The Disgraced of the House of Black - A Multi-Character Fanfiction - Part One

107. Surviving the Maze

Ellis was standing at the edge of the maze, staring at the hedge with a blanket expression when the sound of footsteps reached his ears. Turning, he was surprised to find himself facing a woman he had never seen before. She was on the taller side and slender, dressed in cascading, blue silk that reached her knees in the front and the ground at the back while her sleeves, made of lightly beaded, nearly transparent material, fell nearly to the ground.

"Sorry, this area is kind of off-limits," he said quickly, clearing his throat as he tried to ignore the beauty of the white-haired woman before him.

"If it's only kind of off-limits, is it really off-limits at all?" Lyra replied with a sly smile.

Ellis restrained a smile with difficulty as he replied, "Very well. It is very much so off-limits."

"I wasn't trying to look inside," she said, studying him curiously. "I was just walking the grounds. My students are taking their exams and Madame Maxime insisted on watching them herself."

"You're French," Ellis remarked, looking at her with greater interest.

"No, English, but I've lived in France most of my life," she explained with a small smile. "Lyra Charlotte."

"Ellis," he replied, shaking her hand.

"Just Ellis?" she asked, raising an eyebrow curiously.

"Yes," he said, his voice growing slightly curt.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to pry," Lyra said, unfazed. She hesitated a moment before she admitted, "Charlotte is my middle name, not my last. I understand wanting to hide your family."

"They're not my family," Ellis said indifferently. "Being family requires being present."

Beginning to chuckle, Lyra replied, "Tell that to my father. I'm shocked he hasn't already demanded I stay since I've come back to England."

Ellis gave her a curious look, but said nothing as she, with a small wave, turned and disappeared.

Severely delayed, he called, "It was nice to meet you, Lyra."

She smiled, turning back to look at him for a moment before disappearing from sight. He let out a small chuckle, glancing back in the direction she had disappeared before he frowned. He had just caught sight of the last person he expected to see on Hogwarts Grounds.

"Bill?" he called.

Bill, who had been walking with his mother and Harry, looked up in surprise. Both began to smile, approaching the other before they took the other's hand, clapping each other on the back.

"Why are you here?" Ellis asked.

"Supporting Harry, of course," Bill replied.

Smiling at him, Ellis said, "Pleasure, as always, Harry. Mrs Weasley."

"Why are you here?" Bill asked curiously.

Gesturing back to the maze, Ellis asked, "You think they'd bring in anyone else to construct that monstrosity?"

The moment the words had left his mouth, he knew they couldn't have. Harry instantly paled as Mrs Weasley gasped.

"Not actually," he added quickly, his cheeks flushing in embarrassment at his own insensitivity. "It's not that bad, I promise. The hardest part will be finding your way in the maze itself. Everything else...well, none of it is life-threatening."

He almost added the word 'usually,' but instantly stopped talking at a look from Bill.

Looking Harry directly in the eye, Ellis assured, "You have absolutely nothing to worry about, Harry, I promise. I designed it keeping in mind that you're all rather young."

"I'm not worried," Harry lied.

Flipping his curls out of his eyes, Ellis said, "I need to go set up and spell the final part of the maze. Good luck, Harry."

Once he was out of sight of the Weasleys and Harry, Mrs Weasley instantly turned to Bill and asked, "Bill, you know him better than anyone. Do you think he'd put anything dangerous in the maze?"

"Mum, of course, there are dangerous things in the maze," Bill said, giving her a hard look. "After everything the champions have already had to do, you can't really be expecting this to be easy, can you?" With a sigh, he said, "Mum, Ellis would have had to get everything approved, but beyond that, he wouldn't design anything so dangerous it would kill people."

Mrs Weasley gave him a hard look, but Bill quickly began talking to Harry, asking about what other changes had happened to the place since he left school.

.

Ellis had entered the maze and was quickly following the path he had, by now, memorized to the centre of it, a box under his arm. He had just reached the centre of it when he heard footsteps behind him. Frowning, he turned, seeing Mad-Eye Moody following him.

"Moody, what are you doing in here?" Ellis asked, setting aside the box.

"Come to talk to you," Moody growled, clunking closer and closer until he was directly in front of him.

"About?" Ellis asked, raising an eyebrow at him as he bent over, opening the box and withdrawing the Triwizard Cup.

.

Clapping his hands together, Ellis faced the champions as the stands behind them began to fill. Although Harry could see he was trying to stay his usual carefree, easy self, there was a tensity to his shoulders and something in his eyes that was different.

"Alright, chaps and lady," he said, nodding at Fleur respectfully. "Your teachers, including Professors McGonagall, Moody, Hagrid, Flitwick, and Charlotte will be patrolling the edge of the maze. You may opt out of the maze at any time by sending red sparks into the air. If you do, one of them or myself will find you and get you out of there, but it will mean you forfeit. Everyone got it?"

All four nodded.

Quietly, he added to them, too softly for anyone else to hear, "There is only one thing in there that can kill you, and only if you attack it wrong. Remember, underbellies are the weak spots of most things."

Before they could ask anything more, Ellis, giving them an encouraging smile, disappeared, following after the other patrollers.