C H A P T E R 120
Sirius could have fainted. "The...The....maze is what?" He then turned to Dumbledore. "Albus!"
Dumbledore narrowed his eyes for a moment. He didn't really know what to say, something that didn't happen too often. He himself placed the Cup and made sure nothing was tampered with it right before the task started. All of the professors were staffed at their posts at that time so what could've happened?
"Albus!" Sirius called again, bringing him out of his thoughts. "Where is Samantha? What's going on?"
"I do not know, Sirius. I charmed the Cup to transfer whoever touched it and everyone else back here." He then turned to the rest of staff. "I assume none of you saw anything that happened?"
The professors shook their heads and Professor McGonagall took a deep sigh. "The maze was sealed, Albus."
"Then we have to wait," Dumbledore stated simply which caused an uproar from Sirius.
"Wait!?! You expect me to sit here and wait while Samantha is...is...missing!" Sirius cried. "We have to do something, Albus!!"
Dumbledore knew they needed to do something but he didn't know what. Where would they go? Where would they even start to look? He was racking his brain on where the Cup could've gone but nothing was coming to mind.
Besides Sirius' cries of frustration, the courtyard of the maze was completely silent. No one spoke a word and was continuing to stare at the entrance to the maze with shocked and petrified expressions.
Fred and George were utterly appalled. Harry was sitting down getting tended to a few wounds by another Healer and stared at ground with a blank expression. Remus and Tonks were at Sirius' side watching as he paced, hands shaking. Charlie's insides were churning and his stomach was in knots.
Lurking in the shadows was Aberforth who stared at scene with empty eyes.
Everyone kept looking around frantically and then back to Dumbledore to see if he could come up with a solution or the next point of action, but he stayed true to sitting and waiting.
Cornelius Fudge took this opportunity to step forward and hesitated for a moment before opening his mouth. Rita Skeeter also lingered behind him, lips pursed and eyes narrowed. Her quick notes quill was floating next to her, waiting for the signal to start writing.
"Ah Albus, you're not going to send out a search party, are you? We wouldn't want any more people roaming around."
Dumbledore once again thought on what he should do. He would give waiting an hour and go from there. "I plan to sit here and wait for an hour tops and then we will take the next step. Believe me I am thinking about every possible step we can take to try and find out what happened but I have faith in Samantha. I have faith that whatever is happening, she is figuring out how to get back to us."
That seemed to put everyone at a bit of ease and they sat silently and stared at the entrance to the maze.
What seemed like an hour but was only five minutes went by and Sirius finished pacing and approached Dumbledore. "I can't stay here any longer. I'm going to walk off grounds and try and look for her, Albus." His voice was surprisingly calm yet his grey eyes sparkled with intensity and determination.
Dumbledore stayed silent before looking up at Sirius. "I cannot stop you, Sirius, but I have no trace on where the Cup could've gone and where she got transported to. However, I do plan on staying here for when she returns and to address what happened."
Sirius clenched his teeth before nodding curtly. He then turned and looked at everyone else. "Anyone else care to join me?"
Tonks stepped forward, but not to join Sirius. "Thank you, Tonks—"
"Sirius, I'm not going to join you. You running off to who knows where isn't going to help anyone. It may even put you into danger as well."
"But—"
"I don't know where Samantha is. No one does. But I do believe she will return, and she'll need us here when she does," Tonks said softly.
Remus then stood up and stood next to her. "I agree. Staying here doing nothing sounds like we're not being helpful, but we have no choice. She could be anywhere."
"What if something happens, hm?" Sirius asked. "What is she doesn't return? How long are we supposed to wait here?" Sirius then turned towards Albus with his question.
Albus pursed his lips and then slightly glanced at Rita Skeeter's quill which was writing in quick strokes on the notepad. He took his pocket watch out of his pocket. It had been twenty minutes now since Harry and Fleur returned to the maze. As he opened his mouth, they heard something from the maze exit which led back to the school.
It was Viktor accompanied by Madam Pomfrey. He looked exhausted and had a few bandages wrapped around his wrists but he looked a lot better than when he returned from the maze earlier.
"Viktor!" Harry called. "Are you alright? I saw the red sparks earlier."
Viktor slowly approached them and sat down on the bench next to Fred. "I'm a lot better." He then looked around and raised an eyebrow. "Where's—"
"She hasn't returned yet," Harry answered quickly, noticing what Viktor was asking.
Viktor stayed silent for a moment, his eyes staring at the maze entrance. He then looked back at them. "I see."
"So what happened? Do you remember why the red sparks were called?" Harry continued.
Professor Sprout stepped forward. "Samantha was the one who casted them. She found Viktor and then I was the closest one to them."
"I've been trying to remember exactly what happened but it's very fuzzy. I had just finished the riddle from the Sphinx but then I heard footsteps behind me. I turned and then something hit my face which is why my nose was bloody. I remember seeing a dark figure above me and then everything went black. I didn't wake up until at the hospital wing," Viktor explained.
"So this dark figure took you out and then went to charm the Cup. They clearly wanted Samantha to touch the Cup," Sirius spoke.
"Or me," Harry added. "Someone's been wanting me in the tournament the whole time."
"Then whoever did it, may be disappointed that it was Samantha who touched the Cup then...." Remus said softly.
"But Samantha's been saying this whole time that she didn't put her name in the Cup," George interjected. "I bet they wanted both Potters to touch the Cup. I bet they'd bank on them both doing it together."
"This person was clearly slow to keep their path wide open. It was Samantha who got there right before Fleur," Bill added, glancing at the silver haired beauty who was sitting next to him.
Fleur smiled. "I only wish I got zere with her. Zen we'd both would 'ave touched the Cup and I be zere to help her," Fleur said with a sigh. "I only 'ope she ez okay."
Bill decided to be bold and put a comforting arm around her. "You did your best, Fleur. Please don't put any blame on yourself. No one could've predicted that any of this would happen. And if you went with her, then you'd both be missing."
Fleur nodded slowly and leaned into Bill's comforting arm. She let out a sigh and continued to hope that Samantha would return soon, and safely.
Charlie stayed seated and twiddled his thumbs, something he did whenever he was nervous. Where could she go? Why would anyone want to harm her? The fact that he was practically useless sitting here and not helping Samantha was eating at him.
Another twenty minutes went by and Samantha had not returned. Sirius could not put into words how upset he was. Samantha had done so much for him and for his safety. Right now his thoughts were paralleling Charlie's. He was useless sitting here and not having a way to help was killing him. Dumbledore was right. All they could do was sit here and wait. He had no idea where to even start looking and he surely didn't want to put his safety into question when Samantha's whereabouts were unknown.
Just then, they heard a loud crack. Appearing at the center of the courtyard was Samantha Potter, hands clutching on so very tightly to the Triwizard Cup.
It took everyone a second to realize what had happened before chaos ensued. Both Dumbledore and Sirius stood right into the air and stormed to where Samantha had appeared.
However, as soon as they neared her, Sirius gasped in shock. The sight he was looking at almost brought tears to his eyes.
Samantha was lying on her back but she was trying to turn to get up. Her maze attire was slashed and all over her skin were tiny cuts, each slowly oozing with drops of blood. Her face had multiple slashes and her eyes had purple shadows around them.
"Sirius," she whispered which brought goosebumps to his skin.
As Sirius knelt and reached out his hand to touch hers, Samantha rolled over and fainted.
"What's going on?"
"Is she ok?"
The crowd broke into questions and started to get up to try and get near to what was happening.
Snape, who was near the courtyard, instantly recognized the numerous tiny cuts on her body. His insides quenched when he realized what spell had been cast....and now he had an idea about where she could've gone. All thoughts of her being a Potter vanished and only Lily stuck. For her.
He stalked forward and knelt down besides Sirius. As Snape took out his wand, Sirius immediately shook his head frantically. "Now just WHAT do you think you are doing Snivellus?"
Snape pursed his lips. They did not have time for this. He could see the blood leaving Samantha's body through the tiny cuts. He glanced back at Dumbledore through his shaggy black hair.
"Let him, Sirius," Dumbledore spoke sternly yet gently. He placed a hand on Sirius' shoulder and guided him back so Snape could get closer.
In a low voice, Snape took his wand and guided it over Samantha. "Vulnera Sanentur," he muttered.
"Vulnera Sanentur," he continued to utter slowly as the blood started to dry up. Each cut was disappearing and Samantha's skin started to regain color.
Everyone watched in awe at Samantha arriving back at the courtyard in such a chaotic state turn into a calm and almost soothing atmosphere. The pool of blood that was beneath her vanished and Samantha's eyes started to flutter. She groaned slightly but her muscles were not moving fully.
Snape spoke the counter-curse one last time before the final slash on her cheek healed. "Now she is ready for proper tending." He stood up and backed out of the way.
Dumbledore took out his wand and pointed it at her, slowly raising Samantha into the air. "Hospital Wing," he uttered, and they vanished, Madam Pomfrey along with them.
Sirius slowly got back up and the silence in the air could be felt in everyone's hands. Samantha appearing, everyone seeing her distraught and bloodied appearance, Snape coming in for the rescue, and then Dumbledore taking her away happened in such a blur that no one knew how to react.
"I..." Sirius started but stared at Remus and Tonks with a blank expression. He couldn't look at Snape in the eye.
"Let's go up to the castle," Molly spoke as the crowd got louder and louder with their thoughts.
Rita Skeeter's quill had never moved so quickly at it was writing about what had just happened. Samantha Potter is missing from the maze, returns about a half hour later looking like she had gone through hell and passes out. Severus Snape then coming and pretty much healing her.
The close family friends quickly walked back up to the castle as McGonagall started to tell everyone to head back to their houses and information of Samantha's health would be relayed when they knew what was going on.
McGonagall gave Rita Skeeter a very stern look as the blonde started to follow the Weasleys and company. She halted and stood by Fudge and Bagman who remained silent. Fudge needed a game plan on what to tell everyone at the Ministry who were patiently waiting for the result of the Tournament. They would be coming to the Triward's Ball which was set to happen next week but who knew anymore with the events that just happened.
It was either no one had any idea what to say at what happened or the wildest stories started to form. If Dumbledore didn't have any answers then no one did.
Seeing Samantha's state was still fresh in Sirius' mind as he practically ran to the Hospital Wing. Of course Dumbledore could do whatever he wanted and just transported them up there, while everyone else had to run. The Weasleys and everyone else kept up with him as they reached the Hospital Wing door.
Harry, who was at the front with Sirius, knocked lightly and waited. A few moments went by before Dumbledore opened the door. "She is being transported to St. Mungo's for the rest of the evening—"
"Then let's go," it was Charlie that spoke up this time and not Sirius. He was remaining quiet this whole time but he couldn't help it. Even though Snape's healing did bring some sort of peace, Samantha was still unconscious and no one was going to rest until she was awake and telling them what happened.
Bill glanced over at his brother and inwardly smiled. He was so whipped and Bill loved it. Finally Charlie was showing this type of affection.
Dumbledore knew this would happened and paused. "As much as I know you all want to be at her side, the last thing we should be causing is a scene. Samantha was quietly transported there and I want to keep it that way. Until we know the full story and all of the details, I want everyone to remain here. I want information coming from the source and not anyone else, which is why I am going to talk to Cornelius now about our next steps. Until then, please wait here in the Hospital Wing. Madam Pomfrey has prepared several calming droughts and sleeping antidotes." And with that, Dumbledore started to head back to the maze.
A few moments of silence passed before Sirius led everyone inside. No one spoke as everyone started to sit on the nearby beds. There were plates of food on the tables which Ron, Fred, and George instantly walked towards.
Harry decided to speak up first when ten minutes went by still in silence. "I don't even want to know where that Cup took her," he uttered as his insides felt cold and empty.
"I've never seen her so...blank. Samantha has never been expressionless," Fred added as he remembers the dazed look in her eyes when she returned with the Cup.
"When I find out who cursed that Cup I'm going to....I'm going to..." Sirius started through clenched teeth. "Let's just say my cell in Azkaban better not be taken."
"We should all be thankful she returned...and alive at that," Remus spoke, wanting to focus on the positives, rather than what was going on inside Sirius' mind.
"I would like to know how Snape cured her," George commented with a slight chuckle. "He knew exactly what to do to heal all of those tiny cuts."
"It's suspicious," Sirius interjected. "It's clear someone planned this and where she would go. One of Voldemort's followers. It's been a plot from the start with Mad Eye Moody's imposter, we know this. But Samantha foiled that and this was revenge. And Snape just happens to know this counter-curse? He cannot be trusted."
"But Sirius," Arthur said. "If Severus was in on this, why did he heal her?"
"To not make it's obvious," Sirius hissed. "I'm sick of everyone thinking he's on our side. I will never be convinced."
"I have no intention of ever caring what you think Black," a voice spoke. Snape stood in the Hospital Wing doorway. He cut off what Sirius was about to respond with. "Albus has made sure that the Daily Prophet remain impartial about what has happened. That is all." And with that Snape turned on his heel and left.
Sirius glared daggers at Snape's back until he was out of of view.
"Samantha won though, we can at least be happy about that," Ron said, giving everyone a wide smile.
Hermione laughed which caused everyone to start laughing and understand that Samantha would recover soon enough and be just fine.....until then, they would wait.
They would wait together.
Here is the aftermath 👀 sorry if it's a bit choppy and unedited. I did the best I could as I wrote this to edit. I tried to get everyone's reactions and different angles.
Next chapter....will we find out where Samantha went? Will she recover and tell what happened?
My motivation has come back! No timetable for updates but thank you all for remaining with me. This story will never be discontinued. I will finish it. We will finish it together. There's still ALOT to go.
Please comment your thoughts and predictions!! Where do you think Samantha got taken to? Who do you think charmed the Cup?
Until then,
<3 Sam