Disclaimer:
Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling.
I own nothing but the original characters I make.
"Dialogue"
'Thoughts'
-Author notes-
Chapter 126: The Labyrinth
June 24 – Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
It was finally time for the third and final task of the Triwizard Tournament.
Three weeks had passed since Harry and Morgan returned from Spain.
Three weeks of intense preparation...sword training in the dome beneath Rannoch Lake, strategic planning for Lundy Island, and quiet vigilance against a threat that still refused to show its face.
The Argent Flame had been too silent, considering that they had already destroyed most of their bases and killed many of their soldiers.
By now, their forces and weapon reserves should be running low.
On top of that, they must also know that Harry had restored Excalibur.
The sacred sword was complete and a major threat to the corruption surrounding that organization.
<><><><><><><><><><><><><>
Harry stood in the Champions' tent, alone with his thoughts. The other three champions were nearby, each lost in their own pre-task rituals.
Fleur Delacour paced near the entrance, her silver hair glowing under the light from the enchanted torches.
Viktor Krum sat on a wooden bench, wand in hand, staring at it in complete focus, likely going over his plans for the task.
Cedric Diggory leaned against a support pole, his eyes closed, breathing slowly.
Harry wore his usual black robes, but beneath them, strapped to his back and hidden by a subtle Disillusionment Charm, was Excalibur. The complete sacred blade rested against his spine. The weight of the blade had become an almost comforting feeling to him by now.
In his hand, he carried his verdant cypress wand. He was not allowed to use his staff during the task, but if the situation required it, he could always call for it.
He may have come here a bit overprepared for a small competition against three novices, but it was not the other champions who concerned him.
The tent flap rustled. Ludo Bagman's round, cheerful face appeared.
"Champions! Gather round, gather round!" The head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports was practically bouncing with excitement.
"The moment you've all been waiting for! The third task is about to begin!"
The champions assembled. Harry noticed that Fleur looked pale, Viktor was stoic, and Cedric pretended to be calm, but his hands were shaking.
Bagman continued, "The task is simple: a maze. A great, living maze grown from the Quidditch pitch. Somewhere inside, at the center, is the Triwizard Cup. The first champion to touch the Cup wins. Sounds simple, yes?"
"Simple…" Viktor grunted with his thick accent. "It won't be that easy, yes?"
"Indeed, it won't be that easy!" Bagman laughed. "The maze is filled with magical creatures, enchantments, and other obstacles designed to test your courage, your wits, and your magical skill. You will enter at different points, at different times, based on your current scores. Mr. Potter has the highest score, so he will enter first, then it will be Mr. Krum's turn, Miss Delacour, and finally, Mr. Diggory."
The second task had basically been a null affair, since Harry ended it almost immediately and then pulled everyone out of the water. So the score for the other three champions was mostly based on their performance during the first task.
"I'll go last," said Harry, earning a look from everyone present.
Bagman was about to complain that it was against the regulations they had set in place, but one glare from Harry was enough to change his mind.
"Ehm… very well. Since Mr. Potter is so confident, we will change the order. It will be, then, Mr. Krum, Miss Delacour, and Mr. Diggory… is that right?"
"That's fine," Harry responded.
He never had any intention of competing for the prize against these kids. His only concern was to guarantee everyone's safety, so the longer he stayed outside that maze, the better.
"Any questions?" Bagman asked.
No one spoke.
"Then follow me. It's time."
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
The edge of the Quidditch pitch
The stands were packed with students from all three schools. There were hundreds of them, already waving banners and cheering.
Morgan stood in the shadows of the castle's outer wall, her cloak pulled tight and her staff hidden beneath its folds. From this vantage point, she could see the entire Quidditch pitch...the maze, the champions, and the surrounding grounds.
Her vampire senses were stretched to their limits.
She had been on guard since dawn. Every shadow, every flicker of movement, every stranger's face in the crowd had been scrutinized. So far, nothing.
But the silence was wrong, and her instincts were warning her of a danger she could not yet see.
The Argent Flame had lost three bases very recently. They had lost five resurrected knights...Lancelot, Galahad, Gawain, Percival, and Tristan.
Neither Morgan nor Harry believed they had been able to bring all of them back. Some of their souls had to have moved on before any necromantic ritual was carried out.
Meaning that they should be getting desperate by now, and it was unlikely that they were going to wait until they were completely ready to defend their last base.
If the Leader of the Argent Flame was who Morgan suspected… he would not have the patience to wait much longer.
She watched as the champions entered the maze. First Krum, then Delacour, then Diggory, and finally Harry. The hedges closed behind them, sealing them inside.
The crowd roared.
Morgan's amber eyes swept the horizon and looked at the Forbidden Forest, the Black Lake, and the distant mountains.
Nothing. And yet… a cold feeling was settling in her chest.
'Something is coming.' She was sure of it.
Morgan reached into her cloak and touched the small silver mirror that she and Harry were using as a means of communication. It was still cold and silent. Harry was focusing on the task for now, as he should.
Morgan looked up at the sky. The sun was setting. Soon, darkness would fall.
"Be ready, Harry," she whispered to no one. "And may whatever gods still listen have mercy on us all."
Something fell from the sky and landed in the middle of the maze.
The first scream was heard soon after.
Morgan's hand tightened around her staff.
It had begun.