Attention! This is the second-to-last chapter! I just wanted to say thanks, everybody, who's read this far. Really, it makes my day!

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. I have no money. If I owned Harry Potter, I would have lots-o-lots-o money.

The Third Task

"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?"

I got up, giving my family a weary smile as the Army, Navy, Air Force, and even some of the Marines started applauding me. "See you guys later," I said nervously. My heart was beating a million miles an hour, and my stomach felt like it was somewhere up in my throat. Why am I nervous? I thought, smoothing down my battle greens. This will be a breeze…

"Love you," my parents said in unison, waving, just like they had on my first day to the Academy. They were side by side, Mom's arm around Dad's waist, his arm around her shoulders, her head on his shoulder, and waving, smiling. The only difference was that Jason wasn't by my side, and neither was Jessica. They were sitting by Mom and Dad, bickering like siblings were want to.

I had to take a deep breath as the butterflies in my stomach ruffled again. "Love you too," I said back, shakily walking away from all of them.

We walked onto the Quidditch field, which was now completely unrecognizable. A twenty-foot-high hedge ran all the way around the edge of it. There was a gap right in front of us: the entrance to the vast maze. It was completely dark and utterly creepy. An animal or creature of some sort cawed, and I shivered in fear. Viktor, next to me, gently grabbed my hand behind the folds of our robes and squeezed. I smiled up to him, squeezing his hand back, and let his thumb gently run over the back of my hand before I saw people starting to come down from the castle. I slowly let our hands part. Lets just say that I really liked holding his callused hand.

The stands began to fill; the air was full of excited voices and the rumbling of feet as hundreds of students filed into their seats. The sky was a deep, clear blue now, and the first stars were starting to appear. Hagrid, Professor Moody, Professor McGonagall, and Professor Flitwick came walking into the stadium and approached us. The four of them were wearing large, red, luminous stars on their hats, all except Hagrid, who had his on the back of his moleskin vest.

"We are going to be patrolling the outside of the maze," McGonagall said to us, her steely eyes looking each of us in the eyes before looking at us all as a whole again. "If you get into any difficulty, and wish to be rescued, send red sparks into the air, and one of us will come and get you, do you understand?"

The five of us nodded. I, for one, knew that I wanted to win, but if I didn't, I'd rather be still lost in the maze then have to be saved.

"Off you go, then!" Bagman said brightly to the four patrollers. He then pointed his wand to his throat and muttered, "Sonorus," 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! Let me remind you how the points currently stand! Tied in first place, with one hundred and ten points each—Mr. Cedric Diggory and Mr. Harry Potter, both of Hogwarts school!" The cheers and applause sent birds from the Forbidden Forest fluttering into the darkening sky. "In second place, both with one hundred points, Mr. Viktor Krum, of Durmstrang Institute, and Miss Leigh Ann Nelson, from the American Academy of Magic!" This cheer was even louder, and some of the Army started singing "And the Army Goes Rolling Along" in the loudest tone I'd heard in a long time. It filled my heart to see all of them like that. "And in third place—Miss Fleur Delacour, of Beauxbatons Academy!"

I could just make out my family, sitting in the stands, because of Nicole's bright pink baby blanket amongst the white, blue, green, black, and maroon. They were politely cheering for Fleur. I waved to them, and they waved back frantically. Next to them, so did Ron and Hermione, as well as a part of Ron's family.

"So…on my whistle, Harry and Cedric!" Bagman cried. "Three—two—one—" He gave a short whistle, and Harry and Cedric burst into the maze.

"Good luck," I whispered to Viktor, who was now standing right beside me, twenty yards from the start of the maze, Bagman beside us.

"I vish eet to you, as vell," he said softly, and his fingers gently grazed the back of my hand. Butterflies that didn't come from being nervous fluttered inside of me. "Good look."

I laughed to myself, because of the way he said luck, but I only felt even more lucky from his good wishes. "I'll see you on the outside."

"On my mark, Viktor, Leigh Ann." We nodded to Bagman. "Three…two… one…" There was a slightly longer blast on the whistle, and Viktor and I raced into the maze.

The towering hedges cast black shadows across the path, and I figured that they had to be enchanted because I couldn't hear the crowd anymore. I pulled out my wand and muttered, "Lumos." Viktor did the same.

After about fifty yards, we reached a fork. We looked at each other, smiled, and took different directions. I went left, and Viktor went right. Behind me, the whistle blew again, meaning that all five champions were in the maze.

North West, I thought to myself, turning right and following my compass. North West…and why haven't I run into anything yet? It unnerved me…the cries, then the silence, and I was just starting to get panicked; something was going to pop out at any moment.

I almost screamed when I saw Harry and Cedric ahead of me. "Hagrid's Blast-Ended Skrewts!" Cedric cried, trying to put out a fire starting on his robes. "They're enormous—I only just got away!" Cedric went one way, Harry the other, and I went the third path, to get away from them.

I traveled for a while, hearing beasts in the corners, but not seeing any. Finally, I was tripped. Something inside of me was relieved to finally have run into something, but the other half was scared beyond measure. A large, clawed foot was clamping down on my cloak. I felt sweat beading up as the creature moved out of the shadows, and my breath was lost.

It had the front legs, wings and head of a giant eagle, and the body and hind legs of a horse. The Hippogriff looked down on me with feral orange eyes, and I slowly moved into a bowing position, hoping to my God that my lessons from school would pay off and I wouldn't die. I never moved my eyes from his, and didn't even dare to blink. Finally it bowed, and I sighed in relief.

I got up and petted the pretty thing, and slowly backed away, thankful to get away from it. I'd never been good with animals; that had been Jessica's forte. She had an entire zoo of sorts, though no one was allowed in. Her entire enterprise was run off of donations and the products of the animals given to her. (Which I had to say was quite a lot.)

Swiftly, as fast as I could, I moved away from that section of the maze. I had to be somewhat close, as Hippogriffs and Griffins alike guarded things. I was close. And I knew it especially when I heard a struggle on one side of the maze.

I ran faster, at least until I was tripped again. I looked back at my legs to see that a vine had grabbed me—a rather large vine, at that! "SHIT!" I cried, loudly, and then pointed my wand and yelled, "Confudus!"

The plant laughed at me! It started to crawl up my legs.

"Impedimentia!"

Nothing. Nada. Zip. And now it was up to my hip.

Hey, that rhymed!

NO, now's not the time for that!

"Stupify!"

Nothing. It as almost up to my underarms.

"Ah…damn it, I've come to far to be defeated by a plant!" I was about to yell in frustration, when an actual scream came my way. "Fleur?" I yelled loudly, trying to free myself. It was definitely a French-y scream. "Damn plant…GLACIUS!"

I had pointed my wand at the plant's base, and now it was frozen solid, its limbs squealing in agony. It released me with a few deep gashes in my legs and large cuts on my waist, but I kept on; I had to find Fleur and make sure she was alright. Hey, I may have hated the girl at first, but I'm not completely heartless, you know?

"What are you doing?" I heard Cedric call, from somewhere ahead of me. "What the hell are you doing?"

And then I heard Viktor's voice. "Crucio!"

Cedric's cries flew through the air. I ran harder, as fast as I could. Viktor…? No, not Viktor! He couldn't have done it! Not Viktor! "Cedric!" I cried, tears pouring from my eyes as the curse tortured his body, making blood-curdling screams come from him. I felt vomit forming at the base of my throat. Oh my God, oh my God! "Cedric, Cedric Diggory, answer me!"

I rounded a bend, to see Viktor standing over Cedric's body. He was holding his wand, staring lifelessly down. "Viktor, stop!" I cried, and now real tears were pouring from my eyes. "Stop it, now! Expellia—"

"Crucio."

Agonizing pain. I was being drowned, I was dying of thirst and hunger. I was being burned alive, crushed under the center of the earth's pressure. All of this, and yet all I could think past the pain was, Viktor, no! I could hear someone screaming. Was it me? It should have been. I was writhing on the floor, feeling the pain of one hundred thousand bullets, daggers, swords piercing my skin. Burning…burning… I saw my own worst fears coming to life in front of my eyes: my father was dying, a baby was being killed inside of me, I was losing the only man I could ever love, and I didn't even know who the man was.

Oh, God, please stop this, PLEASE!

"Stupify!"

Suddenly the pain stopped, and I rolled onto my side, crying. "Oh, Merlin! Oh God…"

"Are you alright?" Harry's voice asked, and Cedric replied with, "Yeah…but he had Leigh in the curse longer."

Instantly, a head was by my face, but I couldn't tell who it was. "Leigh?" Harry asked, one hand on the side of my face. "Are you alright?"

I was still gasping in pain, my body shaking. I answered by lifting my shaking arm and wand and shooting red sparks into the air. "N-n…no…" I whispered to him, covering my face. I felt myself sobbing, and I couldn't say anything else, I could only see Viktor in my mind's eye, see him holding my hand, then turning on me and using the Unforgivable Curse.

"It'll be okay," Harry said, pushing hair out of my face. His hand was soft, but it scared me, being so close. I pushed his hand shakily away, not able to open my eyes. I curled up on my side and covered my face.

"I can't believe it," I heard Cedric say. "I thought he was alright."

"So did I."

I tried to lift my head, but it was to no avail. "Fl…Fleur?"

"She must be out of the game, Leigh," Cedric said to me softly, tenderly.

"You think Krum got her too?"

"Don't know."

"Should we leave him here?"

"No. Leigh sent up sparks already, otherwise I'd do it. Otherwise he'd be eaten by a skrewt."

"He'd deserve it."

I cried even harder when I heard them saying this, though why should I have? Viktor had used the Crucio curse on me. He wasn't my friend, he had probably never been my friend! I shouldn't have cared about him at all!

"It'll be okay, Leigh. I know it will."

"Well, I suppose we'd better go on…"

"Oh. Right. Well…they'll be here in a moment, Leigh. It'll be alright."

I nodded and curled up tighter into my ball. How could he have done that to me? I thought we were friends. He lied to me. He probably is working with Death Eaters. The pain…the pain…the pain…

"Oh, my!" came a female voice, and I looked up with blurry eyes to see whom I thought was Professor McGonagall. "Miss Nelson! What happened!"

"Cru…Cru…Crucio," I gasped, crying even harder. "Viktor!"

McGonagall was at a loss for words. "He…he couldn't have. It's impossible, Miss Nelson!"

"H-he g-got Fl-Fleur!" I bawled, holding myself in a ball, putting my eyes onto my knees. "Pl-please, I w-w-w-want t-to see m-my mom!"

McGonagall instantly said an incantation, and I was being pulled along. Light blinded me as soon as I was pulled out, and there were many gasps.

"Anna!" came a cry of four people, and I was instantly being held close by four sets of hands. "Anna…"

"Viktor?" came Rosa Krum's voice from my side. "Vhat happeened to my soon?" she demanded towards me, a dirty look in her eyes.

I slowly got the ability to sit up, and Fleur was sitting next to me with her mother and sister. I could barely talk, though said, "H-he used the Cru-Crucio Curse." Tears were falling down my face. "My friend! I-I can't believe…on me!"

Viktor slowly sat up, a fog clearing from his eyes. "Vhat…? He—no! I deed noot!" I cried even harder. He reached forwards slowly. "Leahn, I…"

"Do noot touch her!" Fleur cried, wrapping her arms around me and shooting daggers at him. "You…you moonster! Using an Oonfoorgivable Curse!"

Suddenly the Professors Snape, McGonagall, and Dumbledore surrounded Viktor, their wands at the ready. Viktor just sat there, looking confused and bewildered, but I couldn't feel anything but pain as I cried in my mother and father's arms.

"I deed noot do anything!" he cried, suddenly scrunching his face up in confusion. "I…I am remembering telling you good look," he said towards me, but I couldn't stand to see his face. "And I am remembering smiling before taking the right turn…boot noothing after that."

Dumbledore's eyes lit up, and he looked around. "Where is Karkaroff?"

"He ran," Professor Snape said calmly, though I could tell that there was a fire in his voice. "He's been gone since Mr. Krum and Miss Nelson went inside. And…Mr. Krum is telling the truth. He did not hurt them."

"You're an Legilimens," Jessica said, her eyes on the stringy-haired man. She said it in distaste, and she stepped away from him.

"Yes," Dumbledore said, hesitantly lowering his wand, "and a very good one at that. Mr. Krum…were you perhaps under the Imperious Curse? How did it feel, the last you remember?"

"I vas…foggy? Ees that the vord? I could noot control my own actions…I could noot see vhat I vas doing… I thought that I vas going towards the Coop…" He looked over to me, and I knew that he hadn't done it, but the lifeless look in his eyes, that I had remembered, the way he looked as if he hadn't cared at all… "It vas an Eempeerioos Curse, Leahn," he said towards me, his eyes horrified and pleading. "Leahn…"

"Don't touch me," I whispered, stuffing my face into my mother's shoulder. "Please…not now…"

I didn't know how to describe the pain that had gone through me, and I couldn't describe my horror at knowing that it was Viktor who had done it. I thought he was my friend… All of the Quidditch practice, all of the studying together, his hand in mine, it hadn't meant anything. If he truly cared about me, then he should have been able to break the curse!

That's asking for a lot, my brain reminded me. When the Fourth Years went through breaking the curse in DADA, you couldn't even tell that you were in it…you couldn't even break free…

Suddenly, there was a bright flash of light, and I looked up to see that Harry and Cedric were on the ground, the Triwizard Cup glowing brightly between them. Harry was lying on top of Cedric, even as everyone ran over to them. I stayed where I was with my family.

There were screams of joy, and then Albus pulled Harry back, yelling his name twice. I could see Harry's lips move, but I couldn't tell what he was saying.

"What's going on here?" Cornelius Fudge asked, pushing through the crowd and almost stepping on me. "What's happened? My God—Diggory! Dumbledore, he's dead!"

A knife was instantly stabbed in my gut when the cries rebounded. Cedric…is dead? No! He can't be dead! Somehow I scrambled up off of my butt, out of my parent's grasping hands, and over to him.

"C-Cedric…" I mumbled, shaking him. "C-Cedric can't be dead…they said that this was a safe contest…no…my fr-friend isn't dead…"

Hands pulled me away. Hands pulled Harry away. Loving things were whispered in our ears, but I couldn't hear them. I only kept reaching for him, for Harry, for something to grasp onto…

I don't have a lot to say, other than I'm sad that Part One is almost over. But not to worry, Part II is practically finished! (The climax still has to be written, and its kind of difficult, but it will be done, I promise you!)

Anyways, here's an excerpt from the next (and last) chapter!

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Jonathan asked, glancing at the scared look in Leigh's eyes. "I don't think she'll be too happy to see him…"

"Did you see the look in her eyes when Viktor was holding Nicole?" Rene asked, seeing Viktor gently take her daughter's hand. Leigh didn't refuse. "She looked like she had never seen a man holding a baby before. Something big is going to happen, I know it."

Jonathan looked a slight bit scared. "Leigh's not…she can't…not yet…"

"She's the same age as I was when I married you," Rene said softly, looking into her husband's eyes. "You've got to remember that. I had your baby not too long after that. We were in love. I'm not saying that they are, but…" She looked back into the room to see that Viktor now held both of Leigh's hands, her broom in her lap, and a small smile on her face. "They could be."