Year Four: The Goblet of Fire
The three magical schools of Europe compete for eternal glory in the form of the Triwizard Tournament. Death Eaters are rising, gathering followers to join Voldemort. Dark times are approaching, threatening everything Marie loves. It's time for bravery. To be the light in terrible darkness...
Chapter Nineteen-The Third Task
Draco Malfoy gave a sigh when he wandered down to the common room from the boy's dormitory. He couldn't sleep and he thought he left his book by one of the large armchairs. He did find his book right where he left it as well as his friend, right where he left her.
Marie Rogue had fallen asleep at her usual work table near the fireplace. Taking care to be quiet, he tiptoed over to see her fast asleep on a large book, one arm covering a few pieces of parchment while her hand was covered in flecks of ink. She had been working tirelessly ever since she found out what the final task was going to be. Some kind of maze with spells and creatures supplied by Hagrid (undoubtedly monsters, if he was the one picking). In between classes and meals, since he wouldn't let her skip as frequently as she would prefer, she would be researching spells as well as practicing them in empty classrooms. Sometimes he and the others would help her practice. While it was a friendly gesture, Draco quite regretted it when it was his turn to face Marie.
They would be armed with the large cushions from Professor Flitwick's room and the leftovers would be scattered over the floor so to break their fall. The routine would be to charge at the champion and she would have to react before they either got to close or they disarmed her. Draco knew that his best friend was bright, brilliant in his opinion, but he had no idea that she was so fast. She really had been pushing herself hard in order to learn as many spells as she could. It hardly took her any time to draw her wand, give an incantation and wrist movement, and the blonde would be sent flying back. She even wanted more than one of them to run at her, to see if she could fend them off. She would only catch one, maybe two, of the five of them and she would be the one crashing to the ground instead. It didn't deter her, she was always right back on her feet.
Bright grey eyes studied his sleeping friend who was currently completely oblivious to the world. He didn't want to wake her up, Merlin only knew when she actually did fall asleep. He checked the clock over the fireplace to see that it was close to three in the morning. She really did need to go have a proper rest in her own bed, not slumped over her work. The third task was going to be tomorrow evening. His insides squirmed uncomfortably at the thought.
Draco thought it was fantastic that a Slytherin was chosen for the tournament, more so when it was Marie because he thought she was the perfect fit. The excitement flickered when Marie explained to him that she didn't put her name in the goblet, which made sense since she was all for the Age Line Dumbledore constructed. It was when she started to perform the tasks that he started to hate the idea of her being a champion. She was impossibly small next to the dragon of the first task and he scarcely breathed when she ran with her made up plan. Then during the second task he couldn't see a thing. It was the longest hour of his life, from the moment she dove under until she finally surfaced with Flint. He seriously thought the giant seventh year was going to drown her with his weight and size and it was taking all of his will power to not go and help her.
His worry was shared with his mother who sent letters more frequently this year due to the tournament. Narcissa Malfoy was furious that the Age Line didn't keep Marie's name out of the goblet and more so that she actually had to go through with it via magical binding contract. Draco was seriously surprised that his mother didn't send a Howler to Marcus Flint after the Rita Skeeter article after the second task. Even Marie had gotten a direct letter from the lady Malfoy, which was rare. Narcissa didn't write to Marie directly hardly ever, she typically wrote to just Draco or to the pair of them, never just the dark haired girl. His theory was that his mother was still figuring out how to approach Marie in terms of familial affection. The Malfoy family was formal and all about cool, collective presence like many, if not all, Pureblood families. Marie, on the other hand, was openly warm toward others, allowing her emotions to be clearly seen. Narcissa was very fond of the girl and of her straight forward affection, but she wasn't quite sure how to react to it all the time. It was a work in progress.
"Marie," he called softly, nudging her shoulder. "Marie, you need to go to bed."
She stirred after a moment, slowly sitting up and running her hands through her ridiculous hair. "What time's it?" she mumbled, eyes barely open. He gave a humorous scoff.
"Late enough. You need to go to bed." After a few more blinks, she finally managed to focus on him, a puzzled expression across her face now.
"What're you doin' up?" she asked. He huffed.
"That's what you focus on? Not the fact that you fell asleep in the common room again?" He offered his hand and she accepted it, letting him pull her to her feet. It took a few steps to lead her to the stairs that led up to the girl's dormitory. He didn't dare step on the stairs because the last time a boy had tried, the staircase quite literally bucked them off and transfigured into a slick slide.
"Go to bed," he instructed, giving a push so that she wouldn't be tempted to return to her work.
She gave a laugh. "Good night, Draco. See you in the morning."
"Good night."
It was the morning of June twenty-fourth at long last. The final task was going to take place that evening and Marie spent every available moment going over her spells and reciting them under her breath, practicing wrist movement. Due to the privilege of being a Triwizard champion, she was exempted from the end of term exams which was an enormous relief as she had hardly the time to finish her regular schoolwork, let alone properly commit to studying. So far, she had been sitting quietly in the classrooms while everyone worked on their tests throughout the week, revising spells and trying to commit a few more to memory, just in case.
She had her nose buried in her book at the table during breakfast, scarcely nibbling at her food. She was nervous, of course, but at the same time she felt confident in her skills and a little excited. Surprisingly, she did notice Professor Snape walking toward her, making her close her book as she looked up at him.
"The champions are congregating in the entrance hall, Miss Rogue," stated Snape evenly. The color left her face very quickly.
"The task doesn't start until tonight!" she yelped in surprise. He smirked at her panic.
"Yes. I am quite aware," he said. "The champions' families are invited to watch the final task. This is simply a chance for you to greet them."
Ignoring her barely touched breakfast, she followed after her teacher, almost forgetting her bag. Once she matched his stride she asked,
"Family? Do you mean the Malfoys, sir?"
"Mrs. Malfoy will be here later this afternoon," he answered.
Confused, they stepped into the entrance hall where the champions and their families were mingling. She saw Fleur Delacour with her parents and sister speaking in rapid French. There was Viktor Krum with his folks and conversing in low Bulgarian. He clearly earned his stronger features from his father. Then she saw Harry with two Weasleys. Mrs. Weasley she recognized from second year and the young man with her she would assume was one of her older sons, with a long ponytail and fang earring. Fleur sent him a friendly smile.
Still perplexed and feeling more homesick than ever, Marie looked up at her teacher for an answer. Snape said nothing while the ache in her chest worsened. It was then when the front door opened, allowing one more person to step inside. Hope flooded her entire being as she saw a set of well worn robes and brown hair streaked with grey.
"Remus!" she cried out in surprise.
Her bag fell to the ground, forgotten, as she barreled toward her former caretaker, crashing straight into him so she could wrap her arms around him in the tightest hug she could manage. The pair stumbled into the closed door, his arms circling her and bringing her into his embrace. Her nose was buried in the robe's material and tears stung her eyes. Waves of emotion crashed into her, reminding her ten fold of just how much she missed him. The occasional letters were nice, but nothing was better than seeing him in person. Everything was as she left it, his hugs, the scent, and it all felt like home.
"Marie," he managed to say with a breathless laugh. She didn't want to let go. She wanted time to stand still and let her believe that everything was how it used to be.
"Marie," he called again, hand smoothing down her hair. Slowly, she managed to somehow unlock her arms from around him and she took a half step back to get a better look at him. He was still on the thin side, there were dark circles under his eyes and he looked exhausted despite his smile.
"Are you all right?" she asked quietly. "Is it-"
"I can't stay for the task," he answered softly, "but Dumbledore has allowed me to visit you for the day portion, if that's all right?"
"Is it all right?" she repeated with a giggle, wiping her eyes dry. "It's more than all right!"
The stress of the tournament vanished entirely as she was allowed to spend the day with Remus. There really wasn't a proper reason to give him a tour of the castle as he taught their Defense Against the Dark Arts class last year. Instead, they spent a majority of their time out on the grounds walking about and reminiscing old stories. Remus told her a handful of tales about his time as a Marauder and their night time adventures.
"And right over there," he said pointing over to where the green houses stood, "that was where Tess punched Mathias Flint." Marie's jaw dropped.
"She punched Mr. Flint?" she asked, awed. Remus gave a laugh.
"It was the strangest thing. Mathias was seventeen and we were only third years. I don't really remember the entire story, but I think he was picking on her friend Felicity York, a Hufflepuff, I think he cut her hair using a spell and she started to cry. Then, out of nowhere, Tess comes out swinging."
"Mr. Flint is a big guy!" said Marie. "How on earth did she manage that?"
Remus chuckled. "Well, Tess was quite tall, almost at her full height by that year and you know she never cared about size. No opponent was ever too big or scary for her. That, and she had a mean swing to back up her attitude."
"Oh my gosh, did they get in trouble?" she asked.
"Absolutely, they both had detentions for a week," he said. "Afterwards, I believe they became friends."
"What?" asked Marie. "How on earth could they be friends after she punched him?"
Remus gave a shrug and a laugh. "I haven't the slightest clue."
Time seemed to slip through her fingers all too quickly as the sun started to set toward the horizon. Remus noticed the sun's position and his smile faded. They had wandered back to the front steps of the castle and stopped. Marie turned around when he didn't start to follow her up the stairs.
"Remus?" she called. In the back of her mind, she knew that it was time to say good bye once more. A sad smile pulled at his mouth, brown eyes knowing full well that it was his time to leave.
"I'm afraid my time is up, Marie." The ache in her chest returned as she hurried back down and wrapped her arms around him one more time. She kept her eyes closed as she tried to take in everything so she wouldn't forget any aspect of him, especially since she didn't know when she would see him next.
"Do your best during this last task and please, please be careful," he begged. "We still don't know how your name ended up in the goblet but you've beaten everything so far." His grip tightened as he kissed the top of her head.
"Please be careful. I love you, so much."
She nodded. "I will. I love you too."
Slowly, they stepped back from each other once again, taking one more look. Her eyes stung with tears when he turned his back, but she took a quick breath to calm herself down and wiped her cheeks dry once more before heading inside to dinner.
Fortunately, she wasn't alone for very long. Stepping into the entrance hall, she was greeted by Draco and his mother who had just arrived in time for the task. The lovely blonde woman brought Marie into a hug when she was close enough. The gesture was rather forward of her but the champion appreciated it al the same.
"How are you, dear?" asked Mrs. Malfoy. "Draco was just telling me how hard you've been practicing. How do you feel?"
"I feel fine, I think," she answered truthfully. "I feel rather prepared this time."
"Good," she tried to smooth some of the girl's wild hair to no avail. "I'll be thankful when this terrible tournament is done." Her lips pursed in dislike of the dangerous competition. "Well, we should go to the Great Hall, you really must eat something before the task starts."
The three made their way to the Slytherin table where dinner was being served. There were more courses of food than usual due to the big event of the final task. Marie's nerves were starting to rile up and she only moved her food around on her plate, the few mouthfuls she had managed felt like lead weights in her stomach. She did ask if Mr. Malfoy was coming but Narcissa gave a disappointed sigh, saying that he was trying to finish up at work so he could come see the task but it was unlikely that he would make it. The teacher's table was filled to the brim again with the addition of Karkaroff and Aleksander Bolokov from Durmstrang, Madame Maxime and Mei Fang for Beauxbatons, and then Ludo Bagman and Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic, representing the Ministry.
The enchanted ceiling had displayed the sky shifting from blue to dusty purple when Professor Dumbledore rose from his chair, gaining the Hall's attention.
"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."
Taking a deep breath, Marie got up from the table to the sound of the Slytherin House applauding her and wishing her good luck. She even managed a smile when she caught Marcus' eye and he gave a tight smile in return, nervous for her. The four champions followed Mr. Bagman out of the hall, Fleur and Viktor in the front while she and Harry followed side by side.
"Nervous?" she asked quietly.
"I'm all right, how about you?" he asked in return.
"Same. Not as bad as the other challenges, I think."
After changing into a set of gear similar to the first task, they walked onto the Quidditch pitch that was absolutely unrecognizable. The hedges were now twenty feet high at the very least, running the length of the field. There was a gap directly ahead of them, unmistakably the entrance into the maze. It was dark just a few feet in, giving it more of an ominous look than before.
"And now it's creepy," muttered Marie as she pulled her hair up into a ponytail.
"Perfect," sighed Harry.
Exactly five minutes later, the stands were beginning to fill with students, teachers, and supportive families. Throat feeling dry, Marie vaguely noticed that the first stars of the night had appeared. Professor Moody, McGonagall, Flitwick, and Hagrid walked toward Bagman and the champions, each wearing a large luminous star on their hats. Except for Hagrid, his was on the back of his vest.
"We are going to be patrolling the outside of the maze," explained McGonagall. "If you get into difficulty, and wish to be rescued, send up red sparks into the air, and one of us will come and get you, do you understand?"
They nodded, no one daring to really speak.
"Excellent! Off you go then," chirped Bagman and the teachers went on their way, each taking a station outside the maze. Ludo brought his wand to his throat and whispered, "Sonorus," once more.
"Ladies and gentlemen, the third and final task of the Triwizard Tournament is about to begin! Let me tell you how the points currently stand! Tied in first place, with eighty-five points each-Miss Marie Rogue and Mr. Harry Potter, both of Hogwarts School!" There were green and silver banners as well as scarlet and gold and the cheering was so loud that birds fluttered from the forest, startled.
"In second place, with eighty points-Mr. Viktor Krum, of Durmstrang Institute!" Another bout of applause. "And in third place-Miss Fleur Delacour of Beauxbatons Academy!" The clapping was softer as the start of the task drew near.
"So...on my whistle, Harry and Marie!" said Ludo. "Three-two-one-"
He gave a short blast of his whistle and the two disappeared into the maze.
The darkness was very thick and more intimidating as the sound of the crowd vanished all together. Both Hogwarts champions whispered "Lumos," and light was restored to their path. Nothing happened immediately, much to their relief, and after a short distance they came to a fork in the road. They stopped to look to each other.
"Good luck," said Marie, going right.
"You too," said Harry as he went left.
Bagman's whistle went off a second time which meant that Viktor was in the maze now. Marie's path so happened to be deserted, thankfully and she hurried along. She took a left and decided to use a quick spell. Holding her wand flat on her palm, she whispered, "Point Me." The wand spun once fully and pointed straight ahead which meant North. The Cup was held in the center of the maze and that was more Northwest. Jogging up to the next juncture, she took another left.
A short shriek escaped her mouth before she could stop herself.
She was face to face with an enormous Blast-Ended Skrewt. It had to be ten feet long at the very least with a large stinger curling over his back and thick grey armor. It's featureless face focused on her as its numerous legs began to scuttle toward her.
"Stupefy!" The spell bounced off the tough armor and she fell to the ground to avoid the ricochet. She could see the Skrewt's fleshy under belly as it towered over her, raising its stinger.
"Glacius!" she yelled. The white blue light struck its underside and the spell was effective, ice spreading from the point of contact and immobilizing it. For how long, she wasn't sure as the ice looked thin, but it was enough for her to scramble to her feet and get away. She almost ran into Harry a few turns later in her retreat.
"Hargrid's Blast-Ended Skewts!" she told him, breathless. "It's gigantic!" With her warning delivered, she took the next turn so to keep distance from the giant creature.
Once she was certain she was far enough, she took a quick breath and used her Four-Point spell to check her position and somehow she ended up too far east. She traveled uninterrupted for a short while, a momentary relief. Soon, of course, she came to a dead end. Except it wasn't quite a dead end. There was a type of silver mist blocking her path. It didn't look particularly dangerous and she stepped closer, listening for anything that would imply that a creature hid within it. When nothing happened, she used a small spell to cause an updraft of wind but the fog didn't move.
Suddenly there was the high pitched scream of Fleur Delacour.
Startled by the proximity, Marie decided to brave the mist to see if she could help, the girl's voice coming from the other side.
When she opened her eyes she found herself completely upside down as well as underwater. Looking down at her feet, she could see the surface just underneath her. Tilting her head upward she could see the rest of the dark underwater realm. Not to mention she couldn't tell if she was breathing or not, she was so surprised. Did the moment call for a spell? She hadn't read anything that related to the situation. She was starting to feel light headed and she decided to move. Slowly she brought her right foot up and then slammed it down as hard as she could on the reversed water surface.
The next instant she was standing back in the maze completely dry, the silver mist behind her as if it was harmless. Marie spared it a huff as she started to hurry away.
It only took two turns before Marie found Fleur's unconscious form. Quickly, she checked the area to make sure there wasn't a monster of some sort waiting to strike. When the coast was clear enough, she knelt down beside the girl and pressed her fingers to her neck to check for a pulse to be safe. Relieved, she found her wand and placed it in her hand. Clearly she hadn't signaled for help or else she would've been removed for the maze. Getting back to her feet, Marie raised her wand and shot red sparks into the air over the fallen champion. Now that she was taken care of, the Slytherin returned to searching for the Cup.
It felt like ages in the maze with the lack of noise from the crowd and the thick darkness of night. The hedges seemed to get thicker and she felt hopeful, that maybe she was going in the right direction. Her direction spell had her take a right and she was brought to a standstill yet again as she faced a creature she had only seen pictures of in her aggressive book, Monster Book of Monsters.
A sphinx. It had the body of an oversized lion with large paws sporting fearsome claws and a tail. It's head, however, was that of a woman. Her almond eyes found Marie and the girl wasn't sure what to do. She tightened her grip on her wand but she didn't raise it. Maybe there was a chance to get by peacefully. Maybe Marie could talk her way out. The sphinx wasn't crouching and ready to pounce and kill her, instead, she was pacing back and forth, blocking the rest of the path.
"You are very near your goal. The quickest way is past me."
"Oh, th-that's lovely," stammered Marie. "May I please pass?"
"No." She figured as much. "Not unless you can answer my riddle. Answer on your first guess-I will let you pass. Answer wrongly-I attack. Remain silent-I will let you walk away from me unscathed."
Marie brightened at the challenge, intrigued. "May I hear the riddle first?"
The sphinx gave a nod as she took a seat in the middle of the path and recited the riddle.
"First think of the person who lives in disguise,
Who deals with secrets and tells naught but lies.
Next, tell me what's always the last thing to mend,
The middle of middle and end of the end?
And finally give me the sound often heard
During the search for a hard-to-find word.
Now string them together, and answer me this,
Which creature would you be unwilling to kiss?"
Marie folded her arms as she tried to wrap her mind around the riddle. A person who lives in disguise? An impostor, a liar, a spy. A spy. Middle of middle and end of the end? She would come back to that. The sound often heard during the search for a hard to find word. A sigh escaped her mouth as she considered the verse and the sphinx gave a small smile. A sigh.
Now string them together. What creature would she be unwilling to kiss?
She whispered the words together softly and she visibly brightened.
"A creature I would be unwilling to kiss would be a spider," she answered.
The sphinx smiled more widely and gave a lazy stretch before moving aside and leaving her path clear.
"Thank you!" she waved, darting forward.
This was it. She was so close. There was a bright light up ahead and she broke into a run. It was all going to be over soon.
"Stupefy! Impedimenta! Stupefy!"
Harry.
He was so close and she sprinted further up the path to see a wide enclosure that branched from the final leg of the maze. Marie shrieked at the sight. A giant spider nearing twelve feet was looming over Harry, its hairy legs picking him up while he threw numerous spells at it. None seemed work, maybe because it was magical or because of its sheer size. She dashed forward, the Cup forgotten for the moment.
"Diffindo!" shouted Marie. The spell seemed to connect but it didn't do the proper amount of damage. All it seemed to do was make it angry and aware of Marie's presence. Harry kicked at its oversized pincers and pointed his wand at its maw.
"Expelliarmus!" The spider dropped him from its impressive height and Marie darted in closer, well within its reach. A wild idea come to mind and she moved even closer, pointing her wand at its underbelly, just like with the Skrewt.
"Incendio!" she bellowed.
Fire expelled from her wand and it latched onto the spider. It gave a terrible screeching sound as it scuttled away, bumping into the walls of the maze. She turned quickly to Harry who was still on the ground. His leg was bleeding freely and Marie dropped to her knees to help him sit up.
"Harry-Harry! Are you okay?" she shouted. The hedges the spider came in contact with were starting to burn as well, the greenery going up in flames rapidly.
"Y-yeah," he managed. He tried to stand up but he couldn't stay upright without Marie's shoulder to lean on. The Slytherin started to move them toward the Cup, hurrying as fast as they could with the ever growing fire she accidentally started.
"Go on and take it," panted Harry. "You've earned it, it's yours."
"I'm not going to leave you here," she told him, the Cup not at the front of her mind. At that moment it was simply their ticket out of the maze.
"You don't need to be noble," he huffed. "Just take it so we can be done with it."
"I'm not being noble," she said, readjusting his arm over her shoulder so she could take more weight. "I'm not...going to leave you here, and that's that."
"Then who's going to win?" he asked, sweat beading his brow. Marie gave an impatient huff.
"Who cares! We're both for Hogwarts, the maze is burning down, I say we just both grab the Cup and get out of here!" she explained. The fire was rising high around them and she could hear the teachers entering the maze to contain the situation or to come collect them.
"Both of us?"
"Yes, Harry, the both of us. You and me. We can win this together," she promised. The smoke was blocking out the stars overhead, hedges crackling and falling apart.
They were standing before the Triwizard Cup that gleamed beautifully on its pedestal. Green eyes found each other as they each held a hand over a handle.
"On three...One...two...three-!"
They both touched the Cup and the two champions were gone.
REVIEW! Reviews would be love, wrote this bad boy out all night (yay for late classes!) so I hope it makes up for my short previous chapter. So much going on! We had nice Draco insight, a Remus moment, Narcissa concern and then the third task! Oh my gosh! You know what that means? Big time drama!
Tell me, what do you think will happen?
Next time: The graveyard!
I hope you enjoyed!