Shadows of Slytherin Book 1

Mattheo

I shook my head adamantly, determination etched on my face. "No. That's never an option. Now let's finish this."

Even as we shared this heartfelt exchange, the walls surrounding us continued to close in, the sense of urgency mounting with every passing moment. Cedric, now on his feet, shouted urgently, his voice tinged with desperation, urging us to leave. The impending danger compelled us to act swiftly. We moved as a unit, racing towards the cup, our eyes fixed on the coveted prize that promised escape from this treacherous maze.

Just as we reached the cup, we all stopped.  Time seemed to hang suspended in the air, allowing our thoughts to intertwine. Cedric, still panting from the harrowing ordeal, mustered his strength and spoke with a voice filled with gratitude and conviction. "Take it!" he yelled, his words carrying a weight that acknowledged our efforts. "You both saved me. Take it!"

"Together!" I shouted. "One, two, three!" Our hands shot out simultaneously, firmly grasping the trophy that shimmered with an ethereal glow. The world around us seemed to blur as the cup activated, casting us into a dizzying whirlwind of disorientation.

Moments later, we found ourselves sprawled on the ground, our bodies coming to rest on unfamiliar terrain. The cup had transported us to an unknown location, leaving us disoriented and breathless.

I sat up, my head throbbing as I surveyed our surroundings. It took a moment for my groggy mind to register that we were in a graveyard. "Dani? Are you alright?" Harry's concerned voice broke through the haze as he groaned while getting up. I nodded, wincing at the dull ache in my body, and slowly rose to my feet. "Yeah, I'm alright. Cedric? You okay?"

I glanced over to Cedric, who was already standing, his hands on his hips as his eyes scanned the eerie landscape. "Where are we?" he wondered aloud, his voice laced with confusion.

"I'm not sure," Harry replied softly, his voice tinged with uncertainty, as he began to explore the area. Intrigued, I followed suit, a sense of familiarity tugging at the corners of my mind. The scenery held a strange resonance, but I couldn't quite place it until my gaze landed on a large, weathered headstone.

"Harry," I whispered, my voice barely audible. "This place... it was in my nightmares." Compelled by an inexplicable force, I stepped closer to the headstone, feeling a shiver run down my spine.

"It was in mine too," Harry admitted.

As I approached the headstone, a realization struck me like a bolt of lightning. "It's a portkey," Cedric's voice interrupted my thoughts, his tone laced with a hint of amusement. He let out a slight chuckle before adding, "The cup is a portkey!" The puzzle pieces began to connect, but I couldn't fathom why the Triwizard Cup would be a portkey. There had to be a deeper purpose.

My eyes fixated on Harry, who leaned down, his fingers gently tracing the engraved name on the headstone.

Tom Riddle 

The pieces fell into place with a resounding crash, and my eyes widened in realization. "Oh my god..." The gravity of the situation hit me like a tidal wave. We were here for a reason, and that reason was none other than Tom Riddle, or as we knew him, Voldemort. "We need to go. Now!" Panic laced my voice as I frantically urged my companions.

Cedric, sensing the urgency, walked over with a serious expression etched on his face. "What are you talking about?" he asked, his voice betraying a mix of concern and confusion.

I begin to speak, "He-" but my words trail off as my attention is immediately captured by a figure emerging from a door behind Cedric. Harry and I exchange glances, realizing it's Wormtail, and he's clutching something in his hands. A wave of fear washes over us, and Cedric, sensing our unease, turns around.

Suddenly, an intense, searing pain erupts from the scar on the back of my neck, causing me to cry out in agony and collapse to the ground. I can hear Harry's voice mingling with mine, both of us writhing in pain on the cold ground.

Cedric rushes to our side, his concern evident. "What's happening? What's going on?" he urgently asks, bewildered by the chaos unfolding before him.

"Cedric, get out of here!" I manage to gasp through the anguish.

"Go!" Harry implores him, his voice strained with desperation.

However, Cedric stands tall, his gaze unwavering as he raises his wand toward Wormtail. "Who are you? What do you want?" he demands, his voice filled with a mix of bravery and trepidation.

"Kill the spare..." a chillingly quiet voice emanates from the object in Wormtail's grasp, sending shivers down my spine.

I look up, horror etched across my face, just in time to witness Wormtail aiming his wand at Cedric. "Avada Kedavra!" he hisses, releasing a blinding green flash of light.

"No!" Harry's anguished cry pierces the air, echoing my own inner torment.

My eyes widen as the deadly beam strikes Cedric directly in the chest, knocking him to the ground with a force that extinguishes his life in an instant. I shake my head in denial as I crawl towards him, my hands trembling as I desperately try to wake him, even though deep down, I know it's futile.

"No, no, no, Cedric. Cedric, please!" I plead, my voice laced with grief and disbelief. I shake his shoulders, hoping against hope that he will miraculously spring back to life, though the lifelessness in his eyes tells me otherwise.

In that heart-wrenching moment, it becomes painfully clear that all vitality has been mercilessly drained from Cedric's once vibrant existence. His spirit has been extinguished, leaving behind only a lifeless shell as a cruel testament to the darkness that has infiltrated our world.

"I'm deeply sorry..." I whispered, my voice trembling with regret. The weight of the situation bore down on me. I hear Harry's desperate struggle behind me and looked back. Wormtail, driven by a twisted loyalty, had Harry suspended in mid-air, forcibly pressed against one of the ancient statues that held him captive.

"HARRY!" I bellowed, my voice laced with fear and urgency.

Startled by my outcry, Wormtail shifted his gaze towards me, his wand wavering menacingly in his hand.

"No, please! Leave her alone" Harry's desperate plea rang out, but the words hung heavy in the air, futile against the inevitable.

"Crucio!"