Disclaimer – I do not own Harry Potter
It's the final task today.
It's on everyone's mind.
Thanks to Sirius keeping count of the days, he and Ginny know it is today. He screams at Peter even more than usual to stop being a coward and, "FUCKING HELP US! HELP HIM!" 'him' of course referring to Harry and not Voldemort. Peter merely walks away. Ginny and Sirius hold each other as they settle in to wait, they are afraid.
Moody, the real Moody, is told as a taunt by Barty Jr that the task is today, he is not afraid. Perhaps he feels slightly…off-put by the idea, but he is not afraid.
Remus and Tonks arrive at the school early that day, Remus' leave of absence concluded. They know everything will come to a head today, and afterwards, it won't matter anymore. Either Barty Jr will be dealt with, or they will have far more problems than a few threats. Sitting on the steps of the school for a breather before heading into the stands, they are petrified.
Ron, Hermione, Neville, Seamus, and Dean are nervous. Not afraid, they are children and far too used to comforting themselves with Harry's track record of surviving the trouble he finds himself in. They do not want him to die, and perhaps one would even describe them as scared, but it is not true fear. They are too innocent and naïve for that.
Harry is not so. Harry is sat in a room, an hour before the task begins, in front of a mirror he honestly is unsure why he went in search for. Dumbledore had told him not to, but here he is. In all honesty, he had not gone looking for the Mirror of Erised, he had merely gone walking and stumbled upon it, just as he had that first night. As Harry sits in front of it, he keeps his eyes closed, concerned for what he will see in it. Then he opens his eyes, and he gasps. Is that…Malfoy?!
"All right there, Potter?" Harry straight up screams as he jumps around and sees the other boy.
"Oh thank god for that, you are an actual reflection." Draco frowns in confusion, Harry shakes his head, "Don't worry. What do you want?"
"Do you remember what we were talking about a week ago?" Harry nods, "I have an idea."
"What?" Draco smirks.
"Still got that invisibility cloak I'm not supposed to know about?" Harry narrows his eyes at Draco for a moment, then decides the hows and whys can wait until later. He nods, "Then come on, we don't have much time."
Harry stands ready for the final task. The other contestants seem afraid, Harry doesn't so much as twitch a limb in nerves. He meets the eye of every person in the crowd that means something to him and smiles confidently. Somehow…that seems to make them even more nervous.
He supposes that's fair.
As Harry walks into the maze, he feels slightly twitchy, but honestly, the nerve-wracking part is over with now.
Then a hedge tries to kill him, he doesn't see it but is yanked out of the way by an invisible force.
"Thanks," Harry says in the general direction.
"How have you survived so long without me watching your back?" Draco drawls, Harry rolls his eyes, but smiles slightly as the two walk on. Draco keeps a hand on Harry's shoulder so they don't lose each other, being careful to remain under the invisibility cloak.
Harry does save Fleur by sending up sparks, but follows Draco's advice on leaving her and moving on. They are attacked by a possessed Krum after that, but the two make it through just fine. Cedric didn't exactly help. But anyway.
Then they race Cedric towards the cup, lagging behind slightly in their attempt to stay together. That is, until Cedric falls victim to a bunch of roots. Harry stops running.
"Harry! No! Bad Harry! Just leave hi-and you're already going after him." Draco shakes his head as he sighs, going back towards Harry.
As the three stand by the cup, Draco grabs a tight hold of Harry, unsure what will happen as he and Cedric both touch at simultaneously.
They find themselves in a graveyard.
"We're not in Kansas anymore, Toto," Harry says, both Draco and Cedric look at him like he's insane. Harry can't see Draco doing it, but he knows, "It's a Muggle thing," He explains dismissively as they start looking around, "I've been here before," Harry comments, looking around.
"It's a portkey, Harry, the cup is a portkey," Cedric tells him, Draco rolls his eyes but bites back any comment he usually would have given to pointing out such an obvious fact.
"I've been here before," Harry repeats, "In a dream." Draco frowns at Harry in concern. When Harry sees the name on the grave, his blood runs cold.
"Harry?" Draco asks quietly, still not revealing himself.
"We have to get out of here," Harry hisses at him, "Cedric, we have to get back to the cup!" Harry says louder.
"What are you talking about?" Cedric asks, Draco sees movement before the others and subtly moves Harry back towards Cedric. Strength in numbers and all. Suddenly Harry yells out in pain, clutching his scar, and a fire is started beneath a cauldron Draco curses himself for not seeing. Then he sees him. Deformed and weak but…unmistakable, even to one who has never seen him.
"Harry, what is it?" Cedric asks, unaware of Draco helping steady Harry as much as possible without being caught. He's pretty sure they will need the element of surprise here.
"GET BACK TO THE CUP!" Harry yells, Draco's grip tightens.
"WHO ARE YOU? WHAT DO YOU WANT?" Cedric demands, raising his wand against Voldemort and the other man. Draco doesn't recognise him, he also doesn't think it matters right now. Although Cedric is being stupid, not getting back to the cup, Draco can't help but admire the courage. He won't leave Harry behind and he stands before people who he knows pose a threat, unaided, unhidden, unaware. Is that what it means to be a hero? Draco wonders. He screws his nose up in distaste, what's the point if you'll die moments after?
"Kill the ssspare!" Voldemort hisses, Draco drops Harry and moves in front of Cedric instantly. But the man pulls out his wand as quickly as Draco moves.
"Avada Kedavra!"
NOTE:
Quick thing, that whole bit about Draco saying even someone who has never met Voldemort would recognise him (I.E. him) yet Ginny, who knows a version of him rather personally, found nothing at all recognisable, was written like that one purpose. The point was, she saw nothing in him. Nothing of Tom, nothing of the young man she knew as Voldemort. She knew him, that's why she didn't recognise him. The person he became in the years following the making of the diary horcrux is someone unrecognisable to her.
Also, this was meant to be the second to last chapter, but it came out really long and I decided to break it up. So there's a few more to go but it's all written! 😊
