"Breathe Juli," she muttered to herself for the hundredth time.
She shivered slightly as she wrapped her arms around herself. The screaming had stopped and it was silent again. Too silent. There wasn't even a breeze to rustle the hedges of the maze.
Squinting through the darkness, she went down the path, her hand guiding her along. Up ahead, she saw the shiny blue Triwizard Cup. A twig snapped behind her and she spun around. Viktor had his wand pointed at her.
"You don't deserve to win," he said menacingly.
"I deserve it more than you do," she shot back.
"I entered this fairly," he growled, "You're just lucky they didn't kick you out for cheating."
"I didn't cheat!"
He suddenly took off running in the direction of the Cup and she started sprinting after him. They were running alongside each other. Juliet reached for the Cup at the same time that he did. She had a feeling in her stomach as though she were flying and she knew something was wrong.
She collapsed on to the ground, hitting her head. Opening her eyes, she noticed Viktor had also fallen.
"Juliet!" a voice called.
Juliet wiped her pants and looked around for the one who had spoken.
Lord Voldemort appeared to the side and with him were Bellatrix and a few other Death Eaters.
"Well, well, well! I didn't think you'd make it this far," Voldemort said.
Juliet stood up, "Thanks my Lord," she replied sarcastically.
"Who do we have here?" he pointed his wand at Viktor who stood with his hands up.
"Just another champion," Juliet answered.
"I'm afraid we'll have to get rid of him," the Death Eaters laughed with him.
"Why?" Juliet pointed her wand at him.
"Now Lestrange, I don't remember teaching you to question me, you know why."
"We can just Obliviate him," she insisted, though she knew he would never spare the innocent.
"No."
"He has nothing to do with you!"
"Lestrange, don't test me!"
"But my Lord!"
Voldemort glared at her and aimed his wand at Viktor, "Avada Kedavra!"
A green light left his wand and hit Viktor square in the chest. He fell to the ground and Juliet ran to him.
"No, no, no, no!" she cried out.
"Itty bitty baby Juli is all sad now," Bellatrix cackled.
"Everyone's going to think I had something to do with it!" Juliet screamed.
Voldemort picked her up by her robes and pulled her close, "You're too weak to ever do that," he let go of her and shook his head, "You're a pathetic excuse of a daughter."
Juliet wiped away angry tears and pointed her wand to his face, "I'm not weak."
Voldemort turned around, annoyed, "Lestrange just leave before you do something you'll regret."
Juliet lowered her wand and looked at Viktor's still body.
She grabbed his hand and Summoned the Cup, "Accio."
Voldemort watched her disappear, "I knew she couldn't do it."
Bellatrix gulped, "Would you have wanted her to?"
"Anything is better than just giving up Bella."
* * * * * * * *
"It's not your fault."
"How do you know?"
"I know all my students."
"You don't know me."
Professor Dumbledore sighed and sat down at his desk. Juliet fidgeted in the chair and concentrated on the fine details of the quill lying on the desk.
"Do you want to explain what happened then?"
"No."
"Everyone's asking Ms. Lestrange..."
"I know, they probably all hate me."
Professor Dumbledore folded his hands together, "You don't want them to think it was you, correct?"
"Correct."
"If you tell me, they won't think it was you."
"I already told you."
Professor Dumbledore watched Juliet stare intensely at the floor, "You told me the Cup was a Portkey, you didn't tell me how Mr. Krum died."
"My fault," she choked out.
"Did you kill him?"
"No," she sniffled.
"Did you make him do it?"
"No."
"Then it's not your fault."
"It is my fault!" Juliet shouted angrily, she stood up and the chair fell over, "It's all my fault, I shouldn't have said anything. We should've left as soon as we got there."
"Ms. Lestrange..."
"He didn't deserve to die! I should've convinced him harder to leave him alone."
"Ms. Lestrange..."
She slammed her first against the desk and leaned forward, "VOLDEMORT KILLED HIM!"
Professor Dumbledore remained silent and Juliet slowly backed away, "I didn't mean to yell."
"Oh it's perfectly alright. I know you meant to yell, you're angry."
"I didn't know we would end up there," she whispered.
"No one did and I'm afraid we won't be able to figure out how it happened."
"I'll bet anything it was my mother," Juliet muttered bitterly.
Professor Dumbledore opened up a drawer and threw a small sack on top of the desk, "Your prize money."
"I can't take that."
"What do you want me to do with it? It doesn't belong to me."
Juliet glanced out the window, "For the school, for Viktor's funeral, I don't care. I don't want it. Just think of it as a 'generous donation'."
He nodded, "Very well, you may go now."
"Yes sir."
* * * * * * * *
Juliet rested her head against the window and closed her eyes. A habit she cherished as it gave her a moment of peace. The compartment door opened which she ignored.
"Juli?"
"Ginny," she said without opening her eyes.
"I heard someone donated a lot of money to the school and for the funeral."
"That was very nice of them."
"Yes it was, everyone is talking about it and they think it was really generous. Everyone wants to thank this mysterious person."
Juliet opened her eyes, "It doesn't bring him back though."
"No it doesn't," Ginny sat down next to her and rested her head on Juliet's shoulder.
"I..."
"I know you donated all that gold Juli, and no one thinks it was your fault what happened."
Juliet didn't say anything, "It's sad that he's gone but I'm glad you're still here. Alive and next to me. I know it might be selfish of me to say right now but I am," Ginny murmured.
Juliet wrapped her arms around Ginny, "Do you really mean that?"
"You're my best friend, of course I mean that."
* * * * * * * *