Disclaimer: Everything is owned by J.K. Rowling

Chapter 16 - I Protect as I Swore

The morning of the third task was unnaturally chilly. Slivers of sunlight that had shone through the castle windows in past weeks were conspicuously absent, leaving the corridors cold. A pit of dread settled in Harry's stomach as he descended through the castle to the Great Hall to get some breakfast. He repeatedly checked to make sure that he had his wand, his nerves unsettling him.

Although it had taken long enough, it seemed as though the Hogwarts population had finally gotten used to the idea of him as a Triwizard Champion. Except for some of his classmates, Harry was mostly ignored as he sat alone at the end of the Gryffindor table. It was somewhat self-imposed, not that he'd minded the privacy and freedom that came with being excused from classes.

Fleur was having breakfast with her family, who was here for the final task, due to take place that evening. She'd offered for him to come too, but he had politely declined, both not wanting to intrude and to have some time to himself. Having mainly dealt with life's problems on his own in the past, Harry found some comfort in thinking the task through himself. She'd acquiesced once he'd promised to spend the rest of the day with her, though had kept his reasoning private. It was just something that had to be done.

Keeping his head down, he dug into his breakfast, ignoring any of the chatter around him. A flutter of wings did catch his attention, however. The owl narrowly missed his goblet as it attempted to land, claws embedding into the red tablecloth in front of him.

Harry tentatively untied the parchment from around its leg, allowing the owl to attack the bacon platter with further ferocity. Unfurling it, he had to squint to read the messy handwriting.

Harry,

Best of luck with the task today kiddo, I know you've got it in you to do well. Remember to keep your guard up. We still don't know who entered you into the tournament, and unless they try something I doubt we'll ever know. This is their last chance.

Your parents would be proud of how far you've made it.

I'll be there.

- S

Harry's thoughts returned to the photo album he'd kept at the bottom of his trunk all year, and had to agree. He was now first, after all. If someone had an ulterior motive for getting him into the tournament, there wasn't anything he could immediately do about it, asides from being grateful for his current circumstances. He'd also keep Sirius' advice in mind.

Overall, Harry felt good about his chances, especially with the work he'd put in over the school term.

Glad that he'd managed to distract himself enough to get a fair amount of breakfast down, he tucked the letter away and stood, strolling towards the entrance hall. Just as he crossed the threshold and rounded the corner, he nearly walked into someone.

"Watch where you're going, Potter," Malfoy sneered at him.

It didn't quite have the same effect, now that the fellow fourth-year was forced to look up at Harry.

"Know your place, buddy," Harry retorted, sparing him only a glance.

As he passed, Harry secretly delighted in the red flush that was beginning to creep up the shorter boy's neck. It felt sinfully good to finally get back at him for the badges that'd given him so much grief earlier in the term, even if it was a small victory.


Fleur met him just before lunch in the entrance hall. Or rather, Harry got a glimpse of her before silver filled his vision. He hugged her back, then gently pried her off to look at her properly. Her usually calm, deep blue eyes were turbulent, reminding him of a storm raging over an ocean. It was a different type of vulnerability that Harry saw this time. He didn't see it often, but he knew well enough by now that Fleur was nervous.

Her continual eye contact, however, never failed to draw him in, and this time was no different. The deep blue tint of her irises was almost magical. Yet, there were no tricks, no Veela enchantments or allure. It was simply her natural beauty. Fleur's eyes left his for a fleeting moment, flicking down his face and back up. Harry felt more than saw her warm fingers on his chin, softly tilting his head down further.

"What's wrong?" he whispered, concerned about her behaviour.

"I worry," she admitted quietly. "I worry that something will happen to one of us. The second task was terrifying."

"It will be fine," Harry responded, unsure exactly how to comfort her. "Things always turn out okay."

"But what if they don't?" What if one of us runs out of luck?"

He was taken aback by the tears that slowly began to track their way down Fleur's pale cheeks.

"I love you, Harry. Please be careful," she whispered.

Too choked up to reply immediately, he drew her in for another tight hug. A torrent of emotion had just slammed into him, and he fought to keep his composure.

Fleur extracted her head from beneath his chin, straightening again. She wet her already-parted lips, the pink flesh glistening as her tongue glided over it. Harry gently drew her head to his, the hairs at the nape of her neck tickling his palm. He repeatedly marvelled at how much passion she could put into a kiss.

They were separated by a cleared throat, which was followed by a light giggle.

Harry was only somewhat surprised that Fleur didn't part from him fully, instead laying her head on his shoulder and grumbling under her breath. Behind her stood Apolline and Sebastien, with Gabrielle smirking at him from between the two.

The damp patch near his collarbone made him shiver slightly, the guilt he felt from her tears sobering him.

"Hello, Harry," Apolline greeted with a broad smile.

"Hi, Mr and Mrs Delacour," he responded, mentally composing himself again. "Hello, Gabrielle. Are you keeping out of trouble?"

Her expression turned mischievous.

"Maybe I should be asking you that," she said, eyes flicking to her older sister.

Fleur straightened, shifting to stand next to him and clumsily wiping at her face.

"Gabby," she sighed, "when will you learn to keep your nose out of these things?"

Harry was amused to see her father smother a laugh.

"Are you prepared for the task?" Apolline asked.

Hugging Fleur a little closer with one arm, he noted that Sebastien had noticeably sagged. He presumed they'd already discussed the task with their eldest daughter.

"As ready as I can be," Harry answered. "I feel good about my chances. We've both agreed to work together if possible."

He knew Fleur still felt guilty about leaving him in the lake. Repeated reassurance that it was fine didn't seem to have much of an impact. Harry had at least seemingly managed to ease her conscience by agreeing to stick together during the final task.

"Do the best you can, but please try to stay safe," Sebastien said. "Harry, could I please have a word for a moment?"

"Sure," he agreed, extricating himself from Fleur.

She tugged him back by the hand, meeting his gaze.

"Tell me if he says anything silly," she whispered, a venomous look in her faintly red-rimmed eyes as she looked over his shoulder.

He nodded, hiding a smile of his own.

Pleased to see that a faintly amused expression had returned to the elder Delacour's face, Harry followed him into an alcove some distance away.

"Look, I know you are in a difficult position yourself, but I still have to ask you," the man started, turning quite serious. "Would you please look out for Fleur during the task?"

"I swear to you that I will, to the best of my ability, keep her safe," Harry responded in a low tone. "I do not know for sure what awaits us in the maze."

The wet spot on his shoulder further solidified the promise he'd just made to Fleur's father, almost as if it had imprinted the vow on his conscience.

"Thank you, Harry. It truly means a lot that you are willing to swear such a thing to me," Sebastien said, taking him in an awkward side hug. "Be careful."

"No worries. I'll do my best," he responded, pulling back.

"I do not doubt you. Please also feel free to call me Sebastien," the older man said with a small smile. "Too much formality irks me."

Harry grinned back, lightened by the change of topic. He walked with Sebastien back to the other Delacours.

They had a late lunch together in the Great Hall sometime later, which was luckily quite empty, and then headed outside. Gabrielle had already seen a fair amount of the castle, and seemingly loved the castle's grounds. She was hesitant to go near the lake at first, but once Fleur and Harry walked with her she had no issue getting close to the water's edge. She also seemed to delight in holding Harry's hand, a smug look on her face. Harry found it cute that Fleur covered up her exasperation at her little sister's actions, the only indication of her mood being the tight grip she held his other hand in.

Unfortunately for them, the sky never fully cleared, clouds hanging above them like a thin grey film that concealed the blue expanse beyond.

Harry headed back up to Gryffindor Tower just before dusk to change into his tournament clothes - a pair of slim, black jogger pants and his Gryffindor jersey. Slipping his boots back on, he made his way back down through the castle. He came across Ginny, who wished him luck on her way out with a few of her friends. Heading towards the Quidditch pitch, he could see much of the audience already seated in the stands. Harry found himself wondering what the point of spectating was. The champions wouldn't be visible through the maze.

The cool afternoon weather had allowed a light fog to roll through, giving the usually green hedges a grey tint.

He found the rest of the champions clustered in much the same way they had been at the beginning of the first task, so many months ago. They stood below the stands near the maze's entrance with their families, each group huddled close together. Fleur caught his eye as he approached them, putting her silver hair up into a ponytail.

"Good luck, Harry," Apolline said as she crushed him in a hug. "Stay safe."

"I'll try," he replied, moving to receive a hug from Gabrielle.

"Best of luck, the both of you," Sebastien added as Fleur parted from his embrace.

"Thank you," Harry replied.

He hoped that he wouldn't need luck to make it through.

With a final glance back, Harry walked with Fleur toward where Ludo Bagman and numerous other tournament officials were standing. Dumbledore was off to the side but gave Harry a small nod of acknowledgement. He'd not had any direct contact with the Headmaster since the night of the welcoming feast for the other schools.

Harry would've expected the Headmaster to have investigated his selection as champion by now. The only thing he could do was presume that nothing had been found so far. Moody stood beside him, his electric-blue eye sporadically spinning in its socket. The man never failed to unnerve Harry.

Sebastien's plea from earlier was still echoing through his mind as Harry tuned out the speech and conversations around him. He unconsciously reached up, his palm just above his heart, where Fleur's tears had soaked his shirt mere hours ago. No matter the cost, Harry was determined to fulfil his promise to Sebastien. Fleur had given him something he'd never thought he could have. Even the concept had been foreign to him.

A loud bang snapped him back to the moment, identifying the source of the noise as a cannon next to the stands.

"Go, go, Harry!" Bagman urged, gesticulating frantically. "You're first!"

Remembering that he'd only need to wait a few minutes for Fleur to enter the maze, he shrugged, remaining where he was.

"Do I need to enter the maze now?" Harry asked.

Bagman couldn't seem to stand still, wringing his hands.

"Well, no," he admitted, his speech coming quick, "but you should. Don't you want to win?"

"I do, but I'd rather wait for someone else."

Fleur shot him a bright smile.

"Well, okay then," Bagman responded with a strained expression, entirely focused on the stopwatch in his hand.

A few minutes later his hand shot up, and a second cannon blast went off.

With Fleur mere metres behind him, Harry darted into the maze. They made quick progress, sticking to what they hoped was the most direct route. A murmured four-point spell now and then kept them headed in the right direction. By the time the third and fourth cannon blasts had gone off, they still hadn't encountered any obstacles.

"Shouldn't we have come across something by now?" Fleur questioned, asking just what he was thinking.

"Certainly," Harry replied, listening carefully for any noises.

Spellfire erupted from somewhere within the maze, the muted sounds barely penetrating through the thick hedges.

Harry stuck his head around the corner, finally laying eyes on the first obstacle they'd seen, if it could be called that. A golden mist hung in the air before them, its colour dulled by the grey fog that had only thickened as they'd progressed through the maze.

"Let me go first," he said, not leaving any room for disagreement.

Harry heard a disgruntled murmur from behind him but didn't look back, fully focused on the mist. The air was chilly enough for his breath to be visible as he inched towards it. He summoned his courage and stepped into it, immediately becoming wildly disoriented as his world flipped upside down. When nothing else happened, he tentatively continued to walk, seemingly on nothing. After a few steps, his world righted itself.

He turned, giving Fleur a nod upon seeing her anxious expression.

"You'll feel like you're upside down. Just close your eyes and walk towards me," he said, beckoning her forward and holding his hand out.

It was at times like this when he was reminded just why she was chosen to be the Beauxbatons champion, as she simply closed her eyes and walked forward until her hand touched his. Not once did her stride falter, and she continued past him. He heard her murmur something else under her breath but figured it could wait until afterwards.

Continuing onwards, she waited up for Harry after a few minutes, lacing her hand through his. He grinned to himself at how quickly she'd gotten over her apparent annoyance, giving her hand a pacifying rub with his thumb.

Now that they'd come across one obstacle, they didn't want to move too quickly, risking being caught unaware by some hidden trap or creature. It only took a few turns to come across their next obstacle.

Rounding a corner, Harry immediately jumped back to avoid a torrent of flame that scorched the grass where he'd just stood.

"It's one of those Blast-Ended Skrewts," he said to Fleur, levelling his wand at the corner of the hedge. "Hagrid has the fifth years dealing with them in his class."

"Do you know how to kill them?" she whispered back.

Her blunt statement elicited a grin from him.

"No, but they have a bloody good amount of armour on them. Try going for the belly."

The monstrous, car-sized creature rounded the corner, and they both let loose. A Blasting Curse from Harry caused it to rear up, struggling to not topple over. Fleur's subsequent Severing Charm split the creature open down the middle, creating a gruesome pile of blood and guts. They both covered their ears as it made a high-pitched noise before stilling on its back.

Sticking close to the hedge, Harry and Fleur tentatively made their way past the remains. He was surprised at how easy it'd been to take care of the creature - Harry had expected it to be far more difficult than that. He supposed it helped to have another person with him.

It must've been at least half an hour since the first cannon blast went off. It unnerved Harry that they'd only encountered two obstacles, this task was meant to be more difficult than the previous two. Both of them were therefore caught off-guard when the hedges themselves began to shift.

Grabbing Fleur's hand, he sprinted forward. The greenery threatened to envelop them from both sides, thin branches scratching at their exposed skin and snagging on their clothes. A howling wind battered at them, rushing past as the hedge closed up just behind Fleur. They stumbled to a stop around the next corner, both breathing hard.

"Is that supposed to happen?" Harry asked, still doubled over.

"I have no idea," Fleur responded. "Something feels wrong. We should have had a far more difficult time getting through."

"Be careful," Harry warned, agreeing, "they might've planned for something right at the end."

He heard a loud bang from nearby.

"Quick," he muttered, "we've got to get a move on."

Her hand found his again as a rustle came from the corner they were just about to round. Wands raised, they leapt out and were met by nothing but a glimmering blue light at the very end of the corridor.

"Is that the cup?" Fleur whispered hopefully.

"I think so."

Truthfully, Harry was a bit disappointed that he'd not had to do much. He had prepared for far more but was grateful that he'd at least make it through unscathed with Fleur.

As they neared, Fleur's guess was proven correct. The Triwizard Cup stood upon a thin, yet grand marble altar. The blue glow emanating from it made Harry pause for a moment.

"It looks like a Portkey," he mused, remembering the description of a tell-tale blue glint from a library textbook. "Is it supposed to take us out of the maze?"

"They didn't say, although it would make sense," Fleur replied thoughtfully. "I almost feel like I don't deserve to win. I didn't do much."

"Neither," Harry admitted. "If you want it, you can take it," he offered.

The heart-melting smile she gave him reminded Harry of exactly why he'd stopped caring about the tournament itself. There wasn't much point in showing off to others, especially those he didn't know. Even the Hogwarts student population formed a new view of him annually, or so it seemed.

"Non, mon coeur," Fleur said warmly. "We still made it through this tournament. If anything, you deserve it after the second task."

"I'm not going to take it by myself," Harry responded vehemently. "Either both of us take it, or one of the other champions can have it."

She sighed in mock exasperation.

"I can't get anything past you, can I?" she said playfully, her palm warming his cold cheek.

"No," he replied softly, "you can't."

Fleur leaned in and pressed a quick kiss against his lips, before drawing back and grasping his hand in hers again.

"On three?" she asked.

"Do you think the other champions will be fine?" he asked in return, remembering just in time.

"Harry," she sighed, "there was almost nothing in the maze. They will be fine."

"Alright, on three then."

Counting down together, they both used their free hand to grasp a handle on either side of the cup. The hooking sensation behind his navel never failed to make him feel a little sick. They spun rapidly, and then came to an abrupt halt. Miraculously, Harry had managed to remain standing with Fleur, the cup flying from his grasp. Fleur had lost her grip on it too.

His relief faded as he struggled to discern his surroundings.

"Um… do you think this is part of the task?" he whispered to her, eyes darting around the foggy setting.

"It could be," she murmured back.

Pale, faded gravestones littered the poorly-grassed area on which they stood. It appeared to be on the side of a hill, sloping down behind them. A derelict house could be seen in the distance. The ground was uneven and patchy, not something Harry would expect for a tournament task. Even the arena in which he'd faced the Horntail was more hospitable. He stepped back, turning to read one of the gravestones.

A deep pit opened up in his stomach as he read the name on the headstone.

Tom Riddle

"Fleur, this is bad," he whispered urgently. "We need to get out of here, quickly."

"Why, what's the problem?" she asked, eyes wide.

Before he could speak, he saw a red streak in his peripheral vision. Harry pushed Fleur away from him and dropped to the ground, the spell crashing into the gravestone next to him. He pulled his wand out, but couldn't see anyone from his crouched position. Fleur had done the same, but his view of her was blocked by another tombstone.

Doubting he could communicate with her without being heard, he peeked out from around the large plaque in front of him, seeing a flash of black robes between the gravestones. Multiple low voices were getting closer, closing in on his position. It was perhaps a fatal mistake to be separated from Fleur. Yet, an odd sense of acceptance settled within him as he realised they would need to go through him first to get to her.

Looking behind him, he spied the Triwizard Cup in the grass, right next to a larger grave. Maybe, if he could levitate it and get to Fleur, they'd be able to escape. It all hinged on the Portkey still being active, but the lingering blue glow lining its edges was promising.

He took a deep breath, realising he would be okay with things going awry, as long as he fulfilled his promise to Sebastien. That would be worth more than any title or sack of galleons.

Springing to his feet, Harry flicked his wand towards the cup and levitated it before him, ducking and weaving through the graveyard as best he could without knocking the cup on the large headstones. Ignoring the shouts that he heard from his left, he continued towards where he had seen Fleur, although she no longer appeared to be there.

His heart pounding in his chest, Harry desperately scanned the tombstones around him. His search was cut short as multiple spells whizzed past, blowing the graves apart nearby.

"Fleur!" he yelled, covering his head with one arm as best he could.

"Harry?"

Harry looked up, beyond relieved as her silver head of hair emerged from behind a tombstone a few rows in front of him. He felt the heat of another spell as it barely missed his back.

With the voices growing louder, Harry realised he was rapidly running out of options. Resigning himself to whatever happened next, he banished the cup towards the grave Fleur was crouched behind.

"Catch!" he shouted.

Harry saw her hand dart out to grasp at the cup.

She wore a look of horror as she realised what she had just grabbed, before being whisked away noiselessly.

Thought ceased as the headstone directly beside him exploded and something heavy collided with his temple, knocking the glasses off his nose and sending him careening into the row of headstones on his other side. Harry lay there disoriented, vaguely registering something red and blurry growing ever larger amidst the muted yells nearby.

As red became all he saw, his vision darkened, and he fell into the void once more.


A/N

My schedule has been rather rough, leaving me little free time. Regardless, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Thank you for your continued reviews (nearly 100, wow) and other comments/PMs.

FFN also seems to have gotten its act together lately - I don't think my profile or this story should be vanishing anymore.