"I know you could have handled it, but I really didn't want to see myself doing something ridiculous," Harry replied. "If you want, we can talk about it later. There should be nothing about me that you fear."
Fleur smiled and gave Harry a kiss. "Later."
"Hermione, which way?"
"You need to go left some. You're about forty yards from the center."
They found a left turn and took it and with Hermione's guidance they moved closer and closer to the middle. As they turned another corner they found themselves looking at a golden mist.
"What is it?" Harry asked.
"I don't know, but..." Fleur said as she cautiously approached the mist. With a twist and shake of her wand, she performed the revealing charm Lupin had shown them. A magenta colored light flared followed by a silver swirl before both disappeared. "It's an inversion illusion spell," Fleur said. "When we go in, it will fill like you are upside down even though your feet are still on the ground. Just continue walking and it will be all right. I'll go first and you follow."
"Fleur...I'll go…" Harry started.
"Arry I'll be alright," Fleur replied determinedly.
"Krum is coming up about fifteen yard behind you," Hermione said.
Fleur turned and walked into the gold mist. As she disappeared, he pulled in her thoughts and felt her feel like she was upside down. She took a step and her world returned to normal. Harry followed into the mist and felt the same upside down effect. He was about to take a step when he felt a sharp wave of fear from Fleur that quickly disappeared. He immediate raised his foot to step and he also found his world right again.
"What happened," He asked Fleur as he looked around for the danger.
"Devil's snare," She said nodding at some vines withering away from a ball of bluebell light. "I was waiting for you and it grabbed me by the ankles. It startled me."
As they moved away from the mist up the pathway, Harry heard a sound behind them and turned in time to see Krum leveling his wand. He only had a split second to realize the wand was pointed at Fleur. A jet of red light poured out of the Durmstrang champion's wand and would have hit Fleur if Harry hadn't knocked her to the ground.
"KRUM! What are you doing?" Harry yelled, but Krum's wand was tracking Fleur and Harry knew he was about to send another hex. Harry rolled away and quickly brought his own wand up pointed at Krum. He sent a stunning spell back at Krum but the Bulgarian seeker dodged easily and disappeared back into the gold mist.
Harry sent two additional stunners into the mist hoping for a lucky hit. He then turned back to Fleur. "Are you alright?"
"Oui," She said as she stared at the mist Krum had disappeared into.
Harry helped her to her feet and wrapped his arms around her. "What's got into Krum? Do you think he wants to win that much?"
"I don't know. I thought 'e was..." she let the words dwindle as they both were thinking the same thing.
"Harry, Hermione," Gabrielle said. "We're on ze south side of ze maze and ze man Crouch is not 'here. Only Professor Moody is 'ere. 'E's been pointing his wand and casting some spell."
"Where are you in relations to Moody?" Hermione asked.
"We are about thirty yards away to ze right of 'im."
"That's him," Hermione shouted. "That's where the map says Crouch is."
"We just had Krum attack us in here," Harry said.
"What?"
"Gabrielle, get to Dumbledore. Ask him about Crouch. Hermione go to him as well. He might want to see the map for proof. We are close enough I think," Harry instructed. "I have a bad feeling about this and the faster Dumbledore knows the better."
Harry looked at Fleur. "For some reason Crouch is impersonating Moody or at least that's what the map is showing. Gabrielle and Hermione are going to let Dumbledore know," He grabbed her hand and they started down the path again.
When they made the next turn they were face to whatever with what they didn't want to meet; A blast-ended skrewt. It was ten feet long with thick armor coating it surface and a huge stinger hanging over its body.
"Just don't offer it a teddy bear whatever you do," Harry muttered to Fleur. The Skrewt had momentarily stopped when it saw them. Its stinger wavered slightly and then it started racing toward Harry and Fleur. They did have a plan for the thing – sort of. They hoped it was too large to turn around in the maze. Harry pointed his wand at Fleur with a swish and flick and the right words he levitated her up and over the skrewt. The skrewt stopped as it sensed one of its prey was escaping in some way. Harry gently put his bond mate down on the other side of the gigantic beast. As Fleur was about to levitate Harry up and over, the Skrewt did what neither of them could believe, it started to raise its body up the hedge trying to turn around.
"FLEUR!" Harry yelled. "It's underside is visible, Blasting Hexes right there."
Two different 'Reducto' curses hit the skrewt on the soft underside and a chunk of the creature flew off. The part of the skrewt that had tried to move vertical fell back to the ground with an audible 'thunk'. It was dead.
"You're covered in blood or whatever zat thing 'ad in it," Fleur said to Harry when he caught up to her. "Let me clean it for you. Scourgify," she said and Harry's robes were clean.
"Thanks," He said and gave her a kiss. "Had enough excitement yet?"
"Oui. Let's find zat cup and get out of 'ere."
They heard Cedric's voice from off to the side. "Krum, what the hell are you doing?"
....
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