Chapter 24
Harry stepped into the maze and the terror that consumed him as the wall closed behind him was so strong that it blurred his vision.
There was a sense of wrongness so sharp that it made his knees weak, and he had to fight to keep the contents of his stomach from leaving his body.
He remembered the last time he'd felt like this - remembered the mind numbing fear and the weakness that he’d felt only once before, and it was when he’d faced the lethifold.
This was the feeling of hushed evil.
The noises of the stands were gone, and here, within the maze, was a world unlike any he’d faced. Mr. Crouch had been right about that at least.
The howl cut through the silence and some of the terror receded, allowing him to focus. He knew that sound.
He started forward, wand in hand and eyes peeled.
He could do this.
Remus was in there with him, and they’d all spent enough time together now that he knew the wolf recognized him as pack, even on a full moon.
He looked up at the sky, at the moon, bright above him, and bared his teeth at it in a grin. This wouldn’t defeat him.
He kept one foot in front of the other, breath coming out in puffs of white as he struggled to keep composure.
Despite knowing he was not alone, it didn’t shake the oppressive feeling that had settled over the whole space.
He could hear the skitter of creatures, feel the pressure of eyes, and the shock of it sent him running before he could help himself.
He shot off at a sprint, breath ragged as he turned left and right, shouting in terror when a figure loomed up over him and sent him dashing back the other direction.
He was being chased he could feel it but he couldn’t make himself turn - couldn’t shake the animal need to run - just run - get away -
He dragged in another ragged breath and heard the howl again. As before it sliced through his fear, spinning him around and he lifted his wand even as tears burned.
“EXPECTO PATRONUM.” His voice rang out loud and clear, and the lion burst out of his wand even as he fell back. It chased the shape that had followed him with a roar of its own before loping back to him, and he pushed shakily to his feet.
He allowed himself a moment of weakness, burying his hands in its fur, feeling the faint pressure of magic that held its form whispering against his palms.
He pressed their brows together before straightening with another breath.
A scream tore through the silence and he recognized it - recognized Fleur. Determined now, Harry gripped his wand tight, battling with the fear inside of him.
Fear didn’t make him weak. Courage was being afraid and doing it anyways.
The lion offered him a bow before fading away, and Harry stared grimly off into the dim light. Fleur screamed again, and Harry broke into another run, this time towards it.
They were in this together, and they’d get out of it together.
>>>
By the time he managed to wind his way closer to the sound of Fleur’s panic, she’d gone silent, and he realized why the moment he found her. Her gaze was blank and she'd clearly been stunned. Harry crouched beside her, pointing his wand at the sky and sending up a signal.
He may not be able to help her now, but someone could.
Keeping low now, because whoever had stunned Fleur couldn’t be far, he crept down the path. He heard him before he saw him, and Harry pressed back into the maze wall, the prick of branches scraping him even through his shirt, but when he caught side of Viktor’s eyes, he was glad he’d hidden as he had.
Viktor’s eyes were milky white, a haze over them and a blankness to his expression that told Harry very clearly he was not the one in control of his actions.
The realization sent a chill down Harry’s spine, because he knew then, that whoever had set him up to compete, was probably in the maze with them.
His breath caught in his chest, and he held it even until his lungs started to burn, as Viktor prowled back and forth in front of him, sensing something but unable to see.
A sound in the distance had his head whipping around, and Harry was fairly certain his heart stopped a moment when it had blank eyes staring into his own.
Then Viktor prowled off, following the sound.
It took Harry a moment to convince himself to move again, and when he did, he walked the opposite direction of where Viktor had gone.
He found himself praying to every god he knew that Viktor would be okay.
It felt like hours, but Harry knew it had probably only been minutes, knew time was probably distorted to add to the fear of it all.
The snap of a twig had him dropping to the ground on instinct, and he was glad he had when spells shot over his head, Cedric and Viktor’s voices shouting over him. Then he was being hauled to his feet, and he saw Cedric’s panicked face even as he dragged Harry with him. When they stopped for breath, both panting, Cedric spoke.
“Something’s wrong with him, Harry. And Fleur-”
“I know. Someone got to her too. I sent up a signal.”
Cedric nodded, though he was watching Harry in a way he hadn’t before. It sent the hairs on the back of Harry’s standing.
Wands were up and pointing at each other between one breath and the next.
“How do I know it wasn’t you?” Cedric accused, and the air was ripe with his fear, with Harry’s too.
“I’d never hurt them.” Harry snapped in return, “How do I know you didn’t do it?”
Cedric lip curled, and Harry could see the beginning of a spell on his lips. He prepared to counter, sweat dripping down his back even in the chilled air of the maze.
James stepped out of the fog like a ghost, and Harry could’ve sobbed in relief. Cedric’s wand dropped, face paling, but James didn’t give either of them time to relax.
“We have to move.”
The rustling sound followed the words, and they looked at each other then him before nodding as one, following him as he broke into a run, leading them further into the maze.
“I’m sorry.” Cedric gasped as they ran. “It’s this place-”
“I know. Trust me.” Harry interrupted. “I’m sorry too.”
Expressions grim, they ran together.
“Who is he?” Cedric asked then, and Harry offered an exhausted smile.
“Family.”
Neither noticed how James’ steps faltered at the single word, only nearly skidded into him when he stopped, turning with narrowed eyes.
“We’re not alone.” He murmured, eyes sharp on the gloom, and when he drew a gun, Cedric’s eyes widened. “Go. I’ll be right behind you.”
Cedric hesitated but Harry just grabbed his arm, dragging him on.
They came to a crossroads and Cedrics yanked him to a stop, pointing down the path to the left.
“Look! Do you see that?”
Harry did. The cup looked just like he’d expected - a glowing trophy in the gloom.
“It’s probably a portkey.” Cedric realized. Then he grabbed Harry’s hand. “Come on!”
Even as they run, the maze starts to shift around them.
“James! Come on!” Harry called back, feeling that same sense of dread when the man didn't immediately appear behind them.
“Come on!” Cedric shouted again as they reached the cup, but he made no move to grab it.
“Together!” Harry shouted back, barely able to speak over sound of the maze realigning itself. He could see James sprinting towards them, and knew Cedric had as well when they shared a smile of relief.
“On three.”
James saw Newt even as the boys reached for the cup, hands already outstretched and grasping. He saw the man’s mouth form the word ‘NO!’ but it was lost to the wind.
So James did the only thing he could. He grabbed the cup with them.
In a burst of light, all three of them disappeared.
Newt pushed himself towards the dais where the cup had sat only moments before, and set his jaw.
He murmured, the language falling from his tongue old and forgotten, and power swept through the maze, shoving it back with terrifying force.
The world went silent - and it wasn’t the silence of fear this time. It was one of clarity.
Between one blink and the next, Newt was gone.