"She made the magic itch." Luna groused as she sat next to him.
The other champions stared at Luna for a moment. They had thought themselves adjusted to her unique conversations, but she had proved them wrong once again.
"I know." Harry nodded. "Do you know her name?"
Luna shook her head.
"What are you talking about?" Cedric asked slowly as he braced for the answer.
"The woman that's not in the lake made the magic itch." Luna replied.
"Oh." Cedric waited to see if she would say more.
He looked to the other champions when she didn't continue. They were just as confused as he was. Their group had increased in size since the ball. Cho now saw with Cedric, Luna was always near Harry, Ron had become quite close with Victor, and Parvati, along with Lavender, had attached themselves to Fleur. She was a more than a little shocked at first but had learned to accept their friendship.
Gabby had insisted on staying with Fleur. Harry didn't miss the vast multitude of shy looks the girl would send him. Their parents had taken up residence in a carriage of their own near where the Beauxbatons were settled. Gabby was eleven, which meant she was able to attend classes with the other Firsties. She could speak and understand English thanks to an interrupter spell. It wasn't perfect. There were significant gaps in regard to common slang as well as the more technical terms. It was odd to hear the occasional phrase in French pop up in conversation without any warning.
"Harry?" Cedric asked.
"You don't feel it?" Harry asked in reply.
Cedric shook his head. Harry turned his attention to the others in a silent question.
"It feels like my ears are going to pop." Gabby spoke up.
Fleur nodded. Harry motioned to the duo as though that answered things.
"That doesn't help." Cedric muttered.
"Fleur and Gabby are Veela." Cho patted her boyfriend on the shoulder. "It makes sense that they'd be able to feel things we couldn't."
"How does that explain Harry and Luna?" Cedric asked.
"It's Harry and Luna." Cho replied with a shrug.
"That's fair." Cedric sighed. "Does anyone have new information on the task?"
"No." Victor groaned. "Today. Yesterday. All same. No information."
"It's tomorrow." Cedric said in what he would claim wasn't a whine. "How do we not know anything? What was the point of the other tasks if there aren't any clues?"
"Maybe you should do some research." Parvati spoke up.
"Yes." Lavender added a little too quickly. "Split up for better results. Victor could take Cedric to the library on the ship and Fleur could take Harry to her carriage." She squeaked and shot Parvati a glare. "The library in the carriages. You know, her library carriage."
"That's a good idea." Cho nodded. "I'll take Ron and Luna to search the library here."
"Hey!" Ron groaned. "I didn't agree to studying."
The three witches glared at him. Ron froze.
"On second thought." Ron said carefully. "That sounds like a great idea."
"I could go with Harry and Fleur." Gabby chimed in.
"NO!" All three witches said at once.
Gabby flinched.
"Sorry, Gabby." Parvati soothed. "The champions should work together. We can share our discoveries at dinner."
"You could come with us." Lavender smiled brightly at the younger girl.
"What are you going to do?" Gabby studied the duo.
"We're designing enchanted athletic gear for everyone." Parvati answered proudly. "We saw the suit Harry had. It would be good if everyone had something like that."
Gabby thought it over for a moment. Parvati and Lavender gave her pleading looks. Finally, she let out a dramatic huff and nodded.
"You will need my help with the style." Gabby sniped.
Parvati glared at the little girl. Lavender bumped her shoulder.
"Thank you." The Indian witch said through gritted teeth.
The group around them dispersed before Fleur could argue. In a matter of seconds, it was just the two of them. She stared at him for a moment.
"Shall we?" She asked with a sigh.
"Of course." Harry smiled as he stood.
Fleur led him out of the Great Hall. They walked in loaded silence. The topics of cosmetic conversation had already been exhausted at lunch. There was a limit on how many times they could ask 'how are you' without being obviously strained.
Their path veered from the main carriage to one farther down the line. Fleur stopped in front of one that didn't seem to have a door. She tapped it twice with her wand to summon steps and a door. Without a look back, she stepped inside.
Harry followed. He had expected the carriages to be charmed. There was too many students to be able to fit comfortably even with how large the carriages were. He had not expected to be led into what could only be a bedroom.
The door closed behind him on its own.
"We need to talk." Fleur turned to face him.
Harry nodded.
"What is this between us?" She asked.
"May I sit?" Harry motioned to her bed.
She nodded. Harry thought for a long moment. There was only so much he could say without telling her everything. Somewhere along the line he had decided not to share the story with anyone. Luna knew, sort of, but the future had been changed too much for it to matter anymore.
"In another life, we were in love." Harry whispered.
"In another life?" Fleur asked.
Harry nodded.
"I've known since we met. Flashes of smiles. Gentle touches. A stolen kiss under the stars. Dancing." He continued. "I didn't want to trap you in feelings that aren't yours as you are now."
"That is what you decided, for my sake?" Fleur stood in front of him with her arms crossed.
"What was I supposed to do?" Harry asked. "Hello. I'm Harry Potter. We've never met, and we're surrounded by a hundred other boys trying to get your attention, but we were in love in another life. How does that sound different from any of the other lies they have all told?"
"A Veela would sense the connection." Fleur huffed. "Just like the change in magic. Veela are more aware than otherwitches."
"And you would want that?" Harry asked with a huff of his own. "This echo from another life?"
"A Veela does not love easily." Fleur arced a perfect eyebrow at him. "It is not an echo, as you say. It is an ache. There is an emptiness that I did not know until I met you. If I loved you in another life, then I will love you in this one."
"How is that different that a compulsion?" Harry asked, finally putting to words the thoughts that wouldn't allow him to speak to her. "How is the hold this other life has over you, over us, anything more than a manipulation wrapped in flowery words?"
"Ah." Fleur noticeably relaxed. "Is that all?"
Harry opened his mouth, but confusion kept the words from coming out.
"You worry about control, mine and you own." Fleur explained as she moved closer to him.
She leaned forward. Their lips touched in a gentle caress that sent a warmth to his very core.
"Tell me." She whispered as she leaned her forehead against his. "Do I appear to be a woman possessed? Has my free will been stripped? Am I mad with lust?"
Harry shook his head. He did not trust his voice. Fleur paused to kiss him again. It grew deeper, but she pulled back before it could become more.
"When the tournament is complete." She kept her voice to a whisper. "We will continue this conversation, 'Arry."
He shivered as she said his name.
"Now." She giggled as she pulled away. "Let me show you the library. This maze must have guardians."
~§~§~
Harry stood beside the other three champions. The entry to the maze loomed ahead of them. He swore the crowd was larger this time. Regardless of all the preparation, the physical training, and the effort put in by the others, he was on edge. Last time, this had been a big turning point. Cedric had died, Voldemort had returned, and things went downhill fast.
He told himself that there was no reason to worry now that Voldemort was dead. Of course, with Tom out of the game that left Dumbledore to still deal with. The old man had been too quiet as of late. It felt like he was in the eye of the storm rather than truly safe.
Maybe he could feel the change in the air too. That would be enough to give anyone pause. It had grown to a steady hum. He knew it had something to do with the woman from his dream. She hadn't contacted him beyond that first encounter and he had no way to reach out to her. He wasn't sure if that was a good idea.
All of that had to be put aside. The Third Task had arrived. He hoped that they had prepared enough for everyone to come out alive at the end of the night. Harry didn't want anyone else to reach the cup before him, just in case it was a trap once more. Last time, he had let his noble spirit lead the way. A hand offered to Cedric in solidarity resulted in the young man as a corpse.
Four large banners stretched over the top of the maze. Harry thought they would have learned from the Second Task. No one could see down into the maze from the stands. He shook his head, it wasn't his problem.
"The Champions will enter one at a time." Bagman's voice was loud before the charm. "The will be a one-minute gap between each entry."
Harry bounced on his feet. He shook out his arms and rolled his shoulders. The new clothing felt great. Lavender and Parvati had done a wonderful job. They had kept the enchantments simple. Instead, they put their considerable skill in the design and function of the clothing. It was light, but he had seen it stand up to a piercing hex. Each champion wore one. The other three had their school crests and colors while Harry had the Coat of Arms of House Potter.
"Entering first." Bagman yelled. "The Champion of Hogwarts! Cedric Diggory."
Cedric waved to the crowd. He had a confident smile on his face that would look great on the front page of a special edition. The guy was good with people. Harry truly counted him as a friend this time around. He was going to do everything to make sure he survived the night.
"Entering second." Bagman continued. "The Champion of Durmstrang! Victor Krum."
Victor gave a short wave to the crowd as well. They went wild. The small motion was a show of his improved confidence compared to his usual stoic interactions with crowds. Harry had watched as the rather closed off young man began to grow accustomed to his own prowess.
"Entering third." Bagman paused. "Tied at third! The Champion of Beauxbatons! Fleur Delacour. The Champion of House Potter! Harry Potter."
There was a small jolt of energy in the air. Harry tensed, ready for an attack. Next to him, Fleur shifted her stance as well. The energy in the air had shifted again. He gave her a steady look. She held his gaze as she gave him a nod.
"Mister Diggory, are you ready?" Bagman yelled.
Cedric nodded.
"On your mark." The boisterous wizard raised his wand. "Get set." He shot a flare of bright red sparks into the air. "Go!"
Cedric took off like a shot. The entrance to the maze sealed shut behind him and a new one opened farther down the stretch.
That was new. The movement was almost lost on him with everything else going on. Above the maze, the banner with the Hogwarts crest swapped to a screen. The view was from behind Cedric at a steady distance and angled just enough to show what was ahead while it kept him in frame.
Harry stared at the sight in awe. He had never seen something like this in the magical world before. Even in the other time through, there hadn't been anything. This had the potential to revolutionize the magical world.
His thoughts were interrupted by a loud bang. Victor took off. The entry to the maze shut after him and two more opened farther down the line. Fleur looked over at him. She motioned to the one on the left. He nodded.
Harry saw Bagman raise his wand. He took a deep breath a moment before the signal sounded. It was time to see what the maze hid. Fleur took off to the passage on the left. He headed to the right.
The solid slam of the entry made him stutter a step. It sounded like stone, not a plant. Something told him this wasn't transfiguration. He scanned the area to see the hedge had been replaced by a ancient looking stone bricks. His eyes lifted to the sky to find a ceiling instead of stars. This was not what the maze had looked like for Cedric or Krum.
He tapped the tip of his boot against the floor. It felt like stone. Not an illusion. The air felt different too. He knew how it felt to be trapped in an enclosed space. There was a subtle scent on the air that didn't bode well. It was a mixture of lingering sweat, old blood, and the leavings of a wild animal.
Harry flexed his wrist for his wand to pop into his hand. He had to hand it to Dumbledore. This wasn't something he had seen coming. The magic around him felt different. Old and wild similar to the deep parts of the Forbidden Forest. He forced himself to focus. If this was still a maze, then the answer would be at the center.
He set forward at a jog with his wand still in his hand. The passage split into three, he took the one to the right. A subtle rumble caused him to pause. The passage behind him had been replaced by a wall.
"Of course, it's a shifting maze." Harry muttered.
He continued on. The walls would close behind him with every new passage and turn. This wasn't a maze; it was a labyrinth. The words were interchangeable in the mundane world. In the magical world, there was a distinct different. A maze was simply that, a puzzle to be solved while a labyrinth was a magical construct with the sole intent to trap those inside.
They were made famous by a commonly known myth of the…
"No." Harry came to a stop.
Dread replaced annoyance.
A Minotaur. How could they justify a minotaur? Where dragons were powerful and dangerous, they were intelligent. There were some who considered them sentient beings. A minotaur, however, while cunning, was a monster pure and simple. They were vicious and would go out of their way to eat living humans above all other options.
An explosion of nearby magic rocked the walls. It was quickly followed by a bestial bellow that made a part of him want to run and hide. He had hoped to keep his power hidden for the upcoming conflict with Dumbledore. The old man had proven once again how cunning he was. Harry could chose to let the others face the beast, or show the goat fucking bastard something.
He heard Cedric let out a ragged, pained scream. Visions of his dead form spurred Harry into motion.
"Point me, Cedric." He commanded.
The wand swung to the right. Harry took it back into his grip and pointed it at the wall. Elemental Magic was a difficult school to master. There were many different approaches around the world. Some of the more successful methods seemed to contradict each other. In truth, it was the simplicity that caused the complications.
Like attracts like.
Harry drew the outline of a door in the air before him. The stone shifted away to open before him. He let out a rough breath as it settled into shape. Simple did not mean easy.
One more wall brought him to a desperate scene. Cedric was backed into a corner, the remains of one of his arms hung at his side. It ended in a jagged stump just above his elbow. Between them stood a monster that was at least ten feet tall. He wasn't sure if it was taller than the troll back in first year, but it was definitely built different. The troll would almost look comical when placed beside the creature. Its back was toward Harry, but the unmistakable sound of teeth on bone was loud enough to echo through the passage.
The beast looked over its shoulder at him as it chewed on the lower part of Cedric's arm. Cunning malice took in the sight of the new wizard. It considered Harry as it continued to munch on the arm.
"Harry." Cedric grunted out. "Run. Leave me."
"You know I can't do that." Harry shook his head.
Harry sprang forward. He sprinted directly toward the creature. It watched him approach with a detached curiosity. Harry dropped into a slide as he went by. A rope of flame wrapped around the creatures' knee. Harry yanked hard as he hopped back up to his feet. The minotaur didn't fall, but it wasn't happy either.
The mingled stench of burned flesh and hair preceded an angry, pained roar. Harry let the rope of fire go once he reached Cedric. He turned to face the beast and shield the other wizard from further attack. Cedric looked even worse now that he was close. The blood from his arm had hid another wound on his ribs. It was only due to the wall that he was still upright.
"What are you doing?" Cedric gawked at him.
"Saving you." Harry replied without a look back. "Where is your wand?"
"His stomach." Cedric spoke just above a whisper.
"Take mine." Harry ordered. "See if the sparks still work."
It was a testament how out of it that Cedric was that he didn't even argue. The Hufflepuff took the wand. He held it up and shot sparks. Cedric disappeared before the spell had finished. A bone-shaking roar filled with outrage erupted from the minotaur. The look of curiosity had been replaced by a feral rage. He wasn't sure if it was from the flame rope, or Cedric's escape.
Harry held out his hand. He couldn't summon the Elder Wand, that would be too much. The sword, however, was something that everyone already knew about. The familiar grip formed in an instant. He held it before him in both hands. A detached part of his mind noted that there was something different about it. This was not the time for an inspect though.
The beast charged.
In his previous life, he had studied history of magical Britain and most of Europe. His adventures had led him to fight many dark lords through the years. Monsters were not in the usual rotation. Most dark lords preferred to have minions rather than beasts. It took too much time and technique to handle magical creatures.
With the creature before him and the wall at his back, there was only one thing to do. Harry charged as well. He doubted he could slide by him again. Being a monster did not mean the minotaur was stupid.
The minotaur lowered its head to bring its horns in line. Harry jumped, a push of magical force sent him higher than he should have been able to reach. He kicked off the top of the monsters head a moment before it crashed into the wall.
Harry twisted in the air. He brought the sword down as he fell. The blade sliced through the muscle and raked along bone. Another roar, this one with a touch of shock emitted from the beast. Harry stayed in motion. He sliced at the knee he had targeted before. The enchanted blade easily cut through joint rather than rebounding against bone.
The minotaur lurched to the side as its balance shifted. Pain, shock, and anger kept the creature in the fight. It turned back to face Harry. The motion was led by a large hand that moved way too fast. Harry was backhanded with such force that it sent him rolling end over end down the passage. He rolled to a stop in the middle of a chamber.
"'Arry!" Fleur yelled.
His head spun as he turned to face her. Thick threads of webbing hung off his shoulders. Her uniform had quite a few slashes and melted patches but appeared intact.
"What happened?" She slipped into her native French without realizing it.
"Minotaur." Harry grunted out.
She helped him to his feet. Any further questions were interrupted by the arrival of Victor. The side of his face had a large discolored patch that would turn into a nasty bruise. One eye was swollen shut and he walked with a limp.
"Golem." He offered before they could ask.
"Spiders." Fleur replied.
"Minotaur." Harry motioned over his shoulder.
Thankfully, the passage behind him had sealed. He did not look forward to fighting the minotaur even while it was injured.
"Cedric?" Victor asked.
"Sent him back." Harry scanned the area.
It was empty, aside from a pedestal in the center. The Goblet of Fire rested in a silver cage.
"Where is key?" Victor directed the question to Harry.
"Huh?" He turned his attention back to the others.
Both of them held a key.
"I didn't get one." Harry shrugged.
The duo looked at each other. Only one of them could win. Victor smiled at Fleur or tried to at least. The motion made him shudder in pain. He waved to the goblet.
"You are most intact." Victor said to Fleur.
"I'm intact." Harry scoffed.
"No key." Victor countered.
Harry nodded. Fleur looked between the other two.
"Go on." Harry gave her a roguish smile. "You earned it." He paused. "Just, be careful. We don't know if there is more."
Fleur nodded. She unlocked the cage and grabbed the cup. The maze around them shook. Stone walls fell away as the chamber rose. They found themselves on a raised platform surrounded by a cheering crowd. Harry felt a ball of tension slowly begin to ease.
In the center of the platform stood Fleur. She held the cup above her head with a bright smile. The crowd cheered so loud he could feel it. They had made it. The Third Task was done. Harry cheered along with the rest of them.
Cedric hobbled over to join them. The remains of his arm had been wrapped in glowing bandages, as was his side. Medics rushed over to examine Harry and Victor. He tried to wave them off, sure he didn't have more than a few bumps and bruises.
"Mister Potter." The familiar voice of Madam Pomphrey stopped his protests. "You have a bleeding head wound. I have no doubt you have quite a few broken bones as well."
Harry felt the side of his head. It came away bloody.
"Huh." Harry grunted. "I didn't even realize."
"Now stop fussing and let me look you over." Madam Pomphrey led him toward the medical tent.
Harry came to a sudden stop. Madam Pomphrey said something, but the words were lost on him. The woman from his dream stood nearby. She stared back at him with an amused smile. The world around them seemed to slow as she approached. She wore a rich purple muggle suit with a black shirt. Her previously wild black hair was pulled back in a tight tail.
"Harry Potter." She said, that jolt of power from before the task pulsed again. "A wonderful show."
"And you are?" Harry forced himself to focus on her.
"Morgan." She held out her hand, palm down.
Harry took it and placed a kiss along her knuckles.
"Just Morgan?" Harry asked as he met her eyes.
"Le Fay." She replied.
The magic around her felt old, deep, and powerful. He didn't doubt her. Time stopped. Literally.
"That's new." A familiar voice said from beside him.
Harry looked over at Death.
"Yeah." He nodded. "I was not expecting that."