The third task is about to start.
Was I held hostage that long?
What happened during that time?
Cedric is still participating as a Hogwarts Champion.
What is the third task?
"Is there someone else down there?" George asked Helena, shaking her out of her thoughts. She nodded in response. "Windgardium Leviosa!"
As George pointed his wand inside the magical chest, a tired man slowly appeared as he was being lifted in the air with a flick of a wand.
"Woah! T-That's Moody," Fred pointed out but could not understand why the Defense teacher had been down there when the professor had walked out of the classroom after giving them detention.
"It's the real Alastor Moody," the girl said quietly, sitting on the nearest chair and trying to adjust to the light in the room.
Helena's head felt like it started to spin, her stomach was in a twisted knot. Someone had taken time from her life and she could never take it back. She felt as though she had traveled to the future, to this moment she had been dreading since the Triwizard Tournament had been announced. She thought she would still have time to come up with a plan to avoid her vision about Cedric's death coming true.
Now she was sure her visions were real.
The man she had seen in that other vision when she bumped into Professor Moody the night of the Yule Ball was the real Alastor Moody trapped inside a sealed chest, enchanted to have more space than a normal chest. The fake Professor Moody held her hostage for the wrong reasons and there was nothing she could do to get back those months.
They stole time from her.
Time to grieve her relationship with Cedric like a normal teenager. Time to explain to her father what was happening at school since it had all become overwhelming. Time with her friends.
Helena was a mixture of emotions, anger and anxiety filled her body. A terrible combination when trying to decide what to do next, given the situation, and remembering why she had been trapped by mistake...
"Something bad is going to happen at the tournament," said Helena with a strained voice. "It has to do with the Dark Mark that appeared at the Quidditch World Cup."
"What are you talking about, Nina?" George asked confused while helping Alastor Moody take a seat as well. The man was weak from all that time spent inside.
"What does the Dark Mark have to do with the Triwizard Tournament?" asked Fred. "Did you have another vision?"
Helena shook her head, glancing at Alastor Moody.
"We believe the reason I was involved in the kidnapping is that fake Moody knows I'm a Seer and suspects I know what he has planned for the last task of the Triwizard Tournament," she explained as best she could. "The fake Moody thinks I had a vision about what will happen at the Tournament and wanted to stop me."
The girl could imagine the questions the boys were thinking regarding that sentence.
"The professor Moody we know, the one that has been teaching us... is someone else-"
"A Death Eater, to be more precise," interrupted Alastor Moody from his seat, coughing a bit. "A Death Eater who successfully infiltrated Hogwarts to interfere with the Triwizard Tournament. With that being said, I'm sure you all know it's not good news. We need to get to Dumbledore now to stop everything!"
Fred did not know why, but he felt drawn into the small drawer where they had retrieved the Marauder's Map. He walked up to it when the real Moody talked. And there it was.
Fred picked it up and stored it in his pocket.
"We need to get moving," Helena ordered, taking the lead as anger and determination took over her. "Cedric is still in danger as well."
She did not where she found the strength to pull herself up from the seat and take matters into her hands. She felt weak, of course, for being locked up and almost starving herself when the food she was offered made her sick even to smell, but she still wanted to keep moving.
"You stay here with Moody, Hell," said Fred in a suggestive tone.
"You need to rest," George added.
Neither Fred nor George knew how Helena was standing. She looked weak.
Her skin looked like it had never seen sunlight and she was a lot skinnier, enough for them to notice she had not been eating well. Her lips were chapped from all the lip biting she did because of frustration and stress. Her dirty uniform certainly did not help, only adding to her unrested look.
"I'm fine," she reassured without hesitating. "Let's go."
"You heard the woman, Fred!" George said with glee, seeing how his friend was still her courageous self. "She's ready to kick some arses."
Fred doubted if Helena was in a good state. "Are you sure you are okay?" he asked the girl.
"I'm okay," she said softly.
The redhead and Helena locked eyes for a moment. They knew each other well. They knew when the other was not alright. Fred could see a glint in her almost-watery eyes, the same she gets whenever she has had enough. But there was also a spark in them, showing her determination to do anything she sets her mind to.
Fred smiled at her.
"Then let's go."
The three of them sprinted across the hallways inside the castle, Fred and George leading the way. The sun was almost set and not a single living soul could be seen or heard. Everyone was already at the spot where the third and final task of the Triwizard Tournament was.
Helena was making a huge effort to keep her feet and legs moving. It was difficult to do so when she had been stuck in a limited space where her mobility was nearly none during that time. She had indeed lost some muscle and that made it hard for her to keep up with the twins. The air she was breathing was so fresh to her, it felt as though she was at the highest part of a mountain, stinging her chest a bit.
They made a few more turns and soon enough, they were out of the castle and running towards the Quidditch pitch where a glimmering light was emanating from it because the audience reunited there.
"W-What's... the... third task?" Helena panted when she noticed the direction they were heading to.
"Not sure," Fred replied, "but there's a huge maze on the Quidditch field."
"They've been growing the hedges these last two months," George added to the conversation. "Don't know what could be there. They've been so secretive about the third task."
That wasn't good news.
Helena had no clue of what type of danger Cedric would be in if she wanted to stop her vision from coming true. Cedric was still her friend, she could swear by that, and she would do anything she could to stop the future she saw for him.
Not knowing what the third task is only meant they would have to be prepared for anything. Helena could hear Professor Moody's "constant vigilance" inside her head.
Ironic.
At last, they were just outside the Quidditch pitch. A few men with trench coats and cameras hanging from their necks were having a smoke before they headed back inside to document the big finale.
The three Gryffindors walked past them, being ignored by the men, and gathered in a small circle by the entrance.
They were silent.
The sixth year had a feeling Helena's vision about Cedric dying at the Triwizard Tournament had some relation to whatever plans death eater Moody had.
They knew their next move was to split up, and Helena told them that. The twins agreed. That way one could reach Dumbledore, and tell him their Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher is not who he thinks he is, while the real Alastor Moody had been locked away inside the castle all this time; one would have to search for Cedric, and convince him to quit the tournament as soon as they meet; and the other would have to alert Ministry security they will be breached by dark wizards, as she explained.
Maybe the three of them were so close by now, that they each knew what they had to do without a word.
George nodded at them, patting their backs as he said reassuringly "I'll see you when this is over", and left, heading inside the Quidditch pitch.
The plan made sense, but it was still not a choice for one of them...
"I'm coming with you, Hell," Fred spoke firmly out loud. "And you're not changing my mind."
Helena was taken aback. George was also surprised by his brother's decision but secretly encouraged it.
"Why?" the girl asked.
Don't follow me, Fred. I don't want you to get hurt, too.
"I know you'll want to stop Cedric, but if that goes wrong... you'll go straight for fake Moody. It's too dangerous," said Fred.
Helena sighed in defeat.
She had planned for them to split up and each take care of different matters, her to be the one to protect Cedric from any harm and get him out of the competition. But after that, she would search for the death eater that's been walking amongst them for almost a year. She was furious at that person. A burning rage filled her body when she thought about that person who fooled an entire school into thinking he was a famous Auror. The same person who locked her up and deprived her of her freedom and friends. Helena wanted the person responsible for the horrible plans they had involving He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named with this tournament.
She wanted justice.
"Cedric will die if I don't protect him in time," the girl pleaded.
"And who will protect you?" the redhead responded.
Helena felt a sting in her chest.
She had been trying so hard to help Cedric with the Tournament even though she was against it, trying to be as alert as possible for any incoming danger that would appear during the tasks, that she is willing to risk her safety to save someone she loves. Maybe not in a romantic way anymore, but Cedric is still a person close to her.
But that's what you do when you love someone, right?
"I know you are strong and bloody brilliant," Fred started, closing in on her. "But even the strongest need to be taken care of. Let me come with you... please."
His voice was breaking at the end.
"You've risked yourself too many times for me, Fred. Detention, werewolves, Flint... W-Why?" she asked again.
"Because of this," Fred said softly, reaching for his pocket and taking out a letter between his fingers. A small smile formed on his lips. He was happy to have found the letter, but now he knew the trouble everyone went through because of that letter.
She looked at the piece of parchment with "To Hell" written on it.
Helena gasped a bit.
"Is that the same letter you gave me after the Yule Ball?" she asked.
Fred nodded in response and handed the letter to her. Helena stared at it in disbelief. She thought she had lost it forever.
"I found it in Moody's office, in the same drawer where the Marauder's Map was," he confessed. "I'm guessing fake Moody knew you were a Seer because I mentioned something about it in that letter. It's my fault he thought you knew what he had planned and got you kidnapped. I'm sorry, Nina."
Helena had never seen Fred like this. He was being soft-spoken and he was carrying guilt on his shoulders when no one would have imagined that a letter would have ended up in the wrong hands. He didn't have to feel guilt. The only one to blame is the death eater who is behind all this.
"What does the letter say?" she asked without thinking, raising the piece of parchment to eye level.
She felt a knot in her stomach when the question was out.
"This..."
Fred took a step forward, one hand cupping her face and the other the back of her neck as he planted a soft but profound kiss on her cold lips. Helena felt her heart pump faster as warmth filled every inch of her body, the tips of her fingers losing any sense. A wave of calm and rush took over her at the same time. She felt her skin be more sensitive, almost electric. It was something hard to explain. Her breathing seemed heavier yet it soothed her. Her palms were starting to transpire as she held tight to the letter.
A loud bang was heard inside the Quidditch field along with the cheer of the crowd, marking the start of the third and final task in the Triwizard Tournament.
The kiss was broken.
Helena looked up at the tall redhead smiling down at her, showing him the same big smile.
"You're my best friend but I love you more than a friend." Fred had raised her chin with his fingers, "I want to be there for you. Let me come with you, Hell."
Helena was exploding with emotions, all she was able to say was "follow me, Fred". There was no way she could hide the redness on her face as she took the boy's hand so that both could enter the Quidditch field. She had so much to tell him, but she was so giddy that it was hard to make a sentence that made sense.
Both were trying their best to contain the joy from one another. The situation they were in is not the best, but the timing was perfect, at least it felt that way to them. Helena wanted to kiss Fred so badly but knew they had to get moving to stop the danger that the death eater would bring.
"Over here, c'mon!" Helena whispered behind her shoulder, Fred right behind her as they walked through a narrow space behind the tower of seats filled with people who were boasting and yelling with the start of the third task. The two Gryffindors made their way to the changing rooms there, which had a better view of the champions at the starting point of the maze.
The problem was... only Fleur Delacour and Viktor Krum were there.
"For Merlin's beard! We missed Cedric!" Helena hissed at the ground. "Harry too, and I don't see Dumbledore stopping the task. Where is George? I thought he would warn Dumbledore."
"George is over there," Fred tapped on her shoulder to get her attention and pointed in the direction where his twin was. Right across from where they were, George had been detained by Mrs. Weasley and Charlie who were in the crowd. The sixth year looked like he was trying to tell them why he was in a hurry as he pointed at the Quidditch field, but his mother was busy pinching his cheeks. "Don't worry, Hell. George has his ways of getting my mother's attention. We have to get moving if we want to find Cedric."
"You're right," the girl agreed. "We need to find a way to get inside the maze and I don't think we can just go through it. See how there's a slight reflection on it? It's reinforced with magic. We need to use the entrance."
They both stared at the distance when Fleur and Viktor entered. The foliage maze magically started to grow in a way that would seal the entrance until the end of the task.
"If that's the only way, I got you covered..."
Fred reached for his back pocket and took out his latest acquisition: Instant Darkness Powder.
He pointed his wand at them as he held them in the palm of his hand, "Engorgio". The Weasley Wizard Wheezes product grew five times its usual size, Fred had to use both hands now to hold them. "Get ready to run to the entrance on my count. One, two... three!"
The redhead started to throw the dark carbon-like rocks to the ground every few steps from them, creating a massive thick cloud of black smoke. This time, Fred was the one taking the lead as he held onto Helena's hand. The smoke was so dense that they could successfully get to the entrance of the maze just in time before Hogwarts staff members began to clear the air with a raise of their wands.
The crowd was confused at what they had witnessed, some still cheered and yelled. They did not if it had been part of the task to add some mystery to it or if it meant trouble.
Staff members were now alert.
Inside the maze, Helena and Fred could feel a change in ambiance. It seemed impossible now as they stood there that they were surrounded by a loud crowd a few steps back, for now, an eerie silence welcomed them to the maze.
Unlike the lighted and warm Quidditch pitch, right here between the foliage the marked several paths, the light was dim as they had arranged floating candles every few feet. The moon of the night that was now above them was the main source of light.
Helena and Fred began to move forward, wands ready at hand for anything that could show up. This being the third task, they knew it was not going to be easy to get out of this maze. For them, finding the way out would have to wait. Their priority is to find Cedric.
"Well, now... Right or left?" asked Fred as they encountered their first detour.
Helena stayed quiet for a minute, hoping a noise, a smell, or anything would help her know what would be waiting for them if they picked either side.
"Left," she answered, nodding at herself, hoping to convince herself she had made the right decision.
"Hey," Fred took her arm right when she was about to continue. "It's okay not to be right all the time. We'll deal with whatever is in here together. I'm with the best in class, aren't I?" he winked at her before starting to walk again, hoping that would boost her confidence.
Helena blushed, rolling her eyes as she chuckled. The grip on her wand got tighter.
A few turns here and there until they encountered their first problem.
"What the bloody hell is that thing?!" Fred asked in horror.
"That would be a Blast-Ended Skrewt," Helena informed the redhead, staring at the creature that reassembled giant scorpion but with two stinging tails, one on each end. It was pale and slimy and did not have a shell so Fred and Helena were sharing the same disgusted face. "Hagrid's creation, Hermione told me at the start of the year."
"Of course Hagrid is behind this thing," said Fred, wand pointing at the creature. "What do we do about it? We know nothing about them!"
"Our best shot is to find a way to distract it and ran past it." Helena then notice how the Blast-Ended Skrewt appeared to be dragging its legs on one side. "Fred, look! It's walking funny. Someone must've dealt with it before us!"
They both sighed with relief, but they also noticed how the beast was slowly recovering from the spell it had been cast.
"Go! Go! Go!" Helena said pushing Fred's back to get him to run.
The Blast-Ended Skrewt grew furious as they passed it, raising one of its stingers as a red light began to emanate from it along with a shrieking noise the creature was making. Helena and Fred ducked and dived to the ground when a red ball of fire erupted from the beast, nearly missing them.
Helena felt a wave of heat above her head.
Fred was the first one to get back on their feet. "C'mon, get up!" he said pulling Helena by the arms, almost carrying her to get her to stand quickly. The redhead swiftly pointed his wand at the menacing creature, "Impedimenta!" he said just in time, for the beast was ready to shoot again. The Blast-Ended Skrewt fell to its side, its legs giving up with the help of the spell.
The Gryffindors sprinted forward, seeing how they had to choose where to turn next.
"Right, right! Let's do right this time!" Helena yelled, a hand on her side when it began to stitch from all the running. She had no condition, her body was weak and it was starting to give her signs that it would soon be too weak to move a muscle.
They ran enough to have a good distance between them and the Blast-Ended Skrewt. But they were lost now. Or other than lost... disoriented.
Leaves rustled as they continued their way, hoping they would catch up to Cedric soon.
The air was quiet.
Helena's fingers hurt from the strong hold she had on her wand as fear was slowly starting to creep up inside her. She was now conscious of her breathing, it wasn't steady. Even though it was the start of summer, she felt cold and sleepy.
I should've eaten whatever fake Moody was giving us, that way I wouldn't feel so tired right now.
"How're you holding up, Hell?" Fred asked next to her.
"I'm holding," she panted. "Cedric can't be that far away from us. We probably entered the maze some minutes apart."
Suddenly, a high-pitched scream echoed across the pathways of the maze. It was hard to tell where the scream had come from.
Helena and Fred started to run again, the scream had triggered them to move. They did not know if danger was behind, next, or in front of them, and that put them uneasy.
"Was that Fleur?!" Helena whispered, chills running down her spine. "What happened to-"
Fred stopped her from taking any step forward. He had stopped abruptly, his left arm was stretched out in front of her, his index finger over his lips indicating to keep quiet, then pointed at the moving branches and roots that were tangling around a wand that had been dropped on the ground.
It had to be Fleur's wand.
"We need to help her," Helena whispered with distress in her voice. "If her wand's here, she must be close."
"But we have to keep looking for Cedric," Fred reminded her. "He was the first one to enter the maze and we need to catch up."
Helena was torn on what to do. She couldn't just ignore that Fleur needed aid. So Helena raised her wand and pointed it to the night sky, shooting a red spark from it like a flare.
"Someone will come to find her with this," she said to Fred. "A muggle way to call for help."
"Bloody brilliant, see?" Fred complimented her. "C'mon! The others might be close."
The two of them continued their way, hoping to bump into Cedric with every corner they turned. Helena was not sure if it was the lack of sleep and food or the gloom and cold maze they were in, but she was starting to get desperate, feeling as if the walls had suddenly become more narrow the more time she spent in there.
Where are you, Ced?
If one knows something bad is going to happen, do we need to think positively, hoping it will turn out the way we want it to? Or do we prepare for the worst-case scenario?
Helena did not know how to answer that question. But whichever she would have chosen, it would still not prepare her for what she had right in front of her...
Cedric's body on the floor, lifeless.
End of Chapter 60: Part 1.
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Heyoooo! The chapter was getting too long, so I need to stop it right there. Yes, yes... I am evil. Part 2 is on it's way!!
Like and comment :) and please forgive me if I ever give you cringe moments, especially in parts where love and feelings are involved. I honestly do not know how to stay away from that thin line between romantic and cringe haha