"That night, in the maze,
innocence died screaming.
Trust me, honey, I should know."
•
"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, in five minutes' time, I will be asking you to make your way down to the Quidditch field for the third and final task of the Triwizard Tournament. Will the champions please follow Mr. Bagman down to the stadium now."
I got up. The Gryffindors all along the table were applauding me and Harry; my Slytherin friends and beautiful boyfriend Draco Malfoy (I just loved to state he was my boyfriend) applauded from their table too; the Weasleys and Hermione all wished us good luck, and we headed off out of the Great Hall with Cedric, Fleur, and Viktor.
We walked onto the Quidditch field, which was now completely unrecognizable. A twenty-foot-high hedge ran all the way around the edge of it. There was a gap right in front of us: the entrance to the vast maze. The passage beyond it looked dark and creepy.
Five minutes later, the stands had begun to fill; the air was full of excited voices and the rumbling of feet as the hundreds of students filed into their seats. The sky was a deep, clear blue now, and the first stars were starting to appear. Hagrid, Moody, Professor McGonagall, and Professor Flitwick came walking into the stadium and approached Bagman and the champions. They were wearing large, red, luminous stars on their hats, all except Hagrid, who had his on the back of his moleskin vest.
"We are going to be patrolling the outside of the maze," said Professor McGonagall to us. "If you get into difficulty, and wish to be rescued, send red sparks into the air, and one of us will come and get you, do you understand?" The champions nodded.
"Off you go, then!" said Bagman brightly to the four patrollers.
"Ladies and gentlemen, the third and final task of the Triwizard Tournament is about to begin! Let me remind you how the points currently stand! Tied in first place, with eighty-five points each - Mr. Cedric Diggory, Miss Skylar Firegold and Mr. Harry Potter, all of Hogwarts School!" The cheers and applause sent birds from the Forbidden Forest fluttering into the darkening sky. "In second place, with eighty points - Mr. Viktor Krum, of Durmstrang Institute!" More applause. "And in third place - Miss Fleur Delacour, of Beauxbatons Academy!"
The audience was going berserk behind us. I saw the Weasleys and Malfoys and Diggorys and Delacours and Krums in the audience. Harry was beside me. We had changed into the Gryffindor trousers and shirt and converses after the evening feast. But really, I couldn't concentrate on anything after what Lucius told me.
Cedric, me and Harry were tied in the first place, which meant we'd go in first. I had managed to get my hair in a braid but I seriously need to cut it off some time. Provided I survive this. And I really didn't have time to think about hair when the maze was staring at me.
I gazed into the abyss and smiled when the abyss gazed back.
Fudge blew a whistle as we walked forward. The crowd roared. I saw a big poster made by Dean himself. He portrayed our faces and Luna charmed them to move. Wow. Talent. Draco was there somewhere and instead of a drawing of all three of us, he, Pansy and Blaise held up their wands that cast a projection in the sky of me in my current state-staring like an idiot. I laughed.
The towering hedges cast black shadows across the path, and, whether because they were so tall and thick or because they had been enchanted, the sound of the surrounding crowd was silenced the moment we entered the maze. I felt almost as though I was underwater again.
"Lumos," I said, holding up my wand. Harry and Cedric did the same. We walked for some time. I thought of using a body-binding curse on Cedric right away so he didn't reach the Cup. But Harry was here and then I'd have to explain everything to him. I don't have the time.
"Good luck, Ced," I said after about silently walking for fifty yards. He nodded.
"See you," Harry said. He went left. Harry and I went right.
The darkness was consuming, and I hated the dark. Even if things were normal, I'd be scared of the dark. No one knows what's in there. But, my parents loved the Dark. Why?
"Are you okay?" Harry asked. I shook my head no. And then I held his hand.
"Hold my hand for a while, please?"
He tightened his grip on mine. We reached another fork. Time to part.
I reluctantly left his hand and faced him.
"Good luck, Harry," I said. He nodded. "Tonight's going to be a long night."
I kissed his cheek and walked right. He walked left.
I paused at another turning and looked around.
No one in plain sight.
So, I went over my plan. Next time I meet Cedric, if I do, I'd full body bind him and send up sparks. Krum is under Imperius curse, so I just kind of have to beat his Crucio and Stupefy him. Then I'll send up sparks for him and Fleur.
So Harry and I will remain.
But if I don't meet Cedric around again. . .
That opts for Plan B. I'd have to reach the Cup first, wait for Harry and take him with me. But I don't know where the cup is. I can't risk Cedric coming with us. If he dies. . .
I shook my head as I started walking again. Nothing was around so far but the aloneness was harrowing. I raised my wand higher as the light illuminated the surface. I kept looking behind me. The old feeling that I was being watched was upon me. The maze was growing darker with every passing minute as the sky overhead deepened to navy. I reached a second fork.
"Point Me," I whispered to my wand, holding it flat in my palm. The wand spun around once and pointed toward my right, into solid hedge. That way was north, and I knew that I needed to go northwest for the center of the maze. The best I could do was to take the left fork and go right again as soon as possible. The path ahead was empty too, and when I reached a right turn and took it, I again found my way unblocked. I didn't know why, but the lack of obstacles was unnerving me. Surely I should have met something by now? It felt as though the maze were luring him into a false sense of security. And then-
"Hey, missed me?"
I gulped as the Slytherin version of me approached. I nearly jumped out of my skin. Seriously? Boggarts? Why?
It's just a boggart.
"Not really."
I felt startling brave facing myself again. I didn't feel nervous like the first time. Somewhere in this maze now, Harry is somewhere in the maze right now fighting off his Boggart. And he didn't feel immensely scared the next time he faced a Dementor. Maybe the fear wears off when you've faced it once already.
I raised my wand. "Ridi-"
"Wait," the Boggart laughed and shrill mocking tone. "You haven't faced all if me yet."
"What?"
And then I understood what. As I looked more closely, I realized, that some of her features weren't like me at all. She was a little taller, cheekbones a little sharper, posture a little more arrogant. And she was older. Nineteen, maybe. And she brandished a Dark Mark.
I stumbled back. Hair straighter, darker, messier. Eyes more hazel. A Dark Mark.
She laughed again. "Recognize me?"
"Mother?"
But why would she be my Boggart?
"I'm not your mother," she said. "Not really. I'm what you fear to be. Aren't you afraid of turning out to be just like her?"
"I don't have time for this," I growled, raising my wand. She leaped aside with the agility of a cat.
"This is not you, see. You're not so smooth. Not so fast. You always wanted to meet your parents. Now see them reflected in you."
"Ridikulus!"
But it missed. She had leaped aside again. "See, you can't. Gryffindors are nothing compared to Slytherins. What's bravery when it gets you killed? When it doesn't lead you to power? What is bravery?"
I wasn't having any of this.
I shoved my wand in my hair and advanced towards her. Before she could react, I had grabbed her by her throat. I shoved her into the hedge, pulled out the wand with the other hand and shoved it towards her.
"This is bravery," I growled in her face. "Ridikulus."
I think the spell came out too powerful because, instead of changing to something, she dissolved into a wisp of smoke. I breathed out. Thank you Viktor for teaching me how to fight.
I placed my wand in my palm and said, "Point me."
The wand rotated and stopped towards the right pass. There was one going towards the north west. I knew that's where I had to go, so I did.
Then I heard a scream. Fleur. It came from the opposite direction. I muttered a curse and ran towards the voice.
By the time I reached there, Cedric and Harry were gone. Viktor and Fleur laid there. "Idiot," I muttered. I sent up a shower of sparks and ran back from where I came. From a distance, I could here Harry and Cedric. There were running towards the cup.
"Bloody hell," I yelled. I formed a force field around me and ran through the hedges leaving huge holes in them. I startled into a last corner from where I could see the Cup glowing. I calculated that Harry and Cedric where ninety degrees from me. I ran. I saw Cedric and Harry in front of the Cup, arguing now. I sped up. I almost didn't see the huge spider coming from above the hedge. Cedric and Harry were about to grab the Cup.
I pointed my wand at the spider in the last moment. "Stupefy!" I yelled; the spell hit the spider's gigantic, hairy black body, but for all the good it did, I might as well have thrown a stone at it; the spider jerked, scuttled around, and ran at me again. "Stupefy! Impedimenta! Stupefy!"
But it was no use - the spider was either so large, or so magical, that the spells were doing no more than aggravating it. I had one horrifying glimpse of eight shining black eyes and razor-sharp pincers before it was upon me. I was lifted into the air in its front legs; struggling madly, I tried to kick it; my leg connected with the pincers and next moment I was in excruciating pain. I could hear Cedric yelling "Stupefy!" too, but his spell had no more effect than mine - I raised my wand as the spider opened its pincers once more and-
"Expelliarmus!"
It worked - the Disarming Spell by Harry made the spider drop me, but that meant that I fell twelve feet onto my already injured leg, which crumpled beneath me. Without pausing to think, I aimed high at the spider's underbelly, and shouted "Stupefy!" just as Harry yelled the same thing. The two spells combined did what one alone had not: The spider keeled over sideways, flattening a nearby hedge, and strewing the path with a tangle of hairy legs.
"Skylar!" I heard Cedric shouting. "You all right? Did it fall on you?"
"No," I said back, panting. I looked down at my leg. It was bleeding freely. I could see some sort of thick, gluey secretion from the spider's pincers on my torn robes. I tried to get up, but my leg was shaking badly and did not want to support my weight. I leaned against the hedge, gasping for breath, and looked around.
I raised my wand feebly. I had never done Healing Magic before. But I can't face Voldemort with a broken leg. I was about ten feet away from the Cup. Cedric and Harry were both looking at me.
"E- Episkey!" Nothing happened. I cursed. "Okay- okay. Tergeo!" The secretion cleared from my robes and my mind worked on autopilot. I had a plan. "Reparifors!" The wound from the pincers started closing slowly and painful, like being stitched shut and I bit my tongue trying not to scream out in pain. And then-
"I'm sorry, Ced, I have to do it. Stupefy!" I said pointing my wand at him. He flew back slightly and collapsed. I grabbed Harry's hand. He looked shocked. I raised my wand releasing a shower of sparks.
I shoved the wand in my hair, held Harry tighter, running as fast as I could with Harry on my broken leg, and grabbed the Cup. Then, we were swallowed up by an ever-swirling vortex.
-
Little Hangleton was dark and eerie when we arrived. The large tree stood in front of the little church long way back. And on the hill behind us, there was the house. The Riddle House.
"What the bloody hell, Sky?" Harry fired up, yanking his hand away. "Why did you do it? Stupefy Cedric?" Then he seemed to notice the change in the surroundings. "Where are we?"
"Little Hangleton," I said. I thought very fast then.
Peter would need Harry's blood for the Resurrection of Voldemort. If I hide, I can come out at the right time. Once, Voldemort is resurrected, I can take Harry and escape.
"Skylar?" Harry called. "Did you know about this?"
"Kind of. Harry-Harry be brave okay? Stay quiet. Keep your eye open-Oh-"
I could make out the shapes of Peter and Tom in the distance. I turned to Harry. Quick decision. I jumped up kissing his cheek and ran for the nearest stone, and hid behind it. I knew I'd have a lot to explain but right now, this is what I need to do.
When Peter approached Harry, he looked startled. Harry couldn't run because of his injured leg but he stared at my direction with the face of betrayal. He struggled to his utmost but Peter bound him. I closed my eyes and then opened then a long time later. And now, Peter was dropping Voldemort into the cauldron. It was as though Wormtail had flipped over a stone and revealed something ugly, slimy, and blind - but worse, a hundred times worse. The thing Wormtail had been carrying had the shape of a crouched human child, except that I had never seen anything less like a child. It was hairless and scaly-looking, a dark, raw, reddish black. Its arms and legs were thin and feeble, and its face - no ahild alive ever had a face like that - flat and snakelike, with gleaming red eyes.
I was fazed. The pain in my healing leg was excruciating. I couldn't think anymore. My brain felt overworked. Surely, Cedric would hate me by now? Surely, he'd tell everyone that I stunned him to win? Everyone would believe him, the Hufflepuff Quidditch Captain. Who'd believe me, Skylar Firegold, daughter of Meredith Potter the rogue and Alakay Firegold, from the ancient and dark House of Firegold? Who would-
Something happened. I had the sudden urge to kill it before it started. One spell. The same spell this thing used to kill my parents. Simple, green and painless. I could be a killer. I could be a murderer. It's just a spell. It's in my blood.
But I knew that it would just delay his arrival. I needed Voldemort to rise. Then, I could just kill him. But I was angry. So mad that I was letting Tom rise again despite knowing that he was after my and my brother's life. Despite knowing that he killed my parents. Despite knowing how heartless, ruthless and insane that creature is. My hands itched to jump forward and escape with Harry but I knew I couldn't. Some things were meant to happened.
So I bit my lips and watched as the ritual took place.
Bone of the father, unknowingly taken, you will renew your son.
Flesh of the servant, willingly given, you will revive your master.
Wormtail was gasping and moaning with agony. I didn't look away. I watched the traitor cut off his arm. Crippled. Cursed with a hand that'd kill him if he showed mercy. Apt punishment. At least, Voldemort was creative with his gifts.
Blood of enemy, forcibly taken, you will resurrect your foe.
I watched with an aching pain as blood dipped into the cauldron and it swirled and swirled and rose and dripped from the shape of a man.
"Robe me," he said when he walked out of the vortex. And I caught a glimpse of his face. Terrible, terrible. Nightmares that haunted Harry. It scared me even when he was fictional, and now that he's real, it scares me even more.
He was talking, but all I could think of was how, just how much I despised yet respected him.
I remember when I first read about him I had hated him. But then when I read about his back story, I couldn't just hate him. He had reasons. He had the right to seek revenge. But now, when I know that he's the reason Harry and I have no one but each other, I despise him.
I concentrated hard on Harry's binds and willed them to untie themselves. Feeling that loosening if the ropes, Harry glanced at me. I prayed he understood what I meant. I gestured him to run for the Portkey when he's finally free. He squinted at me. He was mad but I think he understood. I created a forcefield around the cemetery to prevent Death Eaters from Apparating in.
And then I stepped out.
"Let's see how many of your people are foolish enough to come, and how many are brave enough to stand back," I said. I had the element of surprise. Voldemort looked away from Harry at me, and Harry jumped off the gravestone and ran towards the Goblet. So did I.
But we were a tad too late.
A dangerous ache shot through me. A pain of hundreds of hot sharp knives. The pain of having all your bones break. The pain of rubbing salt and pepper on a raw bleeding wound. I collapsed. The force field crumbled and Death Eaters appeared.
I wailed out as the Cruciatus intensified. My vision blurred. I could make out Harry stopping abruptly in front of me and drawing out his wand.
Voldemort laughed. "More powerful than the Dark Lord himself? I see weakness, little girl."
"You coward," I choked. I could see Lucius in the ring of Death Eaters. "You want to remove me and Harry out of the way because you're scared you will lose! You're scared of two children!"
I don't know how I spoke through the pain. The pain was enough to snap my vocal chords, suck the air out of my lungs. But I did. I think it was my anger.
The Crucio intensified. I fell. I yanked my wand out with shaking hands from my hair.
"Expecto Patronum."
The fact that I could create a corporeal Patronus even through this pain was startling. The Dragon larger than anything in the whole cemetery, came out of my wand. Voldemort stopped.
"Attack him," I gasped at the dragon. It seemed to understand me. It charged at Voldemort.
I distantly heard another spell. "Reverto Patronum."
And, just as fast the calming sensation of the Patronus came, it went away. And the pain was back. I didn't even know that was a spell.
"Dragon. . . Interesting," Voldemort spat."
I didn't know what he meant. I didn't care. I just wanted the pain to stop. I just wanted to take Harry and escape. But I couldn't do a thing. I couldn't even stand. I felt so weak. The capillaries in my head felt fuzzy. The ones in my eyes felt like they were bursting. I couldn't move. I felt pathetic- I was curling up on the ground of the graveyard, hugging my knees, as if compacting myself would help. But there was blood pouring out of my ears and nose. I saw red. The capillaries in my eyes had burst. I was dying-
"Stop!" Harry screamed suddenly, but it seemed so far away. I was seeing things. I was seeing smoke and a velvety curtain. I saw beyond that veil. The dimension- I was dying. Or worse, I was losing my mind. My thoughts flew to Frank and Alice Longbottom in St Mungo's. I didn't want to end up like them. I hoped Harry would be smart enough to medically kill me if I went crazy.
Distantly I could hear Harry screaming. The pain had subsided, but I could still see smoke. I saw James and Lily and Dad and Mum and the old man who was killed by Voldemort and Bertha Jorkins. Was I beyond the veil?
Then I saw the red and the green flashes. I tried to sit up but it was hard. Then I heard screams and Harry was running towards me. I saw him raise his wand. Everything was blurry. I saw the Cup fly towards us. Harry grabbed me hard, pressing me to him as tightly as he could. And then, we were in a vortex.
When my feet touched the ground, I was vaguely aware of Harry sobbing, of his hands around me. I could see Dumbledore running this way, and Fudge. . .
I had never been more relieved. Fudge had Crouch in his clutches. The truth had been revealed.
I felt myself go into the arms of another, more familiar, more gentle.
"Skylar!"
Teardrops were falling on my face. Harry was telling that Voldemort was back. Hermione was running around. Madam Pomfrey was there too. Lucius wasn't. Narcissa wasn't. Draco. . . .
"Skylar Nova Firegold, you are not dying on me!"
I was lifted. I couldn't see the veil anymore. I felt a soft fabric. Then I was placed on a bed. Lots of pillows. I saw a large dog. And grey eyes. And tears fell on my face. Then a potion tipped into my mouth.
Then darkness.
~°^°~
When I woke up, I heard different kinds of arguments from different directions.
Professor Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall and Cornelius Fudge were arguing. On listening more closely I realized that Crouch Jr had indeed died. Not that I cared.
Nearby, Ron was fighting with Molly and Hermione about waking me up.
Just above me, another argument was taking place which was more ridiculous than ever. It was Harry, in the bed next to me and Draco, standing beside my bed.
"Your father was among them, Malfoy! You can't seem to be telling me that you're not an envoy!" Harry was said.
"Shut up, pothead! You couldn't even take care of Skylar!" Draco snarled back.
"Don't tell me what to do! She's my sister!"
"Then why didn't you take better care of her!"
I noticed Sirius, in his animagus form, wagging his tail and watching Draco and Harry. Wow, I could see! My eyes were fine. There was no red. There was no blood.
Then I heard Fudge say that he didn't trust Harry. That's when I got up.
Draco jumped back. Molly, Hermione and Ron ran towards me. McGonagall looked at me. Sirius barked.
"Mr Fudge?" I called weakly. He looked at me and walked over. Dumbledore did too. When he was near enough, I said, "The Ministry seems to have problems in believing the innocent. But you do believe in your own people right?"
"Obviously, Ms Firegold," he said.
"Put me on Veritaserum and question me. I'm sure that would answer you doubts."
Sirius barked beside me. I knew that the Ministry didn't make a trial for Sirius and that he was imprisoned without questioning.
Fudge frowned.
"I'm sure that won't be necessary," McGonagall said. "We believe in Harry. Besides you're not completely well."
Then Fudge thumped the bag of money in the desk between Harry and my bed. Dumbledore talked to him and then he stormed out.
Draco sat down beside me in the bed. He pushed back a strand of hair from my face.
"Thought you wouldn't make it," he said. His voice made it clear he had been crying.
"Thought you had seen the last of Skylar Firegold?" I said weakly. He laughed and I pulled him into me, kissing him as gently as I could.
"Stop touching my sister!" Harry yelled. Ron was fuming but Hermione seemed to keep them back.
"She's my girlfriend," Draco hissed, still holding my face. "And she just got up and sassed away the Minister. What do you expect?"
Harry opened his mouth but Dumbledore interjected.
"Mr Malfoy, if you don't mind, could you leave for the time being? There are mattered to be discussed privately."
Draco looked agitated, but he left nonetheless with Madam Pomfrey too.
Then Sirius turned to human.
"That's Sirius Black!" Molly yelled.
"Hush mom, it's alright," Ron shouted with panic.
"Are you absolutely alright?" Sirius grabbed me by the shoulder.
I winced. "Pain all over."
"Well Voldemort did use Cruciatus on you," Harry muttered. Sirius winced.
"I'm sorry, Harry."
"What are you apologizing for?" he said standing up and sitting beside me. "It wasn't your fault."
Only if you knew, Harry.
Something great and horrible is coming up ahead. And time can only decide what has to come.
I have already meddled with time, changed the past, the pattern. Now, Cedric is alive. I'm not sure how things will change now. If things will even go the way they were supposed to. I really don't know.
Guess we'll just have to see where the story takes us now.
For what has to come, will come.
~°^°~
END OF GOBLET OF FIRE!
ORDER OF THE PHOENIX WILL COME OUT SOON. TAKE ME TO 10K MY BEAUTIFUL READERS. YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW HAPPY I AM TO KNOW THAT THIS STORY IS A SUCCESS!