Marooned - Fred Weasley

Chapter 30: Foe

Sarah eyed it, recoiling away from it with every step he took. She tried to pull on the chains again, obviously they didn't budge. And he crouched down to face her, "This is necessary, I'm afraid."

She frowned and shook her head hastily, "No. No, it isn't, it-"

She inhaled sharply, yelled out in pain, and if before she felt herself consumed from within, now was a different story as he set the torch close to her abdomen, burning through the fabric of her clothes. She fought with everything she had not to lose consciousness again. In clenched teeth and silent tears, she pretended to faint and he stopped.

She heard him whisper, "The Dark Lord could pardon me, now," and that was the last thing she remembered.

_

Fred, Selena, George and Sarah had agreed a day before to meet up directly at the stadium for the Third and Final task, because Sarah wanted to accompany Harry until the last moment. Only Harry was there, before them, and she was nowhere to be seen, once again.

"I don't like this," muttered Fred, staring at the entrance, hoping she'll show up, run into someone because she was too hurried and flash him a bright smile.

"We need to talk to Harry," suggested George. He and Fred tried to call him, but the band was playing loudly, people were cheering, their voices wouldn't even have reached the teachers. Selena took out her wand, worried about her best friend as well and formed an airplane out of a piece of parchment where she'd written 'Where's Sarah?' and sent it flying into Harry's head.

Harry flinched and turned, unfolded the paper and read it. He turned to see Fred and George doing ample gestures and Selena tilting her chin up to question him. Harry raised his shoulders, pointed at them like he was asking, 'She's not with you?' and they shook their heads.

Moody saw the interaction and tapped Harry's shoulder, "I believe I saw Miss McCauley down the hallway, she should arrive any minute, make your friends rest."

He lent Harry a pen to write his answer on the paper and sent it back toward Selena.

She read it to the twins, "Says she'll be here any minute, that he saw her."

Fred glanced at Moody, taking the opportunity of calm during Dumbledore's speech to scan the stadium again.

"Earlier today, Professor Moody placed the Triwizard Cup deep within the maze. Only he knows its exact position. Now, as Mr Diggory," a row of cheers erupted from a side of the benches, "And Mr Potter," Fred, George and Selena all got up to cheer, "Are tied for first position, they will be the first to enter the maze, followed by Mr Krum and Miss Delacour."

"First person to touch the cup, will be the winner!" everybody got up and cheered again, clapping loudly, encouraging the Champions.

"Should at any point a contestant wish to withdraw from the task, he or she need only to send up red sparks with their wands. Contestants, gather round!" Dumbledore called Harry and the others to speak to them and left the crowd to wait impatiently the beginning of the task, until the cannon fired and the four of them entered the maze.

Ginny and George glance every so often at Fred, because they realized he hasn't cracked a joke or a comment since they've been sitting on these benches.

He was fidgeting his leg anxiously, staring at the maze, scouring through his memories of the last time he saw her, because he realized that Moody couldn't have seen her earlier, he was setting the Triwizard Cup in the maze.

_

The night fell while they were waiting, torches had been lit, the fire flickering around the stadium. Suddenly, Harry and Cedric drop on the ground, with the Triwizard Cup next to them.