The Girl who Survived (Fred Weasley)

CH. 40 Blinding

It kept wrapping itself around me tighter and firmer, like it wanted to eat me alive. I reached for my wand that had fallen in front of me when another root wrapped itself up my back and around my shoulders pulling me away. I didn't know what to do, but I saw Harry just standing there, watching. Watching it take me away.

"Harry!" I shouted. I needed help. I didn't want to be trapped in the maze like this. "Harry!" I shouted again, watching more roots emerge from the ground and entangle around my body. "Harry!" I called again, begging for help. I didn't want him to leave me here. He could take it; I just didn't want to be taken like this. I'd rather forfeit than be trapped in here for who knows how long.

"Reducto!" Harry shouted, sending a bead of orange light towards the biggest root that pinned me allowing Harry enough time to come and pull the smaller knots away. Giving me time to escape.

I stood to my feet and coughed the dust that had lodged its way into the base of my throat. I was able to catch my breath. "Tha— Thanks." I told him in a breathy voice.

"No Problem," He answered me.

"You know, for a moment there, I thought you were-- You were going to let it get me," I confessed to him as I looked at his face. Was it the same good sportsmanship from earlier in the competition that allowed him to save me? Or was it something else?

"For a moment, so did I," He answered looking up at me. He had Elodie's eyes. The same bright green eyes. That was the only way they looked related. Those huge green eyes. I'd only ever seen the pair of them have.

"Some game, huh?" I said not knowing what to say to him.

"Some game," He said awkwardly. To him I was probably just someone he'd played quidditch against, someone his sister dated. But I meant what I said before. He was important.

The branches disrupted our awkward silence as they decided we'd been standing in one place for too long. They started crackling, and sending a burst of wind, as they were preparing themselves to move again.

"Go!" I shouted at Harry, pushing him toward the cup. We took off running, getting away from where the wind was going from. Side by side we approached the cup. He deserved this. "Go on, take it," I told him. If I were to lose to anyone, I would proudly lose to him. But he didn't move, he just looked up at me. It was those green eyes I'd gladly lose to. "You saved me, take it!" I shouted at him.

"Together," he insisted. What was he doing? Taking the win for Hogwarts? Or being a good sportsman again? Was it a Potter thing that I just couldn't seem to understand? Were they just a family of constantly making the decision no one expects?

"One," He started.

"Two...Three," He said together and grabbed at each of the handles.

A burst of bright light flooded my senses. Like when you look at the sun for too long and all you see is white light. A turning feeling followed after. Swishing and flying through a tunnel in the sky. I felt the landing of hard ground beneath me. I laid unmoved for a moment, catching my breath, having just had the air knocked out of me.

"You okay?" I asked Harry who was rising to his feet.

"Yeah. You?" he asked me as I rolled over to stand as well.

"Where are we?" I asked as a crow cawed in the distance. I expected us to land back at the entrance of the maze, but as I looked around, I noticed we were somewhere else. Somewhere much more somber. I looked around and saw the cup which had landed several feet away.

"I've been here before," Harry said quietly.

"It's a Portkey," I said as I inspected the cup. "Harry, the cup is a Portkey!" I called over to him. Now why would they turn a trophy into a Portkey if it weren't intended to take us back to the celebration. Harry said something else but I couldn't make out his words too clearly. I thought I heard him say 'dream'.