Emma Potter

115: Champion Number 5

The towering hedges cast black shadows across the path, and,whether because they were so tall and thick or because they had been enchanted, the sound of the surrounding crowd was silenced the moment I entered the maze.I pulled out my wand, muttered,"Lumos."

I reached a fork. Taking a right I went ahead.  I sped up. My chosen path seemed completely deserted. I turned right, and hurried on, holding my wand high over my head, trying to see as far ahead as possible. Still,there was nothing in sight. 

I kept looking behind him. The old feeling that I was being watched was upon me. The maze was growing darker with every passing minute as the sky overhead deepened to navy. I reached a second fork."Point Me," I whispered to my wand, holding it flat in my palm.The wand spun around once and pointed toward his right, into solid hedge.

 That way was north, and I knew that I needed to go northwest for the center of the maze. The best I could do was to take the left fork and go right again as soon as possible.The path ahead was empty too, and when I reached a right turn and took it, I again found my way unblocked.

 Then, as I turned a corner, I saw . . . a dementor gliding toward me. Twelve feet tall, its face hidden by its hood, its rotting, scabbed hands outstretched, it advanced, sensing its way blindly toward me. I could hear its rattling breath; I felt clammy coldness stealing over me, but knew what I had to do. . . .

 I summoned the happiest thought I could, concentrated  with all my might on the thought of getting out of the maze with Harry, raised my wand, and cried,"Expecto Patronum!"A silver wolf erupted from the end of my wand and galloped toward the dementor, which fell back and tripped over the hem of its robes. . . . I had never seen a dementor stumble.

 "Hang on!" I shouted, advancing in the wake of my silver Patronus. "You're a boggart! Riddikulus!"There was a loud crack, and the shape-shifter exploded in a wisp of smoke. The silver wolf faded from sight. I wished it could have stayed, I could have used some company . . . but I moved on, quickly and quietly as possible, listening hard, my wand held high once more. 

Left . . . right . . . left again . . . Twice I found myself facing dead ends. I did the Four-Point Spell again and found that I was going too far east. I turned back, took a right turn, and sawan odd golden mist floating ahead of me. 

I approached it cautiously, pointing the wand's beam at it.This looked like some kind of enchantment. I wondered whether I might be able to blast it out of the way. 

"Reducto!" I said.The spell shot straight through the mist, leaving it intact. I supposed I should have known better; the Reductor Curse was for solid objects. What would happen if I walked through the mist?Was it worth chancing it, or should I double back?

I doubled back. Took another path and moved forward. I stopped dead. Hagrid's Skewerts. One of them at least, was standing in front of me. Shelly, Scaly all at once. I raised my wand then fell to the ground with a cry. My wand rolled a little away from me. I didn't care, my scar was burning. 

No, no, no. Not now.

I can't. . .I can't see. . . the skewert seemed to be advancing. . . a voice in my head. . .It is done. . .Harry Potter will not return. The triwizard cup is set. . .the portkey is ready. 

I shuddered the Cup was a portkey.  I needed to warn Harry but. . .the skewert was too close I was going to die. Then I thought of my brother lying dead, not being alive. 

I wasn't giving up. 

I reached for my wand. Harry didn't like stunning spells, but they had become my speciality. Taking careful aim on the Skewert's fleshy underside I said "stupefy". It was blasted back, and landed a few feet away from me.