I apologize for the delay but illness has plagued my family for the last few weeks.
Edited by the mighty pazed!
Once again I own nothing! Just playing with someone else's toys!
READ! ENJOY! REVIEW! As it is the only form of payment any writer here expects!
Chapter 71
Fleur looked across the tent towards the young brooding man. Harry just hadn't been the same since the trip to Godric's Hollow.
Not that she could blame him.
It had struck her, like most of the people that bothered to put some thought into the article written by that reporter, Rita Skeeter, that in his place their reaction may have been just as volatile… Well possibly not that volatile, there just were not that many magicals powerful enough to cause that kind of destruction without any form of focus or design.
She watched a while longer as he sat, leaning forward in the chair with his elbows on his knees and his head resting on the curve of his crowbar. She had never seen someone so tightly wound though he did look some better than the last time she had seen him, as he passed through on his way back to Fairgrove; but he still looked as if the tiniest of things could see him lashing out again, like he had at the cottage.
"Our young friend," said a deep voice from her right, "he will be okay. You will see," said Victor. "The competition is just what he needs. I have seen it before."
She looked at him questioningly, and he chuckled. "He needs competition as much as food… or air… It defines him, gives him focus! Then release! There are many athletes that are much the same. He will put all of the aggression and anger he has and use it for fuel during the final task… He will be a great competitor tonight! And it will be our honor to stand with him on that field!"
She stared at him, confusion evident. "You make it sound like some kind of war!"
He chuckled darkly. "That is exactly what it is! Every time I set foot on a Quidditch pitch it is as if I am going to war with the other team! No quarter! No surrender! And tonight will be no different! He will be great competition tonight," he said, gesturing towards the young man dressed in deep red, "and I intend to be worthy as well!" Smiling he stood and made his way towards another chair and sank into his own preparations.
Shaking her head she sighed, so many things had happened in such a short amount of time… Including the near death of Albus Dumbledore.
Though she still couldn't believe that Tannim had saved the man's life, or the fact that he was now resting comfortably in a non-magical hospital after lifesaving surgery!
A surgery that, according to Margo, was quite commonplace and had a very high success rate in the non magical world, allowing the patient a long healthy life after the device, something called a Pacemaker, was placed.
Margo had written an entire explanation of what had happened, that had appeared in the Prophet. Dumbledore had suffered for several years, possibly his entire life, with something the non-magicals called Arrhythmia, a defect of the heart that could cause it to beat in the wrong rhythms. It was also something that non-magicals could correct with a small surgery and the help of the Pacemaking device.
Evidently the elder statesman had collapsed during a discussion with Tannim, Headmaster Chinthliss and Mr. Silverhair, and Tannim had saved his life by doing something called CPR on the man, while Chinthliss made preparations to transport him.
By the next morning his prognosis was good and after two days of recovery, while still weak, he had been more than able to say hello and have a small discussion with the Minister about the lifesaving events, which also appeared in the Prophet.
Then had come the first country wide broadcast of a quidditch match. Every pub that had one of the devices installed was filled to the brim as people gathered and watched in awe. Rosmerta, the woman that owned the Three Broomsticks in Hogsmead, had completely sold out her stock of food and beverages before the match had even begun to heat up!
In the end it had proven to be a smashing success.
Things were changing, not in small stops and starts but in wide sweeping ways.
"Champions?" said a voice from near the tent flap. "They are ready for you."
The small group of champions stood close together as the explanation of the night's event was given to the gathered crowd.
"You alright there Harry?" Cedric asked. "I mean, with all you've…" His voice trailed off, as he was unsure of how to phrase the rest of the question.
Harry was quiet for a moment, then shrugged. "Yeah, I'm good… I… I just want to get this thing over and go home. No offence," he said quietly, "but I don't like it here."
Cedric nodded. "Yeah, I can see how that may be the case…" the older Hogwarts student said in reply. "But I hope you can remember not to paint all of us with the same color here. If we had known…" he began.
Harry cut him off. "I know, and I do understand… but you need to understand as well. This place," He gestured around him, "is filled with bad memories… Memories I would just as soon forget."
Fleur sighed. "I would hope that not all of your memories from this year are bad."
Harry chuckled, shaking off some of the gloom he had felt as he remembered his new friends. "No… I didn't mean to imply that… the good just doesn't seem to outweigh the bad." He shrugged. "So I hope you don't mid that I'm planning on finishing this quick."
Victor laughed out loud. "Do not presume to count the rest of us out my young friend! I imagine you will face stiff competition tonight!"
"Right!" said Cedric clasping the other man's shoulder. "I plan to see you all from the top of the winner's box!"
Fleur looked at each of them in turn and chuckled. "Well I have no intention of just laying over! I'll see you each on the podium!"
"Champions?" said the voice of Ludo Bagman. "If you will please take your places? Mr. Potter will enter the maze first, followed by Ms. Delacour and Mr. Diggory, after a two minute head start. Then finally Mr. Krum, after another two minutes."
He smiled brightly at each in turn as they lined up. "Remember, shoot up red sparks if you feel you can no longer continue! Good luck!"
He took a long step back, raised his wand and set off a cannon blast, signaling the start of the competition.
Harry glanced back over his shoulder, a wide feral grin on his face. "Sorry, but I promised Dad that I had this and it would be quick, so… I'm sorry I've got to do it this way." He turned back and tore off into the maze at a run.
"Is everything ready?" Tannim asked Chinthliss.
The dragon in human form sighed. "For the hundredth time, yes!" he said exasperatedly. "Al and Keighvin are just behind the stands, along with extra elven steeds, ready to take you, while I travel by other means once the location settles in the diviner; and FX is waiting for him at the center of the maze where the Tri-wizard cup is located. He will accompany him when the Portkey activates, whether that is to the winner's stand as was arranged by Mr. Bagman or elsewhere. We will be there as soon as possible."
"Fine!" the man spat, as he adjusted the crowbar hidden under his leather jacket to ride more comfortably. "I hate this! Shar is going kill me in the first place for this, let alone if he gets hurt!"
The dragon man nodded. "And I, as well as Keighvin and Ako, will be in her sights as well, but this is the only course of action available at the moment. FX will be with him and they will be fine."
Tannim fidgeted as the announcements continued and the champions lined up. "And who is watching the person Peter was speaking with?"
"My brother, Thomas," the dragon said with a small smirk curling the corner of his mouth.
Tannim gaped at him, before his head slowly turned back towards the field. "Oh… Ok."
Harry made a hard right as soon as he stepped into the maze and stopped. In a way he felt bad about what he was about to do. It felt a lot like cheating.
He took a deep breath and centered himself and began to cast.
In front of him formed an inclined plane, glittering gold in color in his mage sight, its top edge even with the height of the hedges. Chuckling maniacally, he began running up the magical construct.
These magical planes were the first type of magic Harry ever learned. Harry had been with Tannim at the garage one day and seen him use the spell repeatedly to help them move boxes on forklifts and cars over the softened ground outside after a water main break. It was simple, didn't use much magic, and was versatile. At the end of the day they found Harry sitting happily on one of the desks racing his Hot Wheels down one force plane ramp and up another in the form of a jump that sailed his toy cars out the front door and onto a puddle outside. He had been seven at the time.
Once he could see over the edge he cast the same spell again, causing another plane of magical force to form stretching from one hedge to another across the gap in between.
Harry looked down into the gaps as he continued to run. This was definitely the best way to reach the center he thought as he passed over some form of crab like creature that belched fire from one end and flew down the pathway. When they had called them down to the Quidditch pitch for the explanation of the task they said once entering the maze they were to go to the center as quickly as possible while avoiding or traversing the obstacles contained.
Harry continued to run, even as he heard several cries of disbelief and anger coming from the crowd.
Seconds later he stood overlooking the center of the maze. It was a clearing about twenty feet across with a different path leading out at each compass point and the cup sitting on a large ebony stand in the center. Standing next to it was a frantically pointing FX.
Glancing in the direction FX was pointing he spotted the trouble. "HOLY HELL!" he exclaimed, as his eyes widened, "If that thing is an example of what else is in this stupid maze I'm glad I did it this way!"
There in the corner, hidden deep in what would have been the shadows of the hedge had it not been for his mage sight, was a spider the size of a Buick!
Quickly deciding on a course of action, he circled away from the creature as far as possible then signaled FX to be ready. Taking a deep breath he cast the Force Plane spell for a final time, ending it just at the base of the pedestal, and made his way down.
FX clasped hands with him just before they both reached for the goblet, and with a swirl of color they both disappeared leaving behind a silent maze.
Chinthliss stood up quickly. "The Portkey activated…" he said as his eyes scanned the sky in the direction of center of the maze. "Too much power… It's going somewhere else… Go! I will meet you there!"
Tannim twisted in his seat and dropped down so he could slip under the bench and into the wooden structure of the stands below, dodging supports as he went.
Keighvin impatiently shifted from one foot to the other, waiting for all hell to break loose. "Do you have them?" he asked trying to keep his voice from showing the agitation and anger he felt.
Al nodded. "The tracking charms are working perfectly, as are the electronic ones… He's almost to the center of the maze as we speak."
Keighvin nodded. "Don't lose them Al."
"You gave me this job for a reason Kev…" the Elf said as he watched the objects on the small table in front of him. "That's it! They're gone! Get ready!"
Keighvin turned and vaulted onto the white steed next to him, and patted its neck. "Are you ready to hunt Velefore?" The elven steed tossed its head in an affirmative nature.
Tannim appeared from under the stands, moving in a rapid hopping motion. "Well?" he asked as he moved next to one of the other steeds.
"Just a few more seconds…" Al said, as he worked. "Northern England…" he said as the pendant in his hand moved over the map. "Little Hangleton…" He dropped the pendant and vaulted onto his own steed. "We'll use the electronic tracker from there."
The three men wheeled their mounts to the south and took off in a swirl of dust and blinding speed.
Chinthliss turned quickly and made his way across the platform, advancing quickly on the arguing judges along with the other headmasters.
"He should be disqualified!" yelled one of the men.
Ludo Bagman flipped through the pages of his note book. "I-I don't think that is possible…" stuttered the man. "There is nothing in the rules about how he reaches the center of the maze… Just that he enter… and then makes his way towards the cup!"
One of the other judges harrumphed. "Either way, we must reach a decision before Mr. Potter reaches the cup! Otherwise the event will be over!"
Chinthliss spoke at that point. "It is too late for that. Harry has reached the cup and the portkey has activated."
Minister Fudge glanced toward the podium. "I believe you are wrong headmaster! We still have…"
"Believe what you will Minister, but the portkey has activated! Have one of your Aurors verify it if you do not believe me," he said trying to remain calm.
Sighing he nodded towards a tall black man standing next to him. Auror? If you would?"
The man's wand appeared in his hand and he began casting detection spells. "…Minister there has been a portkey activation recently… And I detect no humans inside the maze! Harry Potter is gone!"