Chapter 51

Once Cedric and I grasped the handle, I felt a jerking sensation in my midsection. The only time I'd felt that familiar sensation was during the summer when we had used the portkey to get to the world cup. I briefly considered letting go of the Triwizard Cup, but I had no idea what the consequences of that would be. All I could do was grip onto the cup and pray to Merlin that Cedric and I would be transported somewhere safe. After several moments of spinning my feet slammed to the ground before my injured leg gave way and I fell forward. I let go of the cup and glanced upward at Cedric who tossed the Triwizard Cup to the side and glanced around. We were in a dark overgrown graveyard, completely off the Hogwarts grounds. To our right we could see the outline of a small church visible just beyond some trees. A hill rose above us to the left, standing on top of the hill was a slightly visible old house.

"Did anyone tell you the cup was a Portkety?" Cedric asked me.

"No." I said honestly. "Is this suppose to be part of the task?"

"I dunno, wands out, d'you reckon?"

"Definitely." We pulled out our wands and studied our surroundings more carefully.

"Someone's Coming." Cedric whispered to me. I squinted through the darkness as a figure drew near us, walking steadily between the graves. "Looks like they're carrying something." The way the figure's arms were posed, it did indeed look like they were carrying something. Whoever it was, they were short and wearing a hooded cloak pulled up to hide their face. As they came closer I could see they were carrying some sort of bundle possibly a baby. I gave Cedric a sideways glance when the figured stopped beside a marble headstone only six feet from us. Cedric and I looked at the short figure and without warning the lightning bolt shaped scar on my forehead exploded with pain. Without thinking I let my wand slip out of my hand, knees buckling I sank to the ground.

Somewhere above my head a high cold voice said "Kill the spare." Before I could react there was a swishing noise and a second voice that called out;

"Avada Kedavra!" A blast of green light blazed through the air and something heavy fell to the ground beside me. The pain in my scar increased rapidly before weakening to almost nothing. Shaking in fear I look over to see what had fallen next to me. Cedric was lying beside me, dead. I dared to look Cedric in the face, his open gray eyes blank and expressionless, his mouth half open. I felt myself being pulled to my feet. The short man in the cloak had put down his buddle and lit his wand. I was being dragged by the hood of my robes toward a marble headstone. I was just able to make out the name on the stone before I was slammed against it. Tom Riddle. The cloaked man was now using his wand to tie me to the headstone. I wouldn't go down without a fight though, still wandless myself I struggled against the binding. I hand hit me across face, and hand that had a finger missing. That was when I realized who it was under the hood.

"Peter Pettigrew." I growled through my teeth. I was certain he had heard me but the man ignored me as his trembling hands checked the tightness of the cords. Once Wormtail, it was somehow easier to think of him that way, had checked that I was bound tightly to the headstone Wormtail produced a black material from the inside of his cloak and roughly stuffed it in my mouth. Paralyzed with fear and unable to speak regardless, I could only watch as Wormtail disappeared. Cedric's body was laying some twenty feet away my wand on the ground at Cedric's feet.

Harry

My sister, Emily, Remus, Mrs. Weasley and Ron's brother Bill joined Hermione, Ron and I at the Gryffindor table the night of the final task. Alice hardly ate anything but she still seemed much less nervous about the final task than she had for the previous two. The meal seemed to go on forever before Professor Dumbledore stood at the staff table and addressed the Great Hall.

"Ladies and gentlemen, in five minute's 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."

"Well that's my cue, see you all after the task!" I couldn't read the look on Alice's face as we wished her luck before she followed the other champions out of the Great Hall. Roughly five minutes later the plates and goblets were cleared and Professor Dumbledore stood again. "I think we've given our champions enough time to arrive. The Tournament Judges will leave the Great Hall first, all other guests and students will follow us." He said before leading Professor Karkaroff and Madame Maxime out of the Great Hall.

"Let's go before all the good seats are taken!" Bill Weasley smiled. Outside the air was full of excited voices and the rumbling of feet and hundreds of students filed into their seats. We waited eagerly for Mr. Bagman to begin the task. After several long moments he finally addressed the crowd.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" He paused making sure he had gathered the audiences attention." The third and final task of Triwizard Tournament is about to begin! Let me remind you how the points currently stand! Tied in first place, with eighty-five points each, Mr. Cedric Diggory and Miss Allison Potter, both Hogwarts School!" Nearly everyone from Hogwarts erupted in a proud cheer, how many were hoping of my sister's victory I didn't know. "In second place, with eight points, Mr. Viktor Krum, of Durmstrang Institute!" A slightly smaller cheer erupted from the students visiting from Durmstrang. "And in third place, Miss Fleur Delacour of Beauxbatons Academy!" This time a shout emitted not only from the students of Beauxbatons but from several males spread throughout the crowd. "So, on my whistle, Allison and Cedric! Three...Two...One..." There was a short whistle blast and Alice and Cedric raced forward into the maze. It didn't take long for Krum and Fleur to join them inside but Alice wasn't wasting time either. She didn't hear near as many turn-arounds or dead ends as Fleur had. Her fist obstacle happened when she raced around a corner and nearly ran into a werewolf. Alice honestly looked terrified and I didn't blame her werewolves aren't known for being cuddly and cute. She quickly realized it was a boggart before banishing the werewolf to nothing but smoke. There was a scream somewhere in the maze, but my eyes were focused on my sister. She hand managed to get herself stuck on some sort of invisible ceiling but again she escaped easily. Several minutes later Alice came across Krum with his wand turned on Diggory. That has to be against the rules. But when no one called off the task or disqualified Krum it was clear that anything goes inside the maze. Cedric and Alice quickly separated paths after she rescued him from Krum.

"Er, Hermione would you mind letting me pass by you?" Hemione, who had been completely absorbed with watching Krum attack Cedric, looked up at me confused.

"Right, everything ok Harry?" She asked stepped out of the aisle so I could pass her.

"Yeah I'm just heading off to the toilet." For no particular reason I felt compelled to go to the bathroom, only once I got in there I couldn't remember why I'd wanted to go there in to first place. Walking back to the stands I heard a gruff voice whisper my name.

"Potter!" I turned to see Professor Moody standing there, he had removed the red star from his hat and was staring at me. "Wouldn't want to miss your sister's big night would you?" He handed me a pair omnioculars of before placing the red star back on his head. Without time to react I felt a jerking section on my midsection, the omnioculars were a portkey.