The Third Task

"Lately, I've been doing a lot of thinking about Rita Skeeter," Hermione confessed, though it surprised no one. Ron and Siria exchanged a look and a sigh. Colin, who had spent every meal since their reconciliation beside Siria, elbowed her for the third time this morning while he added more bacon to his place. Dennis, who sat on her other side, snuck some of his carrots on to Siria's plate when she and Ron exchanged their look. He grinned to Colin when Siria seemed to not notice.

"Have you?" Fred asked and shook his head.

"Couldn't've guess," George added. Hermione blushed, but she raised her head.

"Yes. I've gone so far as to ask Luna Lovegood," Hermione said.

"Hermione," George tsked.

"How did that help?" Fred asked. Siria swept up the last of her carrots, for the second time.

"Well," Hermione pressed her lips together, "I know how she isn't doing it, so it's really down to a short list now."

"Maybe she's using Polyjuice Potion," George joked.

"Yeah. She's turning into a student," Fred chuckled.

"Haven't you noticed?" George grinned from Fred to Hermione.

"Dennis has been acting strange all year," Fred smirked.

Dennis's fork slipped as he jerked back. The fork fell on Siria's plate. She sighed and placed an arm around Dennis's shoulders while he shook his head frantically. "Please," Siria muttered through clenched teeth, "pick someone else," she requested of the twins then looked to Dennis. "Either eat your own vegetables or sneak them on my plate better," she instructed.

"You knew!" Dennis gasped. She placed her head in her hand.

"Just," Siria squeezed her eyes shut, "just eat something other than bacon." She cracked an eye open and looked to Colin, "you too."

Hermione's brown, bushy hair swept from side to side as she muttered "Polyjuice," under her breath. "Might as well suggest she's—" Hermione's eyes flew to Siria. She reached across the table and grabbed Siria's face. "That!" Hermione exclaimed as she pressed on Siria's cheeks. Hermione's thumbs prodded Siria's mouth through her cheeks and she opened her mouth a sliver. It was just enough for Hermione to catch sight of the mandrake leaf. "Anyone can, can't they?" Hermione asked.

"Yes…?" Siria looked from Ron to Fred then George and Lee Jordan.

"But that's so illegal," Hermione beamed at Siria the way Dennis and Colin did when they were finally allowed to join the Room of Requirement sessions.

"Yes…" Siria slurred between her squished cheeks while Hermione's eyes lit with the same fire they had in their second year. "Library?"

"Library!" Hermione pulled Siria closer, pecked her on the head, swept her things, and was gone.

"What is she?" Fred asked as he watched her bushy brown hair disappear from sight.

"She's got a book dependency," Ron sighed, "Mental, that one." He swept the bacon from Hermione's abandoned plate then offered the eggs to Siria.

"It'd be nice if she ever told us her suspicions. Like 'it might be a basilisk'," Siria noted as she dumped the eggs to her plate and plopped the last bite of mixed vegetables on Dennis's plate. "You know? She's bloody brilliant, so even if she was wrong, we could prepare for something of the same caliber." she sighed and watched Dennis take a half bite of the vegetables. He took a larger scoop with her stern gaze on him.

"Potter-Black, the champions are congregating in the chamber off the Hall after breakfast," Professor McGonagall told Siria when she approached the table (B4, 614). Siria gagged as she inhaled her final bite of eggs.

"But— tonight," she choked.

"The champions' families are invited to watch the final task, you know. This is simply a chance for you to greet them," she tsked and moved along (B4, 614).

"She does know Sirius has snuck his way into every task, right?" Ron asked.

"A true Marauder," George sighed with admiration.

"A king in our hearts," Fred winked to Siria.

"Well, he's here for me today, so, if you'd kindly leave us alone," Siria glared, "that'd be great."

When Siria got to her feet, Colin and Dennis each grabbed one of her arms. Their large eyes pleaded like Dobby's. "See— see you soon!" Colin stammered.

"And don't forget about summer!" Dennis added. Siria slipped her arms from them and ruffled their hair.

"Don't look so worried," she soothed as she patted their hair down and crouched to be level with them while they sat.

"Your big sis'll be fine," Fred assured them.

"She's got it in the bag," George agreed. Siria rolled her eyes.

"It'll be like first year all over," Ron told them and Siria smiled.

"There'll be a Stargazer on me, so you'll get to see what a walk in the park it'll be," Siria reminded them. "Focus on your finals, okay?" The Creevey brothers nodded. Siria waved and left the Great Hall; she caught Warrington on his way out.

"Ready to lose?" Warrington taunted as they walked down the hall.

"Please, you're totally going to eat my dust," Siria said while she pushed the door open. "I've been doing this stuff since year one," and she stuck her tongue out.

"I started learning magic when you were still in diapers," Warrington boasted.

"Let's hope your old bones hold up then, senior," Siria sassed.

"If you're done dissing each other, I'd like to hug my daughter," Sirius said, his hand cupped around his mouth. Siria's face flushed and she tucked her chin to her chest as she stomped over to Sirius.

"Dad…" Siria's voice fell when she actually looked around the room. Sirius had not come alone or only brought Remus. Mrs. Weasley, Bill, and Mrs. Creevey had come as well. "Mrs—" Siria began, but Sirius swept an arm around her and spoke over her.

"You remember Remus's cousin, Barbara," he winked at her and Siria positively beamed.

"So good to see you again," she smiled and hugged Mrs. Creevey then Mrs. Weasley.

[Book: B4, 615-619 The other champions families are there as well. Charlie wasn't able to come, but said she did well against the dragon. Siria shows them around the school. She learns Percy isn't doing well because the Ministry wants to keep Mr. Crouch's disappearance on the downlow and Percy has been brought in for questioning a lot lately.]

With the Weasleys, Creeveys, Hermione, Remus, Siria, and Sirius, lunch was even more lively than it was over summer. Fred and George didn't say a word to Sirius the whole meal. They winked at Siria when they left for afternoon classes. Hermione whispered something to Sirius before she and Ron left for their test. He whispered to Remus, but assured everyone else "it's nothing," before he suggested a walk around the castle.

[Book: B4, 619-620 Dinner is even larger than usual. Dumbledore has the champions head to the Quidditch Field first. Bagman asks if Siria feels confident and she does, however nervous she may be. The Quidditch field is unrecognizable, with 20 foot hedges & a dark, creepy entrance. The stands fill. Professor McGonagall explains that she, Hagrid, Moody, and Flitwick will patrol the perimeter & they're to send red sparks if they want to be rescued.]

Remus tightened Siria's Stargazer around her waist. "If you're unable to continue, we'll know and come in after you," Professor McGonagall informed them, "good luck."

[Book: B4, 620-621 Hagrid wishes Siria good luck. Bagman magnifies his voice and Warrington & Siria walk up to the entrance. She can make out the Weasleys, Sirius, Remus, Hermione, and the Creevey brothers with their mother. Bagman tells them to go. They light their wands with Lumos then Warrington and Siria walk together until the first fork in the maze.]

"Do we go left or right?" Siria asked. Warrington patted her shoulder.

"I'll go right and you'll go left," said Warrington, "see you when I've got the Cup, Potter-Black," and she watched him walk down the right until he turned out of sight. Siria whispered the light from her wand out. While the Stargazer wasn't bright, it did provide enough to see alright. Siria marched down the left path.

Bagman's whistle signaled the entrance of Krum then Fleur (B4, 621). Siria crept through the dark maze, lit by her Stargazer. "Hogwarts, Hogwarts," Siria sang in a low whisper, "teach us something please…" it was the only thing her mind could muster to fill the silence, until something else did: rapid snaps accompanied a chorus of swift lashes. With regular glances around her, Siria continued onward and was met by path out of a spy movie. Ribbons of thorny, thin branches snapped across the walkway then retracted while something yellow zipped between the same two spots of the path. She looked to her watch. It had been ten minutes; she was owed an obstacle.

"One, two—" SNAP Siria timed as she watched the vines. "Three, four, five—" SNAP she nodded and took a full, deep breath. Step— step— SNAP— hop— SNAP. Siria grasped her chest like it would magically calm her heart. Step— step— step— duck— SNAP—BLAST! Siria shrieked as she was knocked to the ground. Her hands covered her ears too late save them. She knew she had cried out, but she couldn't hear it. The snaps had stopped. Siria raised her eyes, her ears full of deafening vibrations… the branches had not stopped, they had merely grown silent.

Her knees collapsed under her when she tried to stand again. She pressed her head to the cool grass of the maze and squeezed her eyes shut. If she just laid there, her hearing would come back in time, "Right?" Siria wondered. Her head throbbed, but when she ran her fingers along her braid, it was clean. She groaned and rolled onto her stomach while the yellow something zipped just past her head.

"Parva Sole" a small, yellow-orange orb of light shot up and rested at the top of the maze's wall. The snapping branches had burst the Stargazer. From the blast it caused, which scorched the area of wall just above where Siria ducked to avoid a branch. "Really, dad?" She groaned. How had they not made them more damage resistant or less dangerous when they broke?

Fire shot over Siria in a tunnel of bright blue flame. Then something snagged the back of Siria's robes and dragged her. She waved her arms and tried to shake out of the robes. An entire arm out, Siria stumbled to her feet when the dragging stopped. "Warrington?" She asked. He replied. "What?" She bellowed back. He tapped each of her ears with his wand.

"Are you okay?" Warrington repeated. Siria wiggled a finger in her ear.

"Kinda?" She confessed with uncertainty. There was a thunderous buzzing in her ears. "My Stargazer popped."

"You're still shouting," he noted.

"What?" Siria asked. Warrington pinched the bridge of his nose. One of his sleeves was split open and torn half off. He turned and unfastened his Stargazer. "Stop! What if you need it?"

"Your dad made it to watch you— not me!" He bellowed, so she could hear him.

"No way!" Siria waved her arms.

"Take it or I'll let go!" He told her. Siria glared and he released it. Her hand snapped to its strap, worried it would fly off like a balloon. "Get lost, Potter-Black!" Warrington took off at a run.

The Stargazer watched Siria, who glared at it. After a moment's debate and the knowledge she wasn't getting any closer to the Cup standing there, she continued deeper into the maze.

[Book: B4, 623 she continues and finds a Boggart, which she first thinks is a dementor, but beats it all the same. With the Four Point Spell "Point Me" she finds 2 dead ends, but feels like she's getting closer. Then she comes to the golden mist.]

"Serpensortia!" a small garden snake dropped to Siria's feet, she swept it up and looked apologetically at it. "I'm sorry," she winced and stuck the snake's head and her hand into the mist. The world flipped around Siria and took her stomach with it (B4, 624) she clutched her other hand to her mouth. [B4, 624 she's upside down].

"What are you doing?" the snake hissed, "keep walking," Siria's head spun and she squeezed her eyes shut.

"Be my eyes!" She pleaded and took a blind step forward, only to crash to the floor as her balance returned. Siria placed the hand with the snake down, but it wrapped around her. "Fair," she sighed and got to her feet.

Fleur's voice pierced through the air with a shattering scream (B4, 624). Siria flinched toward the voice, but paused. Everyone except Warrington had a Stargazer. If Fleur was in trouble, the professors would know. They would save Fleur. What if something happened to her Stargazer? Siria took a step toward Fleur's scream. "Hagrid is counting on you," part of her reminded herself, "to show the world you don't have to be pureblood. It's not just yourself you're competing for." She closed her eyes and nodded. Besides, with how loud Siria's Stargazer had been, they would know if Fleur's had burst. "Point Me!" She told her wand and followed North-Northwest.

Water. Deep, dark water that mirrored a stormy ocean filled the path before Siria. It was too long to jump across and she had not prepared her Firebolt. She wasn't even sure she could summon her Firebolt into the maze. With how it magically silenced the stands, it was bound to have other enchantments on it. Siria sighed and took her dueling stance. Siria filled her lungs with the cool air of the maze while she pressed her eyes closed and pictured the bridge. "Pontemverba Meafiet!" Nothing happened.

Siria looked over her shoulder then to her watch. Going back would just be lost time and, for all she knew, the Cup could be just out of sight. Her choices were to either make a bridge or, "Or…" She looked to the small garden snake before she placed it on the ground and enlarged it. It was nearly the size of the viper she had used to distract the Horntail. "Would you—" Siria began, but the snake stretched across the water.

Scaled hands snapped up and scratched at the gigantic snake. Siria shivered, but pulled herself onto the snake and ran across. Beneath her feet, smoke broke through cracks in her snake as she ran. Near the end, her snake was more flake and smoke than body. Siria leapt, pointed her wand at the water "Aguamenti!" It was even to vault her over, and she tumbled on the other side. She placed her hand over her chest and caught her breath before she continued deeper into the maze.

Rainbow wings flashed toward Siria. She dropped the floor and pressed herself to the wall of the maze as a talon scraped up the spot she had just occupied. "Hippalectryon," Siria groaned, "great." She pointed her wand at the large, feathered, rooster-horse combination. "Pefynd Beignis!" Siria called and snapped her wand with such speed that only a small, monstrous stag erupted through.

The stag's horns were twisted and jagged; it sent sparks when it dragged its hoof along the ground. Siria bolted in the direction the Hippalectryon had flown from and looked over her shoulder. It charged into the Fiendfyre stag and the two erupted into a boiling bath of rainbow. Maze walls were destroyed and a wave of furrows covered the ground. "No thank you," Siria dismissed the open area, which hissed with remnants of the Hippalectryon and Fiendfyre stag. She raised her wand before her as she marched onward.

"Don't know if you can hear me," Siria confessed to the Stargazer, "but I'm doing alright and just want my dad to know." She clicked her tongue quietly and sighed at the eerie lit Stargazer while she walked on. It was quiet in the maze. She expected a lot more creature sounds, like clanking hooves, but she also expected the maze to smell worse with all that lived in it. Mostly, it smelt like mowed grass and summer. There was also a hint of fire, which was Siria's fault.

Contorted cries cut through the silence and constricted Siria's throat. Her words choked out quietly while she raced toward them. "Warrington!" Siria called, "Cassius!" She spun on her heel as the sound stopped. "Cassius!" Terror coated her voice. Siria pointed her wand at the hedge, "Sorry, not sorry!" She gulped, "Pefynd Beignis!" A monstrous stag-like being of fire charged through the wall of the maze with an enormous, fanged doggish creature. They plowed through with a path that mimicked when a cartoon character ran through a wall and left their silhouette.

"Cassius!" Siria screamed while she sprinted through. Her Stargazer knocked into things as she ran. She skidded to a holt and turned right so quickly that she stumbled into a wall of the maze. An arm grasped blindly, tangled in the thickest wall Siria had come across. "COME BACK!" She cried after the FiendFyre, which charged onward. "Dumbledore'll hangle it" she told herself.

Siria shook her head and bolted to where the arm was. There was barely room to walk through with how thick the walls of the maze were. "I'm here!" Siria shouted and the arm grabbed onto her at the elbow. Siria ripped at the tangle of forest green vines that simply filled the spot she tore at with more vines.

Bombarda— Incendio— Reducto— spells flipped through Siria's brain like book pages, but nothing that might not hurt him. "Let go!" Siria shouted, "Let go!" She gasped and pointed her wand at the tangle "Relashio!" Nothing. "Hermione," Siria whimpered as her own arm was pulled into the tangle. "Immobulus!" The vines paused. She drilled her knuckles into her temple. "Relashio!" She repeated to no avail.

With all her might, Siria leaned back. She planted her feet at the base of the wall and tugged and jerled herself backward. She dragged the hand out until Cassius Warrington collapsed beside her. He gasped and coughed as the took in the air. "They— would— have— come— for— me," Cassius gasped.

"With what sparks?" She cried in outrage.

"You've just let Krum win," he patted his robes off and got to his feet.

"Right," Siria grumbled and dusted herself off. "Silly me, checking on a friend."

"Get out of here, Potter-Black." Cassius turned and hurried off.

"'Hey, Siria, thanks'," She rolled her eye as she retreated to the holes left by her Fiendfyre, "'you're my friend too'," she muttered.

Arms crossed, Siria stood before the Fiendfyre silhouettes. She tucked her nail between her teeth and gnawed. Would it be cheating to just walk straight through, to the center and the Triwizard Cup? If Fleur had recovered from whatever startled her, there were three people that could all use them. Would the older students know differently? Nothing Bagman had said implied that they couldn't use something to destroy the walls and walk straight through; Siria reasoned it wasn't in the spirit of things, but wasn't it? She clicked her thumbnail against her teeth. They were armed with their wands and the other judges saw Siria use Fiendfyre in their evening practices— with how outraged they were, they couldn't have forgotten.

Almond shaped green eyes scanned the dark maze, toward the stands she couldn't see. Hagrid was counting on her, Gryffindor was rooting for her, and she couldn't let them down. Siria marched forward. Every step brought a new temptation to dash, to sprint, to fly full speed, but pools of creature filled water or worse could be one misstep away.

Crimson robes cast in shadows fell into her line of sight on the path— Krum charged forward. Siria sprinted after him. As quickly as Krum came into her line of sight, he was tackled from it. Shimmering rainbow gems knocked Krum from the path. Siria closed her eyes, she tucked her head to her chin. If she stopped to help him, Cassius or Fleur would win for sure. Smoke filled the maze. It was so dense that she could barely see two walls away. She rushed into a path. "Point Me!" Siria told it. She glanced to her watch, then behind her.

Hermione was so much better with maths, but she had to try. "Fourty-five minutes, north, but ten on Cassius, west, northwest…" She turned around and saw the burning blasted hole into the maze path to her right and took it. Cassius was yards ahead, but the Triwizard Cup was in sight. It was a lighthouse in the thick smoke of the maze.

Just as Krum has been tackled from sight, Cassius was. Siria continued toward the Cup and ran right into the clearing with it, Cassius, an acromantulas, and a Blast-Ended Skrewt. Her gaze filtered to the Cup. She could hear Hagrid's roar of pride at her victory. She heard Rita Skeeter's miserable sobs— heard Tom Riddle's blubbering cries of defeat as she lived another year. Silence washed over it all like a slammed door. Alice Travers, Astoria and Daphne Greengrass and their forced applause when Cassius entered his name. Their silent, petrified terror at the gravity of his name, devoured by the Goblet.

"Bombarda Maxima!" Siria screamed at the ground beneath the Skrewt, which exploded and knocked it back. The acromantulas flipped through the air and crashed beside the Skrewt. Cassius groaned and picked himself up.

"Just, take the Cup, Potter-Black," he growled. Siria looked to the Triwizard Cup. A voice inside told her she earned it. Cassius wouldn't be here without her. She stepped forward, but her hand hovered over the handles of the stunning Cup that her eager eyes consumed.

"You know…" Siria whispered. "I know Krum and Fleur got help from Karkaroff and Madame Maxime, but we didn't get help from Dumbledore." Her hands dropped to her sides as she looked to Cassius. "You chose to help me— to help me collect myself when I was chosen, to drag me along…" a bitter smile crossed her lips. "Together?" Cassius clicked his tongue and stood beside Siria.

"You want to share 'eternal glory'?" he raised an eyebrow at her. She shrugged.

"I'm the Girl Who Lived, that's more than enough 'glory' to carry alone."

"Everyone's been watching on the Stargazers," he rolled his eyes.

"You're tempted," she nudged him in the side with her elbow. "Cassius, you would have made it through the Tournament alone— I would still be on the ground, if I even made it this far."

Cassius watched the Cup, as if it were a prophet with the answer. Footsteps thundered toward them. He took one of Siria's hands and nodded. She beamed at him. "Together!" Cassius confirmed. She chuckled and they counted together. "Three, two, one—" their hands grasped the Triwizard Cup.

Immediately, something jerked behind her navel, their feet were off the ground, and they were bound to the Cup (B4, 635).