"Why haven't they returned yet?" I said, my anxiety growing by the second. Restlessly, I paced back and forth in the stands, unable to shake off the nagging fear that something terrible might have happened to Dani.
Around me, the atmosphere was light-hearted and filled with laughter as people chatted and enjoyed themselves. But my mind couldn't escape the dark cloud of worry. Dani's safety consumed my thoughts, and I couldn't find comfort in the cheerful surroundings.
Attempting to offer some reassurance, Enzo approached me and firmly placed his hands on my shoulders, bringing my pacing to a halt. He met my eyes and spoke with conviction, "They will be fine, Mattheo. You have to believe that. Dani will come back safely."
Theo, sitting beside Pansy, chimed in, his voice filled with confidence, "Enzo's right. Dani is a fighter through and through. Besides, now that Fleur has returned, it's two against two. They have the skills and determination to handle the situation. But you have to give them some time."
I took a deep breath, absorbing their words of encouragement. Their faith in Dani and her abilities helped quiet the storm of worry raging within me. Nodding gratefully, I settled back down in my seat next to Draco, desperately hoping that their assurances would prove true.
Please, let her be safe, I silently pleaded with the universe.
Dani
I glanced up just in time to witness Cedric rushing towards Viktor, pointing his wand at him. Panicking, I instinctively shouted, "Cedric, no!" and scrambled to my feet. Quickly making my way over, I desperately attempted to wrestle his arm away. "Cedric, he's under a spell! Don't do it! It's not him!"
Cedric briefly glanced in my direction, and I just looked at him with my eyes, silently pleading, "Please, don't..." Regrettably, Cedric shook his head in frustration, forcefully pushing me aside as he surged forward. Harry and I hurriedly pursued him, our feet pounding against the ground as we sprinted to catch up.
Racing through the maze, we darted around corners, each of us trying to take the lead. Suddenly, we all halted simultaneously, struck by the vibrant, blue radiance emanating from the cup. "That's it!" Harry exclaimed, his voice filled with exhilaration.
"Go!" I shouted, my own voice infused with urgency. Together, we charged towards the cup. However, the towering walls of the maze unexpectedly began to crumble, closing in on us. The continuous recurrence of these collapsing walls was becoming exhausting, but this time, the situation took a turn. The very ground beneath us shook violently, and a multitude of roots emerged, snaking upwards, their gnarled appendages reaching out to ensnare our feet as we ran.
Summoning every ounce of determination, I pushed myself forward, pushing my physical limits in a desperate bid to outrun the chaos. Abruptly, I heard a resounding thud behind me. I abruptly came to a halt, swiveling around to witness the nightmarish sight of the roots dragging Cedric away. "Dani!" he cried out, his voice laced with terror.
"HARRY!" I called out urgently, my voice filled with desperation, causing him to freeze in his tracks. "We have to help him!" I darted towards Cedric. Without wasting a moment, I began casting spells, directing them towards the roots that threatened to engulf Cedric.
"Reducto!" Harry's voice echoed, his spell causing the menacing vines to wither away, retreating from Cedric's defenseless form. Together, our combined efforts were slowly pushing back the threat. Finally, we managed to free Cedric from the roots. As I extended my hand to help him up, he gazed at me with gratitude, his voice filled with appreciation. "Thank you," he said, his voice laced with a mix of relief and disbelief. "You could have left me."
I shook my head adamantly, determination etched on my face. "No. That's never an option. Now let's finish this."
Even as we shared this heartfelt exchange, the walls surrounding us continued to close in, the sense of urgency mounting with every passing moment. Cedric, now on his feet, shouted urgently, his voice tinged with desperation, urging us to leave. The impending danger compelled us to act swiftly. We moved as a unit, racing towards the cup, our eyes fixed on the coveted prize that promised escape from this treacherous maze.
Just as we reached the cup, we all stopped. Time seemed to hang suspended in the air, allowing our thoughts to intertwine. Cedric, still panting from the harrowing ordeal, mustered his strength and spoke with a voice filled with gratitude and conviction. "Take it!" he yelled, his words carrying a weight that acknowledged our efforts. "You both saved me. Take it!"
"Together!" I shouted. "One, two, three!" Our hands shot out simultaneously, firmly grasping the trophy that shimmered with an ethereal glow. The world around us seemed to blur as the cup activated, casting us into a dizzying whirlwind of disorientation.
Moments later, we found ourselves sprawled on the ground, our bodies coming to rest on unfamiliar terrain. The cup had transported us to an unknown location, leaving us disoriented and breathless.
I sat up, my head throbbing as I surveyed our surroundings. It took a moment for my groggy mind to register that we were in a graveyard. "Dani? Are you alright?" Harry's concerned voice broke through the haze as he groaned while getting up. I nodded, wincing at the dull ache in my body, and slowly rose to my feet. "Yeah, I'm alright. Cedric? You okay?"
I glanced over to Cedric, who was already standing, his hands on his hips as his eyes scanned the eerie landscape. "Where are we?" he wondered aloud, his voice laced with confusion.
"I'm not sure," Harry replied softly, his voice tinged with uncertainty, as he began to explore the area. Intrigued, I followed suit, a sense of familiarity tugging at the corners of my mind. The scenery held a strange resonance, but I couldn't quite place it until my gaze landed on a large, weathered headstone.
"Harry," I whispered, my voice barely audible. "This place... it was in my nightmares." Compelled by an inexplicable force, I stepped closer to the headstone, feeling a shiver run down my spine.
"It was in mine too," Harry admitted.
As I approached the headstone, a realization struck me like a bolt of lightning. "It's a portkey," Cedric's voice interrupted my thoughts, his tone laced with a hint of amusement. He let out a slight chuckle before adding, "The cup is a portkey!" The puzzle pieces began to connect, but I couldn't fathom why the Triwizard Cup would be a portkey. There had to be a deeper purpose.
My eyes fixated on Harry, who leaned down, his fingers gently tracing the engraved name on the headstone.
Tom Riddle
The pieces fell into place with a resounding crash, and my eyes widened in realization. "Oh my god..." The gravity of the situation hit me like a tidal wave. We were here for a reason, and that reason was none other than Tom Riddle, or as we knew him, Voldemort. "We need to go. Now!" Panic laced my voice as I frantically urged my companions.
Cedric, sensing the urgency, walked over with a serious expression etched on his face. "What are you talking about?" he asked, his voice betraying a mix of concern and confusion.
I begin to speak, "He-" but my words trail off as my attention is immediately captured by a figure emerging from a door behind Cedric. Harry and I exchange glances, realizing it's Wormtail, and he's clutching something in his hands. A wave of fear washes over us, and Cedric, sensing our unease, turns around.
Suddenly, an intense, searing pain erupts from the scar on the back of my neck, causing me to cry out in agony and collapse to the ground. I can hear Harry's voice mingling with mine, both of us writhing in pain on the cold ground.
Cedric rushes to our side, his concern evident. "What's happening? What's going on?" he urgently asks, bewildered by the chaos unfolding before him.
"Cedric, get out of here!" I manage to gasp through the anguish.
"Go!" Harry implores him, his voice strained with desperation.
However, Cedric stands tall, his gaze unwavering as he raises his wand toward Wormtail. "Who are you? What do you want?" he demands, his voice filled with a mix of bravery and trepidation.
"Kill the spare..." a chillingly quiet voice emanates from the object in Wormtail's grasp, sending shivers down my spine.
I look up, horror etched across my face, just in time to witness Wormtail aiming his wand at Cedric. "Avada Kedavra!" he hisses, releasing a blinding green flash of light.
"No!" Harry's anguished cry pierces the air, echoing my own inner torment.
My eyes widen as the deadly beam strikes Cedric directly in the chest, knocking him to the ground with a force that extinguishes his life in an instant. I shake my head in denial as I crawl towards him, my hands trembling as I desperately try to wake him, even though deep down, I know it's futile.
"No, no, no, Cedric. Cedric, please!" I plead, my voice laced with grief and disbelief. I shake his shoulders, hoping against hope that he will miraculously spring back to life, though the lifelessness in his eyes tells me otherwise.
In that heart-wrenching moment, it becomes painfully clear that all vitality has been mercilessly drained from Cedric's once vibrant existence. His spirit has been extinguished, leaving behind only a lifeless shell as a cruel testament to the darkness that has infiltrated our world.
"I'm deeply sorry..." I whispered, my voice trembling with regret. The weight of the situation bore down on me. I hear Harry's desperate struggle behind me and looked back. Wormtail, driven by a twisted loyalty, had Harry suspended in mid-air, forcibly pressed against one of the ancient statues that held him captive.
"HARRY!" I bellowed, my voice laced with fear and urgency.
Startled by my outcry, Wormtail shifted his gaze towards me, his wand wavering menacingly in his hand.
"No, please! Leave her alone" Harry's desperate plea rang out, but the words hung heavy in the air, futile against the inevitable.
"Crucio!"