Harry fingered the black t-shirt he was wearing that had the Hogwarts crest embroidered over the left breast. It was thin cotton, very soft and comfortable and perfect for the balmy early evening air. As they stood outside the entrance to the modified Quidditch arena he felt his father fiddle with his earlobe and gasped, realising he was removing the personal Portkey; the one he’d been told to never remove.

“Dumbledore insists,” his father whispered in explanation. “He doesn’t want you to have an unfair advantage.” Harry felt his father palm his jeans pocket. “However, I never believe in leaving things to chance. It’s in your watch-pocket. I’ll be showing the Headmaster Draco’s,” his father murmured quickly. Harry flicked his eyes over to his father to show he understood and the lead weight that had landed in his stomach when he’d woken up this morning, lightened just a little. Even the momentary thought of being without his Portkey, had nearly caused him to panic. What was Dumbledore playing at? He knew Harry was being made a target in this tournament; a way out of trouble was necessary!

His father squeezed his shoulder as they entered the arena, walking over to stand next to the black-flagged entrance to the maze. Draco moved down from the stands where he’d been talking to Hermione and Ron, to stand with his family, lending Harry more moral support, and the Gryffindor contingent screamed and applauded when they spotted Harry’s entrance. There was well earned polite applause from the other houses as well and Harry blushed at the approbation.  Dumbledore came over to them and Severus showed him the earring; but Dumbledore noted that both boys weren’t wearing them and gave Severus a disappointed look over his half moon glasses.

“The other one too, Severus,” he said, doggedly.

“Headmaster, I must protest. He can not be without protection,” he asserted once again. A long drawn-out argument had occurred in the Headmaster’s office that morning and Severus was still stinging from it as he’d actually lost the argument – or so Albus thought. Severus had to keep him thinking that way, just like he did with the Defence position every year. So, he continued to push the point.

“We’ve been over this, my boy; Harry must not be seen having anything more magical on him than the spells he knows and his wand. His only danger will be that which the other champions face as well.”

Harry squirmed a bit; did Silicia count as a magical item? He didn’t think so, but he decided to keep mum about the cobra hidden under his sleeve a secret. Besides, she was currently asleep. Not even his father knew she was there.

“Which has nearly gotten him killed twice this year!” Severus was continuing in stating his case. “I’ve protested this since the beginning, Albus. Now you are making me break my word to him.”

Albus sighed, running his hand through his long beard as if he was thinking about what his Potion’s master was saying. “There is nothing in there that he can’t overcome, Severus,” he finally answered. “Now, the other earring, if you please.” He held out his hand, wiggling his fingers momentarily.

Harry’d had his finger in the tiny pocket for a moment now and looking up at his father, sighed as the man finally nodded his head, acquiescing to the Headmaster’s request, and pulled out an earring - an exact match to the one that his father was showing Dumbledore. He placed it in his father’s hand, sending a glare in his headmaster’s direction.

“Splendid. Now, I shall take those into custody...” Dumbledore started, but stopped as Severus curled his hand around the small pieces of jewellery. “Severus...”

“I created these, Dumbledore. They stay with me – no one else, other than me or my sons, is allowed to touch them. That includes you, old man. Don’t push it. You have their removal, don’t try for more. Now, I believe the other champions are arriving, time to be the consummate host, don’t you think?” He stared down the Headmaster, daring him to make a scene – or more of one than he’d already done.

Dumbledore let his icy stare pin his Potion’s master one last moment before his gaze warmed up as he turned to welcome Cedric Diggory and his parents, showing them to his staging area around a yellow banner – his own t-shirt the same colour.

Harry gazed up the hedges that now towered above them, easily twelve feet in the air. He looked inside his entrance and saw only a green pathway that faded away in the distance. Not heartening at all. He turned his head back to the open arena area when he heard Draco curse under his breath.

“Did you know he was going to be here, officiating?” Draco hissed to their father. Severus followed his son’s pointing gaze and his sight was immediately drawn to the brilliant white blond hair of Lucius Malfoy. The aristocrat was making the rounds, shaking hands, speaking to the rest of the governors as they sat in their own box and generally eeling his way around the gathering. On his arm was his current mistress, a simpering wisp of a witch who looked like she was about to faint from being around so many famous people at once.

“No, I didn’t. Calm down, Dragon; don’t let him affect you – you are above any insults he may throw at you. He wants you to react, don’t give in to the temptation,” Severus wisely advised as Lucius began greeting the Champions, being introduced to their families who were standing with them. The Snapes watched as he slowly made his way over to their little area.

Lucius politely nodded in their direction, not offering his hand as he had to the other Champions. “Severus, children, may I introduce Miss Elladora Pilliwickle, an acquaintance of mine from work.” He at least had the grace to visibly flinch his eyebrows when she giggled.

“Oh my, I get to meet the famous Harry Potter!” she squealed, too excited to notice when Draco and Harry both corrected her with a heated “It’s Harry Potter-SNAPE!” “I didn’t realise you were so young! But so handsome! I bet you’ve broken all the girls’ hearts with those good looks. I can’t believe all the interesting people Lucy knows; why it is simply mind-blowing...” she babbled. Draco and Harry had a hard time keeping their faces immobilized at the cute little sobriquet and, in fact, Harry ended up covering a snigger with a cough. Lucius glared down at the teens before turning to his companion and shutting her up mid-stream.

“That’s enough Ella; why don’t you go warm up our seats in the box? I’ll be along shortly,” Lucius suggested.

“Oh, alright!” she said brightly, blowing him a kiss from her bright red lips before picking her way across the grass to the Judges box where she was assisted to her seat by a solicitous Percy Weasley.

“Shut it, Snape,” Lucius warned as Severus looked at him with an amused eye. “She has her uses.”

“I’m sure she does,” Severus drawled. “Now why are you officiating this task? Where is Crouch?”

“I’m afraid Barty came down with a terminal case of dementia this week. So sad. He shall be discovered soon enough. In the meantime, Fudge owes me several favours and this is just a little payback, shall we say.” He leaned on his cane, scanning the other competitors before letting his eyes rest on Harry, raising an eyebrow as he took in Harry’s smaller stature and obvious youth. “Good luck, Potter. I’m certain you will need all that you can get before this is over.” He sauntered off back towards the gaggle of Judges that were hovering around Dumbledore.

“Did he just admit to killing someone?” Harry quietly asked his father.

“Five points to Gryffindor for paying attention,” Moody interjected as he moved up to them. “We’d never be able to prove it, though. Are you ready, Snape?” he asked gruffly.

Harry swallowed hard, but nodded his head. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”

Moody let his wonky eye rove all over Harry, as if any unreadiness might be detected by the magical orb. It rested momentarily at where Harry’s finger was still worrying at the little pocket in his jeans, and where Silicia still curled up asleep around his bicep, but moved on quickly. Moody reached out and roughly grasped Harry’s forearm. “Good luck, boy. I’m part of the team that will be monitoring you from outside the hedges. If you run into trouble, just send up sparks with your wand and we’ll come get you. Don’t try to be a damned hero, Snape. Just use your brain and you’ll get through it fine.”

“Families, please take your seats; Champions to the centre, please!” Dumbledore’s sonorous charm cut through the air like a bullhorn. Harry let Draco give him a quick hug then turned to face his father who lifted a hand to let it rest alongside Harry’s cheek.

“I’m proud of you son, and I know your mum is too. Just do your best, alright?”

Harry could nod once. The lead in his stomach had become an overwhelming weight again and if he tried to talk, he was afraid he would sick-up. So he leaned in for an embrace from his father then reluctantly let him go so that he could walk to the middle of the open area.

With Dumbledore there stood several officials, obviously those directly involved in this task. Harry stood between Fleur and Diggory, glaring at the Durmstrang champion across the way. Krum had learned his lesson over the holidays and hadn’t attacked Harry any further during term, but they kept the rivalry to a bare simmer by simply managing to avoid each other as much as possible. At times like this, where they were forced to interact, both of their hot tempers flared. With the officials around though, they settled for pointed glares.

“Champions, your objective is to find the Tri-Wizard cup. It has been placed somewhere in the maze by one of the officials. When you have obtained it, it will transport you back here,” Dumbledore explained. “While you are in the maze, you not only have to navigate its interior, you also will come across obstacles that must be overcome in order to penetrate further in. Do you understand?”

All the champions nodded to show their understanding, although none spoke aloud.

“Excellent. Mr Malfoy is here in Mr Crouches stead; he will explain the rest of your instructions.” He turned to Lucius, offering him the floor.

“I am here to offer up the Ministry’s congratulations on persevering in these challenges this year and reaching this point in the competition. The points stand with Mr Diggory and Mr Potter-Snape sharing the first position followed by Mr Krum and Miss Delacour respectively. There will be a three minute delay between each of the positions. If you will stand next to your flags, we can begin momentarily.” His voice was quiet and steady, imparting needed information without any flourishes. Harry actually appreciated this as he doubted he could stomach any flowery speeches at this point. He parted ways with his competitors who each stood next to their flags in front of their individual entrances. Along the banks of the stands, signs lit up showing quadrupled divided screens so that the audience could see what was happening inside the maze.

While waiting for the signal to start, Harry looked around at the stands, taking in the students, teachers and officials as well as sundry folk from the surrounding area and, of course, the journalists who were mumbling to their dicta-Quills while their photographers were snapping photos right and left. Harry spotted the Gryffindor contingent pretty quickly and raised a tentative hand to wave at his friends. Fred and George cheered him on while still taking bets and Fred flashed him fingers that said his odds had risen to five to one. Much better than before! That was encouraging. He had to laugh when he spotted Draco’s friend, Luna, sporting a Lion’s head that roared periodically, apparently annoying Hermione who had edged away from the girl putting her conveniently closer to Draco.

He nodded at his brother, flashing him a confident grin then peered over at the teacher’s box where his father was sitting between his head of house and Hagrid. Harry stood a little straighter under their gazes and let his wand drop into his hand as he heard the bell that signalled that it was time for him and Cedric to enter the maze.

He looked one last time over to where the Hufflepuff stood – catching the others gaze - and, as one, they entered the maze.

Harry had once read a book in his primary school library that had said that the traditional way to solve a maze was to trail a hand along one wall, leaving it there and turning when the wall turned. The only problem: this was not a traditional maze. The walls could move and change the direction of the Maze. Harry began walking along his first corridor, the tall hedges looming darkly over him. He looked back over his shoulder and saw the entrance close up as the enchanted branches meshed to block the entrance. The only way out was forward.

When he reached the first junction he laid his wand in his hand and incanted “Point me Tri-Wizard cup.”

The wand spun once in his hand, causing a tickling sensation and nearly making him clench his fingers in an automatic reaction. But he’d been practicing this spell for a while and he knew how it worked, so he gritted his teeth and rode out the desire, watching as the wand pointed a bit to his right. Right it was, then.

He took off, more confident, and began to work his way towards what he assumed was the centre of the maze. A far off bong sounded and he realised that three minutes had already passed and Krum had just now entered the maze. Several more turns, encountering nothing more than yards upon yards of box hedges and Harry was beginning to wonder if Dumbledore had been pulling their leg about there being other obstacles in the maze.

A final tone sounded from the school bell, and Harry knew that all his competitors were now racing through the structure, trying to find the cup that would give them the win. He and Cedric had a six minute lead on Fleur – was it enough?

As he kept walking, he was getting more and more confused. Hadn’t he walked by that particular urn before? He remembered the cracked handle – he was sure he’d seen it – but no, there was another one in a niche further along... They were identical. Bloody hell.

He tried the point me spell again and saw that the direction for the cup was now more to the left. He adjusted his turns and kept going – but he was getting nowhere fast. Spying a wooden bench, he threw some detection spells at it – one can never be too cautious – and when it came up clean, he sat down to resettle his mind.

****

Hermione let out a frustrated sound, pounding the wooden seat beneath her. “What is he doing? Now is not the time to sit and ponder!” She ignored the amused glance her boyfriend gave her, keeping her eyes on the screen closest to them. She watched as Fleur and Krum advanced into the corridors, cautiously making their way forward. Cedric had already dispatched with a Fire Crab Hybrid, getting scorched a bit – but otherwise unharmed – and was cheered loudly by the Hufflepuffs.

Draco nudged her shoulder. “Just watch,” he whispered. “In a moment Harry will realise what to do.”

She looked at him incredulously. “What do you mean?”

“Just watch,” he repeated confidently.

****

Harry closed his eyes, entering that state of mind where he could visualise the magic around him. This was why he was confused, why he was getting lost; there was too much - he could feel the magic all around him, pressing in from all sides. He needed to separate them out – choose only that which would allow him to obtain the prize. He had this ability – he’d been honing it all year. Slowly, as his breathing slowed, he reached with his magic and felt the energy around him.

He searched for the brightest source of that energy, assuming that it should be the cup. Opening his eyes, he could see the faint line of magic leading from him, urging him on. The spectators could not see what he did; all they could see was him standing up with a sense of confidence and determination as he set off.

Following that faint line, Harry kept his senses stretched and thus was warned to step aside when a body came hurtling through the hedge to land at his feet. He dropped to his knees and rolled away catching a glimpse of Krum through the hole in the shrubbery.

Harry was chilled to the bone when he saw Krum’s eyes – fixed and staring straight ahead, a robotic gait carrying him off. Harry had seen that look often enough in Moody’s class this year; the man insisted that everyone had to know what it felt like to have the lesser of the three evils cast upon them. Krum had been Imperiused.

And Fleur had been his first target.

Making sure that Krum had departed, Harry scrambled over to the unconscious girl. She was obviously out of the competition. Krum had cast a strong enough hex that had knocked her out while blowing her straight through the foliage. Covered in scratches and bits of twigs and leaves, it didn’t look as if anything was broken. She was breathing freely and nothing was bleeding profusely. Nodding, satisfied with his assessment, he took her wand and cast the sparks with it, marking her spot. Then, confident that an official would Apparate to her quickly, he continued on following his glowing string.

****

“Did you see that?” Hermione gasped. Draco was sure he would eventually regain the feeling in his right arm from where she clutched at it. “And what is with the officials? They are all just sitting there! That couldn’t have been legal – did you see his eyes?”

Draco had seen Krum’s eyes; they had the clear look of an imperiused person. He glanced at the Judges box, noting that his sire sat there in his chair, legs crossed and hands resting on his cane head. The picture of supreme confidence. Dumbledore was seemingly unconcerned as well and this bothered Draco a lot; more than he cared to admit at this point.

Letting his eyes wander to where his father was sitting amongst the teachers, Draco could see that the man was worried but he was restraining McGonagall from rising up and protesting.

“Dad wants this to play out,” he murmured to his girlfriend.

“What? I don’t understand,” she said, shaking her head.

“I think he wants to see who this draws up, hoping to catch whoever is behind all this,” he explained.

Hermione bit her lower lip to keep it from trembling; whether from anger or fear, she wasn’t sure.

****

 Harry had come across his first obstacle: a section of wall that, instead of being made of the regular hedge material, was made of Devils Snare. Harry had nearly been choked by it before he remembered that it hated bright light and managed to wordlessly light his wand with a bright Lumos spell that caused the vines to slither back into the underbrush, shying away from his brandished wand. He rubbed ruefully at his neck where it felt like there were rope burns on his skin, but continued on, not wanting to get stuck in that section longer than necessary.

****

Draco was convinced that it would be a week before the circulation was restored in his arm. He didn’t dare shake Hermione off, though. He reached over and gently released her lower lip from under her teeth before she punctured holes in it. She looked at him, worry clearly written in her eyes.

“He could’ve died!” she blurted out.

“But he didn’t, he remembered and used the appropriate spell. He’s doing fine, ‘Mione,” he assured the witch. “Look, Cedric is facing a Dementor!”

She gave a squeak and hid her face in her hands and his jacket, not wanting to look.

****

Harry was jogging now; he’d cast a tempus charm and realised he’d been in the maze nearly forty minutes and didn’t seem any closer to the centre. The sky overhead was pitch black, and the light from the waning gibbous moon was weak inside the shadowed corridors. Every ten metres there had popped up flaming torches, but their pools of light were small and did not reach all the way to the next torch.

Harry kept his magical and human senses at full alert, and he was still following the faint trail that connected him to his goal: the cup.

He turned a corner and came upon an open area that housed a large creature who was lounging in front of the exit, eyeing his entrance as if prey had come into their lair. A rattle of leaves behind him caused him to turn around and see that the entrance was now grown over. The only way out was past this beast. He sighed.

“Welcome, young traveller. Do you know what I am?” The voice was heavily accented, but he could understand her.

Harry nodded. He had seen pictures in Muggle primary school of the statues in Egypt, and he’d read his magical creatures books. Part Lion, part beautiful woman. Fond of riddles and quite deadly to those who were unable to answer correctly.

“You’re a Sphinx,” he answered.

“Very good,” she approved.

“And I have to answer a riddle to get past you?” he guessed. She inclined her head, keeping her eyes on him.

“Can I choose not to answer the riddle?” he decided to ask – might as well make sure of all exit routes.

“You could, but then your goal would be as far away as if you’d just begun your quest.” Great, a forty minute penalty.

“Alright then, give me your riddle,” he acceded.

Nodding her head, she straightened up, assuming a pose that had been immortalised in many statues from around the world. And in a sing-song voice she pronounced:

“This thing all things devours:
Birds, beasts, trees, flowers;
Gnaws iron, bites steel;
Grinds hard stones to meal;
Slays king, ruins town,
And beats high mountain down”

Harry stared at her incredulously.

****

Hermione moaned. “This isn’t his strong suit; oh, Harry, just think. It is simple if you just think!”

Draco knew the answer, but he used to play this game with his mother and if he answered correctly he’d get extra time with his pony, or get to choose which lesson to skip, or maybe just get an extra desert after dinner.

He glanced to his left at Luna who was also sitting there, a non-worried expression on her face. She looked up at him.

“Harry Snape will figure it out; he is quite intelligent for a Gryffindor.” If Hermione had heard that, she gave no indication as she was still mumbling to herself on his other side. He looked past her to where Weasley sat, a puzzled expression on his face.

“Stumped there, Weasley?” he drawled, amusedly. Ron just shot him an annoyed glare.

“I don’t see the point in it? Why ask a riddle?”

“Why not? It’s quite dangerous – oh, not the riddle – but if he does not answer it correctly, Sphinxes traditionally eat the losers.”

Hermione whimpered at that and Ron looked alarmed.

****

“Severus, does Harry know what will happen if he doesn’t answer correctly?” McGonagall asked the worried father.

“He knows. Remember, they covered Sphinxes last year – but he’s never been in front of one before and I have no idea if he ever studied riddles. And Diggory fighting off the Dementor... What is Albus thinking, allowing these creatures here.”

“And Krum...” she added.

“Yes, he is a loose cannon in there. He’s been imperiused. I don’t know when, and I don’t know by whom. Minerva, I’m going to go talk to Moody – maybe he’s seen something. He just got back from bringing in Delacour.”

Taking his leave of the nervous transfiguration professor, Severus melted into the shadows of the box and made his way down to the Healer’s tent where the Delacour girl was being revived by Madam Pomfrey. Mad-Eye was standing close by, watching the proceedings. Severus took the spot next to him, adopting a similar stance.

“What did you see?” he asked his colleague, never actually looking at the man.

“I saw the curse come in, but could not see who cast it – too many bodies around. It was done just as he entered the maze.”

“Do we leave him in there?”

“He’s three minutes behind the rest, I would say he’s no longer a threat – but I’d rather see what his ultimate instructions are. If they were to get at Snape, then why not take the opportunity when it presented itself? He was right there and yet Krum continued on.”

“Remove Harry’s competition?” Severus ventured.

“Possibly... To what end? Just so that it is down to Harry and Krum?”

“Maybe...”

They watched in silence, trying to puzzle out the riddle of Krum while Harry struggled with his posed Riddle.

****

Harry turned the riddle over and over in his head, but he could not see what could cause all the variables. Water almost covered all of them, but not quite.

He began pacing around... the riddle going round and round in his brain.

“Are you giving up?” she asked, an eager tone in her voice as a dribble of drool slid down from one side of her mouth in her anticipation of a tasty morsel.

“No, no, I just need more...” He slapped himself in his forehead and turned to face her. Yes, that had to be the answer – it fit all the variables. He tested them in his head once more, just to make sure, then confronted the ferocious beast.

“Time. Time is the answer,” he declared.

Visibly deflating, she pouted. “Yes, yes... that was too easy, obviously. Best two out of three?” She sounded hopeful.

“Erm, no thank you. One per customer, I believe, and I’m really low on time myself – must go,” he said, easing himself past the golden lion’s swishing tail. “It was nice meeting you!” he told her, sprinting for the opening in the hedge.

He popped through it only to be met by freezing cold, and the greatest despair ever began to descend upon him.

“And I complained early on of there not being any obstacles... Bloody Merlin...” He’d broken out into a cold sweat, but took himself back to his lessons the previous term with Professor Lupin. He knew he could do this – he just needed to enter the right frame of mind, and quickly. He could feel the depression taking over with each passing second.

As the decaying collection of bones and robes swayed down the corridor towards him, he raised his inner shields, protecting his thoughts and extracted a happy one: an evening at the Manor this past summer, sitting in the parlour with Draco and his father, playing chess. The warmth and love from the memory suffused his system and he brandished his wand with confidence shouting: “Expecto Patronum”

A large antlered buck emerged from his wand, stepping in front of the boy and facing down the Dementor. The creature backed away at the fearsome light that slowly paced its way forward. Harry followed, wand out and directing the stag Patronus until he was able to move past the cold spectre into another corridor. Prongs then paced up to Harry and bowed his head to the child, letting Harry reach a hand out to touch the semi-solid piece of plasma energy.

Warmth permeated his soul and he smiled in spite of himself, finally letting the Patronus fade away before recapturing the pathway with a sigh. He loved seeing his Patronus, watching his father’s animagus form ride again. It was his way of keeping a piece of his step-father with him at all times.

Following his glowing string, he managed to make several more turns before he threw himself to the ground just as Cedric told him to duck. Spells ricocheted around him as Krum attacked Cedric and Diggory responded back, finally taking down the Durmstrang champion with a well-placed Knee-Reversing hex causing Krum to fall flat on his back as his legs buckled in the wrong direction.

Cedric quickly bound the other champion, kicking away his wand after casting the red sparks with it. He was about to cast an even stronger curse when Harry grabbed his wand arm, forcing it down.

“Don’t, Cedric – he’s been imperiused. Didn’t you notice his eyes?”

“I was paying more attention to the fact that he was trying to kill me! Those weren’t innocent hexes and jinxes he was throwing, Snape!”

“I know – trust me! He’s already taken out Fleur! I was there. Look, you’ve marked his position for the Auror squad, let’s just leave him for them, they’ll figure out what happened,” he pleaded. Diggory looked like he was about to cave and Harry took a breath to continue the argument when the tell-tale rustling signalled a change in the shrubbery.

They both turned and watched as a long corridor was revealed and glimmering at the end was the Tri-Wizard Cup.

They both looked at it, then at each other before setting off at a dead-run.

Evenly matched in speed despite their difference in sizes, they raced neck and neck down the green tunnel, one goal in mind – reach the cup.

****

The crowd was going wild. Everyone was jumping up and down in the stands causing them to creak groan in protest.

Noise makers were whirling through the air, screaming in high pitched whistles while their owners screamed down below watching as the screens – now showing only one picture – captured the race to the finish.

Hermione had finally let go of Draco’s arm – for which he was infinitely grateful – only to capture his hand instead, crushing it in her own in her excitement. He had no clue how such a delicate little thing like Hermione Granger could have a grip as strong as a Dragon’s mouth, and he wasn’t about to risk his life by asking her. He watched as the two Hogwarts champions ran towards the shining trophy.

Beside him, Luna’s lion hat was roaring to beat the band and she wore a happy smile on her face as her eyes were glued to the run between Harry and Diggory.

****

The two Hogwarts champions burst into the clearing at the same time, pulling up before the short piece of statuary that the cup sat upon, glowing in all its glory. Both of their hands were reached out towards it before they dropped simultaneously to their sides.

“We got here at the same time...” Cedric began.

“It would be a victory for Hogwarts either way...” Harry continued, catching on.

“On three then?” Diggory concluded.

“On three. One...” They both stepped to one side of the cup, each facing a handle.

“Two...” They each raised a hand to hover near their handle.

“Three!” They both grabbed their handle at the same time and felt the expected pull of the Portkey spell grab them behind the navel and yank them out of the maze.

****

The screams of triumph died on the lips of the spectators when the expected trio of cup and two Hogwarts Champions did not appear on the lawn in front of the Judges stand.

Moody stumped to the middle of the lawn and cast his eye upon the maze, everyone quieting down as they watched him. Slowly his gaze travelled over and through the hedgerows before he turned and made his grave announcement.

“They are not anywhere in there. Someone changed the spell on the cup.”