Chapter 14: Skrewts, Mostly

I do not own Harry Potter. R.R down the bottom. A reminder to vote on ships, if you like. The poll is tacked onto my profile page.

"SKREWT!" Harry bellowed, voice echoing through the magically-induced dome of silence as he scrambled to his feet and took off down the nearest path in the maze. He could hear the others cursing, feet hitting the ground right behind him, and the angry gurgle-hiss of Hagrid's beloved pets as he held his wand tighter in his hand, glancing behind him to check if the illegal cross-breed was gaining on him.

"No offense, 'arry," Fleur yelled, "But what obtuse official authorized zis eeleegal 'orreur to be used as an obstacle?!"

"Bully if I know!" Harry called back, twisting around with his wand in hand. "IMPEDIMENTA!"

He had turned back around before the spell hit, but if Cedric's hiss of surprise and the smell of burning hedge was anything to go by, it had simply bounced off. "The shell's magically resistant!" the Hufflepuff yelled, and Harry had to physically restrain himself from cursing poor Hagrid to the heavens.

"DIFFINDO MAXIMA!" Fleur cried, and Harry only had a second to duck before the spell came whizzing back over his head, magical heat singeing the tips of his hair.

"Crap!" he swivelled around again; the skrewt was slowly but surely gaining on them.

"Maybe if ve all cast together?" Krum suggested. "It might over-velm its magic."

"I doubt – SHI - SHITE, it's one of the ones that breathes fire!" Cedric yelped, as the smell of burning fabric and grass filled the air. "Aguamenti! Protego inflamare!"

"What was zat meant to do?" Fleur shrieked.

"Stop the fire!" Cedric replied.

"Ze skrewt just walked through eet and went up een flames!" Fleur cried.

"Guys, I hate to say this," Harry said, glancing ahead of them at the green expanse in the distance, "But I think we took a dead end!"

"Ve –" Krum swore under his breath. "Glacius!" There was an angry hissing noise and the sound of ice shattering as Krum called out again. "Blow up the hedge!"

"Is that even allowed?" Cedric asked.

"Who cares?" Harry bellowed. "If you don't do it, I will!" He levelled his wand at the hedge, a slow smile creeping its way across his face.

"'Arry, be careful –"

"EXPULSO VITAM NUM MORTAM!"

Meanwhile in the stands, the judge's table was on fire.

"Love Mr Seelver and Miss Stripes," Madame Maxime read dryly. "Dumblydoor, why eez eet zat your students 'ave no love for you?"

Karkaroff glared in agreement, his hair entirely on fire.

Moody cackled, walking past on the way to start his round of hedge patrol. "Constant Vigilance!"

"Moody looks unsurprised," Hermione noted worriedly. "Do you think he knows who they are?"

"No," Luna said, surprisingly firmly. "I think he just wants to give that impression as a method of garnering trust."

"Oh?" Ginny asks. "Why is he garnering trust?"

Luna hummed. "Don't worry, Ginny, the Nargles tell me Harry will be alright."

"Bloody hell! That makes nobody feel better!" Ron protested.

"Hey, it looks like they're planning to blow up a hedge," Neville noted. "Does that mean the judge's table will blow up?"

"I doubt it," Lee said comfortably. "Then again…"

There was a loud explosion from within the maze and the sound of cursing, and, a moment later, a slightly softer explosion went off at the judge's table, sending a stack of papers fifteen feet into the air and painting Dumbledore's beard a similar colour to Karkaroff's.

Special Effects with Love from Brushtail and Points.

"Oh dear," Alicia mumbled from her seat next to Fred.

"Yes?" Fred asked.

Alicia dumped a packet of popcorn over his head.

"For somebody being chased by an Eldritch Abomination, Potter looks far too pleased with himself," Daphne noted, peering through her binoculars.

"Well, we all know he was in on the skirt thing somehow," Millicent said, peeping over the other girl's shoulder with a peppermint toad in hand.

"No, I mean, abnormally pleased," Daphne said thoughtfully, handing the binoculars over. "Take a look-see."

Millicent raised the binoculars to her eyes. "Huh. You're right, he does look dangerously happy. A bit like Blaise with a knife."

"Excuse me, character defamation!" Blaise exclaimed. "What about Theo, anyway?"

"That was one time, and I was drunk," Nott said primly. "Besides, I thought we agreed never to speak of it again?"

"Why are we talking about Potter?" Draco whined. "Dumbledore's beard is on fire."

"Oh for Merlin's sake, Draco," Tracey huffed. "You're the one who goes on and on and on about him."

"Let me see," Pansy said, reaching for the binoculars, and Millicent handed them over. "Hmm. I see… he does look – who gave him that anklet? That's three years out of date – he does look abnormally happy. Ooh, that was a nasty spell…"

"Where is he picking these spells up anyway?" Daphne moaned. "He's a Gryffindor?"

Crabbe tapped Goyle on the shoulder and made a confused face.

"Dark spell," Goyle explained. "Potter's a light wizard. Shouldn't know dark spells."

"Technically, it's a neutral spell," Nott said blandly. "But you're right, Greg. He shouldn't know the modified expulso, at least – and didn't you see how it blew Dumbledore's eyebrows off?"

"Drakey, you've got to look at this," Pansy decided. "Daph's onto something."

"For Merlin's sake, Pans… okay, give me the binoculars, I'll – okay, he's smiling like a maniac, what in the name of –"

There was a flash of light from the maze as all four champions cast in unison and, a second later, the judges were blasted off their feet and landed smack in the middle of the stands. Draco pitied the idiot who got squished by all 12-or-so feet of Madame Maxime.

"You know," Blaise said slowly, "If I didn't know better, I would say Potter had an in with the Gang – but they're clearly anti-Dumbledore…"

"We need an in with the Gang," Tracey sighed. "They're going to take over before we do."

Harry was not smiling anymore.

"I THINK WE MADE IT WORSE!" he screamed, stumbling to his feet. "STUPEFY!"

"You ZEENK?!" Fleur yelled back, dodging a thrashing, spiked tail as the injured Skrewt flailed around, hissing furiously and spewing fire halfway across the maze. "You – MERDE! IMPÉDIMENTA!"

"Try to hit the underside!" Cedric called out. "STUPEFY! That's the only part that isn't shielded!"

Krum growled in agreement, silently casting a spell that glanced off the Skrewt's foot and nearly took Harry's arm off. Harry yelped. "JESUS FUCKING CHRIST! IMPEDIMENTA!"

"Who is Jesus, and why are you cursing him?!" Cedric exclaimed, ducking beneath a plume of fire.

"I'LL EXPLAIN LATER! FLAGRANTE EXUMAE!" Harry roared. There was a rushing noise as all the fire in the area was abruptly extinguished, and Harry stumbled, cursing his relatively weak magical abilities.

"WHERE THE EVERLOVING FRICK ARE YOU FINDING THESE WEIRD SPELLS?!" Cedric cried, and Harry, noticing Krum was also faltering, elected to ignore him.

"What the fuck is going on down there?" Ernie MacMillan asked, squinting down at the maze. "Surely four champions can get past whatever that is."

"It's a Skrewt," Susan said blandly. "This is why you should have brought omnioculars instead of a telescope.'

"Oh."

"Uh oh," Poliakoff muttered.

"What is it, Poliakoff?"

Poliakoff turned to his friend, keeping one eye on the maze as he leaned over. "Viktor is acting rather strange. Look, he keeps stumbling whenever he goes to cast."

"It's okay," the other assured him. "There's an Auror monitoring the maze. If something goes wrong, he will help."

"The Auror hates us and our school because of Karkaroff, Vanya."

Vanya went to speak, but paused. "Huh. You might have a point."

"Oh, Poliakoff is right," a dreamy voice piped up from behind them. "Don't worry, though, the Nargles tell me Viktor will be alright. We just have to wait."

Poliakoff and Vanya blinked at the girl. "Who are you?"

She just shrugged and skipped back to her seat.

"Britons are weird," Vanya decided.

Fleur screamed as a vivid red curse skimmed her arm, thudding into the wall of the maze and burning a small hole into it with a nasty smell. "Viktor! Please, be careful!"

"I'm – Cruc – AGH!" Krum grunted with the effort of turning back to the Skrewt. "DIFFINDO – DIGGO – CRUCIO!"

Cedric yelped in shock and dived bodily out of the way of the curse. "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING, KRUM?!"

Harry glanced over to see Krum wrestling with his own wand. The scene was oddly familiar. "STUPEFY!" he yelled, aiming at the skrewt, just as Krum raised his own wand back at Cedric, posture uneven.

"CRUCIO!" he growled out, and Cedric went down in a heap as the spell crashed into the side of his head.

"CEDRIC!" Fleur shrieked. "VIKTOR, WHAT – STUPEFY!"

The spell glanced off the shell of the advancing skrewt and Harry looked from the animal, to Fleur, to Krum, to Cedric –

"FLEUR, SHIELD!" he bellowed over the rush of noise, running forward. Not bothering to check if Fleur had listened, he pointed his wand at the ground beneath the skrewt's feet. "EXPULSO VITAM MAXIMA!"

There was a noise like a bomb going off and the four champions were flung yards from where they stood in the shockwave. The spell ripped easily through the skrewt's soft underbelly, throwing the creature across to the other side of the clearing in a shower of broken shell and skrewt guts. Harry hit the ground hard, barely noticing the wetness across his wand arm as he stumbled to his feet, swinging around to face the next threat as Krum sat up, pointing his own wand at Cedric with cold, glazed eyes –

Imperius.

Fleur screamed, "STUPEFY!" right as Harry slashed his wand through the air, yelling, "PETRIFICUS TOTALUS!". There was a noise like a whip-crack, and Krum skidded half-a-dozen yards along the grass, coming to rest, still and unmoving, against the remains of the hedge they'd entered through, leaving the surrounds free to fall into still, hanging silence, but for the three remaining champion's gasping breaths.

It was a while before anyone spoke. "W-what…" Cedric tried to sit up, pushing himself upright with his arms, but he was barely halfway there when they collapsed beneath him and he elected, shaking, to stay flat on this back, staring up at the sky. "What happened? I – I thought he was a good guy."

"So deed I," Fleur said bitterly.

"Imperius," Harry murmured softly. "Did you see how long it took to properly take over him? I think a part of him knew taking two wands off the Skrewt was a bad idea. It made him struggle, for a while."

"But who's Impèrius-ing champions?" Fleur asked, wringing her hands nervously.

"There are people patrolling the maze. With this school's history, it could be any of them," Cedric said, voice hoarse and betrayed.

There was another silence. Harry felt a sharp throbbing in his hand, but elected to ignore it. "Protego," Harry murmured instead, raising his wand, and a shield appeared across the main entrance to the clearing. After a moment, Fleur echoed him, closing off the area behind her.

"Harry," Cedric asked, after a moment. "What was that spell?"

"Expulso vitam maxima?"

"Y-yeah. And the other one…"

"Expulsor curse, but modified to only attack living things. The one I used on the hedge was expulso vitam num mortum, expulsor curse that only attacks living things but doesn't cause deadly harm."

"Merlin," Cedric muttered.

"I found it in a library book. It seemed like the right time."

"I – uh –" Cedric cleared his throat, beginning to push himself up into a sitting position for the second time, wincing visibly. "Maybe."

"'Arry, your feenger eez broken," Fleur said suddenly, and Harry looked at his wand hand, cursing when he realized his pinky was dangling at a thoroughly awkward angle. Growling, he grabbed it in his left and and yanked it back into place, yelling out in pain over the grinding of bone on bone as he did so.

Cedric chuckled slightly hysterically. "Madam Pomfrey's going to kill you."

"Not if I die first," Harry said grimly. "Now what?"

"Dumbly-door," Madame Maxime growled. "I 'ope you 'ave an explanation for zis."

"I quite agree," Karkaroff added sinisterly, practically snarling at the other judges.

"It will be cleared up and investigated," Dumbledore said placatingly. "For now, we need to let the competition run its course. Perhaps the instigator will slip up and show themselves."

"You mean to say this vas a security breach?" Karkaroff sneered. "So much for the safest place in Britain."

"We cannot make hasty decisions. They will result in more casualties," Dumbledore murmured sorrowfully.

"You forget," Percy said coldly, "That this is a broadcast event. I have no doubt there are children who just listened to four young men and women nearly get killed by a rabid beast and one get tortured on live radio."

"Y-yes, quite right, Weatherby," Bagman agreed. "B-but I suspect if we stop now, the perpetrator will get away."

"Are you aware," Percy asked, voice beyond icy, "That every man and woman in Britain with a wireless can hear you?"

Bagman spluttered.

"I thought not. I may be inexperienced, but Mr Crouch trusted me to go in his place, and I will not let him down."

"Mr Weasley," Dumbledore said kindly, "I'm afraid as Headmaster I must overrule you."

Percy sniffed. "Perhaps. Let the record show our department, at least, tried its best."

"Are you sure?" Fleur asked.

"Positive." Though his face was little more than a white sheet, Cedric nodded, stumbling over to Krum, legs still trembling like leaves under his weight. "I'll stay here," he sighed. "I'll keep him knocked out and wait for the teachers to arrive."

"What if you get caught by another skrewt?" Harry crossed his arms, watching the Hufflepuff with more than a little trepidation.

Cedric grinned morbidly, eyes crinkling even as his mouth twisted crookedly. "I guess I'll just go out in a blaze of eternal glory."

"What eez eet wiz you Eegnlishmen and death?" Fleur muttered.

"We can stay with you," Harry offered. "You're in no shape to fight."

Cedric shook his head, pointing his wand up into the sky. "Periculum," he intoned, and the shower of red sparks fell to the ground around them as he lowered his wand. "Just go. We'll solve the rest of this after we're out of the maze."

"Red sparks!" Percy said sharply. "Someone will have to collect them, now."

"Or per'aps you will deny zem even zat?" Madame Maxime added testily.

"Now, now, Olympe," Dumbledore said, raising his hands. "Alastor will collect them. Don't worry."

"I vorry," Karkaroff muttered mutinously. "I vorry a lot."

A.N

I made up spells. I make up spells a lot. It's shockingly easy.

You should definitely read the spells from Fleur and Krum in a non-British manner. Because there's no way in hell all of Europe uses the exact same Pig Latin, especially when some of it isn't even Pig Latin. Unfortunately, I can't really romanize/latinize (which one is it?) an accent, and looking up old languages to smack in a Slavic-root equivalent for spells didn't work. I couldn't even find a Bulgarian swear word. It gave me swear words from Norway. Bulgaria is not Norway.

R.R

ChaoticInscriber: I think I read that one! Don't remember what it was called. But there were government officials looking at Harry like what the everloving Merlin are you talking about, sassy child.

VashonBeader: No, thank you for reading, because if I don't get this out of my head, it will physically explode XD