Full Circle(Tomarry)

Chapter 26.

"You seem tense," Draco commented, looking at Harry from the corner of his eye. Harry chewed on his lip and shrugged.

"I feel like something is about to go wrong any minute now," he admitted. He looked around at his friends, including an equally tense Viktor. As a precaution, Harry had the Bulgarian's wand on his person, the hornbeam wand a weight in his pocket.

"Welcome, everyone!" Ludo Bagman announced from the field. He and the three champions stood at the mouth of the maze, the champions cutting a far more impressive figure than Bagman. "Tonight is the night you've all been waiting for - the third and final task of the TriWizard Tournament!"

The crowd roared in excitement. Harry's own enthusiasm was dampened by the sense of impending doom, though he and his friends clapped and smiled along with everyone else.

"And of course, it wouldn't be a TriWizard Tournament without our three champions," Bagman grinned. "From Hogwarts, we have the dashing Cedric Diggory! From Beauxbatons, we have the ever elegant Fleur Delacour! And of course, our current reigning champion is Durmstrang's very own marvelous Marvolo Gaunt!"

The Durmstrang contingent, along with other various supporters, stood up to let out deafening cheers. Harry couldn't help but smile at the show of overwhelming support.

"For the third task, we have devised a fantastic maze filled with many challenging obstacles. In the center of the maze lies the coveted TriWizard Cup, and the first to take it will be our top champion!" Bagman continued. "The champions will enter the maze according to the points they've accrued thus far - Mr. Gaunt will go first, Mr. Diggory second, and Ms. Delacour third. If a champion is unable to continue, they are to send red sparks from their wand to signal so. Do note though, that it means a forfeit from the tournament, and the champion will not be able to reenter the maze."

Without himself and Viktor in the tournament, Harry wasn't sure how things were going to play this time around. Harry had faith in Tom in getting to the Cup first, but in their private discussions they could admit that anything could happen once he actually grabs it with his own hand. Will it be a portkey again? Or an innocuous trophy? More importantly, will it lead to this dark lord that's been dogging their footsteps the past few years?

Harry hoped though, that regardless, there won't be any unnecessary casualties this time.

"Good luck," Cedric offered the other two sincerely as the seconds counted down 'til the start of the task. "It's been a pleasure competing against you both, as crazy as the entire thing has been."

"Crazy is an understatement," Tom drawled before forming a small smirk. "But the pleasure is the same."

"I agree," Fleur said. "See you on ze the other side, boys."

A loud bang came behind them, Bagman yelling, "First in, Marvolo Gaunt from Durmstrang!"

Tom sprinted into the maze, instinct taking over the first five minutes as he navigated deeper into the maze. When he finally heard the second bang that signalled Cedric's entrance to the maze did he slow down to catch his breath and survey his surroundings. The hedges rustled around him, the space behind him disappearing and a fork ahead of him appearing with the shifting of leaves.

"Left or right, huh?" Tom mused, looking down both identical paths. He twirled his wand contemplatively before swiftly shooting a spell down the right side pathway. A moment later, the air filled with the shrieking of young acromantula. Tom snorted. "Left it is, then."

Three minutes after Cedric's signal, another bang meant Fleur had joined the other two champions in the maze. Tom heard the distant sounds of blast-ended skrewts exploding and Cedric loudly cursing as he continued down the straight path. He quickly turned a corner and came face to face with a figure of a person. One he knew very well.