Pariah: The Other Malfoy

Chapter 40: The Third Task

But months passed and they didn't slip up - nothing happened at all. Our life was just filled with studying for the most part, and the silence made thoughts of the Dark Lord leave my mind again. I should have been paying more attention, looking back at it I was sure I would have seen something that would have helped.

But I didn't pay attention. And I blamed myself for the events that happened after.

The third task came the night of the full moon in June. I was irritable that morning as I followed Tobias towards the Quidditch Pitch, which had been modified to grow a huge maze.

We sat down near the front with Ron and Hermione, then the Champions came out. Harry and Diggory went into the maze first as they were joint leaders, followed by Krum then Fleur.

"Who d'you think'll win?" asked Ron.

"Harry!" me and Tobias said in unison.

We all looked at Hermione with our eyebrows raised.

"Well... It all depends on luck, doesn't it! What creatures you come across and what path you choose!" catching Ron's annoyed expression, she hastily added, "Of course, I think Harry will win!"

Me and Tobias looked at each other and grinned. Hermione and Ron had an interesting relationship and it wasn't something either of us wanted to get in the middle of. That would normally end with getting your head bitten off by one of them, depending on the side you decided to take.

"Full moon tonight," commented Tobias and I sighed. I didn't need him pointing it out when I already knew, though I bit my lip to keep from saying anything. He was just trying to help.

We sat for a while in silence. It wasn't the most exciting task, we couldn't see anything going on in the maze. We just had to sit and wait until someone won, then we'd find out what actually happened during the task. However, the whole school was forced to turn up for the task, despite the fact it was the most boring thing ever.

Tobias and I had resorted to playing a game of Exploding Snap in the stands. Hermione was giving us disapproving glares but Ron was egging us on, much to her annoyance. What else were we expected to do, sit in silence? Other members of the crowd had begun to socialise as well, but that was the whole point of the Triwizard Tournament! Send some students to get killed and socialise with other schools while they did so.

Some Durmstrang boys came over to us and joined in our game, learning the rules of Exploding Snap. Hilarity quickly ensued as they didn't pick it up quickly enough and were always the ones the deck exploded on. We quickly became distracted from the task Harry was in the middle of, focusing instead on making some new friends from Durmstrang!

"RED SPARKS!" someone yelled and we all looked at the maze, forgetting our game very quickly. Someone was in danger!

Sure enough, red sparks were coming from one corner of the maze. Red sparks meant a Champion needed rescuing and none of the Champions would have used it lightly.

"Oh, I hope it's not Harry!" said Hermione.

It wasn't. It was Fleur Delacour. We all sighed in relief and glanced at the Beauxbatons pupils. They looked really annoyed. I felt bad for them, it must have been disappointing knowing you were out of the running so early on. Fleur had never been a strong contender though, so I wasn't really surprised.

Minutes later, more red sparks came. We all held our breath and hoped that it wasn't Harry. We were in for a surprise though, it was Viktor Krum. That maze must have included some real challenges, for many people had bet money on Krum to win. The Durmstrang boys we had been playing with groaned in frustration as their Champion was eliminated, returning to their school rather swiftly.

"Harry and Diggory are the only ones left..." I breathed, "At the end of the day, we've won."

A significant length of time passed until the two boys appeared, it was beginning to get dark. Harry was gripping tightly onto the Triwizard Cup with one hand, the other gripping Cedric's shirt. The music started up as everyone cheered the two boys who seemed to have decided to end it in a draw.

But something wasn't right. I stood slowly, staring at Harry as I noticed he was crying, still clinging to Cedric's lifeless body. Then somebody screamed, and the music died out.

"Harry!" Dumbledore moved forward, trying to pull Harry away from the body, "Tell me what happened."

"He's back, he's back! Voldemort's back!" Harry sobbed, his voice rising over the sudden stillness, "Cedric, he asked me to bring his body back. I couldn't leave him, not there."

Tobias gripped my hand as we stared, Fudge walking over to McGonagall and Snape as volume began to rise again, the news spreading through the crowd like wildfire, Cedric was dead.

"Keep everyone in their seats," Fudge was saying, "A boy has just been killed. The body must be moved, Dumbledore, there are... too many people."

"Let me through!" A voice pierced the growing noise, gut-wrenching grief clear in it, "That's my son! My boy!"

Cedric's father pushed through, collapsing beside his son, sobbing loudly. I barely noticed Harry being taken away by Moody, crying into Tobias's shoulder instead as he held me tightly.

Deathly silence had settled over the crowd once more, the only noise was Cedric's father sobbing, and the teachers whispering about what to do. They forced us out of the stadium, people were wandering the halls aimlessly, sobbing harshly.

I barely remembered I had to go to the Whomping Willow, I was entirely distraught, clinging tightly to Tobias's arm as I cried. If I had told Harry, maybe he would have been more careful! Maybe he could have saved Cedric!

"I'll take you to the Willow," Tobias said gently, realising Madam Pomfrey was far too preoccupied to remember about me, and for once I didn't argue with him.

He began to follow me down the tunnel, and my brain worked enough that I managed to turn to him in confusion.

"You've taken your potion this week," he stated, and I nodded, "I'm coming with you. I don't want you alone tonight."

"It's not safe—" I began, my voice cracking.

"I wasn't asking for permission," he replied, taking my hand and walking in further, "Nobody should be alone tonight."

"My father warned me the Dark Lord might try something tonight," I whispered as he led me into the Shrieking Shack, "If I had told Harry, maybe—"

"Lyra, nothing you could have told Harry would have helped," he said gently, "You-Know-Who would have gotten his way whatever happened."

"He's really back?" I whispered, fear clear in my voice.

"Everything is going to change now, isn't it?" Tobias clenched his fists as I collapsed on the sofa, "Cedric..."

"Tobias, go be with the others," I said sternly, my voice gaining strength, "I'm... not willing to risk your life because of how emotional I am. The Wolfsbane Potion is temperamental, and I'm worried in case... this somehow affects it. I'll be alright, and you'll be better if you have someone you can actually talk to."

He hesitated for a second before sighing.

"Be safe," he kissed the top of my head before returning down the path he came.