Disclaimer: Expanded 'A Different Triwizard' from chapter 48 of 'Odd Ideas.'

Go Tell The Spartans

"Wands out?" Cedric asked.

"I think we'd better check something first," Harry replied. "Grab the trophy."

"What good do you think that will . . ."

Cedric reappeared back at Hogwarts in front of a surprised crowd. "We've got to go back for Harry," he shouted. "Aurors, where are the bloody Aurors."

"Calm yourself Mr. Diggory and tell us what has happened," Dumbledore advised.

"The cup was a trap," Cedric said breathlessly. "Harry's still there, we've got to go back for him."

"Portkey's used up it's magic," Moody advised.

Hufflepuff Common Room, several months earlier . . .

"Quiet," Cedric growled at one of his house mates. He was sick and tired of hearing people insult Hogwarts' other champion. "Let me ask you something, why do you think Harry would have put his own name in the bloody cup?"

"Well . . . he's a Gryffindor," the other student said lamely.

"And we all know they're glory hounds right?" Cedric asked. "Let's start with his first year, we all know what happened right? Well, who's heard Harry talk about what happened?"

"I asked him once," Susan volunteered. "He just sort of . . . shrank, said he didn't want to talk about it."

"Then let's look at his second year," Cedric continued. "Anyone hear Harry's version of what happened?"

"We were talking about it after Harry got out of the hospital wing," another student said slowly. "Harry heard what we were talking about and turned around, I . . . I don't think he's ever told anyone what happened."

"His third year he had a murderer after him and he kept getting attacked by the bloody dementors," Cedric sighed. "And I've never heard two words from him about what he's done. Accept it, Harry's not a normal Gryffindor. He's someone who's actually brave, not the usual dregs the house attracts."

"Bloody loyal to those friends of his too," Hanna said. "You realise what that means? It means he's a Hufflepuff at heart, hat got blinded by his bloody lack of fear."

"So you know what I think this is?" Cedric's voice raised. "Based on what we know of Harry's history, I don't think it's likely that he put his name in for the glory, I don't think it's likely he put his name in at all. We all saw how dangerous the first task was, I think that someone is trying to use this tournament to murder Harry Potter. They failed in first year, they failed in second, and they failed in third. Maybe they think the fourth time's a charm?"

"It's our duty to help him as a fellow Hufflepuff," Susan said with a smile. "Sod the bloody hat, what's it know? We all know what house Harry belongs in."

Cedric gave the girl a grateful nod. "Exactly, who's with me?"

The cheer that greeted his words deafened the room.

IIIIIIIIII

Harry's first indication that something had changed came when he walked into the great Hall to find a large sign above the Hufflepuff table proclaiming that they supported Harry Potter, Hogwarts' youngest champion.

"Wasn't us Harry," Fred said in response to Harry's questioning look.

"No trick Harry," Cedric said with a grin. "Just took a little while for some of us to realize that you're one of us. No matter which one of us takes the cup, it'll still be a victory for Hogwarts right?"

"Yeah," Harry agreed.

"And a victory for Hogwarts is a victory for Hufflepuff House," Cedric finished with a smile. "Besides, you didn't even want to compete did you? It's not fair to blame you for the latest weird thing to happen in your life."

"Thanks Cedric."

"Just remember to duck when the bad guys reveal themselves," Cedric joked. "Wouldn't want that famous luck of yours to disappear at the wrong time would we?"

"Bad guys?"

"Someone's behind this," Cedric said with a shrug. "And they're not after me, be careful Harry."

"I will Cedric," Harry agreed. "I'll be careful." And I'll do my best to keep you out of it, he added in his mind. It was his fight, Harry didn't want anyone else to get caught up in it.

"Thanks Harry," Cedric said with a grin.

"Looks like the Puffs found their common sense," Fred said conversationally.

"Guess we'll have to cancel a few things we had planned," George agreed.

"What a waste," Fred sighed. "A shame we can't just move it to Slytherin table."

"Why can't we?"

"Too predictable."

"There's always the staff table," Harry interjected.

"Harry?"

"Bloody hell, the next time you get an idea for one of our pranks-"

Harry looked down at his feet in shame.

"-you bring it to us without delay. A crime to have a mind like that without telling us."

IIIIIIIIII

Fleur carefully considered the information she'd received on a possible plot to kill the youngest contestant for a few days before deciding to seek confirmation.

"May I speak with you?"

"What is it Fleur?" Cedric asked nervously.

"Do you really this is all a plot to kill 'arrie?" The French champion's eyes flashed.

"I do," Cedric agreed.

"I see," the French girl muttered as she walked off, "merci Cedric."

IIIIIIIIII

Harry lingered a bit in the charms classroom after class ended, hoping to get a word with the diminutive head of Ravenclaw House.

"May I help you with something Mr. Potter?" Flitwick asked.

"Yeah," Harry agreed, "I was hoping you could give me some advise on something."

"Oh?" The Professor asked with a curious smile. "On what?"

"Could you recommend a book on dueling?" Harry asked in a rush. "For the tournament I mean."

"You think one of the tasks is going to be a duel?" Filius was intrigued by the notion.

"That or a free for all," Harry said quickly, "I just wanted to know where I could find a book to deal with one or more opponents."

"I'll write you a list," Flitwick agreed, "and give you a permission slip for the restricted section."

"Thank you Professor."

"Not at all Mr. Potter."

Harry rushed to the library and forced himself to flip through some of the books that Flitwick had recommended. As he'd suspected, it wasn't encouraging. There did not appear to be any way that he could defeat a large group of Death Eaters and that tidbit of information caused Harry's plans to mutate.

"One would not think so, but the advantage is with a lone skilled man when facing more then three equally skilled attackers." With a smile he reread the passage again and again. "And when a man is surrounded on all sides by enemies and has not a friend to watch his back, he has a greater advantage still. For they must be careful, lest they commit the sin of fratricide; while he is in a world of targets just waiting to be serviced." Harry continued studying and picked up one further gem of information that day. "When a man with a knife faces a man with a sword, the man with a knife must get inside the guard of the man with the sword." Harry yawned, he'd get back to his studies after he got some rest.

IIIIIIIIII

The months passed and the four contestants gathered to complete their final task.

"Come ere Arrie," Fleur said with a playful smile.

"What is it Fleur?" Harry asked nervously.

"A kees," the part Veela said as he lips brushed against his cheek. "For luck, tu will need it to beat me Arrie."

"T . . . thanks," Harry stammered.

"Tu are welcome 'Arrie," she replied. Fleur noted the lip marks on the boy's cheek with a satisfied smile.

Things proceeded as they had a hundred times in a hundred universes leaving Harry and Cedric looking nervously around a cemetery.

A calm smile appeared on Harry's face as he took stock of the situation. It had been impossible not to hear the rumors, impossible to come to the same conclusion as so many others had. The contest was another murder attempt, Harry had decided months before that no one else was going to be caught up in his fight.

"Wands out?" Cedric asked.

"I think we'd better check something first," Harry replied. "Grab the trophy."

"What good do you think that will . . ."

Harry allowed himself a brief moment of pleasure at the shocked look on Cedric's face as the portkey activated. "I was hoping so," he muttered to himself. "You were right Ced, but it's between me and them. You've got no place here."

IIIIIIIIII

Amelia knew that something was wrong the moment the two contestants disappeared. Most of Hufflepuff house had written their parents, siblings, and former housemates requesting that they come and provide a bit of moral support to the two Hogwarts champions.

"Aurors to me," Amelia called out. The fact that the extra people contained a large number of personnel from the DMLE was nothing more then a coincidence and no member of Hufflepuff house would have said different if asked. "Get over there and see if you can track that portkey."

"Yes boss," her aid agreed while a member of Amelia's protective detail went off to collect young Susan.

IIIIIIIIII

Cedric reappeared back at Hogwarts in front of a surprised crowd. "We've got to go back for Harry," he shouted. "Aurors, where are the bloody Aurors."

"Calm yourself Mr. Diggory and tell us what has happened," Dumbledore advised.

"The cup was a trap," Cedric said breathlessly. "Harry's still there, we've got to go back for him."

"Portkey's used up it's magic," Moody advised.

"Go see if Amelia is willing to come over here," Dumbledore ordered, "she's not one of us but she's loyal to the light."

"Right," Moody agreed. "Bad business this," Moody said as he walked up to the group of his former colleagues.

"Worse then the time at that place," Amelia agreed.

"Heh." Moody gave a rasping laugh. "Glad to see you here Amelia."

"Stupefy," Amelia incanted quickly, "take that man into custody."

"Right boss."

"What is the meaning of this?" Dumbledore roared.

"That is not Mad Eye Moody," Amelia replied. You didn't partner up with the paranoid bastard without having to learn dozens of signs and countersigns. "As you bloody well should have known, or didn't he trust you enough to give you a few dozen recognition signs?"

"I . . ." Dumbledore started to speak but was interrupted by one of the younger Aurors.

"Tests positive for Polyjuice," the Auror shouted.

"I want three on him at all times," Amelia ordered, "and I want you to find out everything he knows. I'm authorizing you to use whatever means necessary. We are going to do whatever we need to do in order to get young Mr. Potter back here safely."

"Amelia please," Dumbledore protested. The old man was horrified at the feral looks that had appeared on the faces of the Aurors at the pronouncement. "I want to get Harry back more then anyone but . . ."

"Shut up," Amelia snapped, "or I'll have you removed from my crime scene." The look of hero worship that appeared on her niece's face almost brought a smile to Amelia's. "Now Cedric, what happened?"

"Harry told me to grab the trophy," Cedric replied, "I asked him what good that would do and the portkey activated again. You have to go back for him."

"We're trying to do just that," Amelia said calmly, "well?"

"We're on it boss," one of the Aurors replied, "be just a couple more minutes."

"Got one of the other contestants here boss," another Auror said, "couldn't find the Frenchy but we got Krum. Shows signs of Imperio."

"You know anything?" Amelia asked abruptly.

"Nosssing," Victor replied, "haf you vound Harry?"

"We're still working on it," Amelia replied with a frown, "get him to a healer."

"Got it boss," the Auror agreed.

"I've got the trace."

"Get me a large Portkey to the area," Amelia ordered, "volunteers." She was immediately surrounded by eager Aurors.

"Would you be willing to take me?" Dumbledore asked with a look of hope on his face.

"Fine," Amelia agreed. "Come on." The sickly smell of ruptured intestine greeted the rescue party when they arrived in the Riddle family cemetery. "Spread out."

"Uh . . . boss," Tonks called out, "I think you need to take a look at this."

"What is . . . Albus," Amelia called out, "come over here and tell me this is what I think it is." She looked down at the corpse of the Dark Lord with a frown. "And why it's here now."

IIIIIIIIII

Cedric's hands were shaking as he waited for the Aurors to return. Why hadn't he realized that the trophy was a portkey? He thought to himself, because of his stupidity Harry had been left to face things himself. Cedric's head shot up when Dumbledore returned with a small escort of Aurors.

"Did you find Harry?" Cedric demanded.

"We found a war zone," one of the Aurors replied. "Boy put of one hell of a fight."

"We haven't . . . identified Harry yet," Dumbledore said sadly. "I haven't given up hope that he might have escaped."

The tight looks on the Auror's faces was enough to tell Cedric the truth, his friend was dead.

IIIIIIIIII

Amelia was waiting when then Aurors she'd ordered to escort Albus Dumbledore returned with a worn looking Mad Eye Moody.

"Good to see you, ya old bastard." She said with a grin.

"Still can't believe they let a bitch like you become the Director," Moody replied, "still say they couldda found better without too much trouble." He noted with approval the angry looks on the Auror's faces at his slight towards their boss.

"Good to see the real you Mad Eye."

"Good to be the real me Amelia," Moody replied, "and it took you bloody long enough."

"Why the hell didn't Dumbledore notice that you weren't yourself?"

"Says he thought all my precautions were just mindless paranoia," Moody replied, "and dinna bother noting all the problems with my impostor's performance. Never guess who it was."

"Later," Amelia said reluctantly, "I need you to take a look at the crime scene."

"What me to reconstruct things then?"

"If you can," Amelia agreed. "We think they arrived here."

"And you let a dozen of these clumsy bastards tramp all over it," Moody growled. "Let's see . . . boy got grabbed here and taken over this way. Blood on the ground indicates something bad happened here."

"We've got someone from the Department of Mysteries working on it," Amelia supplied, "thin it's some sort of ritual." She bent down and pulled a tarp off a lump. "Explains this thing anyway."

"Bloody hell," Moody gasped.

"What happened next?"

IIIIIIIIII

A relaxed smile bloomed on Harry's face as he looked over the Death Eaters that had assembled on their master's command. A strange calm had overtaken him when he realized that there was no way he was going to live to see the sun rise the next day and Harry's resolve hardened, if he was going to die then Harry decided that he was going to send as many of them to hell before following himself.

"CRUCIO." Voldemort cast the spell on his nemesis to get the boy into the proper frame of mind to begin the duel.

IIIIIIIIII

"What do you think Mad Eye?" Amelia asked. "How many did the boy take with him?"

"Half a dozen more then we found on the ground I'd guess," Moody said with a frown, "maybe more an maybe less."

"How'd he do it?" One of the Aurors asked in a voice filled with awe.

"He didn't," Moody replied. "Boy was smart, he closed the distance, got in with the bastards, and let 'friendly fire' take care of the rest."

"Wouldda made one hell of an Auror," Amelia sighed, "you have enough to figure out what happened?"

"I think so." Moody agreed, he walked over to a rough patch of ground. "Boy got hit with a couppla Crucios here . . ."

IIIIIIIIII

Harry felt his teeth crack as he bit down to keep the bastards from getting the satisfaction of listening to his screams. He knew pain, one might say it was an old friend, Harry was it's master and he would not allow himself to show how much it hurt.

"Shall we begin our duel?" Voldemort asked with a silky smile as he tossed the boy his wand.

IIIIIIIIII

"How do you know?" Amelia asked reluctantly. It was her least favorite part of the job, despite years of work in the field she was still horrified at what humans would inflict on one another.

"Jest a guess," Moody replied, "look at the way he tore at the ground . . . poor kid was in a lotta pain."

"Oh." Amelia closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Proceed."

"From here he got his wand somehow and managed to get back on his feet. From there he ran into the crowd," Moody said as he retraced Harry's steps, "they did some dueling."

IIIIIIIIII

"Bow Potter," Voldemort hissed, "bow and let us begin our duel."

"Go to hell Tom," Harry spat.

"CRUCIO," the enraged Voldemort incanted.

Harry was waiting for it, he dove out of the way and sprinted into the crowd of Death Eaters and in a flash, Harry was among them stabbing and hexing in every direction. He allowed a brief smile to grace his face as a curse flew over his head and impacted one of the Death Eaters; Harry was surrounded by targets, his foes had to watch for friendly fire. "Reducto." While he was under no such restrictions.

"Kill him," Voldemort screamed, "don't let him get away." At the Dark Lord's order, the curses turned a uniform green as the air filled with killing curses. "Stop hi . . ." Voldemort toppled to the ground with a look of surprise on his face as a sickly green curse hit him in the side.

IIIIIIIIII

"Is that when Voldemort got hit?" Amelia asked.

"I'd guess so," Moody agreed, "some where around that time anyway less he had another reason to stay where he was. They had a running fight up to here." He looked down at what had once been a large mausoleum.

IIIIIIIIII

Harry knew the fight was over when a lucky hex destroyed his left leg. Under normal circumstance and considering the level of healing possible in the magical world, it wouldn't have been more then a painful injury. In a fight to the death, well . . . as they say, speed is life. With his good arm, Harry managed to drag himself behind a monument to one of Tom's more . . . ostentatious ancestors.

Closing his eyes, Harry took a moment to regain his center. He was a Potter, and Potters did not flinch when faced with death . . . well, he didn't think so anyway. The only examples he had to hold up were those of his parents.

"This is it," he mumbled to himself, "one last chance to take a few with me."

"Line up," he heard one of the surviving Death Eaters scream, "he can't stop us all."

IIIIIIIIII

"And the poor kid got hit, serious enough to make him loose his mobility. Blood trail indicates that he was able to drag himself back here." Moody shook his head. "The the bastards choose to get smart, lined up and hexed the hell out of his cover until there was nothing left."

IIIIIIIIII

Harry didn't even bother trying to raise a shield to stop the wall of curses heading towards his meager cover, choosing instead to fling a few of his own back at his attackers in hopes of scoring a lucky hit.

IIIIIIIIII

"No hope then?" Amelia dreaded the reply.

"Not unless the boy had a portkey or something like that."

"I see . . . thank you Mad Eye."

"Hell of a way to come out of retirement," Moody sighed, "and a hell of a way for a child to die. Least he didn't go alone." Moody reached down and picked up a charred piece of wood. "We'll have to get Ollivander to identify it."

"Gather up all the dirt," Amelia snapped at one of the junior Aurors. She indicated the site of Harry's last stand with a wave of her arm. "Bag it and get it to forensics."

"Yes Madame Bones," the confused underling agreed.

"Wanna give the coffin some weight do you?" Moody asked softly.

"Pall bearers always get antsy when the remains aren't heavy enough," Amelia replied. "It feels more honest if we do our best to scrape up what's left."

AN: I was going to write more of this but that seemed like a good stopping point. If you want to believe that Harry survived then figure that Fleur arranged to have him saved to repay his rescue of her sister, the kiss had something magical that allowed her to track him or transport him or something.

Omake: Never did see that movie but . . .

"This is madness Potter," Snape sneered.

"No," Harry disagreed. "THIS . . . IS . . . HOGWARTS." With that pronouncement, Harry kicked Snape into the bottomless pit.

"Where'd that pit come from?" Ron whispered to Hermione.

"Honestly Ron," Hermione whispered back. "According to 'Hogwarts a History,' that pit has been there since the time of the founders. Besides, Harry's always throwing people down it . . . you know that."

"Oh . . ." Ron scratched his chin. "Right . . . what do you suppose dinner will be?"

Omake by rijlkent

Harry didn't even bother trying to raise a shield to stop the wall of curses heading towards his meager cover,

That 'wall' of curses impacted his cover and the ground before and around it, and the resulting explosion produced a Shockwave of compressed air that pushed Harry up and away from the shrapnel also produced.

Harry awoke to hear the tail end of Moody's analysis. His shout for help was overshadowed by multiple apparition cracks as the Auror teams left the site. With no energy left to shout again, Harry quietly, but emphatically, exclaimed, "Bugger."