Painted Rose

5

Mad-eye grabbed a hold of his neck.

"I want you to go left. Left is your best option so you do not run into the others."

Harry nodded and Mad-eye let him go, drinking from his flask.

"If you are trapped or can not escape from the vines shoot a red flair into the air by your wand and everything will stop, but that will also conclude that you have failed and can not continue!"

The four young wizards nodded.
Cedric glanced at Harry who tried to shake the nerves off but failed miserably.

"We both come out alive right Harry?" Harry nodded. "That doesn't mean I'll let you win though."

The green vined and grassy walls fell and the four advanced slowly and cautiously.
Harry glanced back and Mad-eye jabbed his finger toward the left. Harry nodded and the wall went back up.

As Harry advanced deeper and deeper into the maze, vines started to try and grab his feet but he dodged them with a spell or jumped out of the way.
Harry kept along the left side but than witnessed something.

A wall was closing in.
It's only been thirty minutes and one flair had gone up...
But this wasn't that person.

Cedric Diggory was running and running very fast.
Harry was about to step out of sight when Cedric fell, caused by a thick vine grabbing his ankle.

"Harry!"

'Fuck!'

Harry rushed over and tired to get the vibe off with the wall quickly coming toward them.

"Lumos!"

The vine shrieked and went back into the darkness of the wall.

"Come on!" Harry hurriedly helped Cedric up and they ran.

The wall was closing in on them but neither was going to give up. Harry hadn't been tricked into this game to give up and Cedric had put his name in voluntarily.
Harry slipped but was close before Cedric as they continued to run from the wall that was closing in on them.

Both passed someone's body, they didn't have enough time to look but both knew it was most likely Victor Krum.

The wall clashed behind them, catching Harry's foot.

"Oh shit!"

Cedric look back to see Harry had face planted. He laughed and Harry hit his arm.

"Shut up Cedric." Cedric smiled but that faded when he saw what Harry was staring at..

It was the goblet.

"You should take it." "What why?" "You saved my life. It's only fair." "You've saved mine during these games too."
Cedric sighed.
"Ok together." "Fine."

"Three."

"Two."

"One."

They grabbed the handle on their side... but it didn't teleport them back to the start... no the goblet teleported them to a graveyard.

"Where are we?" "A graveyard." Cedric rolled his eyes. "No shit Harry.. but why? This goblet was supposed to get us back to the starting where everyone's waiting to see the victor!" "I really had no idea Cedric do tell me more." "Now is not the time for your sarcasm." "Than don't state the obvious."
Both sighed and let the goblet go.