Ooh it's getting exciting!!! Thanks for reading :)
Al jumped as a loud bang sounded from where she sat on the Quidditch stands. She turned around, grabbing her wand from her pocket, to see a laughing ginger head emerging from between two rows. "I was trying to make you jump," George said, standing up and walking over, "But I tripped up."
"I can see that," Al said laughing and leaning up to give him a kiss on the cheek.
"Whatcha doing then?" he asked, eyeing the compass, parchment, ink and quills that surrounded her.
"Mapping out the maze," she said, turning back to her work, "I'm surprised no one else is to be honest."
"Is that even allowed?" George asked, slightly amused.
"No one ever said it wasn't," Al said, "Guess they didn't take into account my Slytherin cunning."
"I guess they didn't," George said, his hand snaking around her waist as he leaned in. His lips met Al's as they comfortably leaned into each other's familiar bodies, the golden warmth of the setting sun falling on them. They only parted when a wolf-whistle sounded from below them on the pitch, and Al looked over to see Lee Jordan waving at them while Fred pranced about on the side of the pitch.
The couple leaned their foreheads against one another, grinning. "I guess that's my cue," George said quietly.
"I guess it is," Al replied, still grinning as he stood up and walked over the benches.
"Don't stay out too late!" he called, before heading down he stairs. Al watched Fred and Lee dancing around on the pitch together, until George joined them minutes later and they all walked briskly back up to the castle, the glow of the sunset casting their long shadows onto the lawn.
*****
"Everybody, please put your quills down," McGonagall announced to the room. Al watched as Draco plopped his head down on the desk, Daphne cracked her knuckles and Theo let out a huge sigh. She was glad she didn't have to take the exams this year - they looked really difficult.
The bell went, and everyone gathered their things away, heading to lunch. "One moment please, Dursley," McGonagall called. Al rolled her eyes, before turning around with a bright smile on her face. "This is supposed to be a surprise for the champions, but your families are invited to come and watch the final task," McGonagall said and Al snorted.
"My parents wouldn't come to Hogwarts if they had a gun to their head," Al told her.
"Yes, I remember them," McGonagall said, her face remaining stern and with a slight frown. "As you can imagine, they haven't replied to my owl."
"Don't worry about it, Professor," Al said, "It's probably best for all parties that they don't come."
"Well, is there anyone else you'd like to invite?" McGonagall asked.
Al thought for a moment. Her mind landed briefly on the Malfoys, but no. She didn't know them that well, really. "It's OK, Professor," Al said, "Although Harry might like it if you invited the Weasleys."
The corners of McGonagall's mouth twitched, "Already done," she said, before she dismissed Al to lunch.
*****
It was the evening of the third task, and Al was sat at the feast in her running gear, her stomach looping and diving while she tried to eat. Daphne gave her pitiful looks as she pushed her peas around her plate. "Eat," Draco hissed.
"I'm not hungry," she said back. The plates changed from mains to dessert and Al looked around at everyone marvelling over what they could have. "I'm going for a walk," she said, eyeing the nearby door and the distracted people. Theo raised his eyebrows. "I won't be late," she said, checking her watch, "I've got half an hour." And with that she got up and slid out the hall, a couple of eyes following her, but unnoticed for the most part.
Al wandered nervously along the corridors, checking her watch every now and then and biting her nails. She took a few deep breaths and mumbled to herself, "Chill out...you've got this."
She came to an abrupt halt when she passed Moody's office. It would be unoccupied, and maybe she could get to the bottom of the Crouch business. She checked her watch - fifteen minutes. Plenty of time to get down there. "Alohamora," she whispered and the door clicked open.
Stepping inside, the usual objects ticked, whistled and whirled as she looked around. It was the first time Al realised that there weren't any photographs in there. She placed her wand on a table top and stepped over to a desk, where a piece of parchment lay open. Hold on, she thought, this is that map that Lupin had. Was it a Defence teacher thing?
Al poured over the map, trying to find her label - and yes, there she was. But when she looked closer, there was another label in the office that read, Bartemius Crouch. No - not in the office - in the doorway.
Al's head snapped up, and her eyes met those of Moody, with his wand pointing directly at her chest. She eyed her own wand at the other side of the room and he did too, a sick sneer forming on his face. He stepped forward, keeping his wand up, and pushed the door further open. "Constant vigilance, Dursley," he growled, "That's what I've been teaching you all year. I thought you were one of the ones that had listened."
"You killed Mr Crouch," Al said.
"And you didn't tell Dumbledore," he said, "Why?"
"You'd already moved the body, and the evidence. He wouldn't be able to sack you, so he'd just keep an eye on you. And then you'd attack me," Al said cautiously, trying to figure a way out.
"No, I wouldn't," Moody said, "Why?"
"I don't know, Sir."
"Think!" he barked.
"You're not Alastor Moody," Al stated, grasping at straws, "But I saw you kill the real Barty-" realisation dawned on her and cut her off. "You're Barty Crouch Junior?" she guessed, "That's why he called you 'son'! He knew, which is why you killed him." Moody nodded, looking impressed. "But that doesn't explain why he was going crazy?"
"He was fighting off an imperious curse," Moody-Crouch said, "From the Dark Lord himself."
"That can't be true," Al said, despite herself.
"You know it can be," he said, stumping towards her, "And he sent me here to enter you and your cousin into the tournament." Somewhere, in the distance, a whistle blew. The task had begun, and Al was late.
"I suggest you head off," Moody-Crouch said.
"You're letting me go?" Al asked, surprised, as another whistle blew. Moody-Crouch only nodded. "Why?" He didn't respond. He wanted her in that maze with her cousin, which probably meant..."It's a trap," she said.
Moody-Crouch sneered again, "Well done, Dursley. There's a trap. One that your cousin will run straight into." They stared at each other in silence, while Al tried to figure out what to do. A third whistle blew and Al was off, sprinting through Hogwarts without her wand towards the death-trap maze to save her cousin.