Hogwarts had settled into an uneasy calm.
The students whispered of the upcoming task, their hushed voices laced with speculation and dread. The mysterious hedge maze had already begun its slow, monstrous growth over the Quidditch Pitch, towering higher with each passing day.
Harry watched it all with quiet indifference.
He hadn't attended any more of the fake Moody's lessons, even though the man had attempted to summon him twice. He'd ignored his calls, not bothering with feigned politeness…
The tournament, which Harry had once viewed as nothing more than entertainment, had entered its final stage—and with it came another, greater hurdle he had to overcome.
'Voldemort.'
The name reverberated in his head like a dark echo of inevitability.
And inevitable, it was.
After Dumbledore told him about the prophecy and its content, it merely solidified what he knew deep down, that this moment would come. He could feel it approaching with the weight of fate itself. The pieces were falling into place, and Harry would once again find himself in grave danger.
'Or that's what would have happened had I not found out about this blasted scheme,' he thought with glee.
He had spent all of his time sharpening himself, honing his magic, and pushing his abilities beyond their previous limits.
Harry could now keep his draconic-like magical awareness at its peak for an hour. He had, however, toned down the sensory input, as seeing magic made the world too alien most of the time.
The magical signatures of everything around him had become as distinct as their images, and he could track movement through walls with frightening accuracy. It was mentally exhausting but necessary—he needed every advantage he could get.
His skill with both wand and wandless magic had reached new heights, and he tried compensating for his lack of experience by studying obscure knowledge.
And yet, despite his isolation, Fleur had been a persistent presence in his days.
"We hardly say anything to each other except spell incantations these days," she had murmured just the night before, her cool fingers tracing the edges of his palm as they finally sat down on one of the chamber's couches. "Everything will be fine."
He had looked at her then, at the quiet determination in her eyes, and for a moment, something in him wavered. But old habits were hard to break and he had simply squeezed her hand in response.
The truth was… he didn't know how the next task would end.
If the tournament had shown them anything, it was that everything was subject to change and that you couldn't be sure what tomorrow would bring.
Now, as Harry stood in front of the enormous hedges, waiting for the signal to enter the maze, he felt the hum of magic in the air—thick with tension and excitement.
Cedric was stretching, rolling out his shoulders, his usual easy smile nowhere to be found.
Viktor stood apart, silent as ever, his dark eyes narrowed in concentration.
And Fleur… Fleur caught his gaze from across the open field. She tilted her head slightly, as if measuring his mood, and gave him a small, knowing smile. Not a forced one—something real, something meant just for him.
Harry exhaled slowly and smiled.
'Everything will be alright. We made plans for this, and we will see them through,' he thought, yet his brain tried to come up with various—and very unlikely—ways that their schemes could become unraveled.
He hated not having control over the situation and that he had to compete in the task. There were too many variables at play.
Still, he forced himself to focus on what they could control rather than what they couldn't.
Then, Bagman's voice boomed through the arena, announcing the start of the final task.
"Ladies and gentlemen!"
Bagman's voice rang loud and clear, his enthusiasm as forced as ever. Harry barely paid attention, his mind already shifting into battle mode. The crowd cheered, a distant noise in the back of his awareness, but he was far more concerned with the magic thrumming in the air. The hedges loomed ahead like silent sentinels, thick with enchantments, their shifting shadows almost alive under the bright lights of the stadium.
"Let the final task… begin!"
A loud blast from Bagman's wand signalled the start.
The crowd roared. The maze loomed before them, dark and waiting.
Fleur was the first to move, but she lingered for a second, her gaze flicking to Harry, searching for something—reassurance, perhaps.
He gave her a subtle nod, and she turned on her heel, disappearing into the towering greenery.
Krum followed after a minute, slipping into the shadows, his posture tense and wary.
"Good luck, Harry," Cedric said with warmth in his voice, his usual competitive spirit momentarily giving way to camaraderie.
In the next moment, he turned and walked into the maze.
'Alright, just me now,' Harry thought as he peered into his path through the maze, waiting for Bagman's signal.
'And me.'
'And me.'
Two voices echoed in his head, their tones a stark contrast to each other.
Unbeknownst to the crowd, Harry nearly cracked a smile. 'Yes, of course. How could I forget my most faithful and lovely familiars?'
They both snorted in response, which somehow led to another round of bickering in Harry's mind.
.
'Watch your feathers, Emberbreath,' Ash hissed irritably, sliding away from a stray spark drifting off the phoenix's plumes. 'If you set me aflame, I'll shed on your perch again.'
Fawkes fluttered indignantly, settling his fiery wings carefully away from the snake's coiling form. 'Quiet down, Slithersnoot. I swear your complaints alone are enough to dampen my flames.'
'At least my complaints don't reduce the room to cinders, Squawk-a-Lot,' Ash retorted, flicking his tongue dismissively. 'Tell me, is there an actual bird underneath all that gaudy fire, or is it all just a show?'
'And is there an actual serpent beneath all that incessant whining, or are you merely a tube of scales with attitude?' Fawkes countered loftily.
Ash let out an exaggerated hiss of offence. 'I'll have you know, Featherduster, that Harry values my strategic bits of advice.'
Fawkes tilted his head, unimpressed. 'Oh, I'm sure he deeply treasures your ability to hiss dramatically and nap incessantly.'
They both glared at each other for a tense moment before Ash finally sighed, slumping slightly. 'Truce, Matchstick?'
Fawkes nodded graciously, fluffing his feathers into place. 'Truce, Noodles.'
The snake's glare returned, and the phoenix's eyes sparkled mischievously.
'For now,' they both murmured simultaneously.
.
'Stay alert, both of you,' Harry said firmly, stepping into the darkness of the maze. 'This isn't going to be easy.'
The towering hedges swallowed him whole, the noise of the spectators immediately dampened by layers of enchantments woven into the foliage. The silence pressed around him, thick and tangible.
"Alright. Let's finish this," he muttered under his breath and cast Ascendare Luminae.
.
.
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Chapter 103: Aurum Fiend
Chapter 104: Hello Tom
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Chapter 112: Too Much Pink