Neophobia | H. POTTER [2]

10 | the maze

The third and final task was approaching fast and Abigail was at a loss. It wasn't possible. Nothing she had seen was possible. Right? There was absolutely no way it could happen.

Abigail frantically searched for Harry as she pushed through the crowds of people flooding the stands. "Harry!" she shouted and the boy stopped, looking around in confusion. "Harry!"

He finally spotted Abigail and waited for her to approach him. He found himself quite agitated with the girl as of late. One second she's avoiding him like the plague and the next, she's actively seeking him out. He was going to get whiplash from her inability to make up her mine.

"You have to bow out early," Abigail spoke frantically and his eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "You can't grab the cup, Harry. Please don't do it."

He looked the girl up and down for a moment. She seemed completely out of it as though she wasn't entirely sure where she was but that she needed to speak to him, "I'm going to be okay."

"You don't know that," she countered, shaking her head. "You can't know that. This feeling I have...it never ends well." She looked to her left where someone was waving Harry over, "Please don't win. I can't lose you."

Harry opened his mouth to reply but someone grabbed a hold of his arm and started to pull him away. "You're not going to lose me," he informed her but he had no idea if she heard because the music began to play.

"Earlier today Professor Moody placed the triwizards cup deep within the maze. Only he knows its exact position," Dumbeldore announced. "Now as Mr. Diggory and Mr. Potter tied for first position, they will be the first to enter the maze. Followed by Mr Krum." The crowd cheered, "The first person to touch the cup will be the winner. I've instructed the staff to patrol the perimeter, if at any point should a contestant wish to withdraw from the task he or she need only send up red sparks with their wands. Contestants gather round."

Abigail made her way up to where Ron and Hermione were in the crowd, the feeling in her stomach not wavering.

"Do you think he's ready?" Hermione asked upon seeing her.

"For what he's about to encounter?" she inquired. "I don't think anyone would be ready for that."

"Champions!" Moody shouted, "Prepare yourselves."

Cedric hugged his father quickly before taking his position.

"On the count of three...ONE..." Before Dumbeldore door could get to three however, the cannon went off and Harry and Cedric entered the maze. The entrance closed behind them leaving the crowd to wonder what was going on inside.

The crowd sat and waited as the task went on. The only known passage of time was when someone announced it.

"Something's wrong," Abigail frowned as the crowd waited anxiously for the arrival of whoever would win.

"I'm sure everything's fine," Hermione pointed out.

"No," Abigail shook her head, "Nothing is fine." She turned to the two with wide eyes, "Look, there's something I have to tell the two of you."

Hermione and Ron both looked confused and worried. "Last year, when Harry came after me and I passed out? Before that, I-" Abigail froze mid sentence and her friends grew worried.

"Abby?"

"The Dark Lord has returned at the hand of his servant," the odd voice came from Abigail's mouth, "His followers have come together and he will enact his revenge on the one who caused his downfall."

"Hermione..." Ron spoke warily, not entirely sure what was happening. Abigail's eyes flickered closed and she stumbled slightly. She opened her eyes again and she looked at her friends who looked terrified.

"I-what is it?" Abigail asked and neither of them replied. She paled slightly, "What-What did I say?"

"You said..." Hermione trailed off, "You said that he-who-shall-not-be-name has returned?"

Abigail turned to the maze and shook her head, "Harry's in trouble." She ran down the bleachers and tried to make her way toward the maze but Professor Moody stopped her. "Let me go," she demanded.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"To help him," she pointed out as she tried to pry herself away from the professor's grip, "Harry's in trouble."

"And you know this how?"

Abigail stopped struggling and turned to look back at Hermione and Ron who were right behind her.

Harry appeared outside the arena with Cedric's body. The crowd stood up and cheered and Abigail shook her head, her blood going cold, "No."

She tried to slip away from Moody's grip and run over to Harry but he prevented her from doing so. He yanked her closer to him by her arm as the triumphant music began to play throughout the arena, "That's enough from you young lady." He pulled her past Hermione and Ron who looked like they were about to try and stop him but she shook her head. Harry needed them more.

"Look, Prof-" Abigail began but she cut herself short as memories of previous events this year flooded her memory. They were all too precise to be coincidental. If everything else was true, why wouldn't this be as well? "Who are you?"

The tip of his wand was on her back as they walked to where she presumed would be his office, "That's not for you to know."

"You don't have to do this," Abigail pointed out as she held her hands up and walked where he guided her. "I'm perfectly happy with not telling anyone that you're really someone else. Your secret is safe with me."

"Too late for that," he pointed out before her vision went black.