The Triwizard Cup
"No!" screamed Hermione. She shot a jet of red light at the harpy. The bird woman's eyes widened as it struck her and she fell down on the ground.
"You want him all to yourself?" screeched the harpy. Her face was shiny and green, like Hermione's.
Hermione conjured a rope that tied her wings together. "Just shut up." She conjured a gag as well and wrapped that round the Harpy's gaping mouth. The harpy had green, human arms, but her feet ended in bird claws.
"Hermione…" Harry tugged her sleeve.
Two Blast Ended Skrewts were scuttling into view. More products of Hagrid's unnatural breeding, but unlike Ash, the result was not pretty. They blasted towards them from both directions, propelling themselves with a bang from their blasting ends. Hermione put Ash down and stepped in front of her. She flung herself onto the grass and yelled a stream of words Harry didn't catch. Her spell hit the Skrewt on its shell-less underside and it froze in position. Hermione then jumped to stand next to Harry. "Aim for its belly, Harry," she said, panting.
They both aimed at the Skrewts soft underbelly and yelled "Stupefy!" That Skrewt stopped moving as well.
"Whew. That was pretty close," said Harry.
Ash stared at the gagged Harpy who glared back. "What did she mean, she wants Harry?"
"You don't want to know and I shan't tell you," said Hermione, scowling. She beckoned. "Come. Both of you." They went down the path, when suddenly there was a terrible commotion. An awful booking, clucking sound. Hermione stiffened. "Harry. Take Ash and run. Close your eyes. Don't look back. It's a cockatrice."
Harry picked up Ash, and ran, but to his amazement, Hermione ran back to the bound Harpy. The next moment, there was a shrieking overhead. The harpy was clutching Hermione in her green arms. "Hold still!" screamed the harpy, and grabbed Harry's shoulders in her talons, carrying him high above the hedges, eventually settling down near the centre of the maze.
"Nice of you to save us all," said Hermione, gasping for breath.
"You came back for me even with the cockatrice on the rampage," said the harpy. "Why?"
"So help me, I couldn't let you die," said Hermione. "I've no gripe with part humans. They're just the same as us. My own daughter is one, after all."
The harpy wrinkled her shiny green nose. "Hmm. So… you are like my Mum. But you're really green in the cheeks… like me."
"Who are you?" said Harry.
"Oh. I'm Sukie," said the harpy, turning her green head to him. "My mum helped in one of Hagrid's pervy experiments. I'm the result. My mother did it with an occulatrice. In case you didn't know, that's like a cockatrice, but green and without the deadly stare. And I'm me. A monster. No, I can't get a boyfriend before you ask." She stared at Harry with piercing dark eyes. Her lips were a darker green, almost black. "It's nice of you not to laugh at this." Her voice was jarringly loud and penetrating.
"You're not a monster," said Ash pouting. "You did 'elp us. I wanna help too."
"I can help you with your game," said Sukie. "I think the lame-o cup is near here."
"Lame-o? It's the Tri-Wizard Cup?" said Harry.
"Yeah, s'important," said Ash.
Sukie clicked her tongue and rolled her eyes. "Anyway, follow me." She beckoned to them with a long green finger. Her nails were like bird claws.
She led them into a vast clearing. There, gleaming on a raised plinth, was the Triwizard Cup. But that wasn't all. Cedric emerged into the clearing from the far said and a huge spider from the forest came scuttling in from yet another path. Ash gave a little whinnying cry at the sight of it. The spider ran for Cedric.
"I'll handle this," said Sukie. She flew into the air, chucking bolts of green energy at the spider, knocking it flying. She alighted before a startled Cedric. "I saved your life. How about thanking me, hot stuff? If you don't know how, I can think of something."
"Um. I need to get to the cup." Cedric tried to sidestep her, but she caught him by the arm.
"Uh uh uh… I think my friends have got this. You did really well though, I'm sure."
Harry, Ash still in his arms, stood around the cup with Hermione and Sukie. The cup seemed to give off a faint glow, that lit up the green faces of both girls and shone off their green noses and cheeks.
Sukie narrowed her piercing eyes. "Hmmm… there's something wrong about this. Maybe you need magic to see it. The cup is a portkey. But where does it lead. I wonder…"
"A portkey?" said Hermione. "That's odd. Well Harry's not touching it alone. There's been something strange about this Tournament from the get-go."
Sukie was suddenly brisk. "OK. Hermione, take my hand. Harry, take her hand. I'll take the cup. If it's a portkey and we go someplace dangerous, I can bail you out again."
They held hands, Harry still clutching Ash, and Sukie grabbed the cup. Immediately, Harry felt a jerk, as though there was a hook behind his navel, and he was whirling through a sea of colour and sound, surrounded by the weirdest girls, but not Cedric…
