wizard's eyes grew large as the dagger slammed into his stomach and the man appeared before him. His screams started as the man sank his fangs into the wizard's throat and greedily began to drink. The wizard's last thought was that he felt two hands snap his neck.
The man wiped the crimson blood from his chin and kicked the door to the tower in. He raced up the steps ignoring the bookcases covered in tomes of knowledge most would kill for, ignoring the next floor featuring a lab covered in dust yet still smelling faintly of sulfur and death and the following landing with a single bared door that was covered in chains, locks and runes. In nearly an instant, he was at the topmost floor of the tower, in front of a door with a series of runes etched into the doorway locking it for all eternity to wizarding magic.
The man took a deep breath, readying himself for this final hurdle. He cocked his fist back, and with a scream of exertion, slammed it home into the door. A shockwave echoed through the tower, heard throughout the entire castle. Yet the door held.
Another shockwave blasted out as the man slammed his fist again into the door. This time, the faint groan of wood was heard as well as the snapping of the man's wrist.
Yet another shockwave, and the man smiled as the door chipped. He pulled his arm back, and slammed it forward once more, his face twisting in agony as his mangled hand blasted into the door causing another shockwave of sound. Finally, under the assault, the door broke.
Falling unceremoniously into the room, the final barrier was crossed by the man who fell to his knees immediately.
"Hello Klaus, it has been nearly 50 years." The voice of the occupant of the room was like velvet on Klaus' ears. He shuffled forward on his knees, even as he looked up slightly.
The occupant was an old man, his body wiry and thin. His eyes however, violet and intense were sparkling with power and intelligence. His smile was still blindingly white, even hidden in the untrimmed beard that the captivity had graced him. His captivity was reinforced by the chains that held his ankles to the floor.
"Mast-" Klaus began as he broke first one chain and then the other. His speech however was stopped when the man held up a hand.
"Klaus, my friend, we have discussed this. You of all people may call me Gellert."
As Klaus knelt, shocked at his master's faith in him, Gellert moved to leave the room.
"Come Klaus, I grow weary of Numengard."
Viktor swore as he dove to the left. The Hexnaut in front of him was massive. Standing at 3 meters, the beast was the color of a blue sea with black symbols dancing on its flesh. Its four arms ended in fists with venomous spines at the knuckles. He had just dodged one of those fists and was extremely glad he did as the giant from the plateaus of the Indian continent was strong enough to leave craters.
Viktor flicked his wand forward and up, a cutting curse blasting forth and barely causing the Hexnaut to stumble. He grumbled," Of course it would be magically resistant."
He rolled out of the way of another punch and twisted out of the way of a second before he twisted and jerked his wand in a single motion before jabbing forward.
The bone-crushing curse slammed into the Hexnaut's right shoulder making it scream in agony. With a frown, Viktor slashed his wand again and a Ribbon Cutting curse separated the head from the body.
He continued to frown as a piece of reading seemed to jar his memory. He remembered Dimitri mentioning something about Hexnaut blood and air… Viktor's eyes widened as he started to run past the Hexnaut's corpse.
He had barely made it behind a boulder when the blood finally reacted with the air and erupted in a massive explosion.
"Thanks Dimitri… lud zadnik." His muttered thanks disappeared on the wind as he continued his dash towards Glory and Victory.
At the same time, down a different path of the Run, Fleur was having her own issues. Ironically, her issue was the natural enemy of the Hexnaut, the naga. Nagas were once native to the British isles before they were hunted towards eradication. This specimen showcased why they were hunted wonderfully. Its scales gleamed in over a dozen colors of green red and faint blues. The fangs of the Naga were dripping with a venom of unknown lethality, and the coils of its over 12 foot snakelike portion were coiled around a stump in the middle of the path Fleur had decided to run.
"You sssmell of flowersss and flamesss. You are Veela." The words flowed out of the Naga's fang filled mouth as if diced. The forked tongue tasted the air, confirming the scent for the snake woman from India.
Fleur readied her wand, knowing what would come next.
"I am Aida and you are PREY!" with the shouted word, Aida flexed her lower half, shattering the stump with the sudden constriction. With a raging hiss, the naga shot forward, towards Fleur, her hands forming claws and her mouth unhinging.
Fleur flicked her wand up, transfiguring the ground in front of her into layers of spikes to slow down the enemy. Aida easily wove between the spikes and lunged towards Fleur only for the Veela to slide out of the way.
With a slash of her wand, a massive cutting curse separated each of tips of the spikes from their bases and a swish made each of the spears levitate until they were all pointing at the Naga.
"Move and I skewer you." Fleur spoke softly, knowing that a loud noise could throw nagas into a rage.
"You are good prey… But how long can you lassst Veela?" Aida smiled showing her fangs as a bead of sweat fell down Fleur's face.
Fleur flinched as a shot of pain laced up her back from the seal that was still on her flesh. Even though she was training like a madwoman these last weeks, she had not managed to break it, only crack it slightly. She frowned as she noticed the Naga shifting her scales.
Naga scales she remembered had different properties than most other snake skins. They were highly resilient, yet also razor sharp if angled correctly. With a twist, a naga could kill any prey that they had trapped in their coils. If angled in the opposite direction, naga scales interlocked in a manner similar to muggle chain mail. At least if Fleur's recollection was correct. She had to strike.
With a jab, the spires shot forward and shattered on the naga's scales. "Merde." Fleur muttered as the naga smiled savagely. Then Aida moved forward, her scales scraping the rocks, sounding like sandpaper on steel. For a moment, Fleur froze. Her life flashed before her eyes, her sister smiling at her, Cedric smiling as they cuddled, Papa and Maman toasting her at her birthday and Professor Flamel smiling as she finally got a difficult spell. Finally she moved, just as the Naga was about to slam into her.
A twinge from the seal was all the warning she had as she whipped her wand up and yelled "Depuslo!" The banishment charm blasted forward and Fleur cried out as finally the seal on her back broke, her magic skyrocketed and Aida was hit in the torso.
The Naga halted as the magic slammed into her and then she was flying. Her impromptu flight was halted by a convenient tree. When Aida looked up, her eyes widened. All the grass, small stones and even a tree trunk were moved with the power of that banishment charm. She didn't have time to hiss out a mercy plea before a trio of arrows pierced her chest pinning her to the tree.
Fleur frowned as the Naga struggled slightly even with three arrows pinning her. "I don't want to kill you Aida. So, think of this the next time you try to hunt Veela." The blond turned and started to run down the path.
She had a cup to get to.
Harry had it easy going. As soon as he separated from the others, he immediately cast a fire whip, as most creatures reacted badly to being whipped with flames. As he ran, the fire trailed behind him, and slowly he increased in speed as the magic thrummed in a healthy rhythm.
It was only when he spotted a shadow along the bushes that he slowed, and lucky that he did as a massive creature jumped in front of him. The head and body of a lion, with a spiny ridge instead of a mane, and a snake for a tail, the beast was familiar to anyone who had picked up a book in Hogwarts.
Harry frowned as the Chimera hissed. The flame whip at the end of his wand was more than enough to keep the beast from attacking, at least for a moment. He swung his wand and snapped the fire whip towards the beast, who roared in fear of the fire and retreated back a few paces.
With a twist and a mumbled "Increws", the fire whip started to expand. The Chimera chose that moment to shoot fire of its own forward intercepting the flames of Harry's whip. A small explosion of flames distracted Harry long enough for the chimera to leap to the left and lunge towards him. It was only years of athletic activity and multiple life or death scenarios that saved Harry's life.
Harry rolled forward, through the flames that littered the grounds and muttered "Ignus" as he flicked his wand backward. Ignus was one of his favorite spells from his training with Sirius. The flame manipulation curse, it was one of the key elemental spells. It was with a single thought that the flames on the ground rose and formed a dense fireball that then rocketed towards the Chimera.
As the flames died down, Harry chanced a look back. The Chimera was gone, only blackened soot remained of the grass where the beast was. His eyes widened and he swiftly reformed his flame whip. With a swift flick, the flames started to circle him, fed by the Flame Whip spell. While the flames protected him from the sides and there was no way for the chimera to attack from above, Harry focused on the ground.
He was right to do so.
With a shower of dirt and stones, the chimera leapt out of a hole, both mouths poised for attack. With a twist and a crack, Harry Apparated a meter to the left, out of the swirling flames. With a slash, the flames descended upon the Chimera, enveloping it in a sphere of fire. The roar of the flames nearly drowned out the dying yowls of the beast, until there was peaceful silence.
"Thank you, Sirius" Harry muttered as he flicked the flames out of existence, the charred skeleton of the chimera hitting the ground in a heap. His godfather insisted that he learn apparition immediately after they found out about the Hell Run. Saying that some beasts could do so, it would be an advantage that any wizard should be able to use.
He continued his run, his wand held aloft.
Viktor cursed as he stopped in front of a red haze obstructing the path towards the cliffs. As he watched, there seemed to be a small electrical pulse within the haze, moving slowly towards him. With a growl, Viktor created a shield as a small bolt of electricity erupted from the mist. Viktor frowned as he cast a dispelling charm towards the mist, only to dodge another blast of electricity. A swirl, flick and jab with a muttered "Altoid", sent a gust of wind towards the mist. Being pushed slightly back, the mist rebounded as the wind died down.
Viktor looked closer at the mist, careful not to touch it and what he saw surprised him. It wasn't a mist at all, but hovering particles of a red stone. Viktor, being at Durmstrang, had intimate knowledge with this stone luckily. Durmstrang was the only school of the three participating to offer a course called Geomancy. Geomancy covered the magical properties of stones, minerals and gems and taught the students how to use them effectively in magic. Viktor, having taken the course for several years at this point, knew the stone fragments in front of him by heart.
Thunder Rubies are some of the most useful stones to ever be produced by magical kind. Made by bathing a flawless ruby in magical fire for a long period of time, it really wasn't surprising that the Goblet of Fire would be able to place one in the Hell Run. These gems were notorious at one point for being sprinkled on defensive ward stones, which made the wards extremely dangerous to trespassers. Viktor realized why as he shielded against another bolt of electricity.
He couldn't imagine what a bolt powered by a full ward array, that was fueled by a family of magicals over years could feel like as he dispelled his shield once more. He did smile slightly however when he realized that there was an easy way for him to get through this obstacle. He pointed his wand at the hovering shards and started to chant. As he chanted, he slowly swept his wand from the left to the right, careful not to touch a single shard. As he did so, the shards slowly started to clump and merge together to create small gems. These gems slowly condensed into larger gems until finally, in front of Viktor hovered a flawless thunder ruby the size of a quaffle. With the air of a quidditch player, Viktor grabbed the ruby and tapped it with his wand in a fluid motion. It shrank to the size of a marble and he casually slipped it into his pocket as he strolled forward.
Fleur was furious. Thus far she had to deal with a naga, a troll, three different patches of Devil's Snare and a Venomous Tentacula. Who knew where the blasted cup found one, but it did somehow. Luckily, Fleur was a Veela and could launch fireballs at her leisure. Now in front of her sat a gigantic humanoid on boulder. A black iron sword was impaled into the earth by its feet. Its three fingered hands rested on the pummel of the blade, and its egg-shaped eyes peered at her from under a stained helm.
"Who comes to Ur?" The gravelly voice made the French witch jump. She narrowed her eyes before she answered, wary of what the creature in front of her was.
"I am Fleur Delacour, Triwizard Chosen of Beaubatons Academy. Who is Ur?" Her voice was steady as she readied her wand for any scenario.
"I Ur, Warrior of the Undertow. Why you come Silver Hair?" The being stood from its boulder, revealing a massive form cloaked in mail armor. Easily standing at over 3 meters tall, Fleur understood exactly what it was she was facing. The armor, the height, the intelligence it all pointed to only one thing.
An Ogre.
Fleur mentally swore. An ogre was the worst thing she could be facing. A berserker in battle, ogres were infamous for killing witches and wizards. Their skins were as thick as a troll's plus with the wearing of enchanted armor, ogres were rarely as easily killed as their magical cousins. Their society prized combat similar to goblins and were highly territorial. The last known ogre related incident in France ended in the death of twenty wizards and witches and that involved a juvenile, not a full adult.
"I am competing in a Task and must defeat my opponents." Fleur stated, careful not to offend.
The ogre nodded, before pulling the sword from the ground. "I stand aside Silver Hair. Not honorable to fight during Task. Unless Silver Hair wants to fight Ur?" The ogre grinned savagely at the thought of fighting.
"I must complete the task with speed, or I would." Fleur respectfully stated.
"Bah. Ur disappointed. Pass Silver Hair. But know that one day you will fight Ur." The ogre hauled his sword to his shoulder and walked past the Veela.
Fleur waited until the rumbling footsteps disappeared from her hearing before she started to run forward again.
Harry rolled out of the way of a stamping hoof as he attempted to escape the angry beast that blocked his path. He really didn't want to kill the beast either, as Kirin were highly endangered magical creatures. The beast was extremely agitated though, with electricity flickering around its body as it eyed Harry.
Harry came across it completely by accident after killing an acromantula that had pounced from a hidden clearing to the left of the path with a banishing charm. Having followed the trail of spider guts, Harry found the corpse of the spider being eaten by the Kirin who was extremely annoyed at having his meal interrupted.
The beast was a chimerical creature that was prized for its hide, horns and hooves. With the body of horse and the head of wolf, the Kirin was easily the largest beast that Harry had seen yet. Electricity flowed around its body and its thick mane crackled with ambient current. The three horns on its head, framing its face, were always pointed at Harry, ready for the charge that Kirin were famous for. With a snarl, the beast shot forward, the electricity around it cracking like lightning as it prepared to end the Potter line.
With a spin, Harry apparated to the left, dodging the beast. His eyes widened in shock when he saw the beast turn towards him in a near ninety degree turn by twisting its body and running sideways on the air. Harry quickly tapped the wrist of his nonwand arm, muttered Scuja and placed the shield in front of him. Another quick tap and a mumbled "Cula" The shield basked in a pale blue glow as the charm of deflection was imbued within it just as the Kirin slammed into it with all its might.
The clearing erupted in a flash of lightning; the sound of a thunderclap being heard throughout the Hell Run. Harry stumbled backwards, blinded by the flash. He heard and felt the hooves bounce on his shield before the pressure dissipated.
When Harry finally could see through the spots in his eyes, he winced at the massive bruise on the arm that shielded him. Luckily, the deflection charm paired with the Scuja shield was enough to keep him alive. He looked around the charred clearing and froze.
The kirin looked at him looking none the worse for wear. It eyed Harry, its eyes the color of the bluest sky. It shook out its mane, before turning and trotting away as if it had no care in the world.
Harry waited until he couldn't see the beast anymore before quickly healing his arm and running back toward the path. He wouldn't stray from it again.
As Harry ran, he noticed how silent the area had become. Even when he was fighting the other creatures of the run, he could hear birds chirping. Now, it was eerily silent. He turned a corner on the path and immediately saw a beautiful woman sitting in a wooden chair.
Her hair was the color of ink and hung midway down her spine. She wore little make-up, her naturally flawless skin shone in the descending sun. Her eyes were pools of deep blue, with a golden circle around the iris. She wore a stormy gray dress, its bodice laced tightly. She sat sipping from a teacup, its saucer balanced on her knee. As she finished her drink, she placed the cup on the saucer, leaving both unattended as she folded her arms over her chest.
"Ah, a Chosen at last. When I was called here by the Goblet, I was hoping to meet you. Harry Potter." Her voice was like bells, ringing in Harry's head. With a hardened eye, Harry dove into his occlumency training. The ringing stopped as the barriers he had to actively maintain slowly rose.
"Good, you aren't completely helpless against a mental attack." The bell like quality was gone as the woman smiled slightly.
"Who are you?" Harry demanded as he raised his wand to attack.
"Foolish youth, raising a wand against someone you don't know…I could be insulted you see." With smooth graceful motions, the woman placed her saucer and cup on the arm of her wooden chair and blurred forward, her speed taking Harry by surprise.
Harry reacted as swiftly as he could, pulsing the magic in his body, he flicked his wand up, creating a wall of earth and darted back several steps as the woman's fist blasted through the wall.
"You are a vampire!" Harry exclaimed as he fired several cutting curses at the woman.
"Very good Harry Potter! I am a Vampire! Now show me what the last Potter is capable of!" The woman laughed as she shifted and blurred between the curses. Harry kept the pressure on, transfiguring the ground, conjuring chains, blasting curses forward and to each side as the vampire slowly moved towards him. Finally she was close enough to swipe playfully at the young wizard, drawing a small amount of blood. As the scratch appeared on his face, Harry flinched when he felt powerful arms wrap around him, trapping his arms to his sides.
"Now now little wizard. I am not here to kill you. I am here to have some fun." The woman whispered into Harry's ear before licking the blood from his scratched cheek. The cut healed with a hiss as the woman's saliva hit it. "Yum." Harry attempted to struggle, only for the arms to tighten painfully around him.
"What is your name?" Harry asked as the woman worked her nose into Harry's neck enjoying the sound of his pulse.
"My name is Evangeline Maria Zima. But you, my little wizard, can call me Eva." With a movement that Harry barely caught, something was placed around his neck, so that it dangled over his heart right beside the vial of potion that Professor Snape made. In a blink, the arms of the vampire were gone, and Eva sat in her wooden chair once more. Harry grabbed the pendant that was around his neck and held it up for a closer look. A chiseled diamond of black stone that was covered in runes that Harry didn't understand in the color of fresh blood hung from the chain.
"What is this Eva?" Harry asked as he looked up only to see her drinking more out of her teacup.
"It is a portkey Harry Potter. I was ordered to give you it and a message. But before I say the message, I will warn you. There is darkness ahead. And you would do well to prepare for it. It is just over this ridge. My message now. 'When you have lost hope, find the King who has seen all the kingdoms fall. Speak his name and you shall be seen'" Eva smiled as she flicked a small drop of red liquid from her lip with her tongue.
"What does that mean?" Harry asked only for Eva to disappear. He stiffened as arms softly wrapped around him again and he felt someone press their cheek against his back.
"It means that you must not perish Harry Potter. Goodbye for now." Eva spoke into his shirt and Harry could hear the smile in her voice. Then she was gone, the only evidence of her presence being the chair, saucer and teacup in front of him.
He approached the chair and peered in the teacup, his curiosity getting the better of him. The normally white surface was stained red. Harry wrinkled his nose at the smell of blood as he walked onward, over the ridge.
He looked over the ridge and saw the path to the last section of the stands. Inside them would sit the Goblet of Fire and victory. Below the ridge, the path forked around one side headed deep into wooded areas, and the other stretching towards the beach of the Lake.
He started his way down the ridge and as he landed on the path Viktor ran up, shouting spells over his shoulder at a giant scorpion creature that scuttled after him. Harry focused, and a shard of porcelain appeared on his brow. With a slash of his wand, a series of earthen spikes blasted forward, spearing the scorpion cleanly. Viktor, seeing the opportunity, hit the spikes with a blasting curse, blowing the spikes and the creature into chunks.
Viktor leaned over, his body shaking as the adrenaline of the chase wore off. As he got his breath back, he said, "Thanks. I thought the beach would be safe."
"I don't think any part of this run is or will be safe boys." With a twist, both males turned to see Fleur pointing her wand them. Her hair was in disarray, her clothes ripped, and she favored her left side, yet her wand was steady. With a smirk, she said "stupefy." A flash of red raced towards Harry, who batted it aside, only to dodge a purple curse from Viktor.
"Sorry Harry, but I want to win!" The Bulgarian said as he continued to send curses and hexes forward, only for each to be met with transfigurations which showed exactly how dangerous the curses and hexes were. Birds were decapitated, tigers died bleeding from their eyes and ears, monkeys were strangled by their own hair. At the same time, Fleur was sending charms and spells towards both males, her accuracy allowing her to get hits in on both parties.
The three dueled around each other as they slowly made their way up the path. Just as the stands were within a few hundred meters, a massive pressure forced them to stop casting.
The very air was heavy, and dark clouds appeared in the sky. The only light came from the flickering black flames the marked the boundaries of the Hell Run. From the darkened sky, a pillar of black smoke started to carve its way towards the earth, slowly slightly when it hit the wards of Hogwarts. With a crack, the wards allowed the black smoke onto the grounds.
The black smoke slowly faded away showing a man standing there. He wore black robes that fit well to his chest, showing an athletic form. His face was handsome, with gleaming white teeth and an angular, yet not pointed face. His nose was straight, and his eyes were of a blazing scarlet. His black hair was swept up and to the side, as if he had combed it and then ran a hand through it later.
The magical power that he wore draped as a cloak was suffocating in its intensity. An aura of murder and madness was screaming at Harry as the man looked at him, his scar burning intensely. The man started to speak; his voice carried on the wind, smooth and cultured.
"Harry Potter. Finally. I am certain you don't remember me, but don't worry this will be memorable. Fleur Delacour. A wonderful young witch to have made it this far. And Viktor Krum. I hope Karkaroff taught you well boy." The man swept his arms wide, showing a white wooden wand in his hand.
"You cannot interfere!" Fleur yelled as she finally found her voice. The man simply laughed.
"This is why I loathe the French. Thinking they know everything… but I digress. No Fleur, I am not interfering. I am the final test. All one of you have to do is get past me." The man smiled widely, his scarlet eyes burning with bloodlust.
"However, if we are being frank… none of you have a chance in hell of getting past me. Isn't that right Harry?"
"What do you mean?" Harry's voice cut through the wind that suddenly appeared. A glance over the lake would show that a storm was brewing.
"Sadly, it seems I need to introduce myself. Or maybe… I'll wait." The man laughed as he pointed his wand at Viktor.
"Crucio." The word was spoken in a soft whisper, almost lovingly.
Viktor fell to the ground screaming in agony as the wand continued to point at him.
Harry reacted first, blasting fire towards the man who gestured with his fingers, to transfigure the flames into a snake that curled around his neck. Fleur sent three stunners towards him which splashed uselessly against a shield. Still Viktor screamed.
The man lifted his wand before the two could cast again and said, "I missed that. The sounds of screaming. The frantic look in their eyes. It reminds me so much of the good days." In a blur the wand pointed at Fleur, and the man whispered again, his voice still carried by the wind. "Imperio."
Fleur froze, her wand pointed at the man, before a glazed look over came her and she pointed over the man's shoulder.
"Lunciro" From her wand a curse blasted forth, aiming into the crowd around the Goblet of Fire. Easily passing through the wards put up to protect the spectators, the curse speared into a ministry official's chest, blasting a hole the size of a melon into him, and the stands behind him.
"Impressive! When I ordered you to use the strongest curse you knew, I didn't think it would be Lunciro, the Fiend's Javelin. Someone has been doing some reading haven't they?" The man laughed before glancing over his shoulder. "Ah, but you missed the minister dear. Let's try once more."
"STOP!" Harry yelled as Fleur raised her wand again, this time aiming slightly higher and to the right. Seeing that she wouldn't stop, Harry stunned Fleur just as she cast again, her curse travelling upward into the air, before streaking down into the stands, bypassing the wards as easily as before, only to splash harmlessly against a nexus of honey colored magic. The caster held the first victim closely as his wand was held aloft protecting the rest of the crowd.
"You have a terrible habit of ruining my fun Harry. This makes three times you've done so." The man's voice lowered into an angry hiss as his attention flew to the only Champion remaining standing.
"I killed your parents for ruining my fun three times Harry, among other reasons. I think it's time you join them." Voldemort smiled as he raised his wand, relishing the horror on Harry's face.
AN: Well, this is the entrance of the main baddie. Right? Hehe. Alot of you may notice that my Voldemort isn't snake-ish, actually being described as Handsome. Well, you will find out why in the next chapter. Maybe. Also, you may notice little things that may point you to some drama after the task.
To be 100% honest, This chapter and the next were two of the first ones I thought of when I started to plan out the fic. It's one of my longer ones, but it has to be to introduce and set up the next chapter. Violence in this chapter is shown from three perspectives and I hope it captures how dangerous this task was.
Before I go I should give you a timeline of the next couple of months. By Christmas, year four should be completely finished and the first couple chapters of year five should be up. (barring the unforeseen happening) By summer of 2020, Year five should be nearly completion if not complete already. The rest? Well it's possible that this fic will last well into 2022 if my notes are any indication. Or I may knock the whole thing out by the end of 2020.
We will find out together.
Til Next time,
Zero