Afraid || Sirius Black [1]

34

Madison laughed, her nerves subsidising, as her father spoke up, "Which one is Sirius?"

"The curly raven-haired boy." She pointed. Sirius waved to her parents.

"He seems nice, how is everything between you both? You still. . you know?"

"Yes, but it is slowly fading. Besides his Christmas gift was for me to write a list of hard, fifty tasks he has to complete without magic and alone, and after all of them are done, I should trust him and not be scared." Madison explained.

"That's a good idea," Darcy said, "Oh you're being called over now, sweetheart. Good luck, we love you." Each of her parents kissed her good luck and Madison made her way over to her door which happened to be the middle one.

Dumbledore excelled the loudness of his voice and said, "At the sound of the canon the task begins." Each door had now opened ready. "On three Mr Filch, 1. .2-"

BANG! The canon went off early. Madison, Daniel and Mattei each entered the doors, their wands gripped tightly in their hands, their knuckles had all begun to turn white. Mattei swaggered in, no sense of nerves visible, whereas Daniel, like Maddie, was a nervous wreck.

The large stone doors closed behind them, reminding Madison of the doors in the book, The Maze Runner. Long corridors covered in vines was all there was. She followed them, her wand lit up so she could see her way, the music from the stands fading until silence and her footsteps were the only thing heard. After what seemed like hours Madison reached what she believed to be the centre of the long labyrinth of corridors. She spotted Daniel opposite her and Mattei to the left but further away. Not only could she hear her heart beat and the boys' footsteps which stopped, she heard hissing. She looked down and on the floor were hundreds of snakes. "Snakes?" She whispered, which echoed and bounced off of the walls.

She heard Daniel exclaim, "Shit."

Then a chortle from the left of her erupted from Mattei's mouth, "Not scared of a few snakes are ye' both?" The two gulped but shook their heads. They were not scared of the actual serpents themselves, but of what could happen to them.

"They're not just any snakes." Daniel whisper-shouted, luckily the three were in the safe proximity of the corridors, there was a barrier they had to cross to be in with the snakes. "They're Inland Taipan snakes."

"So?" Mattei asked.

Madison spoke up, "The venom from a single bite of an Inland Taipan can kill as many as 100 people. While the rattlesnake is the most dangerous snake in America, this snake is ten times more venomous. It maybe passive too, but fuck there are hundreds!"

"Oh." Mattei said, "But how are we supposed to get our possessions from the middle of them?" Madison looked over in the middle to see Mattei's broomstick, what she believed to be Daniel's signed bludger and her signed collection of Divergent books. They didn't seem that precious but in a way they were. "Oh feck it all!" Mattei started to climb the barrier as Madison and Daniel both used the summoning charm, not noticing what the redheaded boy was doing.

"Accio books!" Madison said, the collection soon come soaring over to her, yet a snake was wrapped around them. She screamed and sent a stunning spell at the snake. Clearly Daniel had to do the same as her as he used the same spells. The snakes body fell off of the books, she levitated the stunned Inland Taipan back into the barrier, minimising the books into a keychain she placed in her pocket.

Curiously Madison glanced at her former best friend to find him still climbing the barrier. "MATTEI NO!" She cried, running round towards where he was. This alerted Daniel who followed suit joining Madison who was racing towards Mattei.

It was too late, the boy had landed in the pit and the snakes had started attacking him.

His screams echoed throughout the pit. The other two champions were frozen in shock. Despite, not being friends anymore Madison still cried, they used to be best friends and it still hurt her them not being that anymore. Coming back to reality her and Daniel began to stun all of the snakes they could, until none were attacking Mattei. The both leaned over and grasped onto a barely conscious Mattei's arms hauling him from the pit. "It's going be okay. We'll get help." Madison said to him as the two dragged him through the corridors.

"Maddie, I'm sorry." He whimpered, his voice barely there. "I was a dick, I was jealous, I really am sorry. I loved you- I still love you like a sister of mine. Please, explain everything to my parents. Tell them I love them."

"You can do that yourself, Mattei, I forgive you." Madison choked on her tears. Daniel, too, had started crying, the sight was too painful to watch.

"No I won't. Just get my body back." Mattei's eyes began to fall close. The venom from the multiple snakes had caused so much issues to his body, that his heart was also failing. "Please, Madsie."

"I love you, brother." She sobbed.

"I love you too, thank you so much. Thank you as well Daniel, mate." His eyes dropped shut and his body went limp.

"NOOO!" Maddie cried. "Mattei!"

Pain raked her body but at the same time it sent her the urge and energy she needed to speed up and drag Mattei with Daniel's help back to the doors. The door opened and the two crying champions fell to the ground Mattei's body tangled with theirs. The sound of the cries silenced the rest of the crowd.

"What's happening?" A few students exclaimed as Dumbledore, the other headteachers and ministry workers crowded the three.

"Miss Parker?" Dumbledore asked.

"He's dead!" She sobbed, Mattei, he's gone!"

Screams from Beauxbaton and other students erupted, sobs echoing and soon all of the Champions parents pushed through to get to their children. Mr and Mrs Johnson stared down at their dead son, before turning to Madison and Daniel. "What happened?" Mr Johnson asked, as Darcy and Lochlan hugged Madison who clutched onto Daniel and Mattei.

"Inland Taipan's hundreds of them." Daniel said, tears staining his cheeks. "We summoned our possessions but Mattei he went into the pit. So many bit him, at one point we could barely make out his body. We stunned all of the snakes,well as many as we could and got him out of it."

"He said, he loves you. He said he was sorry to me." Madison added looking at Mattei's parents.

"Oh, Madison." Mrs Johnson exclaimed hugging the girl.

Mr Johnson looked at the girl and blonde boy, "Thank you both so much, we owe you our lives."

Madison nodded and was soon pulled away from the dead boy and his family by her parents, just like Daniel was. She was led away from the crowd. Other than McGonagall, Dumbledore, and the Minister, the only person Darcy and Lochlan let near Madison at the time was Remus who let her clutch onto him, staining his top with her tears. All he could do was shh her, and sooth her by rubbing her back.

She had witnessed the death of someone she knew.

Now her problems with Sirius seemed like the size of a pin prick.

Mattei Johnson was dead.