办不到
A Fan Fiction Story by Gfyuwatr7
Author's Note: Thanks for all the great reviews for the previous chapter, you guys all rock! :) Now, I know I said before that this was the last chapter, but I've realized things would work better if I added a true final chapter, an epilogue if you will. Rest assured, I'll have the last chapter written and uploaded as soon as possible.
To AvidReviewer: Thanks for the input, though I'm not sure if I would be able to write anything above T-rating. That, and I'm a little old-fashioned in that I think a couple should be married before getting it on like Donkey Kong. I know it's just a story, but I'm not sure I'd be comfortable with it.
To Belligerent: Interesting idea about what happened to Cedric, but unfortunately that's not it. Good guess though, lol. It's definitely something I can work into his story. I'm glad you like how I've written Cho. I don't want to make her perfect, but I know what you mean by how she is usually portrayed in other stories, so I wanted people to like her as much as possible without going overboard. I'm also glad you enjoy how I write, but it should be something anyone can do. I mean, is it really that hard to use proper grammar and sentence structure when writing? Either way, thanks for your support!
To chaosrin: Thanks for your input, it's definitely something that could happen. Cho and Hermione are both really smart, so they'd have a lot to talk about.
To .archanfel: Lol, I know, right? I figured Harry wouldn't know what to say or do in that kind of situation. Thanks.
To Tako Naegi: Thanks, I'm glad you like this pairing now! I'll keep trying to do my best.
Disclaimer: Harry Potter, its characters, books, films, all belong to J.K. Rowling. And to Warner Bros. Also, all works I may or may not have referenced in this chapter and in this story as whole, belong to their respective owners. (This counts for all past and future chapters and stories)
What happened after…
The days following the abrupt re-appearance of Mr. Crouch were a blur to Harry. Crouch appeared to be half-mad, talking to a tree nearby as though it were Percy Weasley. But that was not the worst of it; in a sudden moment of clarity, Crouch had said,
"The Dark Lord…stronger…Harry Potter…"
He continued to rave in this fashion, claiming to have escaped (but from where, he never said), and that he needed to see Dumbledore. Harry, leaving Krum behind to look after Crouch, hurried to fetch the Headmaster. By the time they arrived, however, Krum was unconscious and Crouch was gone, leaving no trace of his escape route. Harry spent the next few hours explaining the night's events to Ron and Hermione.
The next day, they sent an owl to Sirius describing the night's events, and waited for his answer. It came the next day, but it wasn't what they were expecting. Sirius admonished Harry for being alone after hours with someone he hardly knew, and remarked that whoever attacked Krum was most likely feet away from Harry, and that he could've been murdered. He asked for Harry's reply, wanting him to swear to never take such a risk ever again, and to concentrate on the Third Task.
"Who's he, to lecture me about being out-of-bounds?" Harry asked in mild indignation. "After all the stuff he did at school!"
"He's worried about you!" said Hermione sharply. "You should listen to him!"
"No one's tried to attack me all year," Harry said. "No one's done anything to me at all-"
"Except put your name in the Goblet of Fire," said Hermione. " And they must've done that for a reason, Harry. Snuffles is right. Maybe they've been biding their time. Maybe this is the task they're going to get you."
With this in mind, he spent the next few days training, learning and perfecting new spells for the final task. He did this with Ron and Hermione's help, and with Cho's as well. Though he knew he should try to explain what had happened that night, it would mean that she would start to suspect about other secrets in his life, such as those of Sirius. He wasn't sure she was prepared for such a revelation.
On Monday, Harry, Ron and Hermione had just finished practicing the Stunning Spell, something he had already practiced with Cho previously. She had wanted to help him practice more that day, but he insisted that she concentrate on studying for her O.W.L.'s instead. He had begun to notice that Cho was becoming slightly possessive of him, to the point that she was starting to neglect her other friends, specifically Marietta. He had not seen them talk to each other since their walk by the Black Lake. He was becoming slightly worried for her, and hoped he was wrong.
"I like the look of this one," Hermione said as she looked down a list they had made of spells that Harry could use during the final task. Her comment brought Harry out of his reverie. She continued, "This Impediment Curse. Should slow down anything that's trying to attack you, Harry. We'll start with that one."
I think I've already started to learn that one, actually, Harry thought to himself as the bell rang for classes to commence. They had been using the Transfiguration classroom during lunch hour.
"See you at dinner!" Hermione said as she rushed to her Arithmancy class, while Harry and Ron headed for the North Tower for Divination. As they walked, golden beams of light streamed through the windows, and the sky was a clear blue.
"It's going to be boiling in Trelawney's room, she never puts out that fire," Ron said glumly as they reached the trapdoor that led to the classroom.
He was quite right. It was very stuffy in the circular, dimly-lit room. As Professor Trelawney was greeting her students, Harry and Ron sat down near a corner, by a window. When Trelawney turned away for a moment, Harry reached out, opened the window next to him and covered it up slightly with its curtain, so as not to interfere with the class (no matter how much he loathed it). He now felt a cool breeze coming through the window. It was quite comfortable.
While Professor Trelawney demonstrated something to the class on a model of the solar system, Harry began to drift off, the heavy perfume wafting through the room beginning to cloud his thinking. Various times he tried to fight his fatigue, but eventually, he gave up, reasoning that he didn't need this class. As a champion, he was exempt from final exams.
As he drifted off, he thought he could hear an insect buzzing near the window…
The Dream…
He was flying through the air, on the back of a large eagle owl. As they began to descend, Harry saw that they were approaching a dark, ivy-covered manor. It looked as though no one had lived in it for years. Down they flew, and they soared through a broken window.
The interior spoke of former greatness. Tapestries and rugs that once were rich and full of detail were moth-eaten and threadbare. Great chandeliers hung from the high-vaulted ceiling, covered in cobwebs, and their candles long burnt out. Spaces where portraits must have hung were depressingly empty.
Harry was no longer on the back of the eagle. He walked along the corridor, toward a door that was slightly ajar. Through it, he saw a high-backed chair, and a cowering man kneeling before it, quivering in fear and pain. Another shape stirred next to the oddly familiar man, and Harry realized with a jolt that it was a large snake.
"You are in luck, Wormtail," a cold, high-pitched voice said. The sound of the voice made the hairs on the back of Harry's neck stand on edge. "You are very fortunate indeed. Your blunder has not ruined everything. He is dead."
"My Lord!" gasped the man on floor. "My Lord, I am…I am so pleased…and so sorry…"
"Nagini," said the cold voice, "you are out of luck. I will not be feeding Wormtail to you, after all…but never mind, never mind…there is still Harry Potter…"
The snake began hissing, its tongue fluttering in the dark.
"Now, Wormtail," said the cold voice, "perhaps one more little reminder why I will not tolerate another blunder from you…"
"My Lord…no…I beg you…"
The tip of a wand emerged from around the back of the chair. It was pointing at Wormtail.
"Crucio!" said the cold voice.
Wormtail screamed, screamed as though his every nerve were on fire. He was writhing in pain, clawing at his clothes. As he screamed, Harry felt the scar on his forehead sear in pain. Clutching it, he too began to scream, because the pain was too much; it felt as though his head were about to split open. He had to stop screaming, or Voldermort might hear him…
"Harry! Harry!"
He opened his eyes. He was lying on the floor of the Divination classroom with his hands over his face. His scar was still hurting, causing his eyes to water. The whole class was standing around him, and Ron was kneeling beside him, looking terrified.
"You all right?" he asked.
"Of course he isn't!" Professor Trelawney cried, looking more excited than she should have been. She loomed over them, gazing at Harry through her large spectacles. "What was it, Potter? A premonition? An apparition? What did you see?"
"Nothing," Harry lied. He sat up. He could feel himself shaking. He couldn't help but look around him, into the shadows of the room; Voldermort had sounded so close…
"You were clutching your scar!" said Professor Trelawney. "You were rolling on the floor, clutching your scar! Come now, Potter, I have experience in these matters!"
Harry looked up at her. "I need to go to the Hospital Wing, I think," he said. "Bad headache."
He stood up even as Trelawney continued to insist he stay, and began walking toward the trapdoor slowly. As he did, he noticed all the other students backing away from him, looking unnerved and frightened.
"See you later," he muttered to Ron before leaving.
Reaching the bottom of the staircase, he began heading towards the Headmaster's office, not to the Hospital Wing. He was going to follow Sirius's advice concerning his dreams; he was going to speak to Dumbledore about them.
June 24th, the day of the Third Task
"Dear Mother, I hope you're well. I know I haven't been in touch very recently or frequently, but I've had a lot going on.
I've been doing well in my classes, as far as I can tell. Even with the Triwizard Tournament going on, I've been trying to stay focused on my assignments. Speaking of the Tournament, I'm sure you've seen all the news recently. Hogwarts has a good chance of winning, and I feel really hopeful about it. Today is the last day of the tournament, so by the time this reaches you, I hope we'll have a victory.
Regarding my friends, that's a little more complicated. I haven't spoken to Marietta in ages, she's been so hostile with me. I mentioned to you that Cedric Diggory had asked her out to the Yule Ball, right? I don't know what happened exactly, but all I know is that they had a row, and they aren't seeing each other anymore. I've tried talking to her about it, but she just clams up and doesn't say anything, to anyone. It's really worrying me.
Speaking of the Yule Ball, I'm afraid I have something to tell you, and you might not like it. I told you in my last letter that I hadn't gone to the Yule Ball, but that isn't quite true. I'm sorry, and I won't try to make excuses, so I'll just say it. I went to the Yule Ball with Harry Potter, and I've been seeing him ever since.
I know what you'll say, and I'm sure Father will say the same, but let me try to explain. I really hadn't been planning on going to the ball, but he asked me and I couldn't say no. How do you say no to the Boy Who Lived? But that isn't the strangest part. I wasn't sure what to feel about him before, but now it's so clear to me. Mother, I think I love him.
I've spent so much time with him. I've been helping him prepare for the tasks in the Tournament. Can you believe it? Me, helping Harry Potter to survive the Triwizard Tournament! It sounds too good to be true. In all this time, I've seen who he really is: a kind, humble, good man. I know it sounds simple, but what more needs to be said?
I want to help him, to be with him, to be there for him like he has been for me.
I'm not asking for your blessing just yet. All I'm asking is that you give him a chance. I hope that, by return owl, you would allow Harry to come visit us over the Summer holidays. That way, you and Father can meet him and see for yourselves who he truly is.
Please forgive me if I've stepped out of line, and please give Father my love."
Love, Cho
"What are you drawing, Cho?" Stephanie asked sleepily, looking over Cho's shoulder. They were in the Ravenclaw common room. It was very early in the morning, the sun was barely peeking out over the horizon. Cho knew she should be sleeping, but nerves over her O.W.L.'s, as well for Harry's safety that night, had caused her to have nightmares. Now, she couldn't sleep.
"I'm not drawing, Stephanie," Cho said patiently, "these are called characters. I've told you this before." She had been writing her letter in her native script.
"Oh, yeah," Stephanie said slowly, "sorry about that. I'm just so sleepyyyy…" She collapsed onto the couch next to Cho, and promptly fell asleep again. Cho just smiled, and began to carefully put her letter into an envelope.
As she waited for the sun to rise further into the sky, Cho pondered on all the things that had happened in her life recently. She and Marietta had cut all ties, not even speaking to each other in passing. It wasn't that Cho wanted to avoid her, but Marietta insisted on not speaking to her anymore. Cho finally gave up, and realized she might have truly lost a friend. Most of her time was spent with Harry, and sometimes with his friends as well.
Ron was an interesting fellow, in her opinion, and she found his sense of humor a little off-beat, but quite funny nonetheless. Hermione was definitely the most mature of the group. She liked to have interesting conversation with her over various matters, such as the rights of house-elves and other magical creatures. She quite liked her, actually.
And then there was Harry. She felt her heart begin to pound just thinking of him. She couldn't believe how much he had come to mean to her. If anything were to happen to him, she truly didn't know how she would cope, or if she would even be able to. He was always so kind to her, treating her like his equal. He always valued her opinions and input, and always treated her with respect. And the way he would hold her in his arms and lean down to…
"Cho? You've got that look again," Stephanie muttered from her seat on the sofa.
"Thank you, Stephanie…"
After going to the Owlery to send her letter, Cho made her way down to the Great Hall for breakfast. It was slightly late, and she realized she would have to rush eating her breakfast in order to take her exams in time. Just as she reached the double doors to the Great Hall, she was greeted with a strange sight.
Hermione was running at top speed towards her, almost crashing into her once more. She seemed very determined to get somewhere.
"Hi, Cho!" Hermione said breathlessly as she ran past her and made a beeline for the staircase. "Sorry, I'm in a bit of a rush, see you later!" With that, she disappeared up the stairs.
By now, Harry had explained to her about Hermione's sometimes annoying habit of rushing off to the library for information. Cho didn't find it annoying, really; she herself would make sudden trips to the library if she needed to something up. Shaking her and smiling, she entered the Great Hall.
There was a buzz of excitement in the air. Many students, including herself, were about to take their final exams today. There was much exchanging of notes and reciting names, facts, and wand movements. But more importantly, there was talk of the final task. Today would be the day the Triwizard Tournament would be won, the victor decided. Thinking of this, Cho immediately went looking for Harry at the Gryffindor table. She found him seated next to Ron, with Professor McGonagall standing above them and speaking to Harry.
As she got closer, the Professor left. But she noticed that Harry seemed confused, and alarmingly, almost resentful. His face cleared when he caught sight of her and smiled, but even as she kissed him on the cheek and pulled away, she noticed his expression was still slightly clouded.
"Are you okay, Harry?" she asked, sitting down next to him. "What did Professor McGonagall say?"
"Oh, it's…" he paused, visibly trying to compose himself. "She told me that my family was invited to come for the final task. But I know the Dursleys, they can't be here…"
"Oh…I see," Cho said carefully. Ever since first broaching the subject to Harry at the Yule Ball, they had not spoken about his relatives, the Dursleys. She had decided that they would talk about them whenever Harry was ready to. So far, that moment had not yet come. "Do you think they're really here? Muggles can't see Hogwarts, can they?"
"Yeah," Harry muttered absentmindedly. They watched as the other champions walked away from the tables and disappeared into a side room of the Great Hall. Cho assumed that room was where the families of the champions were gathered. Harry himself remained seated. He looked uncertain as to what to do. Cho couldn't blame him, honestly.
"I dunno about this, Harry," Ron said. "Maybe you should go, just to make sure." He stood up, gathering his books into his bag. "I'd better hurry, I'm going to be late for Binns. See you guys later." He left hastily.
Harry and Cho ate the rest of their breakfast in silence as the Great Hall gradually emptied. Glancing around, Cho noticed Marietta looking at them with a strange look on her face. As soon as she noticed Cho looking at her, she glanced away. Marietta stood up, and gathering her things, she left the Hall. I don't even know what to say to her anymore, Cho thought sadly to herself. One could not simply approach her anymore without feeling like a fool.
"Harry, come on, they're waiting for you!"
Cho was drawn out of her reverie as Harry stood up reluctantly to follow Cedric into the side room. "Do you…" she paused uncertainly, "do you want me to come with you?"
"I'm not sure that's a good idea," Harry said reluctantly. "They're really hostile towards anything that has to do with Hogwarts or magic. Even if they are here, I doubt that it's out of any real concern over me. And trust me, you're better off not knowing them."
"I suppose so," Cho said. Hugging him tightly, she said, "I have to get going, my first O.W.L. is about to start. See you before the task?"
"Absolutely," Harry replied, kissing her forehead lightly before letting her go. "Good luck, and may the odds be ever in your favor."
"They'd better be in my favor," Cho teased. "If I fail, I'm going to have to have a serious word with those odds."
"I don't even think that's possible," Harry laughed as he began walking away towards the side room of the Great Hall.
When he was out of sight, Cho gathered her belongings together, and was about to leave when something caught her eye. It was the latest Daily Prophet, and its headline read,
HARRY POTTER
"DISTURBED AND DANGEROUS"
"What nonsense is this?" Cho said to herself exasperatedly as she picked it up. Looking around, she realized it must have belonged to Harry or one of his friends, as it had been on Harry's seat. Guiltily, she put it into her bag, and began making her way out of the Great Hall. I don't have time to read it now, I'll try after my exams, Cho thought. I need to see what this is about. Better I find out about it this way than learning it from someone else. But for now, I need to focus.
Harry stepped into the room, pausing uncertainly at the entrance. Cedric and his parents were nearby, who were encouraging him. Krum was standing a ways off with his parents, and Fleur and her family were there, as well. Her sister waved at him merrily, and he waved back. And then came the surprise.
"Surprise!" Mrs. Weasley, Ron's mother, said happily. Ron's brother, Bill Weasley, was there as well. They were standing near the fireplace, beaming at him as he approached. "Thought we'd come and watch you, Harry!" She bent down and kissed him on the cheek.
"You all right?" Bill said, grinning and shaking Harry's hand. "Charlie wanted to come, but he couldn't get time off. He said you were incredible against the Horntail." Harry noticed Fleur Delacour was eyeing Bill with great interest.
"This is really nice of you," Harry muttered to Mrs. Weasley. "I thought for a moment-the Dursleys-"
"Well, yes, about that…" Mrs. Weasley said grudgingly, glancing at the other side of the room. Harry followed her gaze, and his heart sank to the soles of his feet.
Standing there, at the other side of the room looking incredibly uncomfortable, were his family, the Dursleys. His Uncle Vernon, a large man (mostly around the middle) with a bushy mustache and rather red face, his Aunt Petunia, thin and sallow faced, and his cousin Dudley, brown-haired, pudgy, and rather dim-witted, were speaking to Professor Dumbledore. He seemed quite amused at how uncomfortable they were.
"I should probably go and talk to them," Harry said forlornly. With an understanding pat on the back from Bill, Harry walked towards his only living blood relatives. He honestly wished he could sink into the floor and disappear forever. As he approached, Harry began to hear their conversation.
"You will have nothing to fear, every precaution is being taken. You have my word, no harm will come to your nephew," Professor Dumbledore was saying kindly. Vernon, however, did not seem comforted.
"Rubbish!" Vernon said indignantly. "He shouldn't have been allowed to enter this ruddy tournament in the first place! If something happens to him-"
"Ah, Harry," Dumbledore interrupted, noticing Harry's arrival. "Your family was notified of your participation in the Triwizard Tournament, and have accepted Hogwarts's invitation to see you in the Final Task."
"This is…" Harry said, not sure how to respond. He wasn't sure, but it almost sounded as though Uncle Vernon was worried for his safety. He wouldn't have believed it if he hadn't just heard his uncle say those things. What convinced him the most was Vernon's next statement.
"There you are, boy," he said brusquely, but looking almost relieved to see Harry in one piece. "Don't die on us tonight, you hear me? What are we going to tell the authorities if something happens, hmm?"
"Of course, Uncle Vernon," Harry said respectfully, resisting the urge to smile. "I'll make sure to do my best, and to not cause any trouble." Glancing briefly at Dumbledore, he saw his eyes twinkling.
"Well, good," Vernon said gruffly, trying not to appear concerned. He began looking around awkwardly, not sure as to what more needed to be said.
"I'll leave you with them, Harry," Professor Dumbledore said gently. "I need to oversee the final details for tonight."
"Of course, Professor," Harry said, secretly wanting the headmaster to stay. As Dumbledore left, Harry noticed that Dudley looked quite dumb-founded at everything around him. "You all right, Dudley?" Harry asked cautiously. Dudley seemed to not have heard him, as he had just caught sight of a moving portrait with Sir Cadogan yelling at him to draw his blade and duel him.
"I have to say, boy," Vernon said, interrupting Harry's train of thought. "This place, it's…" he paused trying to find the right words. Harry was caught off guard by his Uncle's expression. He seemed to be almost…admiring the castle. "It's not what I was expecting. This architecture…" Harry realized what had impressed Vernon; he worked at a drill company, so his Uncle had to have extensive knowledge of architecture and construction.
"If you want," Harry said carefully, uncertain as to whether he should even ask, "I could give you all a tour of the castle. Not the whole thing, just a general look-see."
"Hmm," his Uncle muttered, looking around at the others in the room. Dudley, confounded as always; Petunia, disapproving but with a slight hint of hope; and Harry, cautious and coiled as a bed spring. He came to a decision. "Well, there isn't anything else to do, is there?" he said gruffly. "Go on, boy, lead the way."
"Yes, Uncle Vernon," Harry said, turning away and smiling slightly. Maybe, just maybe, his family might come around to liking magic after all. Or at least tolerate it.
Before giving his family a tour of the castle, Harry spent some time speaking with Mrs. Weasley and Bill. As it turned out, things were not so well outside of Hogwarts. An investigation into Barty Crouch Sr.'s disappearance was now truly underway at the Ministry, and Percy Weasley had been called in for questioning on the supposed instructions being sent to him by Mr. Crouch. As such, he would not be able to act as judge in Crouch's place. Instead, the Minister of Magic himself would come.
When Harry had visited Professor Dumbledore after his dream in the Divination classroom, he had walked in on the headmaster having a meeting of sorts with the Minister, a man named Cornelius Fudge. While there, he learned, among other things, the exact circumstances over the arrest and incarceration of Barty Crouch Jr., Crouch's son. On the matter of his dreams, however, Professor Dumbledore had seemed reluctant to share information with him. Harry felt, not for the first time, that the headmaster was hiding something from him. He shook these thoughts from his head.
Afterwards, they and the rest of the students and faculty convened in the Great Hall for lunch. Even with the Dursley's pickiness (How do we know this is even real food?), they managed to dig in eventually. Dudley seemed especially delighted by the food choices, and even began asking for Harry's recommendations. Harry honestly was astounded by the day's events. And the final task hasn't even started, Harry thought ruefully.
As Ron and his family were discussing his recent exam and his lack of study for it, Harry looked around at the other tables. It seemed it wasn't only the champions' families who had been invited to the final task tonight. The tables seemed to be longer and had more seats than usual, and there was more excited chatter from everyone than there had been that morning. Still, Harry knew that there would probably be more coming later on in the evening.
Thinking of the final task ahead of him, Harry felt oddly confident about his abilities. He had been practicing and learning new spells, mostly offensive and defensive, but also one that turned his wand into a makeshift compass. Not even the news that Rita Skeeter had written some nonsense piece on his episode in the Divination classroom could put a damper on his spirits. He realized that hardly anyone had even mentioned it to him. It was only the Slytherins who had bothered to insult him, really.
Just then, Hermione and Cho arrived at their table, and Harry suddenly remembered that Hermione had had a brainwave at breakfast about Rita Skeeter and her potential sources. "Are you going to tell us-" Harry began.
Hermione shook her head warningly and glanced at Mrs. Weasley.
"Hello, Hermione," Mrs. Weasley said, much more stiffly than usual.
"Hello," Hermione said, her smile faltering beneath Mrs. Weasley's cold gaze.
Harry looked between them, then said, "Mrs. Weasley, you didn't believe that rubbish Rita Skeeter wrote in Witch Weekly, did you?" Gesturing at Cho, he said, "Because Cho's my girlfriend, not Hermione."
"Oh!" said Mrs. Weasley. "No-of course I didn't!" But she became considerably warmer with Hermione after that.
"Harry, do you have a minute?" Cho interrupted quietly. Harry turned to her and nodded. As they walked towards the entrance of the Great Wall, he looked behind him to see his friends glancing at them with interest. He was relieved to see that both his Uncle and his cousin hadn't noticed him leaving, preoccupied as they were with eating the delicious food. Turning away, he didn't spot Aunt Petunia spying on them as they made their exit.
"Was that your family?" Cho asked as they left the Great Hall. How Harry was related to them, she honestly couldn't see it. His uncle and cousin were both quite rotund and red-faced, and his aunt was quite skinny, and slightly horse-faced.
"Yeah, that was them," Harry said exasperatedly, glancing behind him in their general direction. "Though I'm honestly surprised they're here. Like I said, they hate anything to do with magic."
"Maybe their concern for you is strong enough to overcome that," Cho said, smiling slightly. She smiled more as he grimaced in disbelief.
"I dunno about that," Harry muttered. Shaking himself out of his thoughts, he turned to her. "Sorry, what did you want to talk about?"
"Um…about that thing in the Daily Prophet…" she began. "Before you say anything, I just want to say I hardly believed any of it. Skeeter's reached a new low, I think. But there was one thing…"
"What is it?" he asked warily. She noticed he was still uncomfortable with this line of discussion.
"The article said you'd passed out in Divination," she said carefully, "which I totally understand, because I've passed out in there before as well."
"Oh, yeah," he said, looking slightly more at ease. "It was just so hot in there, and I've been practicing so much for the task, I think it was just exhaustion…"
"It also mentioned something about your scar," she interrupted quietly but firmly. Glancing at her, Harry saw her determined but worried expression, and knew that he wasn't going to wiggle his way out an explanation.
"Yeah, that," Harry huffed. Running a hand through his hair, he said, "It happens sometimes. Whenever I…" he stopped uncertainly.
"Go on," Cho said gently. She could see it wasn't easy for him to explain this.
"Whenever my scar hurts," he said, "it usually means there's danger. At least, that's how it's always been." He stopped again, troubled. "But it's been a while since it's hurt that badly…"
Cho didn't say anything for a moment, thinking over what Harry said. Maybe this is how he's survived so many accidents, she thought. "I'm sorry I asked you to tell me, but I was worried," she said out loud. She took his hand. "I've read about this sort of thing. Sometimes the scars people receive from Dark magic attacks begin to hurt, like an aftershock."
"Yeah, I've heard that as well," Harry said. He pulled her closer to him and embraced her. "I'll be all right, Cho. If anything, I'll be even more careful tonight."
"You'd better be," Cho whispered in his ear, then pulled back slightly and kissed him on the lips. They stood there for only a minute, but in that kiss, they communicated their emotions to each other; their fear, hope, and longing for each other. Pulling away reluctantly, she looked him in the eye, and said, without any hesitation,
"我爱你, Harry Potter."
"I love you too, Cho Chang," he said softly, smiling at her look of alarm and embarrassment. She began to blush uncontrollably.
"H-H-How did you know?" she stuttered. She was fidgeting nervously with her fingers. Harry chuckled gently at her.
"You do know I started to fancy you since last year, right?" he said. "What do you think I was trying to learn during the Summer?"
"This-I-er," she mumbled, glancing around at anywhere but Harry. As she did, she noticed an hourglass nearby. "I-I have to do-I mean, I need to eat, I don't have much time left before my next O.W.L.," she said trying to compose herself.
"If you say so," Harry teased as they walked back into the Great Hall. "I'll see you soon."
"Okay," she mumbled as she waved at him. She turned back to her table, a small, accomplished smile on her face.
After lunch, Harry took the Dursleys and the Weasleys on a small tour of the castle and grounds. While Uncle Vernon had been most impressed with the castle itself, Aunt Petunia was mesmerized most by the grounds; sloping hills, large trees (except the Whomping Willow), and the Lake. Back on Privet Drive, Aunt Petunia had a small but neatly kept garden, which she loved tending to. Dudley, on the other hand had seemed to enjoy the food most of all, and was soon asking when dinner would be served.
Eventually, evening arrived, and they all returned to the Great Hall for dinner. Although the food was even more delicious and plentiful this time, Harry began to feel nervous for the final task. He tried to distract himself by thinking of Cho, and what he had said to her. Turning in his seat, he chanced a glance at the Ravenclaw table. Cho was looking down at her food, eating slowly.
Almost as though she could feel him watching her, she looked up and caught his eye. She smiled shyly and waved at him slightly. Blushing, she returned to her food, but continued to glance at him from time to time. He turned back to his own meal, smiling to himself.
"Confident, Harry?" Hermione asked with approval.
"Yeah, you could say that," Harry said.
As night began to fall, Dumbledore rose from his seat at the head table, and silence fell.
"Ladies and gentlemen, 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."
Harry got up. The Gryffindors all along the table began were applauding him; the Weasleys and Hermione all wished him good luck, and even the Dursleys as well (Remember what I said earlier, boy, Uncle Vernon said, his tone less brusque than usual). As he walked to the entrance with the other champions, he saw many Ravenclaws were cheering for him as well. Cho seemed particularly vocal in her support. He felt his nerves settle slightly at the sight of her. He waved to her as he walked out of the Great Hall.
Walking down the stone steps onto the grounds, Bagman fell into step with him. "Feeling all right, Harry?" he asked. "Confident?"
"I'm okay," Harry replied. It was quite true; he was nervous, but running through all the spell and enchantments he would use, he felt better knowing he could remember them.
They walked onto the Quidditch field. The hedges they had seen some time ago were now over twenty-feet high, and they covered the whole expanse of the field. The stands were already to be filled with students and relatives, teachers and faculty alike. Professor McGonagall arrived, and after briefly explaining a few safety measures for them, she left to make final preparations. The champions all made their to different entrances of the maze.
Soon, the stands were filled to the brim, and there were cheers erupting from all sides. Bagman stood on a podium facing the stands, and pointed to his throat with his wand.
"Sonorus," he said, and his magically magnified voice echoed into the stands.
"Ladies and gentlemen, the third and final task of the Triwizard Tournament is about to begin!" As Bagman explained the rules, Harry looked around at the stands, looking for his friends and relatives. He found them halfway up and waved at them. The Dursleys, though they looked quite uncomfortable, actually waved back at him.
This has been an interesting day, Harry thought.
"So…on my whistle, Harry and Cedric!" Bagman shouted. "Three-two-one!" He gave a short blast on his whistle, and Harry and Cedric hastily entered the maze.
As soon as they entered, it was as though time and sound had frozen. All noise ceased, and the air seemed still, unnaturally so. Not even a breath of wind could be felt or heard. They looked over their shoulders, and saw that the entrance to the maze had been closed off.
"Some game, huh?" Cedric muttered. Harry turned to look at him, and was surprised to see an excited grin on his face as he looked around the maze walls.
"Some game," Harry agreed nervously.
Some time had passed, and Harry had split away from Cedric. He wasn't sure, but he felt as though Cedric was actually enjoying being in the maze. He had remarked before going on a different path that the maze had felt familiar, somehow. Harry didn't understand him, and before he could ask, Cedric had disappeared.
Now, Harry slowly made his way to an intersection in the maze. One path led straight ahead, the other two branching off to his left and right. Suddenly, he heard a twig snap to his left. He didn't see anything. It didn't help that the sky had suddenly turned dark, and there was a mist that didn't seem to dissipate all around him.
Putting his wand flat on the palm of his hand, he whispered, "Point me," and his wand spun like a compass needle, pointing to his right. He knew the Cup was at the center of the maze, so he began heading in the direction his wand had pointed out to him. Looking up, he saw the hedges up ahead making another fork. Warily, he glanced behind him one last time.
And froze.
A huge figure had just appeared, not far from where he had been standing. He couldn't tell what it was, but by squinting, he could make out a few details. He could only see its eyes, dead and heavy-lidded. They looked somewhat familiar, but he couldn't guess from where. And the smell…a rotting, horrible smell reached his nostrils. He pulled up his collar to cover his nose, all the while moving slowly down the path he had started. As soon as he couldn't see its horrible eyes, he turned and began running. As he ran, he thought he could hear a faint, deep-pitched chuckle.
Looking back, the figure had disappeared.
Cedric ran into a wall, a path to his left and his right. Taking a guess, he began walking down the left path. No, that can't be right, he thought exasperatedly. I need to go towards the center, so that means I need to go to the right. He thanked his absent friend for honing his instincts, for allowing him to stay with her for so long.
"If only you were here," Cedric said forlornly as he began to turn the opposite way. "Be just like old times." As he turned, he heard a faint breathing sound behind him. It sounded quite strained. He froze mid-turn, then spun around quickly.
A large figure stood in his way. All he could see were its dead, heavy-lidded eyes. And the smell of rotting flesh…
"No," Cedric whispered in fear. "No, it can't be…" Not taking his eyes from it, he began to walk away. "You can't be here!" he yelled at it. The figure didn't move from where it stood, but it's head seemed to be twitching.
"Leave me alone!" he shouted at it, and began to run in the opposite direction. After running for some time, turning a few corners, he stopped. His hands clasped on his knees, he heaved in massive breaths, trying to recover.
How are they here?!, he thought in a panic. Only she could control them…
Turning his head around a corner, he glanced back the way he had come. The thing had followed him. He could hear it's pained breathing…
"Not again!" he moaned, and began to run once more.
Krum had not encountered anything as of yet, which worried him slightly. He felt that he should've found some sort of obstacle by now. All he had seen so far were hedges, and the occasional statue of stone. He had to say, Hogwarts really seemed fond of statues, particularly of angels. Speaking of which…
"Another vone," he muttered, inspecting it closely. It was about his height, beautifully detailed, depicted as sorrowful. It was covering its face as though it were weeping. Now that he thought back, he realized that many of the statues he had left behind looked almost identical to this one.
Looking behind him, he was startled to see one standing right behind him, its face uncovered. It seemed to be glaring at him. Getting up, he realized the statues were enchanted to follow him. He walked away from that clearing, glancing back every now and then. A whole crowd of them had gathered behind him, their faces covered once more.
He began to sprint, wishing to put as much distance between the angels and himself. Glancing back one last time, he failed to notice a figure walking towards him until it was too late. Looking forward once more, Krum came to a sudden halt. He raised his wand, but then lowered it when he realized who it was.
"You?" he asked curiously. "Vot are you doing here?"
A sudden feeling of weightlessness came over him, and he knew no more.
Fleur was panicking. She was sure she had come through here before. She reached another dead end, shouting in exasperation. She didn't know where she was, or where to go. And there was someone following her, a man in a black suit.
There it was again! The man was just standing there, and she could here a faint noise, almost like a whine, in her ear. Anytime she ran into it, that noise would become stronger until it was almost deafening.
"Go away!" she yelled at it, raising her wand. She cast the Stunning Spell at it, but it only seemed to disappear in front of it. It began to laugh, or at least, she thought it was laughing. It was making a strange rattling sound. Peering at it more closely, she couldn't actually tell if it was a man or a woman. It's features were too difficult to make out. Terrified, she ran away from it as fast as she could.
She turned a corner and kept running, not caring if she was going in the right direction or not. She didn't even care about winning the tournament anymore! She just wanted to leave…
Stopping to catch her breath, she tried to collect herself. There was still time, she might still be able to find the Cup and leave this cursed maze. At least she couldn't hear that creature anymore, whatever it was. In all of her years of study, she had never seen or heard of such a thing.
A sudden gust of wind rushed past her from behind, and turning, she couldn't do anything but scream.
Some Time Later…
"Harry!" Cedric yelled as he pulled to the ground by a large number of enchanted vines. Harry stopped in his tracks, the Triwizard Cup in his sight. He looked from the Cup, to Cedric, to the Cup. And finally to Cedric again. In that moment, Cedric thought that Harry was simply going to leave him to his fate.
Little did he know that Harry was contemplating the same thing. Suddenly, he pointed his wand at the vines and shouted, "Reducto!"
Some of the vines were blasted apart. As Cedric struggled to pull himself free, Harry knelt next to him and pulled apart the rest of the vines. Eventually, only roots remained of the magical plant, and Harry and Cedric stood there, trying to catch their breath.
"Thanks," Cedric said finally, his voice strained. "You know, for a minute there, I thought you were going to let that thing get me."
"For a minute, so did I," Harry replied.
They stood there, contemplating the remains of the plant, and turning, they found the Cup, shining brightly in the darkness.
"Some game, huh?" Cedric muttered once more.
"Some game," Harry agreed again.
Both Fleur and Krum were out of the maze. Fleur had been taken out by Krum, and Cedric, in turn, disabled Krum. It seemed that he had been placed under the Imperius Curse, for he had been acting quite strangely. Harry and Cedric had sent up red sparks into the sky with their wands, per safety rules, so that their foreign counterparts could be taken to safety.
"You know, Harry," Cedric said thoughtfully as they gazed at the Cup, "this is the most fun I've had in a long time."
"Really? That's just what I was thinking," Harry said sarcastically. Cedric laughed, and Harry could tell he was being truthful. He wasn't sure whether to feel bothered or not.
"That's the spirit, Harry!" Cedric said cheerfully. Gesturing for Harry to follow him, he walked towards the Cup. They stopped right in front it. "Take it. I don't want it."
"What?" Harry asked. "You were here first! If that plant hadn't gotten to you, you would've beat me to it!"
"Harry, I don't care about winning the tournament," Cedric said. "Sure, it would be nice to earn glory for Hufflepuff, but that's not why I entered."
"Then why did you?"
"…Because I wanted a challenge. I was bored."
"Bored?"
"Listen, this is hard to explain," Cedric said wearily. He gestured once more to the Cup. "You've saved my life twice already. You deserve it, Harry."
"That's not how it's supposed to work," Harry snapped. Before he could say anymore, they heard a twig snap on the path behind them. Turning quickly, their blood froze at the sight before them.
A large creature stood at the far end of the hedge. They could only make out its outline.
"No, not now!" Cedric said fearfully. "Harry, we need to go!"
"We'll take the Cup together! Hogwarts wins either way!" Harry said. They stood on either side of the Cup, ready to grasp a handle.
Suddenly, the figure began running towards them at speed. Behind it, they could see other shadowy figures, waiting to see what would happen.
"Together!" Harry shouted. "Three-two-one!" They each grabbed a handle. They were yanked from their feet, and in a swirl of noise and color, they disappeared.
"What's taking them so long?" Vernon whispered harshly.
"Settle down, Vernon!" Petunia whispered, glancing around to see if anyone had heard them. They hadn't; the rest of the spectators were busy making as much noise as possible at the fact that two of the champions had already returned. Petunia couldn't tell very well, but it seemed that something had gone wrong. Krum, or whatever he was called, had seemed confused upon being brought out of the maze. All of the judges and teachers were fussing over him, with worried looks on their faces.
The students from the other competing schools were quite saddened that both of their champions had been eliminated so early on. When the French girl had retuned, her classmates had all groaned in disappointment. They were still encouraging to her, however. Her headmistress was comforting her at the moment. The girl seemed quite shaken.
"It's only Harry and the other one now," Dudley said quietly. Petunia looked down at him next to her. She thought he had been sleeping.
"Don't worry, pumpkin," she said, stroking his hair lightly. "I'm sure he'll be fine."
She wasn't sure if she was dreaming or not. When the headmaster of that school had visited them a week earlier, she had been furious. She and Vernon had had a row that night over whether or not they should go to see Harry at all. Eventually, she agreed to go, but only because Vernon had insisted that if they didn't, and something were to happen to the boy, there might be legal trouble. She wasn't convinced, to say the least.
But now, here they were. If Petunia were honest with herself, deep inside of her, she had been wanting to come to Hogwarts for a long time. Ever since her sister, Harry's mother, had received her letter of enrollment to Hogwarts, she had harbored this secret desire. She wrote a letter to the headmaster, asking to be accepted into the school as well. When he replied, she was heartbroken to see the words 'non-magical' in the letter.
Since then, she had hated anything to with magic, her sister, or anything strange. She had closed off her heart to all those things. And yet, she realized, magic had never really abandoned her. This day, and the day her sister had died, leaving her family with Harry, was proof of that. Now, as she gazed around at the people surrounding her, she felt the walls around her crumble, just slightly.
And if she were honest, she did care a little for Harry's safety, just a little.
"I hope their all right," Marietta muttered next to Cho.
"They'll be fine," Cho said, slightly stiffly.
In truth, she was on edge. She, Ron and Hermione had done all they could to prepare Harry for this final task. And yet, she had this nagging feeling that something was wrong. Fleur and Krum had returned, both of them confused as to what exactly happened to them in the maze.
It was all made worse by the fact that Cho had confessed her love to Harry just a few hours ago. If something happened to him…
No, don't think like that! she chided herself. Harry's strong and brave, don't you believe in him?
Of course I do, a timid voice responded. But I'm not that strong. I can't help it.
You don't give yourself enough credit, the first voice said gently. Why do you think Harry chose you and not someone else?
You're right, the second voice replied, relieved. Cho felt slightly better.
Of course, she then realized that having multiple voices in one's head was probably not a good sign of mental stability. But she'd cross that bridge when she needed to.
In a strange turn of events, Marietta had finally decided to make peace between them. She had reserved seats for them near the entrances to the maze. Once seated, she had apologized quietly, her head bowed in shame. Though Cho was glad to have her friend back, she knew it was going to take some time before they could be truly comfortable around each other again.
"Cho, I don't mean to pry," Marietta said after a moment of silence, "but did you happen to read…"
"I did, actually," Cho said, "and before you start on this again, Marietta, I want you to know I trust him completely." She really didn't have this sort of conversation with her again. It could only lead to more trouble between them.
"Okay, I understand that," Marietta said calmly, which surprised Cho somewhat. "I just wanted to say one thing. Will you hear me out, at least?"
"Alright, let's hear it," Cho said reluctantly. She saw by how composed Marietta was, that she didn't want to start another argument either.
"Are you prepared?" she asked simply. Seeing Cho's slightly confused expression, she elaborated. "If people are saying things about him, what do you think they'll say about his friends? People are starting to criticize Professor Dumbledore, Hagrid, and even that Granger girl for associating with him. How much more so do you think they'll do to you?"
Cho stayed silent, contemplating her friend's words. It was true, she thought, that Harry and his friends got flack from quite a few people. The rumor mill in Ravenclaw was quite prosperous, to say the least. But she didn't care; she loved him and he loved her. They knew how they felt for each other, and no one was getting in the way of that.
"I am ready," Cho said simply. "I don't care what people think of me or him. If they have a problem with us being together, they can take it and shove it up their 屁股."
"I just wanted to make sure," Marietta said quietly. She clenched her fists in her lap. "I just…I don't want what happened to me to happen to you."
Cho glanced at her. She could understand her concern, she truly could. It warmed her heart to know her friend truly cared for her. Yes, she could be quite onerous and cranky, but that didn't mean she was a bad person. She was quite literally subject to her emotions.
Carefully, she put her hand on Marietta's shoulder, and gave it a reassuring squeeze.
"I'll be careful, I promise," Cho said. Marietta looked at her, a grateful smile on her lips.
Suddenly, a commotion brought their moment of comfort and understanding to an end. Harry and Cedric had returned! The stands were filled with the cheering and applause of all those present. A wave of sound, it was almost deafening.
"They're back!" Marietta squealed, grabbing Cho's arm and bouncing up and down with excitement.
"Ouch! Marietta, that hurts," Cho grumbled, but internally she was glad. She had her friend back, and Harry had emerged from the maze safely. Her worries, which she had been keeping secret from everyone, had been unfounded.
"Hey, what's going on here?" Marietta asked, confused.
Fleur Delacour had suddenly let loose a horrified scream. She was standing near the maze with her friends, her hands covering her mouth, and was on the point of tears.
"Why is she…?" her question remained unfinished as an anguished scream answered her.
"He's back! Voldermort's back! He killed Cedric!"
And silence fell.
2nd AN: Wow, I'm sorry this took so long. Winter holidays, personal stuff, the beginning of the school semester, and general laziness took its toll in this chapter. I'll try to have the final chapter up soon, I promise.
Thanks to everyone who has reviewed and liked my story so far, hopefully you will all like this chapter and the final one.
Until next time, and a very belated Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and Happy MLK Jr. Day!
Foreshadowing...
