The day of the Third Task was overcast, rainclouds gathering so tightly together that the day appeared like early evening. Before knowing she had magic, Aria would have dismissed the weather as being a sign of anything to come, but now that she had taken Divination with both a witch and centaurs as her teachers, and because she had experienced strange things, she knew that the ominous weather could mean anything from rain to the destruction of the world.

Her only consolation as the day progressed was the Luna was chipper. More than usual. The girl went about Hogwarts skipping and humming a merry tune that went with the general atmosphere of Hogwarts, but her being undisturbed settled something in Aria's soul. If Luna was okay, then surely everything would be okay.

"Don't worry so much," Luna said, stopping at where Aria was eating with the four Champions. It was as if the girl could read thoughts! The third year draped colorful sashes over Aria's shoulders before doing the same for Harry and Cedric. Each sash cycled through the colors of all four houses before pausing on a black sash with stripes in the house colors.

"Would you like one?" she asked Fleur and Viktor.

"Luna!" Cedric laughed, gently pushing the girl away.

"Just saying," Luna replied. "Hogwarts is going to win." She skipped off.

"Is . . . everything all right vith the girl?" Viktor asked as Nikola slid onto the bench next to him.

"She's fine," Cedric said. "She's one of my neighbors. Mum says she's just like her mother."

"What's her mother do?" Aria asked.

"Pandora Lovegood passed away when Luna was nine," Cedric explained. "She held a Charms Mastery, but her profession was spell creation. Unfortunately, one of the spells she was working on backfired, and she was killed. I think Luna might've witnessed the whole thing."

"Mon Dieu!" Fleur murmured.

"But the Lovegoods are rumored to have had made a pact with the fay," Cedric continued. "But I think that rumor's been around for centuries."

Aria could believe that.

"She's not related to the Malfoys is she?" Harry asked.

Cedric paused, as if running through a family tree in his head.

"I . . . don't think so?" he said. "I mean, they're pureblood which means that somehow, they're related. We're all related if we go back far enough."

Aria watched Luna drape a sash over Professor Snape as he entered the Great Hall alongside Professor Flitwick. The man's fierce scowl did not bother Luna one bit. Flitwick accepted his sash with great pomp and circumstance.

Draco, Pansy, Millicent, and Crabbe and Goyle arrived at that moment. Luna's hair bobbed as she skipped over to them, tossing sashes over their heads as she skipped by them without stopping.

"Yeah . . . I think she's got to be related somehow," she said to Harry. "With hair like that?" She thought of Mr. Malfoy and Lord Malfoy's hair. Long and platinum blonde or (in Lord Malfoy's case) a brilliant white.

Professor Snape made his way over to the champions. Aria tried not to laugh as the professor made no secret that he was attempting to remove Luna's sash, but it would not budge. Aria was able to remove her sash and put it back on, but it appeared that Professor Snape was stuck with his.

"I think you were saying Mrs. Lovegood had a Charms Mastery?" Aria said to Cedric as Professor Snape stopped just behind them.

"Do. Not. Say. Anything," Professor Snape growled at Aria who hid her grin in her pumpkin juice. Snape turned to Harry.

"I've come to tell you that your . . . guardians will be here in a few minutes," Snape said. "All the families will be making an appearance." He was interrupted by the loud sound of a tuba. On the other side of the Great Hall, Flitwick corralled the Frog Choir and its little band.

"Merlin help me," Snape muttered.

"I think I'm going to need more than just Merlin today," Harry said. "I've already seen the press running about and Professor McGonagall was giving a tour to visitors from the continent."

"Ah, yes. The Ministry officials from Europe," Snape replied, still fighting with this sash. "Mostly French though and a few brave Bulgarian souls."

Bulgaria was currently persona non grata with Britain after the Durmstrang students had fled Hogwarts for the country. Madam Bones was trying to get them extradited back to Britain, but if the papers were to be believed, it wasn't going to happen in Aria's lifetime. She was quickly learning that, just like the Muggle world, people's reactions to assault came in two ways: either people were outraged at the crime itself, or people were outraged at the outrage towards the perpetrators.

Of course, Aria had thought bitterly multiple times, if it had been a pureblood girl who had gotten attacked, there might be more of the general public on her side. Still, it hadn't been all bad. Aria had read some Letters to the Editor in The Daily Prophet and the English-French newspaper that basically called the Bulgarian wizarding community every foul word under the sun.

She would just be glad when summer break finally came.

Harry pulled Aria up when he and the other Champions got up.

"Come on," he said, "you're family now."

"Does this mean I'm your stepsister or half-sister if we share one of the same guardians?" Aria teased.

The families were in one of the receiving rooms off the Great Hall. Several journalists were already snapping pictures and more cameras flashed when the Champions walked in. Percy and Bagman stood off to the side, Bagman smiling vapidly as he always did while Percy smiled politely when the cameras pointed at him, but otherwise, kept a neutral face.

Sirius and Remus embraced Harry and Aria let Remus sling an arm around her shoulders so long as she didn't get squished between the two men.

"How're you both doing?" Remus asked them.

"I think I'm going to be sick," Harry admitted. "I just want this to be over."

"You can always throw the Third Task," Sirius told him.

"Like I could throw the others?" Harry asked. "Doubt I'll get that lucky."

"I'm doing fine," Aria said once they turned to her. "I don't need Dreamless Sleep anymore, and I'm not waking up from too many nightmares anymore. Healer Tonks would like to see me throughout the summer though."

"We can make that happen," Remus promised. "Kenneth can't wait for you to come home."

"I can't wait to go home," Aria said.

Several reports came over to interview Harry. Remus and Aria stepped off to the side to let Sirius supervise.

"No one's harassed you, have they?" Remus asked Aria. "I know some people . . . blame the victim."

Victim. Aria shuddered at the word. It made her feel weak. Healer Tonks had told her that being a victim didn't make her weak, it simply stated the fact that something had happened to her where she wasn't at fault. Aria knew Healer Tonks was right, but she could not help her reaction whenever she heard the word.

"No one's bothered me," she said. "Though I think Cho might . . . I don't know . . . she's not as friendly as she once was. Maybe she's still really upset by the Second Task?"

Pansy was under the impression that Cho was getting jealous of all the attention Cedric continued to garner as one of the Champions. Aria wanted to think kinder about Cho who, even though she and Aria weren't friends, had not been unfriendly to Aria until recently.

"It's not as if you really hang out with her that much," Remus said.

Aria leaned against him.

Finally the posturing was finished and the Champions and their families were led by Bagman out of the castle down towards the Quidditch pitch where a part of the pitch was utilized for the Third Task, and the other part of the pitch was set up for spectators in the stands. Aria settled between Remus and Sirius in the two rows reserved for families. They sat with the Delacours while the Krums and Diggorys sat behind them. Mr. Diggory was quite loud in his praises of Cedric. It was clear the man was certain his son would win. Mrs. Diggory was a bit more reserved, she was definitely embarrassed by her husband's antics, but made no move to stop him.

The stands filled with spectators. Mostly Hogwarts. The Frog Choir and band sat behind the families and the professors sat on the stands just across the stairs from the families. Snape still had his sash on.

"Hey, Snape!" Sirius called. "I love the sash! Where can I get one?"

Snape sent Sirius a look that would have curdled the blood of any other man.

"Did you want a sash, Lord Black?"

Luna materialized beside Sirius, causing him to yelp. She carefully draped a sash over his shoulders before offering one to both Mr. and Mrs. Diggory who eagerly took them.

"Who was that?" Sirius asked.

"Luna Lovegood," Remus answered.

"Pandora and Xenophilius' girl?"

"The very same."

"Merlin! She's just like her mother."

Aria sensed an opening.

"Are the Lovegoods related to the Malfoys?" she asked Sirius. "I've been trying to figure it out but no one's given me a straight answer and I don't think it'd be good manners to ask either Luna or Draco."

"If it's not good manners why're you asking Sirius?" Remus pointed out. Aria shrugged, unrepentant. She wanted answers!

"Xenophilius was Lucius Malfoy's older brother," Sirius told Aria, lowering his voice to others couldn't hear. "Abraxas disowned him when he eloped with Pandora and took on the Lovegood name. Xeno hated Abraxas and, quite frankly, I think Abraxas hated him."

"Xenophilius isn't exactly a Malfoy name," Aria commented.

Sirius hemmed and hawed for several seconds.

"It's . . . not," he said. "There was some question about whether or not Xeno was actually Abraxas' or not. I believe he let Colette name him."

Colette. What a gorgeous name! Aria let the name roll off her tongue a few times. Clearly, Colette was the name of Draco's grandmother. A little idea floated across her mind, of a little girl with curly hair like hers but blonde hair like Draco's named Colette. Aria shook her head to clear it of such an image. She was fourteen! Too young to be thinking of babies. She had lycanthropy to cure!

Bagman put his wand to his throat.

"WELCOME WITCHES AND WIZARDS!" he greeted the crowd. The crowded roared in excitement. The usual Slytherin Quidditch flags had been enlarged by some of the seventh years and the sparks were bigger when they were waved. The Hufflepuffs had taken the idea and made their own Hufflepuff banners that sparked yellow and black sparkles.

"THE THIRD TASK," Bagman continued over the cheers of the crowd, "THE CHAMPIONS NEED TO MAKE THEIR WAY THROUGH THE DANGEROUS MAZE TO FIND THE TRIWZARD CUP!"

"That can't be too bad," Aria said.

"THE MAZE HAS BEEN FILLED WITH ALL KINDS OF DANGERS AND OBSTACLES," Bagman continued. Aria grimaced. She had spoken too soon. "IF, AT ANY POINT, THE CHAMPIONS ARE WOUNDED OR WOULD LIKE TO LEAVE THE MAZE AND FORFEIT THE TOURNAMENT, THEY WILL SHOOT RED SPARKS INTO THE AIR." Bagman demonstrated.

"CHAMPIONS WILL ENTER THE MAZE AT DIFFERENT TIMES," Bagman continued. "FIRST TO ENTER WILL BE OUR HOGWARTS CHAMPIONS TIED FOR FIRST, HARRY POTTER AND CEDRIC DIGGORY!"

Hogwarts cheered. Cedric grabbed Harry's hand and they raised their hands together towards the crowd.

"NEXT TO ENTER WILL BE OUR DURMSTRANG CHAMPION, VIKTOR KRUM!"

Nikola cheered the loudest of the small group left. Aria noted Karkaroff standing at the edge of the crowd looking rather shifty.

"FINALLY, FLEUR DELACOUR WILL ENTER AS OUR LAST CHAMPION!" Bagman said. Beauxbatons cheered loudly and Gabrielle jumped up and down, wildly waving a Beauxbatons and French flag in her hands.

Cedric and Harry were directed to two parts of the large hedge which made up the maze. The hedge towered over their heads a good seven to ten feet, making it impossible for anyone to see over the tops if they were a Champion. At the ringing of a bell, the hedges opened and both Cedric and Harry entered.

After ten minutes the hedges opened again, and Viktor entered. After another ten minutes the hedged opened and Fleur entered.

"I would've thought the person in last place got to go in first," Aria said as they all settled down to wait. Flitwick began conducting the chorus and band to play popular wizarding folk songs that Aria had never heard, but apparently many other people had, as others began to sing along.

"Well, it's because you're not in charge," Remus teased.

Aria sighed, making herself comfortable. Sirius quickly nudged her to sit up as Minister Fudge ambled over. With a sigh she realized she was going to have to socialize if she sat with Remus and Sirius. Unfortunately, at the moment, it would be too noticeable and rude if she went to sit with friends, so she plastered on a smile and greeted Minister Fudge as he reached them.

The maze was spookier than Harry had anticipated. The height of the hedges and the silence of the maze lent itself to the feeling that he was being watched and stalked. The lights of the Quidditch had long ago faded the further he walked into the maze, replaced with eerie balls of light hovering over the pitch like dozens of UFOs which only made the made creepier in the sepia light.

A part of Harry thought of throwing the whole tournament. To do so would be much easier than in the other two tasks. All he had to do was hang out in the maze for a while the throw up some red sparks and one of the real Champions take the eternal glory and one thousand Galleons. Another part of him, though, balked at the idea of throwing the tournament. As much as he did not want to participate, the competitive part of him, the part of him that wanted to prove himself worthy of his friends and family, told him to keep going and win the whole thing. If he won the tournament, then it would prove Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia wrong about him being useless, if he won the tournament, people might think twice about hurting Aria because they would see that she was protected by him, the Triwizard Tournament Champion. If he won the tournament, then it would show Remus and Sirius that he was worth their time and energy because that was the one thing he was terrified about. That one day they would wake up and think the same thing his aunt and uncle had thought and believe him to be a good-for-nothing waste of space that would amount to nothing and wasn't worth time or energy.

A blast of flame nearly set Harry on fire as he rounded a corner in the hedge. He jumped out of the way in time, immediately recognizing the Blast-Ended Skrewts Hagrid had been breeding and making the 4th years tend to for Care of Magical Creatures. Muttering curses under his breath while at the same time sending apologies to Hagrid in his mind, he blasted the Skrewt backwards. It flipped onto its back and lay still.

Why did Hagrid insist on breeding animals together? Harry thought as he hurried past the animal. He was pretty certain the breeding was also illegal. The man was friendly and kind, but Harry had been coming to the realization this year that Hagrid's fascinating with magical creatures bordered more on the dangerous than anything else. He had listened to Ron talk about Charlie long enough to know that there were ways to deal with magical creatures without putting students in danger.

A sharp scream had him freezing on the spot. It sounded like Fleur. He couldn't imagine what Fleur had seen to make her scream like that. Should he go looking for Fleur or go running in the opposite direction?

The choice took less than a few seconds to make. Harry turned down a path in the hedges, moving in the direction he thought he had heard the scream. He had only gone a few yards before a rustling behind him startled him. Whirling about, wand at the ready, he realized that the hedges were changing their position, making it impossible for him to retrace his steps.

Moving forward he came to a fork in the path. Fleur lay in the middle of the path and creeping vines were crawling from underneath the nearest hedge, trying to wrap around her. Recognizing the Devil's Snare, Harry cast a strong Lumos, chasing it off. Once the Devil's Snare was taken care of, he knelt by Fleur's side. Her protection amulet had come out from where she had slipped it under the top of her Champion's uniform, the amulet glowing and pulsing lightly. Frowning, as he was certain that the protection amulet should have protected Fleur from most magics, he began to look for other reasons for her to be knocked out. He found it almost immediately, seeing red trickling down her head from a bad knock on the back of her head.

Standing, Harry quickly shot red sparks into the sky before racing off to avoid being picked up by whoever came to fetch Fleur.

Aria jerked away from the conversation with Auror Kingsley who had been sent to help monitor the Third Task. He had come over once Minister Fudge had finished bothering them, and had kept a steady, interesting stream of conversation even as he continued to survey the crowd. He had just started telling her about the time when two drunk wizards got into a fight in the Leaky when he was trainee when red sparks shot up out of the maze.

The whole crowd gasped at the sight. Immediately, Bagman and Percy sent people into the maze. With bated breath everyone waited to see who the first person would be to come out.

The wixen reappeared with a stretcher floating beside them. The Delacours gasped and Gabrielle began to cry as everyone saw Fleur's still body. For a horrifying moment, Aria thought the witch might be dead too. Madam Pomfrey bustled forward as the stretcher was placed on the ground and within a minute of her waving her wand and muttering under her breath, Fleur awoke, rolling off the stretcher with a moan of pain.

"Thank Merlin!" Remus murmured as the Delacours and Madam Maxine rushed forward to help Fleur to her feet. Madam Pomfrey slathered some kind of balm over the bloody knock-on Fleur's head and with a flick of her wrist had bandages wrapped out the girl's head, keeping the balm in place.

Aria's stomach clenched painfully.

"I can't just sit here," she muttered, standing. "I've got to move." She hurried up the Quidditch stands to where her friends were congregating, a mesh of all four houses sitting together. They all wore Luna's sashes, some with more enthusiasm than others.

"Welcome," Ron greeted, holding out a snack he had gotten from somewhere. "Got tired of talking to other people?"

"I thought Minister Fudge was never going to stop talking," Aria said, squeezing in between Hermione and Dean. Draco poked her in the spine from where he sat just behind her. She twisted her hand behind her back, lacing her fingers with his for a brief moment.

"I wonder who knocked Fleur out," Tracey said, stealing some of Ron's snacks. "I bet she wounded whoever it was."

Another set of red sparks came shooting up from the maze. The crowd gasped and Aria grabbed hold of Hermione at the same time that Hermione grabbed her. Minutes ticked by as the crowd waited for the next person to come out.

The wixen came back supporting Viktor Krum as he limped out of the maze, looking banged up. He was bleeding from various places and looked quite shaken. His parents rushed forward, but Karkaroff seemed to have disappeared.

"I wonder where Karkaroff's gotten to," Lavender said. Aria looked over her shoulder at Theo who was growing more and more worried as the minutes passed. It seemed they weren't the only ones to notice the absence of Durmstrang's headmaster. Nikola was also looking around and the Durmstrang professors and undercover royal guards were also looking a bit concerned.

Suddenly, cold descended on Aria. She drew in a sharp breath, pulling the attention of her friends as she shuddered.

"What is it?" Hermione asked.

"You've gone pale!" Parvati cried.

"You look like someone's walked over your grave," Daphne said. Aria surged to her feet, scanning the crowd. Cold sweat broke out along her forehead and palms. Below them she noted Professor Snape grabbing his left arm. Around them, no one else seemed perturbed. The choir still sung, the band still played, and students were still chatting and cheering as if the world were not about to end.

Why was it about to end? What had she felt? What was happening?

Pushing past her friends, Aria hurried back to Sirius and Remus who were sharing a Butterbeer.

"Aria!" Remus cried. "You're shaking."

"Something's happened," Aria whispered to them, grabbing Remus' hand. "I . . . I don't . . . it was like . . . I just felt the change in the air. Something's happened." She looked over her shoulder at Snape who had schooled his face and sat as straight back as ever, but she could see the pinched look in his eyes and the way his left hand curled into a tight fist. Remus and Sirius followed her gaze.

"He was grabbing his arm a few seconds ago," Aria whispered.

"Fuck," Sirius muttered, even as Remus pulled Aria to his side. "Fuck, fuck."

One moment, he had been carefully making his way through the maze after defeating a Boggart that had taken on the form of a Dementor, the next moment, Harry was grabbed from behind.

"No!" he shouted, clawing at the arm holding him. He was dragged down a path. With a growl he managed to tilt his head enough to sink his teeth into the fleshy forearm. The person holding him gave a cry of surprise and released him. Harry scrambled away, whirling about, and throwing a hex at the same time. Karkaroff barely managed to dive out of the way.

"Karkaroff?" Harry cried. The man scowled at him, training his own wand on Harry.

"Now, now, Mr. Potter," the headmaster sneered. "It's best if you come quietly."

"I don't understand," Harry said, continuously backing away from the man, even as the man stalked forward. There was no way, even with the dueling training Professor Moody had been given him and others throughout the school year, for him to take on the former Death Eater. He had to get to a part of the path where he could make a run for it, disappear around a corner or something.

"Of course, you don't!" Karkaroff hissed. "But rest assured, Potter, by the end of tonight you will understand. You will be put where you belong, in the grave with your parents, and I will regain the status I lost within the ranks of my lord!"

Harry shook his head, several curses running through his head.

"Voldemort's dead," Harry said, though even as he said it, he recalled Quirrell and the parasite on the back of the man's head.

"That's what you think," Karkaroff laughed.

Harry turned and sprinted away. Karkaroff shouted after him. Harry heard him shout spells, felt them hit the ground near him as he ran. He threw several over his shoulder, and even though Karkaroff snarled, he knew none of them hit their intended target.

Turning the corner of a hedge, Harry skidded to a stop, nearly colliding with Viktor. Krum grabbed him.

"Vhat is—?"

"Karkaroff!" Harry shouted. "He's trying to kidnap me!"

Viktor yanked Harry behind him, keeping himself between Karkaroff who came around the corner and Harry. The Durmstrang student faced off against his headmaster.

"Don't be stupid, Krum," Karkaroff growled. "Leave Potter to me and get the Cup!"

Viktor responded with a hex. Harry clutched his wand tight as the teen dueled the headmaster, unsure if he should help somehow or not. Seconds in duels generally didn't step in to help unless their dueling partner got taken out, but this wasn't a normal duel. Viktor grunted as Karkaroff managed to land several successful hits to him.

"Stupefy!"

The shout came from behind Karkaroff. The man dropped like a rock, revealing Cedric stalking up behind him, wand still pointed at the man.

"What's he doing here?" Cedric demanded.

"Trying to kill Harry," Viktor said.

Cedric stepped over Karkaroff, hurrying to Harry's side. Viktor fell to his knees, bleeding from several places.

"Some game," Cedric muttered.

"You two . . ." Viktor grabbed his ribs where he had taken a spell that had been a deep red. "You two go on. I'll be fine. Someone's got to finish this." He raised his wand, but collapsed before another word could leave his mouth.

"Viktor!" Harry cried.

"It's all right," Cedric assured him, kneeling down by the Seeker. "He's just unconscious. Come on." Cedric sent red sparks into the air, grabbed Harry's hand, and pulled him back the way he had come, leaving both Karkaroff and Krum on the ground.

"I spotted this before I realized Karkaroff was in the maze," Cedric said, pointing down the hedge maze. A faint glow was just up ahead. Together, the two moved forward, watching for any other creatures or animals they might have to fight. Harry was not looking forward to the possibility of other creatures. A Blast-Ended Skrewt, a sphinx, a giant spider, and a Boggart was quite enough.

The two Hogwarts students stepped into an open quad where, in the very center, stood the Triwizard Cup. It glowed in the evening sky, an eerie greenish blue.

"So, which one of us should take it?" Cedric asked.

"You should, since you're the real Hogwarts Champion," Harry said, nudging Cedric forward. "I'm just competing because someone wants me dead."

Cedric huffed.

"Let's take it together," he said.

"What?"

"We'll take it together," Cedric decided.

"No, Cedric! There can't be two Hogwarts champions."

"Why not? There's never been four Champions, and since they forced you to compete, it's only fair that you get to have some of the eternal glory and the Galleons."

"I've got quite a bit of Galleons," Harry said as the two approached the goblet. "You can keep them."

Cedric grinned. "On the count of three?"

Harry nodded.

"One . . ." Cedric began, "two . . . three!"