Daphne's Gift

"So, Harry, think you're ready?"

"As ready as I can be, Ron."

This was it. Today was the day. The Third and Final Task—Voldemort's last chance to use the Tournament to his benefit. This is what it had all been building towards. His involvement in a Tournament he never wanted to participate in. The murder of Crouch Senior. And that damned prophecy... all of it was building towards this final event, where he and the other Champions would be sent into a magical hedge maze, littered with beasts and traps alike, all to try and win this blasted Tournament.

Even now, Harry wanted to back out of this whole bloody thing, and let the people who intentionally put their names forward compete for the chance to win 'eternal glory.' But he couldn't, and not just because of the risk of losing his magic. No, he had to compete, because if he didn't, there was a good chance whatever trap Voldemort had prepared would be set off by them. He didn't want anyone getting hurt because of him... well, he didn't want any innocents getting caught in the crossfire between him and the bastard who had taken his family from him.

"I just wish there was more we could have done to prepare you for it." Hermione had set aside today's copy of the Daily Prophet, though instead of focusing on her breakfast, her attention was on Harry.

"Not much we could do. Making a map was out of the question because the damn hedges shifted, even while Bagman was showing it off, not to mention the half-dozen Aurors guarding it until now. Hagrid told us the Skrewts were bred specifically for the Tournament, but only one of them survived to now, and even he doesn't know how many creatures are being brought in from abroad, and how many are being plucked from the Forest. Sad as it is, I think Professor Flitwick's training was the best any of us could have hoped for."

"And I hope you realize how rare it is for him to train students, Mr.Potter."

Harry nearly jumped in surprise as he heard the voice of Professor McGonagall. Sure enough, when he turned around, there she was, looking down at him, her usual stern look plastered on her face. But right now it seemed... softer.

"Good morning, Professor McGonagall." Hermione remained calm and collected, and McGonagall regarded her with a small smile.

"Good morning, Miss Granger. I'm here to inform you, Mr.Potter, that the Champions' families are invited to view the Third Task. The Champions are also permitted to spend the day with them before the Task."

"Oh, um... thank you, Professor. But I'm not sure who'll be there. My... relatives would never come to Hogwarts willingly, not for all the gold in Gringotts."

"Oh, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised, Mr.Potter. As will you, Miss Granger. They're waiting for you in the courtyard."

And with that, she simply walked away, though Harry did catch the smile she was suppressing as she did so.

"Do you think the Professors convinced your aunt and uncle to come to Hogwarts?" Ron was admittedly curious about this. He still remembered the summer before their second year, when Harry's uncle fell through the window trying to pull Harry back into the house. Ron knew they were berks, especially once he saw the blasted bars on his window, but that convinced him his relatives were bloody nutters.

"God I hope not. If they did, I'm sure it'd be to wish me a concussion in the Task. Or a broken neck."

"Harry, don't joke about that."

"Who says I was joking, Hermione?"

"Harry..."

Now Harry saw what had her upset. It wasn't the dismissal of his relatives or their casual cruelty. She was scared. Even now, he realized just how much of a toll this was taking on her. She'd attended every training session from the beginning. She'd seen just how far he'd come. How hard he'd pushed himself to reach this point. But that only reminded her of how much was at stake. Harry's life was on the line, not only because this was a dangerous Tournament, but also because of the added risk of Voldemort. He was out there, lurking in the shadows, waiting for his chance to strike her boyfriend.

And the stress of it all was beginning to weigh down on her. Putting his arms around her shoulder, he pulled her in close, kissing her gently as he did so.

"Hey, it's alright Hermione. I'm not going to fail. I'm going to win this thing, and if Mouldyshorts decides to show himself, I'll beat him, like I always have."

Hermione felt her tears building in her eyes, but this time she let them fall. She was so scared of losing him, after everything they'd been through. Nobody deserved a happy ending more than Harry, of that she was certain. But even without Voldemort, this insane Tournament threatened to take that from Harry. Letting those tears fall... it was like she was finally feeling a weight being lifted from her shoulders, one she didn't know how to handle anymore.

Slowly, the tears dried out, and she lifted her head to look her boyfriend in the eyes.

"I don't want to lose you."

"You never will, Hermoine. That's a promise."

Smiling in response, she kissed his lips gently again, before collecting her things. This morning she had the History exam. And while Harry might be exempt from final exams, she certainly wasn't. Even if the History class focused almost exclusively on the Goblin Rebellions, she wasn't going to be caught giving anything less than her absolute best. With Hermione, and by extension the rest of the school, attending their exams, Harry rose from the bench and made his way to the courtyard.

What he found was a surprise. Make no mistake, it was a pleasant one, but a surprise nonetheless. Gathered around a bench in the courtyard was a group he mostly recognized. First, and most obvious, there was Moony, standing next to Andromeda and Ted with a happy Padfoot at his feet, wagging his tail as he accepted pats from... a middle-aged couple that Harry swore he had seen before, but for some reason couldn't place a name. The final member of this group was a young woman with spiky pink hair, one that matched the descriptions of Andromeda's daughter, Nymphadora.

Before he could even say anything, Padfoot noticed his arrival and ran towards him, happily barking all the while. Knowing his godfather's antics, Harry quickly knelt and hugged his godfather's animagus form. Padfoot happily accepted it, before pulling back and running circles around him, playfully barking, and pausing only to start chasing his tail. The sight was so ridiculous that Harry couldn't help but laugh loudly, a sentiment shared as the group made their way over to him. Looking up, Harry noticed Andromeda's warmly smiling face first.

"Settle down, Padfoot. You're not a puppy anymore."

Whine.

"Oh don't even start with the sad eyes. I'm immune to your so-called 'charm.'"

Arf!

"I'm not going to dignify that with a response. How are you doing, Harry?"

"I'm doing well, Andy." Harry laughingly replied. "I was worried you'd be stuck with judge duties the rest of the day."

"I've got until after lunch to be with you. After that, I need to get these two back home," she said while pointing to the nameless couple.

"Right. Forgive me, I know I've seen you before, but I can't place a name."

The woman smiled in response, while the man put on a stern expression.

"It's nice to properly meet you, Harry. My name is Emma, and this is my husband, Daniel. We're Hermione's parents."

"Bugger."

Sitting at her desk, Hermione felt a sudden urge as she answered questions regarding Ranrok's Rebellion. It was a strange urge, as it compelled her to, at the first opportunity, kick someone in the pants. And she wasn't sure why, but she felt like she should kick Harry in the pants... no, wait, now she wants to kick her father in the pants.

Once this exam is over, hopefully, she can figure out why she's getting this random urge.

'Huh, strange, now I want to kick Sirius in the pants.'

"Well, that's the strangest thing."

"I don't think I've ever seen a dog laugh."

"Just how much do magical animals understand?"

"More than you'd expect, Mrs.Granger."

"And he was so well-behaved earlier."

"Trust me, him being well-behaved is the strangest thing."

Woof!

"Well, at least he's housebroken."

Arf!

"I'm going to assume that was a confirmation."

'Finished!'

The History exam was finally over, and she could join Harry in the Great Hall for lunch. And she was especially curious as to who had come to see Harry for the day. She knew it was unlikely, but a part of her couldn't help but worry it was his repulsive relatives, like that walking whale of an uncle, and that giraffe-necked woman with a horse face. It was hard to believe that someone as good and noble as Harry could be even slightly related to... 'people' so repulsive, let alone be responsible for raising him.

Though she didn't realize it, she was in for the shock of her life when she arrived at the Great Hall. There she saw Harry seated, and she smiled widely when she recognized Professor Lupin sitting next to him, and Padfoot resting his head on Harry's knee. But her heart stopped as she took in the sight of two very familiar people.

"Mum!? Dad!?"

"Hello, Hermione!"

"Oh dear, looks like Padfoot's about to start all over again."

"It was nice meeting you, Harry."

"Likewise, Mrs.Granger."

"Oh please, dear, call me Emma."

"And good luck with the Third Task young man."

"Thank you, Mr.Granger."

"Call him Dan, dear. And good luck as well. Hopefully, you'll be free to visit over the summer. I know Hermione can't wait to invite you over."

"Mum!"

Andromeda led the dental Grangers away, while Hermione stood beside Harry, blushing beet red. Briefly, silence dominated the air, until one cheerful Metamorphmagus broke said silence.

"So, that happened."

Hermione shook her head. "I'm positive that was a prank pulled on us. I'm sure somebody's laughing it up right now."

Woof!

Tonks snorted. "But who's the prankster? My mum?"

"That or Professor McGonagall."

Arf?

"Yeah, I don't know why I thought that either."

Remus looked thoughtful. "I don't know, Harry. I could've sworn I saw a Tabby cat following us as we were giving the tour."

Tonks shivered. "A prankster McGonagall. I'm not sure I can handle that idea."

"Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to the Third and Final Task of the Triwizard Tournament! In fourth place, we have Fleur Delacour of Beauxbatons with 73 points! In third place, with 92 points we have Viktor Krum of Durmstrang! In second place, with 94 points is Cedric Diggroy of Hogwarts. And finally, we have Harry Potter of the Ancient and Most Noble House of Potter, in first place with 120 points!"

The crowd roared their approval as Bagman gave his announcement. The Quidditch stands were packed with students from the three schools, officials associated with the Tournament, and those lucky enough to have acquired a ticket to this major event. In the judges' stands, he could see Madam Bones and Minister Fudge had taken their spots, while Andromeda stood beside Harry, Dumbledore with Cedric, Karkaroff with Viktor, and Maxime with Fleur.

Interestingly enough, Harry noticed, that only Viktor and Fleur were wearing their traditional school uniforms, while he and Cedric were wearing more protective gear. Harry had decided to wear his Basilisk-hide war robes again, keeping the hood down until they were ready to send him into the maze. Cedric was wearing what looked like a dragon-hide trench coat and vest, complete with gloves and boots.

During their duelling lessons with Professor Flitwick, both Andromeda and the diminutive Professor had suggested they make use of whatever additional protective measures they could. Harry had opted for his robes, knowing he could summon his Arcanium armour if the situation called for it, while Cedric had mentioned gear belonging to his great-grandfather, Francis Diggory, a famed werewolf hunter that both Gnarl and Andromeda recognized. The Diggory family had kept his equipment from that time but had never been given cause to use it. But the danger surrounding the Tournament, both the Final Task itself and the threat of outside interference meant Amos had brought it out for his son.

"Earlier today, Professor Alastor Moody hid the Triwizard Cup in the maze, and only he knows its exact position. The first Champion to find and touch the Cup will be the winner! However, the maze is filled with creatures and traps the Champions must find a way past. The Hogwarts staff will be patrolling, and if any Champion wishes to withdraw from the maze, they need only send up red sparks with their wand. As he is in first place, Mr.Potter will be the first to enter, followed by Mr.Diggory, Mr.Krum, and finally Ms.Delacour. At the sound of the whistle, we begin! Champions, take your position!"

With a final hug from Andromeda, Harry made his way to one of the four maze entrances, pulling his hood up as he did so. Once in position, he turned and gave one final look behind him. In the stands, he could see Ron and Hermione, waving and cheering for him. Smiling at them, he then turned his gaze towards the judges and teachers. Andromeda had claimed her seat, giving him a gentle smile and a nod of encouragement. Below her, standing guard, was her daughter Nymphadora, giving him a cheeky grin. Above her sat Remus, his surrogate uncle and teacher, beside Madam Bones, both of whom nodded at his gaze.

And finally, hidden in between the stands, peeking his head out just enough, was a large black dog. Harry smiled broadly at him, knowing it was Padfoot. This was it. His friends and family were standing behind him. They believed in him. They knew he could do it. And seemingly reading his thoughts, Gnarl spoke to him one final time.

"Have no fear, Sire. I do not doubt in my mind you will triumph over your adversaries. After all, the Potters will always find a way."

"Mr.Potter, are you ready?" Harry turned towards Bagman, nodding his head in response."On three - two - one -" The whistle blew, and Harry took off into the maze, disappearing into the mist-filled paths.

In the stands, Hermione was watching with bated breath. The Third Task was, in theory, simple. It was a maze, and all the Champions had to do was reach the center, and claim the Triwizard Cup. Anybody, regardless of their points, had a chance of winning this thing. But the maze itself was alive, a living labyrinth that would attempt to ensnare those who walked it. Not to mention the potential for additional hazards placed throughout the damned thing. Between the dragons for the First Task, and the bloody Lake for the Second, those traps and hazards could, quite literally, be anything.

Still, she knew Harry had the advantage. The others might have been older than him, but he'd put all his energy into training and preparing for this final task. She knew he'd been training with spells that Andromeda hadn't mentioned before. She wasn't the 'Brightest Witch' of her age for nothing. She'd seen the damage done to their training room. Damage that wasn't there from their last training session, which likely meant Harry was training late into the night.

Happy as she was to see him investing himself fully in this, she hoped he was careful. Some of that damage looked like it came from destructive, dangerous spells. Much as she might like Harry to win, more importantly, she wanted Harry to survive.

As Fleur finally was sent into the maze, she watched with anticipation. It wasn't easy to tell, but she was certain at times she could see Harry running through the maze. Between the mist and the lack of light in there, she couldn't be certain whether she was watching Harry or-

'Wait! A light, from the Patronus! And it's a dragon! There he is! He's doing great! He's going to make it! He's going to...'

She stood up.

She had to leave the stands.

She began walking.

She had to leave the stands.

She made her way to...

Wait... what was she doing?

She shook her head, clearing her mind as she took in her surroundings. She was still on the Hogwarts grounds but was now some distance from the Quidditch Stadium. By now, it seemed she had covered half the distance between the Stadium and the entrance to the grounds. But why was she even out here?

"Hmph. Looks like Junior got it wrong. You can resist the Imperius."

A cold voice sent chills down Hermione's spine. Slowly, she turned to face where the voice was coming from and felt her heart skip a beat. There, standing a small distance away, was a man in black robes, with a silver skull mask. A Death Eater. One who was advancing slowly on her.

"Not that it matters, little mudblood." Hermione felt her rage spike in the face of her growing fear. She could practically hear the sneer behind his mask.

"What do you want with me?" Hermione backed away slowly, matching his pace.

"Not you, mudblood. Your boyfriend." He raised his wand at her as she backed away. "Come along quietly, and maybe we'll let you live when this is over."

Hermione drew her wand, aiming it back at the man slowly advancing on her. If her speed or reflexes surprised the man, he never let it show in his movements.

"You think that wand makes you a witch, mudblood? You'll learn the hard way the power that belongs to the pure."

"STUPEFY!"

Hermione sent a stunner, hoping to catch him off-guard as he prepared his little monologue on blood purity. But he didn't even flinch, barely needing to move as he blocked her stunner. She needed more...

"When will you wretches learn? You can't win against..."

"FULMENS!"

That caught him off guard, forcing him to conjure a powerful shield to block the lightning bolt. It crashed against the shield, exploding with frightening power. Seeing him stagger backwards, she turned to run back towards the Stadium, knowing there was help, and praying someone heard that over the cheering.

"CRUCIO!"

Hermione screamed in agony, as every nerve in her body felt like it was being held over a flame. She collapsed on the ground, feeling her muscles betray her, faltering against the bastard's attack. Turning over, she looked at him through hazy eyes and saw him advancing on her, the wand held on her.

"So, the mudblood has teeth does she? Well, the Dark Lord will remind you, and your little boyfriend, of the price of defiance! CRUCIO!"

Hermione screamed again, as fresh pain surged through her body. Writhing on the ground in agony, she tried to think through the pain, tried to make sense of their plan. They were trying to capture her. She was Harry's girlfriend, so they wanted to use her against him. And the Dark Lord... what was his plan? If he wanted Harry dead, why did he need her? She tried to think, tried to understand... but it was impossible to think! The pain! Why was there so MUCH PAIN!?

WOOF! WOOF! WOOF!

"What the!?"

SNARL!

"AAAARRRGGGGHH!!"

Hermione sucked in a heavy breath as the pain faded, and looked up at her torturer. It seemed they were no longer alone, as a large dog, black as the man's robes, had latched onto the man's wand arm, and was tearing at it with all his strength. And the Death Eater struggled to pull free.

"GET! OFF! YOU! BLOODY! MONGREL!!!"

With a savage kick, the dog was knocked away, and the man immediately aimed for the dog. Recognizing innately who it was, she aimed her wand and tried casting the first spell she thought of.

"fulmens"

But she was in such pain, she could barely muster the strength to raise her wand, let alone cast a powerful spell. A small bolt of lightning came from the wand, striking the man's shoulder, but instead of blasting him away, she only managed to injure him enough to gain his attention.

"RGH!! THAT'S IT! PLAN OR NO PLAN, YOU'RE TOO MUCH TROUBLE MUDBLOOD! AVADA-!"

She heard the first part of the spell and tried to summon the strength to move. But she couldn't. In that split second, she feared this was the end. She'd never see her family or Harry ever again. But it seemed Padfoot wasn't finished with him. With a leaping lunge, he attacked the Death Eater again, latching onto his wrist this time, and pulling the wand away from her.

"AARRRGH!"

He screamed in pain at the feeling of sharp teeth plunging into his wrist, and as Padfoot shook his head, he was pulled along like a ragdoll. The man tried breaking free again, kicking at Padfoot with all his might. But Padfoot refused to let go, snarling as he tightened his grip on the man's wrist. Hermione could hear the sound of bones breaking in Padfoot's jaws. And then, a loud squelching noise was heard, and to Hermione's shock, the man's wrist was bloodily torn from him, hand and all.

The Death Eater stumbled backwards, screaming in agony as the stump where his hand used to be bleeding profusely. Sensing the opportunity, she raised her wand one more time, hoping to end this now.

"FULMENS!"

This time, the spell struck true, blasting the man in the chest and sending him flying backwards, landing with a hard THUD that she could easily hear. Knowing he was out of commission, she collapsed backwards, letting the feel of the cool night air soothe her pain. In the haze of her mind, she could hear the sound of approaching feet and felt a cold, wet nose pressed against her cheek, followed by tentative licks.

"Padfoot..."

She breathed the words, unable to do more. She could hear him whine, and slowly raised her free hand to pet him, letting him know she was... decent. With a satisfied sound from the dog, she then heard the sound of people approaching her. In the background, she could hear Professor McGonagall's voice.

"MISS GRANGER!"

WOOF! WOOF!

"Wait, that dog... is that?"

That was Madam Bone's voice. It sounded like she recognized Padfoot. Hermione silently prayed that Padfoot wouldn't be in danger around her. Not when they were so close.

"Miss Granger! Can you hear me!?"

Hermione heard McGonagall kneel beside her, her voice fraught with worry.

"P...professor..."

Hermione's voice was weak, the pain still omnipresent, even as she regained her senses. She heard more feet approach, and some walked past her, hopefully grabbing the bastard responsible for this.

"She's conscious. We need to get her to Poppy, now!"

"Agreed." Was that... Dumbledore? "Here, get her on the stretcher. I'll send a Patronus to Poppy, telling her to meet you in the Hospital Wing."

As she felt herself being levitated onto a stretcher, she heard an unfamiliar voice.

"What about the dog?"

Whine

"I believe he is Mr.Potter's. Given the circumstances, I do believe Miss Granger couldn't ask for a better bodyguard." Dumbledore's voice rang out, with a slight chuckle at the end of his statement.

Woof!

"Very well then. Miss Granger, we're going to bring you to Madam Pomfrey. Just hang on!"

Hermione could feel the stretcher floating through the air as she was brought to the Hospital Wing by McGonagall. She could hear the sound of Padfoot running alongside, and lowered her hand to brush the top of his head, letting him know she was still conscious. But she had to warn them. She had to warn Harry.

"Professor... trap..."

"Shh, shh, Miss Granger. Save your strength. The Cruciatus is notorious for causing long-term damage."

"Professor... Junior... Voldemort..."

Hermione could hear her Professor gasp at the use of the Dark Lord's name, but she pressed on.

"Tried... using me... as bait..."

"Be strong, Hermione. If Harry's anything like his parents, he'll be back before the night is done."

Hermione was shocked to hear the normally stern professor using her name, and Harry's name as well. But her thoughts faded as she heard Madam Pomfrey catch up, and let them worry about tending her. She only hoped Harry would fare better than she was.

"YAXLEY!?"

Madam Bones roared in shock, seeing the Death Eater mask removed from who recognized as one of her Aurors. The shock was soon replaced by a righteous fury at this betrayal.

"Shacklebolt!"

"Ma'am!"

"Get him to the DMLE. Put him in a secure cell. Nobody but me is allowed near him! Understood?"

"Yes, Ma'am. What about his wrist?"

Amelia looked down at Yaxley's hands and noticed Shacklebolt's point. One of the hands was missing and was still bleeding profusely from the injury. Assuming he was still alive, he likely had only minutes left to spare. With a quick Incendio, the stump was cauterized, preventing any more bleeding, but keeping him unconscious from the pain of both a lightning bolt and fresh cauterization.

"What about his wrist?"

"Understood."

"If you're that worried Shacklebolt, get him enough medical help to keep him alive, but not comfortable. We've already seen his wand. He's not long for this world. Now move it!"

Shacklebolt hurried to fulfill his boss' orders, leaving her, Dumbledore, and Scrimgeour behind.

"What a bloody mess this is." Amelia vented her frustration at the situation. An Auror using an Unforgivable on a student was bad enough. That he was caught in Death Eater robes was, as far as she was concerned, a death sentence.

"Madam, what about the Tournament? If there are other Death Eaters, we have a serious problem on our hands." Scrimgeour was attempting to remain calm and focused on the risk Yaxley's capture presented. If there were more of his ilk in the crowd, this could easily turn into a bloodbath.

"I know. BUGGER! Why now? What was he after??"

"If I may, Amelia," Dumbledore spoke up, calm as ever, "I don't believe Miss Granger was the target for Yaxley. I believe she might have been the bait."

"For Harry Potter? But how could... back to the stadium, NOW!"

Amelia turned and began running, Dumbledore and Scrimgeour right behind her.

"Amelia, you have a plan, I presume?"

"We need to cancel the Task, now! The whole point of it is to target Harry. We assumed the plan was to kill him using the Task itself, but what if the plan was to trap him? Use the preparations for the Task to set up a means of isolating Harry, somewhere we couldn't interfere. How would you do it?"

Scrimgeour blinked at her words. "The... best way would be to either Apparate him out of here or... use a Portkey."

"And the Cup is a Portkey, that's been left unattended since early this morning! Anybody could have tampered with it between then and the start of the Task. If Harry's half as good as I think he is, he's a shoo-in for the win."

"And we'd have no idea where he was taken without prior planning." Dumbledore's voice carried a sense of urgency as he realized the implications, and despite his age, he picked up the pace as they entered the stadium.

Before any of them could signal the end of the Task, they were greeted by the sight of red sparks being sent into the air. Three of them. As the stadium went quiet at the sight, one question raced through Amelia's mind.

'Is Harry still in the maze?!'