Charlotte Potter

Chapter nine

The air was still, it was quiet and I felt numbness radiate through me as we all watched Cedric be covered up and moved to a safer location. Everyone was told to remain where they were but no one could move a muscle. I'd not known Cedric, he had just helped my brother stay alive in this god forsaken tournament. We were even in my eyes but I will have never been able to say thank you to him, for all he did because he could have just let Harry not compete in the second task but he helped. Though I'll have never known him, in my eyes, he was a decent human being.

Albus crouched down in front of me, his eyes wandering as though he had lost something, "Where is Harry?"

"His right next to me Albus." I muttered as I could still hear his cries ringing through my ears.

How did this happen? The Dark Lord Voldemort, that's who Harry had said had returned, that's who he had said had killed Cedric. My mind began to slowly start up again as I began to think about what had just happened. He said he couldn't leave him, not there... was that in the maze? I stared at the cup for a moment as people began to move around. It must have taken them somewhere, I searched my brain thinking how it could have been. They had just appeared in front of everyone but we were told that when someone touches the cup, we'd know. There was meant to be fireworks and explosions, they weren't just meant to appear in front of us... then it hit me.

It was a Portkey.

"Albus!" I screamed and everyone stared at me but I didn't care. I willed my legs to move as I searched around for Harry who had disappeared. Albus was standing amongst Snape and McGonagall who were white as ghosts at the entire situation, "Albus!"

"Yes Charlotte?" He stared at me and I couldn't talk because at the moment I realised who had put it in the maze, "What's wrong?"

"The cup was a Portkey!" I exclaimed and they looked at me in disbelief, "And who put the cup into the maze in the first place?" I asked them waiting for them to reach the same conclusion as I did. Snape's eyes lit up in realisation as he turned around and began looking for Moody who had disappeared.

Without saying a word the four of us began running, I more faster than all of them but I didn't know where his office was so Albus whizzed past me, his speed surprising me as we began to climb the tower. I could hear whispers of a conversation and I begged my legs to move faster the voices getting clearer the further up I got, them echoing down the hallow tower.

"Imagine how he will reward me when he learns that I have for once and for all silenced the great Harry Potter!" Moody screamed and my heart stopped.

My wand out I screamed, "Expelliarmus!" and the door exploded out of my way, sending Moody back. I ran towards Harry and hugged him as Albus and Snape ran straight to Moody who had landed in a nearby seat. Albus had grabbed onto Moody's throat and he had his wand pressed to his neck. I let go of Harry and quickly checked him, seeing his arm was cut.

"Severus!" Albus commanded and wordlessly, Snape pulled out a vial that was dark and all but spilled it into his mouth. Moody tried to resist but he couldn't, having to swallow the entire vial of liquid, "Do you know who I am?"

"Albus Dumbledore." He hissed and Albus kept hold of his neck.

"Are you Alastair Moody? Are you!" He yelled and he tried to move his head away but the words spilled out like water.

"No!"

"Is he in this room?" He asked and Moody tried to resist, "Is he in this room!" Moody didn't say anything thing, but his eyes went straight to the big chest that sat near the corner. It was locked up tight and I frowned at it in confusion.

Quickly moving away from the chest, I kept Harry near me not letting go as Snape waved his wand at the chest which made a clicking noise. Suddenly it opened and another chest revealed itself, then another and another. I stared at it surprised as it revealed a total of seven chests, each more smaller than the last. All of us slowly moved forward as we looked down into the chest we saw it was a tall pit and at the bottom a man in a white jumpsuit sat there, looking dehydrated and exhausted.