And here you have it! The third task! Sorry for taking forever to put out this chapter. The problem was finding a way to make Carina's time in the maze realistic but not copy-pasting Harry's experience onto hers. There are so many possible beasts and enchantments to use that it made it overwhelming and difficult. Then I also had writer's block for a bit which didn't help. But here you go!
Reviews:
Elentiyaronious - Wish granted lol.
Me & fwscb - Thanks!
Zikashigaku - It's great seeing you on another story of mine! I couldn't see Fred with anyone other than a Slytherin tbh since he has so many Slytherin qualities, it just suits him. And she'll definitely be meeting Sirius soon.
April went by quickly, and May had very little interest from the students. All focus was on the third task of the Triwizard Tournament at the end of June. Scheduled for June 24th, it fell on the last few days of the school year, and everyone was excited for what was in store. The students certainly hoped for it to be more entertaining than the second task which they couldn't watch, so they'd certainly hate for the third task to be similar.
During the last week of May, Professor Snape held Carina back at the end of Potions.
"Is something the matter, professor?" Carina asked, adjusting her bag on her shoulder.
Snape didn't often hold her back unless it was important, and the last time he had done so, he told her to find a suitable Yule Ball date. She still wondered if a random Durmstrang counted as suitable, especially since she had ditched Lukas during the night. Snape had probably meant for her to ask one of the Slytherin boys such as Cassius, Adrian, Terence, Peregrine, or Lucian. Or perhaps even Blaise or Theodore. Though if Lucius or Narcissa ever decided to ask about her Yule Ball date, she could play it off as Lukas being a Durmstrang and thus knowledgeable about the Dark Arts since it was one of the subjects taught there.
But then that would probably lead to them saying, "Oh, we can teach you," which Carina didn't particularly want.
"Mr. Bagman is gathering all of the champions tonight at the Quidditch field," Snape explained. "He will be informing you of the third task. Nine o'clock. Don't be late."
"Yes, professor." Carina nodded at him then took her leave.
The rest of the day went by slowly. Nerves crept up on Carina as the sinking feeling of the Triwizard Tournament coming to an end finally settled in her. On the plus side, it meant she didn't have to worry about exams even if she was studying often anyway with Cedric, Sylvia, and Adrian. The stress of exams was replaced by the stress of the tournament instead.
Would it be so bad if she lost?
She didn't need the fame and glory. She was the heir to the ancient Lestrange family name. She didn't need the prize money. She had complete access to both the Lestrange Vault and the Burke Vault now that she was seventeen. She didn't need the connections winning would bring. She had the Malfoys, other pureblood families, and her surname.
But perhaps it would be nice for the other students at Hogwarts not to hate Slytherin for everything they did. It would be nice to make a name for herself instead of having one given to her. It would be nice to not be automatically looked at as though she had done something wrong just for existing.
At half-past eight, Carina began making her way from the Slytherin common room to the Quidditch pitch. The night sky was cloudy and dim, yet the moon peeked out from behind the clouds to light her way.
When she turned through a gap in the stands and walked out onto the field, Carina frowned. Rather than the smooth, flat field, it was covered in what looked like growing hedges that crisscrossed and twisted in multiple directions. In the middle of the field stood Bagman, Krum, and Fleur, the last of whom was waving her over with a large grin.
She started stepping over the knee-high hedges to make her way over to them when Harry walked out onto the field as well. He glowered at the hedges after doing a double-take.
"Hello there!" Bagman yelled to get Harry's attention.
The young Gryffindor then hurried over as well, still looking none too pleased with the sight. Carina couldn't blame him. At least now they knew why Quidditch wasn't allowed at all. They needed the field for the tournament; otherwise, Quidditch likely would've still been going on throughout the school year.
Once Harry had joined the group, Bagman said, "Well, what d'you think? Growing nicely, aren't they? Give them a month and Hagrid'll have them twenty feet high." He then noticed Harry's expression. "Don't worry, you'll have your Quidditch field back to normal once the task is over! Now, I imagine you can guess what we're making here?"
"Maze," Krum grunted.
"That's right!" Bagman exclaimed. Carina briefly wondered if the man ever had an off switch. "A maze. The third task's really very straightforward. The Triwizard Cup will be placed in the center of the maze. The first champion to touch it will receive full marks."
"We seemply 'ave to get through the maze?" Fleur asked.
"There will be obstacles." Bagman bounced happily on his feet as though he couldn't contain his excitement. One might think he was actually a champion in the tournament. "Hagrid is providing a number of creatures, then there will be spells that must be broken, all that sort of thing, you know. Now, the champion who is leading in points will get a head start in the maze." He gestured to Carina though his smile for her didn't quite reach his eyes as the one he then showed for Harry. "Then Mr. Potter will enter, then Mr. Krum, then Miss Delacour. But you'll all be in with a fighting chance, depending on how well you get past the obstacles. Should be fun, eh?"
It didn't sound fun at all. Hagrid loved any and all dangerous creatures. But all four champions nodded anyway.
"Very well, if you haven't got any questions," Bagman said, "we'll go back up to the castle, shall we? It's a bit chilly."
When Carina made it back to the Slytherin common room, though slightly curious as to why Krum had pulled Harry aside, she threw herself down onto the couch in the spot between Adrian and Sylvia.
"It's a maze," she told them.
"Oh, please tell me you're joking," Adrian said with a groan.
"Nope. It's a fucking maze with twenty-foot tall hedges."
Sylvia got comfortable leaning against Carina's shoulder, not looking up from her sketchbook. "I thought the tournament was supposed to be exciting for spectators?"
Adrian turned the page in his book. "Yeah, well, apparently they didn't get the memo."
Although the Ministry tried to keep it quiet, word got around that Mr. Crouch was missing and Krum had been attacked in the forest, but the speculation and concern didn't last long as the students turned their sights on the third and final task of the Triwizard Tournament.
While all her friends were studying for exams, well, most of them at least, Carina practiced offensive spells as much as she could. Adrian, Sylvia, Cedric, or the twins helped her with them occasionally, but for the most part, she practiced alone due to exams, or in the case of Fred and George, working on their joke shop and trying to deal with Bagman who still hadn't paid up.
Exams would finish up on the day of the third task which was a week before the term officially ended.
On the morning of the third task, Carina, Adrian, Sylvia, and Cassius began making their way to the Great Hall for breakfast. Despite being exempt from taking the exams, she still had to attend each of the classes in which they were held unless she got permission from her Head of House to be in the library, which she didn't care to get, so, unfortunately, she couldn't sleep in.
"Miss Lestrange!" someone called. Carina stopped walking and turned to see Professor McGonagall making her way over. The elder witch stopped in front of Carina. "The champions are gathering in the chamber off the Hall after breakfast to greet their families."
"Oh," Carina said in mild surprise. "Thank you, professor."
McGonagall nodded then turned her attention to Sylvia. "Miss Melville, I'll see you this afternoon for the exam."
"Of course, professor," Sylvia said with a smile. "Wouldn't miss it."
McGonagall then let them be, and the four walked into the Great Hall and sat down for breakfast.
The moment breakfast was over, Carina wished her friends good luck on their exams then made her way up to the staff table and behind it to the door. Taking in a deep breath, she squared her shoulders, lifted her chin, then opened the door. In one corner stood Krum and his parents talking in Bulgarian. Fleur, her mother, and Gabrielle were chatting in French off to the side. Carina was surprised to see Mrs. Weasley and Bill waiting in front of the fireplace, likely stepping in as Harry's family. And lastly, Lucius and Narcissa were standing by the window, with Lucius half-glaring at the Weasleys.
Narcissa smiled the moment she saw Carina walking over. "Oh, how lovely it is to see you, dear," the Malfoy matriarch greeted, reaching out to brush Carina's hair down her back. "We've been hearing all about your progress from Severus."
"We've expected nothing less than excellence," Lucius said.
Carina nodded slowly, her entire body tense. "Of course, sir."
Aside from the occasional snide comment from Lucius regarding anything he didn't like crossing his path, whether it was Harry in the distance, the sight of a Weasley, an even slightly dirty part of the school, etc., the three aristocrats walking around the school had an uneventful time. Narcissa asked Carina questions about her studies and the tasks while Lucius focused more on the contestants, visitors, and the newest staff member. He didn't seem particularly fond of Professor Moody, but she had expected it. Most of the older pure-bloods weren't fond of the famous ex-Auror.
Carina also learned from Lucius that Cornelius Fudge would be one of the judges for the third task as Percy Weasley had been brought in for questioning about Mr. Crouch's disappearance. The Malfoy's feigned sympathy about the disappearance but not the slightest bit for Percy, also as was expected. Why would they care about a blood traitor?
That thought alone made her want to wince. She had practically been their daughter for almost sixteen years. Would they drop her like the Blacks dropped Andromeda and Sirius?
Lunch was simple, amicable. Draco, Blaise, Crabbe, and Goyle all moved down the table to join Carina and her friends with Lucius and Narcissa, though Carina did notice Sylvia stay as quiet as possible, likely not wanting to draw attention from the Malfoy's, especially regarding her half-blood status. Carina made a note to check on her that night after the task and make sure she had plenty of chocolate to ease her nerves.
Carina knew better than anyone that being in the presence of Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy, or any elder member of the old wizarding families, wasn't easy. Even more so if you had something to hide.
At the table filled with lions, Bill took a break from chatting with his mother and Harry, leaning over to Fred and George on his other side while lowering his voice. "Does she always look like she's in pain when around them?" he asked, eyes briefly darting to the Slytherin table.
"It's better when it's just Narcissa," George answered in the same quiet tone.
"I wonder why," Bill said sardonically, having seen the constant sneer Lucius had plastered on his face while Narcissa's was more touch and go.
The afternoon was spent in much the same way as the morning: milling around the castle. When dinner arrived, Carina found herself not as hungry as usual, but she forced herself to eat as much as she could stomach without wanting to vomit it back up.
Silence fell across the Great Hall as dinner started to wind down and Dumbledore stood from his spot at the staff table. "Ladies and gentleman," the headmaster said, gathering everyone's attention, "in five minutes' time, I will be asking you to make your way down to the Quidditch field for the third and final task of the Triwizard Tournament. Will the champions please follow Mr. Bagman down to the stadium now."
As Carina stood, she got a few wishes of luck from her friends and family, then she left the Great Hall with Fleur, Krum, and Harry, following Bagman out of the school.
Lucius's goodbye words echoed in her mind on the way down. Make us proud.
That was the trick, wasn't it? How did she make her family proud while making her friends proud, or making the school proud while making herself proud? Each required something different.
Once again, she felt as though she was walking on a tightrope. A delicate balance was required lest she falls to one side or the other. Into the snake pit or the lion's den.
The Quidditch pitch was overrun by the twenty-foot-tall hedges that formed the elaborate maze, and she quietly chuckled knowing Adrian would throw a small fit at the field being temporarily ruined. Glancing between the hedges and the stands, she supposed the viewing experience wouldn't be as bad as the second task was, but visibility would still be poor for the people in the stands. They would at least be able to see a few things and likely hear other things.
In front of the champions was the entrance. It didn't look foreboding at all.
Shortly after the champions and Bagman arrived at the field, the student body, staff, and visitors began filling the stands. Hagrid, Moody, McGonagall, and Flitwick approached Bagman and the champions. Carina wanted to chuckle at the obnoxious red stars on the hats of the professors but refrained when McGonagall eyed the small smirk pulling at the corners of her mouth.
"We are going to be patrolling the outside of the maze," McGonagall explained. "If you get into difficulty and wish to be rescued, send red sparks into the air, and one of us will come and get you. Do you understand?"
The four champions nodded. Vermillious, Carina repeated in her mind. She hoped she wouldn't need to use it.
"Off you go, then!" Bagman said with a large grin. The four staff members left to station themselves around the maze. Bagman then used Sonorous on himself to magically amplify his voice around the stadium, turning to address the stands.
"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! In first place, with eighty-seven points - Miss Carina Lestrange, of Hogwarts School!" He paused for the applause. "In second place, with eighty-five points - Mr. Harry Potter, also of Hogwarts School!" Carina wasn't surprised to hear louder applause for Harry, though it didn't seem to cheer him up in the slightest. "In third place, with eighty points - Mr. Viktor Krum, of Durmstrang Institute!" His applause almost rivaled Harry's, but it made sense considering he was a famous Quidditch star. "And in fourth place with sixty-three points- Miss Fleur Delacour, of Beauxbatons Academy!"
Bagman allowed for more applause before waving his hand, silently asking for them to quiet down. "Earlier today, Professor Moody placed the Triwizard Cup deep within the maze. The champions will enter the maze in order of their position in the tournament thus far. The first person to touch the cup will be the winner. Staff will be patrolling the perimeter should any contestant wish to withdraw from the task. Champions, prepare yourselves!"
The crowd cheered again as the four Triwizard champions loomed closer to the entrance, with Carina the closest. The only one who seemed outwardly ready to face the depths of the maze was Krum, the other three resorting to trying not to show their nerves.
"So, on my whistle, Miss Lestrange," Bagman said. There wasn't any light in his eyes as he spoke to her, making her assume that he did not want her to win. Considering how often he attempted to pull Harry aside despite Harry's clear disinterest, she assumed Bagman wanted Harry to win.
Carina herself wasn't sure if she wanted to win anyway.
Once Bagman counted and blew his whistle, Carina entered the maze. Due to the lack of light caused by the dark, towering hedges, she pulled out her wand for light. It took only a few steps for her to notice that she could no longer hear the roaring sound of the crowd. Whether it was an enchantment on the hedges, their sheer size, or the blood pumping in her ears so loudly it's drowning out the noise, she didn't know.
Fifty yards in, she took a right, and shortly after, the whistle blew again. She was no longer alone in the maze. She picked up her pace, taking a few turns, and trying to continue toward the center of the maze to the best of her ability.
As she came up to a left turn, Carina paused, her ears picking up noise in the next passage. Gripping her wand tight, she inched forward and peeked around the corner. She jumped back, pressing her back against the hedge before the erkling could see her. At least, it looked like an erkling from the brief glimpse she got.
The erkling's footsteps stayed quiet, but the haunting song drifted to her ears.
"Into the darkness taking flight, whispers on the wings of night. . ."
Carina shook her head, trying not to pay attention to the song specifically meant to draw children into their grasp. Instead, she tried to focus on how to get past it. She could just blast it with a spell such as Bombarda, perhaps. What had she learned in DADA two years prior about the little beast? Category XXXX. They feed on human children. They shoot darts.
"Diddle-dee-dee, diddle-dee-doe, not are now, not far to go. . ."
Not far to go. Not far to go. Did that mean she was almost to the center of the maze? That didn't seem right. She couldn't have been in the maze very long and hadn't even met an obstacle besides the erkling.
But as Carina's thoughts drifted away from her, soft tendrils slowly began encasing her body.
A sudden shriek escaped her lips as she tried to pull away from the maze wall. The tendrils gripped her limbs tight, attempting to pull her into the hedge. She looked down as best she could while another tendril wound around her throat, and she realized they weren't just any tendrils, they were vines. Dark, spongy, soft vines.
Devil's Snare.
"Lumos Maxima!" she yelled and a bright white light emitted from the tip of her wand, pointing it as best she could toward the deadly plant.
The vines immediately recoiled at the bright piercing light directed at it.
Carina stumbled away from the hedge wall, barely catching her footing as she righted herself just in time to hear the high-pitched cackles of the erkling. A stinging pain erupted on her arm while turning to face the erkling that had heard her scream. It cackled again before it moved to blow a dart at her.
"Bombarda!" she recited without thinking. The spell blasted the small beast back against the hedge wall behind it where it was immediately attacked by vines pulling it into the hedge. Then she ran, bounding past the struggling, injured erkling and down a different passage. She pulled the dart out of her arm as she went, tossing it aside.
She didn't get very far before skidding to a stop as something walked out of the shadows in front of her. No, it wasn't something. Someone.
Her blood ran cold at the sight of her father.
"No," Carina mumbled. "No, no."
His long face and slicked-back dark hair were accompanied by a wicked grin, purely of her own imagination. It didn't match any portrait or picture she had ever seen of Rabastan Lestrange nor any of the very few memories she had of him from a small child. But the grin did haunt her dreams and sent chills directly to the bone. His wiry frame stood taller than her, but his eyes, her eyes, delved deep into her soul and threatened to freeze her in place.
She knew it was a boggart. Just a boggart. He couldn't possibly be in front of her in the middle of a maze on school grounds. It wasn't possible.
"Riddikulus!"
The spell hit the boggart mid-chest, but before Carina could see the funny form it assumed and laugh at it, the boggart was hit by another spell. The boggart was encased in a large bubble then went flying into the air, out of sight.
Carina raised her wand in the direction of the caster, only to see Krum who had been on the other side of the boggart at the conjunction of four passages. She almost put down her wand, knowing it was just another champion and not a beast, but then she remembered it was everyone for themselves inside the maze, so she kept her wand level, careful not to show her shaking hands.
Krum sent a spell in her direction and she deflected with a shield. He sent another then another, both blocked by shields. She sent a wordless Stupefy at him, followed by Everte Statum and Flipendo, but all three spells were blocked as well.
"I taught you better than that, Miss Lestrange."
It came from Krum but it sounded nothing like him. The voice was perfect. The expression was perfect. The stance was perfect. But something about his eyes and the words chosen did not sit right with Carina.
It wasn't Krum.
Before she could send another spell toward him, she got hit instead, pain erupting across her chest as she fell back. Carina cried out in pain, hugging her arms to her chest and feeling blood.
Not Krum walked over to her and knelt beside her, a look of consideration crossing his face. "It vasn't deep enough to kill you, but I can't let you get to the cup first."
"Stupefy!"
Krum was blasted away from her, knocked out, and the person who cast the spell ran up to her side. Carina's eyes focused on Harry, a panicked Harry specifically. "Are you okay?" he asked before he zeroed in on the bleeding wound. "You're bleeding." No shit, Harry, she thought. "Healing spells, healing spells." He muttered the words to himself, wracking his brain for a healing spell.
But Carina gave him one first. "Episkey. Use Episkey."
The fourth-year pointed his wand at her with a nod then cast, "Episkey."
It wasn't perfect. The charm itself was made for small and minor injuries, but it helped just enough for Carina not to be engulfed in pain or bleeding profusely. She rolled over onto her side and Harry helped her off the ground. Both then looked in the direction Krum had flown, seeing his unconscious body a short distance away.
"We should alert the teachers to him so nothing gets to him," Carina said with a sharp intake of breath.
Harry looked at her like she was insane. "He almost killed you." He shook his head. "I can't believe this. . . I thought he was alright."
"He is," she said sternly. "That wasn't Krum. It didn't. . . something was wrong."
Harry frowned, looking up at her. "Do you mean. . . the Imperius Curse?"
"I-maybe."
"Did you hear Fleur scream earlier?"
She looked away from Krum's body. "She screamed?" He gave her a nod. "Then I guess I must've been busy with the Devil's Snare." She gestured to the hedge wall. "Don't touch the walls."
"Thanks for the tip." He considered Krum for another moment. "Then I reckon we should send up red sparks. Someone'll come and collect him; otherwise, he'll be eaten by a skrewt."
"Skrewt?" Carina repeated.
Harry gave her an exhausted nod. "They're not fun. Hagrid's been raising them."
"'Course he has." After she sent up red sparks with her wand to mark Krum's body for the staff, she looked around. "Well, I suppose we should split up then."
"Oh, right." Harry started to walk away.
Before he got very far, Carina called out, "And Harry?" He turned around. "Thank you." He nodded one last time with a small smile then disappeared down a different passage.
Carina took a moment to look down at her chest, eyeing the slash mark across her top and the wound just below on her skin. Rather than gushing blood as it had been, the blood was drizzling out of a partially healed wound. She pointed at her chest and cast Tergeo then Ferula, so the wound was clean then bound in a bandage.
With one last glance at Krum, Carina continued on. Harry went left, so she went right.
Ten minutes later, after hitting a few dead ends, Carina walked down a long, straight passage with a large beast blocking the way. She readied her wand as she approached, discerning a large lion's body with a man's head with an Egyptian appearance.
The Greek sphinx is female, whereas the Egyptian sphinx is male.
Carina inched forward cautiously. The odds of a sphinx attacking at first sight was slim as they were mysterious creatures who enjoyed riddles, so she assumed she'd have to answer the sphinx's riddle to move on.
The sphinx's eyes narrowed on Carina, then in a deep voice, he said, "You are very near your goal. The quickest way is past me. My sister guards the western passage, I guard the eastern passage. We both give the clue to what you'll face next. The lion has answered but the snake has not. Answer mine and you shall pass, refuse to answer and you shall leave, answer wrong and you shall perish."
The lion has answered but the snake has not. Did that mean Harry had met the other sphinx and passed her riddle? That gave her a moment of relief. If Harry of all people could answer a riddle correctly, then she certainly could as well. And whatever the riddle was held a clue for the next and perhaps final obstacle.
"Can I hear your riddle?" she asked, still holding her wand at her side. If she guessed wrong, she would have to defend herself.
"Eight pallbearers carry me across the floor,
So I can weave a shroud to make others move no more.
In all the world, none can compare,
My deadly cloth silky and fair.
I create my lair with earthen string,
And dispatch my prey with a biting sting.
With silver chains and lacking wings,
I'm found alongside dead kings.
As a horrid monster that hides from the day, answer me this,
Which creature am I that you would be unwilling to kiss?"
Carina frowned at the riddle. Was that it? she asked herself. She had been expecting something more mystical or otherworldly or even stereotypical such as the one widely retold in the ancient myth of the Sphinx and Oedipus. But aside from her momentary disappointment at not hearing, "A thing there is whose voice is one; whose feet are four and two and three," Carina began deciphering the lines of the riddle she was given.
From the last line, the obstacle was clearly a creature. Something horrid, monstrous, that people wouldn't want to go near. And the riddle mentioned cloth, string, weaving, and silver chains. No wings but eight pallbearers.
Or eight legs.
Spiders were tiny weavers with eight legs, no wings, found in crypts and tombs, and had deadly bites.
"A spider," she answered as confidently as she could.
The sphinx smiled and moved aside, allowing Carina to pass. She breathed a sigh of relief before scurrying by. She didn't want to be around the sphinx any longer than she had to. Then she broke into a sprint and took the next left.
Someone entered her line of sight, but before she could stop, she slammed right into them. Both tumbled to the ground with groans.
Carina sat up to see Harry in a similar state of dishevelment, but a glowing blue light from the corner of her eye caught her attention. At the end of a long stretch of hedges sat the Triwizard Cup. Her head snapped to Harry who had just seen the cup as well and she pushed herself up and started running. The end was in sight.
"Carina, on your left!" Harry yelled.
She narrowly missed a giant wall of darkness that came at her, but one of its legs got caught on her, so she tumbled to the ground. She forgot about the spider. The giant spider started toward her, Harry hit it with multiple spells.
Instead of affecting it, however, it only managed to piss it off, drawing its attention away from Carina to Harry.
Her eyes darted to the cup at the end of the passage then back toward the spider which just picked up Harry. She pushed herself off the ground and was tempted to start running, but a voice in the back of her mind told her, You can't leave him.
Carina aimed her wand at the spider and yelled, "Expelliarmus!" It dropped Harry, and as he fell, both cast, "Stupefy!"
The double-casting worked. The spider fell, crushing a hedge, only for vines to start embracing it. And now that it wasn't trying to kill them, Carina was certain it wasn't an Acromantula, thankfully. It likely would have been worse if it was. Instead, it was probably just a regular spider that had been enlarged.
Carina hurried over to Harry, helping him sit up. "Are you alright?" she asked.
He nodded. "I kinda thought you were going to leave me."
"Can't say I wasn't tempted. . . but you wouldn't have left me." Carina held out her hand to him and he took it, letting her help him up, but he cried out in pain as he put weight on his leg. "Oh, you're hurt." She aimed her wand at his leg and cast her standard three healing spells: Episkey, Tergeo, and Ferula. It wasn't perfect, just like her own chest wound, and they would need to be treated by Madam Pomfrey and healing potions, but it would work for the time being and lessen the pain.
Harry then looked at the cup sitting at the end of the passage, waiting for one of them to take it. "Go on then," he said. "You take it."
The light of the cup called out to her, she couldn't deny it. She could finally claim something she had earned and not been given. Bring honor and glory to Slytherin, breaking the stereotype of it being a house full of cheaters and dark wizards.
But she couldn't. She had almost let Harry be eaten by a giant spider. She had been bested by whoever had Imperiused Krum and had been saved by Harry. She wouldn't have been prepared for the dragons without Harry. She finally understood how he had saved the school from both a basilisk and Voldemort and why he had befriended a werewolf and tried to rescue all the hostages.
He was a good person with a good heart that deserved better than the lot he had been dealt in life.
"No," she said. "I won't take it."
"What?" he asked. "Why not?"
"I don't deserve it."
"Yes, you do. You almost got there first. You were ahead of me. You-"
"And I wouldn't have made it this far without you," she interrupted. "I don't know what happened to Krum, but you saved me. The spider was after me, and you drew its attention. You told me about the dragons."
"You got me down from the spider and told me how to hear the clue for the lake," he tried to reason. "And you would have been fine with the dragons without my help."
"No, I wouldn't have." That she was certain of. "I'm good when I have time to prepare and practice. I'm not the best under pressure. You are." Carina sighed and looked down. "And I almost left you to be eaten by the spider. I shouldn't have done that. It wasn't right to even think of it."
"It's oka-"
"No, it's not!" she snapped then grimaced. "Take the cup, Harry. You've earned it."
Harry studied her briefly. Her expression, her stance, her words. And he realized something. She was ashamed. Ashamed that her survival instincts, something that defined Slytherins in their very core, had almost led her to a dishonorable win.
"You know how the twins always tell you you should be in Ravenclaw? I think they're wrong. You'd make a good Gryffindor." He held out his hand, and she looked at it skeptically. "We'll do this together since neither of us could've done it alone. For Hogwarts."
Carina contemplated his offer, looking between his outstretched hand and his kind green eyes. And she couldn't say no. "Deal." She clasped her hand around his and shook it. "You're certainly something else, Harry. Together."
Together, the two Hogwarts students walked down the passage toward the cup, Carina helping Harry limp his way there. They readied their hands on either side of the cup.
"On three," he said.
"One."
"Two."
"Three."