𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱, fred weasley

˗ˋ 64

CHAPTER SIXTY FOUR
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-: sixth year :-

── IN WHICH THERE'S TROUBLE

. . .

With her heart pounding, Elodie ran in the direction that Harry had headed, having the strange feeling that this wasn't planned by those who had put the beasts in the maze - and she doubted whether or not it was even one of the creatures at all.

Shouts could still be heard, and the Beaumont girl very almost ran past the path that Harry had gone down, but stopped herself at the very last minute and flattened herself as best as she could against the hedge, feeling several branches began to curl around her ankles.

She pointed her wand down at them and they shot back, the girl glancing down the path. She was surprised to see Harry nowhere in sight, must having had gone down one of the other rows of hedges.

But in front of her, Viktor and Cedric were stood, and as she peered further out and a flash of red light appeared by her head, the girl shooting back into her position behind the hedge.

Taking a deep breath, she leaned out again, and caught sight of Krum over Cedric's shoulder, his wand brandished in front of him. It seemed that his eyes had a veil over them, and there was a certain dazed look there beside the usual sharpness.

"What are you doing?" Cedric asked, voice carrying confusion at the situation. Another flash of light could be seen, and Cedric dodged to the side, raising his wand as Krum did the same once more.

"Expelliarmus!" Elodie moved out from the end of the hedge and into the path, Krum's wand flying out of his hand as the Bulgarian Seeker crashed to the floor. Cedric started forward to grab it, but it didn't seem to be enough, because Krum was already scrambling to his feet, eyes dead-set on his wand as he picked it up again and Cedric and Elodie moved backwards, glancing at each other.

"Something's not right!" Cedric shouted to her, the girl nodding. "I don't know why - but I don't think he's his usual self."

Krum, despite the slight daziness within his eyes, looked alertly between the two, pointing his wand. "Crucio!" The Durmstrang champion said, the curse being reflected by Elodie quickly waving her wand.

Krum jerked his arm towards her, and rather suddenly a splitting pain erupted in her arms, and the girl gasped. Tearing her eyes away from Viktor, she stared down to see two rather long cuts in her arms, one having split open the scar from the dragon.

Her wand dropped from her hands, and Elodie wavered on her feet, her legs swaying as her body was overcome by the pain. Cedric looked panicked, not knowing whether to look away from Krum or to help her, settling for picking up her wand and handing it to her.

Knowing he could do nothing more, Elodie took the wand with a nod, ignoring the feeling of blood travelling down her arms as they rounded back on Krum.

The sound of branches moving behind the Durmstrang competitor had Cedric and Elodie watching Harry appear behind Krum, wide-eyed as he saw the situation.

"Crucio!" Krum shouted again, and this time it skimmed Cedric's shoulder, and the boy dropped to the floor jerking and twitching as he was tortured.

Elodie's arm wavered and her wand almost slipped again. Harry met her eyes, and saw the blood and quickly rose his wand. "Stupefy!" He yelled, and the spell hit Krum in the back; he stopped dead in his tracks,fell forward, and lay motionless, facedown in the grass. Harrydashed over to Cedric and Elodie, wincing at the longs cuts along her arm.

Harry was asking them if they were alright, helping Cedric up off of the ground, the Diggory boy recounting what had happened as Elodie cautiously moved over to Krum, reaching with the arm that seemed to hurt the least and pulling his shoulder back so that he was facing the stars above them.

He was frozen, eyes wide as he stared upwards. The Beaumont girl edged forward, ignoring the burning pain as she peered in his eyes, head tilting. The veil seemed to be still pulled over his eyes, and Elodie wracked her brains, trying to remember where she remembered seeing something similar.

"I can't believe this... I thought he was all right," Harry said,staring at Krum, the two boys moving over to stand beside Elodie, who was still peering curiously into his eyes.

"He was cursed." She said rather suddenly. "Maybe the Imperio curse - or something like that. Maybe he found some creature that stung him or something. He wouldn't - I don't think."

"He does look rather dazed." Cedric considered, before looking at the blood dripping from Elodie's arm. "I know a few spells that could fix them up for you, if you want me to help."

"I think I should just surrender." Elodie replied.

"You helped us out of it, you should come with us." The Diggory boy looked confused on why she was denying the chance to win the tournament.

"You should go ahread, I'll stay with Viktor and make sure that something else in this stupud maze doesn't eat him. Besides, I don't think I can go anywehre with this. Besides, I don't think i eveer really wanted to win." Elodie insisted. "Good luck, to both of you."

And as Cedric and Harry continued down the long row on hedges, two set of red sparks shot up into the sky, the two foreign competitors surrendering.

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